Vietnam Buys Russian Kilo Class Subs, SU-30 Fighters, Nuke Plant

Defense Industry Daily ^ | December 17, 2009

[myknowledge]

In April 2009, reports surfaced that Vietnam had agreed in principle to a deal with Russia for 6 of its diesel-electric Kilo/ Project 636 Class fast attack submarines. There have been rumors that Vietnam owns 2 ex-Yugoslav mini-submarines for use in commando operations, but the Vietnamese People’s Navy doesn’t own any full size submarines that can take on enemy subs and ships. That’s about to change, thanks to a December 2009 contract. In addition to submarines, the Vietnamese Navy order is said to include new heavyweight torpedoes and missiles (most likely Klub family) to arm them.

China’s April 2009 display of naval might is only part of the mosaic influencing Vietnam’s decisions in this matter, as contracts for submarines – and more – are signed in Russia…

[myknowledge]

Kilo class SSK

Su-30MK2 Flanker-G

Nuke power plant

This latest Vietnamese arms purchase must be one response to the Chinese expansionist empire.

[DeweyCA]

I don’t understand. Does Vietnam really think that it could hold back China?! No way!

[myknowledge]

You haven’t read about the Sino-Vietnamese war of 1979 (the Vietnamese won), and the Spratly Islands dispute (presence of oil and gas).

[kabar]

Gee, no purchases from the US. Send Kerry and McCain over there to get the Vietnamese to buy our stuff.

[WilliamofCarmichael]

China is investing heavily in Vietnam. Chinese companies are now involved in myriad road projects, mining operations and power plants. Yet, despite the fact that cooperation between the two communist countries is being encouraged by Vietnam's leaders, this friendly invasion does not sit well among a people who have been fighting off Chinese advances for more than a thousand years, most recently in 1979. . . The latest lightning rod for anti-Chinese sentiment is Hanoi's plan to allow subsidiaries of the Aluminum Corporation of China (Chinalco) to mine bauxite ore in Vietnam's Central Highlands.

More..

"General Vo Nguyen Giap, a revered Vietnamese military leader who helped defeat the French and later the Americans. In a letter to Vietnam's Prime Minister Nguyen Tan Dung, the 97-year-old war hero voiced concern over the presence of large numbers of Chinese in the Central Highlands, which is a strategic gateway to Vietnam, one where battles have been won and lost."

[When do we get liberated?]

“I would rather sniff French shit for five years than eat Chinese shit for a thousand years” Ho Chi Minh.

Trust me, there is no love there.

[onedoug]

They’d be better off buying stuff from us until barry’s presence guarantees it’s not good stuff anymore.

[Strategerist]

They just need to inflict enough pain on China to make China attacking them not worth the effort. Six Kilos, if (and it’s a big if) the crews are well trained, could take out a sizable fraction of the PLA Navy.

[Strategerist]

Well, we don’t make any non-nuclear submarines the Vietnamese could afford. And fighter-wise they wouldn’t get anything better out of us than F-16s at the moment.

[spetznaz]

Correct - US sourced options were simply not an option. On the DE submarines for instance, no US option exists. The US has not made DE subs in a long time, and the Russian and European boats are quite advanced at a price point the US could never compete with even if it tried to crank out DE boats.

[kabar]

It was a rhetorical question. Vietnam is still a Communist country no matter how McCain and Kerry try to spin it. They are not our friends or allie.

[MC CAIN]

US is trying to be more friendly with vietnam and vice versa. Enemie of enemie is friend

[kabar]

Yeah we did the same thing with Stalin.

[MC CAIN]

Franklin-Hitler, it would be better? anyway, with Pear Harbor, the US had no choice.

[kabar]

We have a choice with Vietnam.