Advantages for Vietnam if buying Japanese P-3C aircraft

Amid speculation that Vietnam is interested in both the US and Japan's P-3C aircraft, the Nihon Keizai Shimbun newspaper said that Vietnam has an advantage in buying the Japanese version.

Advantages

According to this source, Vietnam plans to purchase new or used P-3C anti-submarine patrol aircraft from the Japan Maritime Self-Defense Force and is also interested in similar products made in the US.

Nikkei newspaper said that if Vietnam chooses to buy P-3C from Japan instead of from the US, the Vietnamese Navy will have a huge advantage. Citing Japanese military sources, Nikkei newspaper said that Vietnam has officially requested this country to provide used P-3C anti-submarine aircraft.

According to this source, Vietnam is looking for ways to strengthen its defense capabilities, especially after the US completely lifted the ban on lethal weapons sales to Vietnam.

Japanese P-3C aircraft.

However, it is worth noting that US weapons equipment such as the P-3C anti-submarine aircraft are too expensive and do not include weapons. Therefore, Vietnam is looking to buy cheaper used P-3C aircraft from the Japan Maritime Self-Defense Force (JMSDF).

The JMSDF P-3C is a version of the US Navy's P-3 Orion anti-submarine warfare patrol aircraft. It is a product of a partnership between Lockheed Martin of the US and Kawasaki Heavy Industries of Japan.

If Vietnam decides to buy P-3C aircraft from Japan, arming them will be much easier because, according to the country's media, Japan will help Vietnam arm the P-3Cs after they are purchased.

Changes in Japan's arms policy

Along with speculation that Vietnam wants to buy P-3C aircraft from JMSDF, the Yomiuri newspaper quoted a Japanese government source saying that the country's cabinet plans to amend the law to allow Japan to provide used weapons equipment to other countries for free or at low prices.

According to the source, Japan has previously agreed to provide used training aircraft to the Philippines, used patrol boats to Vietnam and may provide them to Malaysia in the future. According to the plan, the upcoming constitutional amendment will help Japan further strengthen security cooperation with other countries.

After this information appeared, Nikkei newspaper said that Japan is looking to donate retired P-3C aircraft to Malaysia. This is one of the efforts to help Malaysia improve its ability to control the situation in the East Sea, as well as help Japan further expand its influence in Southeast Asian countries.

"In response to a request from Kuala Lumpur, Tokyo is planning to provide some retired P-3C patrol aircraft," Nikkei quoted an unnamed Japanese Defense Ministry official as saying. However, this information was denied by Malaysia shortly after.

"It could be a rumor...we have not received any official request or decision so far," RMAF commander Datuk Seri Affendi Buang said at a recent press conference, Bernama news agency quoted the Royal Malaysian Air Force (RMAF) chief as saying.

Clip of Japanese P-3C launching Harpoon missile:

According to Baodatviet