Vietnam received Gepard engines in 2017, but did they purchase them directly from Ukraine?
According to Russian officials, the second pair of Gepard-3.9 class frigates will still be delivered to the Vietnamese Navy on schedule before the end of 2017.
Russia is currently finalizing preparations to deliver the second pair of Gepard-3.9 class frigates to the Vietnamese Navy, said Renat Mistakhov, General Director of the Zelenodolsk shipyard, at the LIMA-2017 arms exhibition in Malaysia.
"In the second half of 2017, the pair of ships will be delivered to Vietnam; currently, preparations are proceeding according to plan," the Russian official added, noting that Vietnam has shown great interest in this order.
 |
| A Gepard 3.9-class frigate of the Vietnamese Navy during a naval parade. |
"Currently, the first frigate in the second pair has completed all the elements of the state-level inspection and testing. Now, the ship is undergoing final finishing touches, alongside crew training," added Renat Mistakhov.
According to him, the second frigate in the pair is undergoing state inspections in Novorossiysk, as planned.
At all missile test firings and ship inspections, the Vietnamese military, including the Deputy Commander of the Navy, was present. Vietnamese experts directly monitored the progress of the inspections and highly appreciated the results of the tests.
Previously, Russian defense industry officials also emphasized that the Gorky Zelenodolsk shipyard would deliver two Gepard 3.9-class frigates to the Vietnamese Navy on schedule, despite Ukraine's refusal to supply the necessary components.
"The planned delivery in 2017 was hampered by difficulties faced by the Russian side, as we were not supplied with the appropriate equipment, including engines. As a result, the handover of the two ships was delayed by about a year," Renat Mistahov, the shipyard director, informed journalists.
He also affirmed that Russia had resolved these issues to ensure timely delivery. However, sources indicate that after Kyiv severed technical cooperation with Moscow at the beginning of 2015, Vietnam shrewdly shifted to direct negotiations with Ukraine regarding the engine issue.
Finally, Vietnam signed an agreement to purchase engines directly from Ukraine. The procedures were completed in early August 2015, and by October 17, 2015, the M44E engines had been shipped to Russia for assembly at the Zelenodolsk shipyard on the second pair of Gepard-class ships.
Experts believe that Vietnam will most likely purchase a few more engines to equip its third pair of Gepard-class ships and for reserve, or wait to purchase a new type of naval engine currently under development by Russia to install on the third pair of Gepard-class ships.
The first pair of Gepard-3.9 class frigates were built at the Zelenodolsk shipyard in 2007 and delivered to the Vietnamese navy in 2011, bearing the hull numbers 011 Dinh Tien Hoang and 012 Ly Thai To. These two ships were designed primarily for anti-ship attack. The contract for the second pair was signed in 2012. These frigates were ordered by Vietnam with the intention of enhancing its anti-submarine warfare capabilities, and were therefore equipped with additional reconnaissance and detection systems, as well as powerful anti-submarine weapons. After some setbacks, mainly related to engine issues that delayed construction, Vietnam's third Gepard-class submarine (the first of the second pair) was launched on April 28, 2016, while the second was launched on May 26, 2016. According to sources in the Russian defense industry, Vietnam is planning to order a third pair of warships, also to be built at the Zelenodolsk Shipyard. Details of this third contract have not been disclosed; however, some sources indicate that the Kh-35 Uran-E anti-ship missiles will be replaced with Kalibr cruise missiles. |
According to Baodatviet
