Vietnam's short-range ballistic missile power

In addition to the Scud-B aided by the Soviet Union, the Vietnamese Artillery also has in its equipment Hwasong-6 missiles produced by North Korea.

Vietnam is the first and so far the only army in Southeast Asia to have tactical ballistic missiles in service. Vietnam's Artillery, with its ability to launch long-range attacks of hundreds of kilometers, is truly a formidable force in the region.

According to data released by the Stockholm International Peace Research Institute - SIPRI, in 1981, Vietnam received from the Soviet Union 4 9P117 self-propelled launchers and 25 R-17 Elbrus (Scud-B) missiles.

Vietnam's R-17 Elbrus (Scud-B) missile

The Scud-B missile is 11.25 m long; 0.88 m in body diameter; 5,900 kg launch weight; carries a 985 km warhead; 300 km range; maximum speed Mach 5 (1.7 km/s) and 450 m error.

Accuracy is not highly rated but based on large warheads, Scud missiles are extremely dangerous when used to destroy military bases, airports, ports or large troop concentrations of the enemy.

High speed makes Scud missiles very difficult to intercept, as shown by the fact that the US Patriot air defense system has repeatedly missed Scud missiles in the Middle East battlefield.

North Korea's Hwasong-6 short-range ballistic missile during a military parade

However, due to long-term receipt, some have degraded and some have been used in live-fire exercises, leading to an urgent need for additional forces.

Also according to SIPRI, in 1998 Vietnam purchased from North Korea 25 Hwasong-6 (Mars 6) short-range ballistic missiles, a copy of the Scud-C prototype.

Compared to the Scud-B, the Hwasong-6 increased its launch weight to 6,400 kg, and its range skyrocketed to 600 km. However, in exchange, the warhead of the Hwasong-6 was reduced to 600 kg, with a maximum error of up to 700 m when fired at full range.

Despite the above shortcomings, Vietnam is still a rare country in Asia with the ability to launch attacks beyond a range of 500 km. The deterrent power of the Vietnam Artillery Corps clearly cannot be underestimated.

According to Baodatviet