Posted on 07/25/2024 7:59:19 AM PDT by Red Badger
HANOI/WASHINGTON (Reuters) - The United States and Vietnam are discussing the sale of Lockheed Martin C-130 Hercules military transport planes to Hanoi, two people familiar with the discussions said, in a sign of closer security cooperation between the two former foes.
The talks could lead to a supply agreement this year, the sources said, in what would represent Vietnam's largest military deal since it said publicly at the end of 2022 that it intended to diversify its defence supplies, which have for decades relied heavily on Russian gear.
The C-130 can carry soldiers, military equipment and other supplies, and would boost Vietnamese defence capabilities at a time of rising South China Sea boundary tensions with China and other countries in the region.
The United States could offer Hanoi financial support as part of a sale, the sources said. One of the sources, a U.S. official, said that could amount to tens of millions of dollars covering maintenance and other costs.
The other source, a Vietnamese person briefed on the talks, said the model under consideration was the C-130J, the aircraft's latest iteration.
Neither source would indicate the total cost of the possible deal and the number of planes under discussion. Both declined to be named because the talks were not public.
Lockheed Martin referred questions to the U.S. or Vietnamese governments. The White House declined to comment, and Vietnam's defence ministry did not respond to a request for comment.
(Excerpt) Read more at ca.news.yahoo.com ...
Which one do the guys want? Puff or the Crispy Critter Sled?
Truth is stranger than fiction.
We are offering financial support for the deal? Well, I guess we are flush with money. /s
They wanted an aircraft they were already familiar with............
They even offered us DaNang And Cam Ranh Bay back a few years ago............
The enemy of my enemy is my friend...............
Can’t remember the exact quote but something like, “nations don’t have permanent friends, but permanent interests.”
Churchill...............
It is rather interesting that the Vietnemese seem to harbor no real animosity against the US and have sought closer ties. Suspect they are just practical and realistic.
They fear China.
And for good reason.
We have been on ‘friendly’ terms with Vietnam for several years now. People can actually vacation there.............
Containment of China is a fundamental issue, which I assume is the driver behind this.. the more powerful the nations around China are, provided they are not aligned with Beijing, tbe harder it will be for China to break out.
I don’t think a couple of C-130s are going to make a huge dent, but that’s the only real reason I can think of for this to be something the US is put as any sort of priority.
We’ve got nothing better to do with those billions of taxpayer dollars anyway, right?
Well, that’s nice. The Vietnamese get a good deal. Lockheed Martin will make money. And the US officials negotiating things will get cushy consulting jobs after they retire.
I guess everyone is a winner here. Except of course…
70 years in serial production...
The C130 is an enabler. It lets the user move other technology and capabilities quickly to where they are needed.
Thank ol Harry S Truman.
to quote the Cowardly Lion
Ain’t it DA Troot, aint it da troot.
That’s it! Thanks!
On a cynical note, that quote could also be used as the motto of the military-industrial complex.
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