Israeli weapons account for a large proportion of the Vietnamese military's inventory.
Israel is firmly establishing itself as the second largest arms supplier to the Vietnam People's Army, after its traditional partner Russia.
As previously reported, the Israel Aerospace Industries Group - IAI recently announced that they are very close to a contract to supply 3 Eitan reconnaissance and attack drones to Vietnam in a package worth up to 160 million USD.
So after the Tavor 21 and Galil ACE 31/32 assault rifles; the EXTRA and AccuLAR multiple rocket launcher systems or the SPYDER-SR/MR air defense missile system, Israeli-made defense products increasingly account for a large proportion of the Vietnamese Army's inventory.
In addition to the above weapons, according to international military analysts, it is very likely that in the near future we will order Nimrod air-to-ground missiles or Spike NLOS anti-tank guided missiles.
Besides, there is another vehicle that has been assessed to have high potential, which is the Kfir Block 60 light fighter. With increasingly deep cooperation, could this fighter appear in the "S-shaped strip of land"?
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| Colombian Air Force Kfir TC.10 fighter |
Currently, Vietnam's need for a light fighter is becoming more and more urgent. We need a single-engine aircraft with cheaper operating and maintenance costs than the Su-30MK2 to play the role of backbone, performing the function of patrolling and protecting the sky.
Russia's TsAMTO Center for Analysis of the World Arms Market once predicted that between now and 2020, Vietnam could spend up to 1.5 billion USD to purchase Western-origin fighter jets.
Candidates that have been mentioned include the JAS 39 Gripen or the F-16 Fighting Falcon, but the former is too expensive while the latter is entangled in many terms that are not easy to resolve in the near future.
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| The Kfir fighter upgraded by Israel has technical and tactical features equivalent to the F-16 Block 52. |
Is this a great opportunity for Kfir, especially in the future when Vietnam will use Eitan UAVs for reconnaissance patrol missions, when detecting threats in the air, the "Young Lion" will take off to support, the pair of aircraft of Israeli origin will create high uniformity.
In addition to its low cost and high combat capabilities, the Kfir fighter can also use the Python 5 and Derby missiles that Vietnam currently has in its arsenal, without requiring software modifications like when we buy the F-16 or JAS 39.
Despite its many advantages, it cannot be ignored that the Kfir's fuselage frames have a rather low durability. Even when reinforced, it is difficult to serve for more than 12-15 years, far behind other Western light fighter lines and contrary to the simple maintenance requirements that Vietnam highly values.
The Kfir fighter has only one drawback, but it is too big, so the chance for it to join the Eitan UAV in the Vietnam Air Force's inventory is still very dim.
