Vietnam has begun diversifying its arms purchases, moving away from Russian defense technologies in favor of Western standards. The country is negotiating with France for Rafale fighter jets and modernizing its army with the help of Israel and South Korea.
Russia is rapidly losing one of its largest and oldest clients in Asia – Vietnam, which for decades relied exclusively on Soviet and Russian defense technologies. Hanoi has officially begun the process of diversifying its procurements, reorienting towards Western standards. This is reported by Defense Express, writes UNN.
Details
Vietnam's most resonant step was negotiations with France regarding the supply of modern multi-role Rafale fighter jets. According to Western media, discussions have moved to an advanced stage: Vietnamese pilots have already had the rare opportunity to test French aircraft in the air.
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Although the country's aviation fleet currently consists entirely of Russian Su-27, Su-30, and Su-22 aircraft, Hanoi sees the future of its Air Force in Western platforms, which are more resilient to sanctions and technologically more advanced.
The transition to Rafale will require Vietnam to completely rebuild its airfield infrastructure and create new weapon stockpiles, as existing Russian missiles are not compatible with French aircraft. Despite the high cost and long production queues, this step is considered strategically necessary to deter China in the South China Sea.
Global shift towards NATO standards
The rejection of Russian weapons has also affected other branches of the military. Instead of purchasing new Russian T90S tanks, Vietnam decided to modernize its old T-54/55 armored fleet with the help of Israel. In addition, the country has already ordered South Korean 155-mm K9 self-propelled howitzers, which is direct confirmation of the army's transition to NATO calibers.
Cooperation with the United States has also intensified: after the lifting of the embargo, Hanoi has already ordered American C-130J aircraft and coast guard vessels. Experts emphasize that due to a limited defense budget of 10 billion dollars, the rearmament process will be lengthy, but the very fact of Vietnam's turn towards the West is a geopolitical catastrophe for the Kremlin, which is losing not only billion-dollar contracts but also a key ally in the Indo-Pacific region.
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