Wary of China, India offers Akash surface-to-air missile systems to Vietnam

lcafanboy

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Wary of China, India offers Akash surface-to-air missile systems to Vietnam
Indigenously developed Akash surface-to-air missile. (TOI File Photo)
HIGHLIGHTS
  • Sources say discussions are under way with Vietnam on the Akash area defence missiles
  • The missiles have an interception range of 25-km against hostile aircraft, helicopters & drones
  • This comes in the backdrop of India & Vietnam deciding to “elevate” their “strategic partnership”
NEW DELHI: India is now actively discussing the possiblesale of the indigenously developed Akash surface-to-air missile systems to Vietnam, even as the two countries steadily crank up their bilateral military ties with a watchful eye on a confrontational China in the Asia-Pacific region.

With Beijing continuing to thwart New Delhi's bid to join the 48-nation Nuclear Suppliers Group and get Jaish-e-Muhammed chiefMasood Azhar designated a terrorist by the UN, while also stepping up its naval forays into the Indian Ocean Region, India is responding by fast-tracking military ties with countries in China's own backyard. The expanding "strategic and military partnership" with Japan and Vietnam, in particular, has emerged a major thrust area.
Sources say the discussions under way with Vietnam on the Akash area defence missiles, which have an interception range of 25-km against hostile aircraft, helicopters and drones, come after India earlier offered BrahMos supersonic cruise missiles and Varunastra anti-submarine torpedoes to the country.

India, of course, will also begin training Vietnamese fighter pilots on its Sukhoi-30MKI fighter jets from this year, much like it has been tutoring sailors from that country on the intricate art of operating Kilo-class submarines for the last three years, as reported earlier by TOI.

Defence minister Manohar Parrikarsays Vietnam "is a close friend" and several initiatives are in progress to further boost bilateral defence cooperation, ranging from help in upgrade of military equipment of the Vietnamese forces to training them on fighters and submarines.

All this comes in the backdrop of India and Vietnam deciding to "elevate" their "strategic partnership", which was established in July 2007, into a "comprehensive strategic partnership" during PM Narendra Modi's visit to Hanoi in September 2016.

Sources said Vietnam has shown "deep interest" in the acquisition of Akash missiles, asking for transfer of technology and joint production of the air defence system.

India, however, thinks it has to be an incremental process, with an initial off-the-shelf purchase followed by transfer of technology in maintenance and other areas.

"Talks are in progress to arrive at a common plan. It's relatively easier on the Akash front since the missile system is 96% indigenous," said a source. The two defence secretaries, incidentally, are slated to meet soon to identify the military projects and equipment under the new $500 million defence line of credit announced by Modi in September.

But it will be more complicated to sell the 290-km range BrahMos — or transfer technology — to Vietnam because the missiles are produced here under a joint Indo-Russian venture. BrahMos missiles still have an import content of over 60% from Russia.

On other fronts, however, India is fast expanding its military training, technology sharing, joint exercises, visits and exchange of experts with Vietnam. Faced with a belligerent China, Vietnam too has been strengthening its military capabilities by inducting Kilo-class submarines and Sukhoi fighters from Russia, both of which have been operated by Indian armed forces for years.

It was in 2013 that India had kicked off the training of a large number of Vietnamese sailors in "comprehensive underwater combat operations'' in Navy submarine school INS Satavahana, Visakhapatnam.

Now, the training on Sukhois is all set to take off.
http://m.timesofindia.com/india/war...l-military-relations/articleshow/56410196.cms

Good move now getTaiwan onboard too.
 

lcafanboy

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India should support Vietnam Naval built up by exporting Frigates, destroyers and even submarines. India should also get in touch with Taiwan, Mongolia and Myanmar for same. If they are supporting one nation Pakistan, India should start supporting 3 to 4 of Chinese enemies. We should start exporting weapons to all these nations. We should also play Tibet and Dalai Lama card that will push China to wall.
 

Bornubus

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They already went for Spyder SAM.

But they might want to replace their obsolete SA 125 "Neva" with Akash which is slightly better than older SA 6 (another obsolete cold war SAM)
 
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AmoghaVarsha

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Get Japan on board.Chinese piss their pants when they see Japanese.
 

Kshatriya87

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India already building and supplying patrol vessels to Vietnam.
 

bose

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India should also provide some A4 - 4000 km missile to Vietnam ...Let the Chinese burn ...

India is to play the game China was playing all these years...
 

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