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| Gepard class Frigate: Dinh Tien Hoang (HQ 011) |
By Carl Thayer
Vietnam is stepping up its defense cooperation, particularly on maritime issues, with friends near and far.
In mid-November Vietnam dispatched two of its most modern warships on an unprecedented three-nation goodwill visit to Indonesia, Brunei and the Philippines.
On November 5, two Gepard-class guided missile frigates, the Dinh Tien Hoang (HQ 011) and the Ly Thai To (HQ 012) weighed anchor at Cam Ranh Bay and set sail for Jakarta’s Tanjung Priok port crossing the equator (the line) while enroute. The ships embarked a complement of two hundred and twenty-eight officers and sailors under the command of Rear Admiral Nguyen Van Kiem, Deputy Chief of Staff of the Vietnam People’s Army Navy. The frigates also embarked a naval Ka-28 anti-submarine helicopter, a first for the Vietnamese Navy on a goodwill visit.
The dispatch of the Gepard-class frigates is a clear indication that Vietnam has decided to step up its defense diplomacy. The goodwill visit to Southeast Asia is in reciprocation of port visits by warships from Brunei, Indonesia and the Philippines to Vietnam. According to the People’s Army newspaper, the purpose of the visit was to “build trust and enhance friendship, cooperation and mutual understanding and confidence between the People’s Army Navy and the navies of Indonesia, Brunei and the Philippines.”
Earlier in March, Vietnam dispatched a hospital ship (HQ 561) to participate in Exercise Komodo a multilateral naval exercise held under the auspices of the Association of South East Asian Nations (ASEAN) defense ministers and their eight dialogue partners (ADMM Plus) and hosted by Indonesia.
Read the full story at The Diplomat