Countering China? India offers Vietnam BrahMos missile during Prez To Lam's visit

NEW DELHI: As portion of India’s ‘Act East’ argumentation and to antagonistic China’s increasing power successful southeast Asia, PM Modi has discussed boosting defence practice with Vietnam’s visiting President To Lam, including the merchantability of BrahMos cruise missile, with New Delhi calling Hanoi “an important spouse successful the Indo-Pacific”.The leaders reaffirmed that defence and information practice is simply a cardinal pillar of India-Vietnam Comprehensive Strategic Partnership. They commended the effectual implementation of the associated imaginativeness connection connected the partnership, which continues to usher increasing defence ties betwixt the 2 countries.Giving details, P Kumaran, caput (East), Ministry of External Affairs (MEA), said connected Wednesday, “On BrahMos, ...I

want to broadly authorities that Vietnam is simply a precise important spouse for america successful the Indo-Pacific and each these areas that we cooperate successful are based connected the wide premise that a beardown Vietnam volition service the origin of bid and stableness successful the Indo-Pacific. We bash speech astir a fig of platforms and BrahMos level is besides 1 of them and you know, ticker this space.

”Kumaran said that the defence concern model covers capableness building, grooming of Vietnamese equipped forces, UN peacekeeping cooperation, associated exercises, larboard calls, vessel visits and hydrographic surveys.

He said respective MoUs are already operational, including successful submarine rescue, humanitarian assistance and catastrophe relief, communal logistics enactment and defence manufacture cooperation. “We are pursuing an statement connected achromatic shipping accusation sharing, cybersecurity and AI-enhanced information measures. There is besides ongoing practice connected transnational transgression involving the navies and the seashore guards,” helium said.“A delegation from the Society of Indian Defence Manufacturers visited Vietnam successful March 2026 to research opportunities for defence procurement by Vietnam. The PM offered assistance with attraction and MRO enactment for platforms that Vietnam has, specified arsenic the Sukhoi-30 and the Kilo-class submarines,” Kumaran said.He further said a 500-million-dollar recognition enactment antecedently announced was besides discussed, on with identified defence procurement projects worthy $300 million, including 14 high-speed patrol boats and 3 offshore patrol vessels.

“The remaining $200 cardinal volition impact the adjacent signifier of enactment of credits, which could impact the upgradation of ships belonging to the Vietnam Navy and the acquisition of submarine batteries,” helium said.“On UNCLOS and the South China Sea, our presumption is well-documented. We uphold the value of maintaining peace, stability, security, and state of navigation and overflight," helium said. The Indian delegation thanked the Vietnamese broadside for inviting India to instrumentality portion successful its atomic powerfulness sector.