Will Vietnam's S-300PMU-1 conduct live-fire exercises in Russia?
Conducting live firing exercises to accurately test and evaluate the training process of the S-300PMU-1 anti-aircraft missile battery is an urgent requirement for Vietnam.
The Vietnamese army officially received two S-300PMU-1 air defense missile systems from Russia in 2003, and they have been in service for 15 years now.
However, unlike other weapon systems, our S-300PMU-1 systems have never publicly demonstrated live-fire exercises, only tracking "dry" targets. This makes it difficult to accurately assess the effectiveness of the training.
Although there have been many indications recently that Vietnam is determined to put its S-300PMU-1 system into combat practice, the plan has not yet been implemented due to existing difficulties.
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| This self-propelled launcher is part of Vietnam's S-300PMU-1 air defense missile system. |
The most important reason why Vietnam's S-300PMU-1 has not yet conducted live firings stems from its superior technical and tactical capabilities, namely the range of its interceptor missiles.
Currently, there is no specific information about the type of ammunition that Vietnam's S-300s are equipped with. It could be the 48N6E with a range of 150 km, but it is also possible that we possess the 48N6E2 ammunition, which can reach even longer ranges.
Conducting live firing exercises with these types of missiles requires an extremely wide field of view for the missiles to perform at their full potential.
There have been proposals to fire the 48N6 missile at a minimum distance, but doing so would negate the value of testing and evaluating the weapon's effectiveness, so a better solution is still needed.
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| The S-300 air defense missile system fires live ammunition. |
One solution that Vietnam could consider is to "borrow the training grounds" of Russia by participating in the Keys to the Sky event within the framework of the International Army Games.
Keys to the Sky is a competition featuring air defense missile batteries of various ranges and altitudes, which of course includes S-300 batteries from many countries.
The option of sending S-300PMU-1 missiles to Russia to participate in Keys to the Sky could be considered due to the benefits it offers.
Firstly, Vietnam will be provided with a large training ground sufficient to comprehensively assess the technical and tactical capabilities of the superior weapons it possesses.
Next, through competitions with international air defense forces, we will gain a clearer understanding of our strengths and weaknesses, allowing us to develop more appropriate training programs for the future.
Therefore, in addition to the Tank Biathlon, Engineering Formula, Military Medical Rail Race, and Field Kitchen events at the International Army Games 2018, it is not ruled out that Vietnam will participate in Keys to the Sky starting next year.
