Japanese media gives new assessment of Vietnamese weapons

According to Japanese media, to protect the Fatherland from regional instability, Vietnam has purchased and plans to purchase many modern weapons.

Modernization

On October 28, The Diplomat Japan magazine published an article titled “Vietnam’s Military Modernization” by Professor Zachary Abuza, US National Defense Academy and PhD student Nguyen Nhat Anh, University of Texas, USA. According to the article, in the past 10 years, the strength of the Vietnam People’s Army has fundamentally changed, forming the ability to deploy military and protect interests at sea.

Currently, Vietnam is entering a period of consolidating its strength, gradually improving its military capabilities and gradually forming its military doctrine. Vietnam has acquired many military assets, laying the foundation for continued military development, especially a practical doctrine...

Among the forces of the Vietnamese army, the Navy is currently receiving a lot of investment. Hanoi has purchased 6 Kilo-class conventional submarines from Russia, of which Vietnam has received 5 and will receive the remaining 1 in early 2017. With this equipment, Vietnam owns the most advanced submarine fleet in the region.

Vietnam Su-30MK2 fighter.

The Japanese magazine commented that Vietnam may continue to maintain this development trajectory in the future. However, with the ground forces becoming a new focus of attention, the development speed of the navy may slow down.

The Vietnamese Air Force has less advantages than other services in terms of training and maintenance. Although air force modernization has made progress, in the short term, further investment will be required.

In the process of modernization, the Vietnamese Army has received less attention. According to the Japanese magazine, perhaps due to cost factors, Vietnam is not yet able to replace all old T-55 tanks with new tanks.

Although the Western press is mostly interested in the new strength of the Vietnamese Navy, in fact, Vietnam's missile force may be the issue that most interests foreign countries.

Recently, Vietnam reached an agreement to purchase BrahMos supersonic cruise missiles jointly produced by India and Russia, and will also purchase Club missiles for submarines and surface ships...

Finally, The Diplomat magazine believes that Vietnam has made great progress in terms of defense and military capabilities. How Vietnam receives new weapon systems and links them together with a military doctrine to ensure that they are traditional but modern, reliable, effective and realistic requires more time to observe.

Buy Japanese weapons

Not only talking about the modernization process of the Vietnamese Army, according to Japanese media, it is very likely that in the near future, weapons produced by this country will be the choice of Vietnam, Nikkei Asian Review commented in late June 2016. Vietnam is looking for ways to improve its defense capabilities, especially since the US announced the complete lifting of the ban on lethal weapons for Vietnam.

Japanese P-3C aircraft visited Da Nang in early 2016.

However, for Vietnam, American weapons are too expensive. It seems that Vietnam has found an alternative from Japan, used aircraft of the Japan Self-Defense Force are cheaper (while still ensuring the features and needs of use). Vietnam has long wanted to buy anti-submarine aircraft and many analysts believe that Vietnam will quickly order this defense equipment from the US, once the embargo is lifted.

However, Japan has also emerged as a potential supplier, according to a Japanese official, the Vietnamese Navy has officially expressed interest in purchasing Japanese P-3C anti-submarine aircraft. But price is not the only reason why Vietnam is turning its attention to Japan. According to Nikkei Asian Review, Japan has many P-3C aircraft available, since 2013 Japan began replacing this aircraft with P-1.

In addition, Vietnam wants P-3C pilots to be trained and skilled in identifying enemy submarines by the differences in the sounds they emit. Vietnam would find it easier to learn this from Japan, a friendly and trustworthy partner both politically and economically.

Vietnam can hone the skills of its P-3C pilots through joint exercises with Japan. Japanese P-3Cs have visited Da Nang for many years. This year, the two sides plan to continue joint exercises, a good opportunity to train P-3C pilots, Nikkei Asian Review said about the prospects of cooperation between the two sides.

According to Baodatviet