Plan for Vietnam to soon have AIP submarines?

Currently, Vietnam's diesel-electric submarine fleet consists of 6 Kilo 636.1 submarines belonging to Brigade 189. These warships are considered the most dangerous deterrent thanks to their quiet operation and powerful weapons.

However, Kilo 636 has a relatively big disadvantage compared to other conventional submarines: it is not equipped with air-independent propulsion (AIP), making its secret underwater operation time much shorter than that of ships with this special equipment.

According to military expert Carl Thayer, in the future, the Vietnamese Navy's submarine fleet will need at least 8 submarines to meet combat requirements in the new situation, so investment and purchase will be carried out in the near future.

If Vietnam orders more diesel-electric submarines, it will certainly have to be a class equipped with advanced AIP engines, at which point we will have to find another supplier instead of our traditional partner, Russia.

The Russian Navy up to now still does not have a reliable diesel-electric submarine class with AIP, as the Saint Petersburg still has many technical errors, to the point that the second ship of the class, the Kronstadt, which was launched not long ago, had to remove this device.

In case we do not buy submarines from Russia, we can look to partners such as Germany with the Type 214 submarine, South Korea with the Chang Bogo class (a derivative of the Type 209), or especially France with the Scorpene submarine.

The above candidates are all the world's most advanced submarine classes, however, if we purchase them, we must not only base them on their features but also consider the issue of ensuring technical logistics or training sailors.

According to the above requirements, the French-made Scorpene class is considered the most potential, because they have been sold in large numbers to the Indian Navy and also come with a technology transfer contract for New Delhi to build them locally.

The Vietnamese and Indian navies have recently taken steps to strengthen their ties. They have helped us in training sailors as well as providing technical support for the maintenance of Kilo 636 submarines.

If Vietnam buys Scorpene submarines, we will also receive similar support from you. This is an advantage that the option of buying Type 214 or Chang Bogo submarines cannot have, so it will not be surprising if Vietnam considers buying Scorpene submarines in the future.