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Russia to build maintenance facility in Vietnam's Cam Rahn Bay

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Russia and Vietnam will build a repair and maintenance facility for ships built by the Soviet Union and Russia in Cam Ranh Bay, where one of the most important naval bases of the USSR abroad used to be located. By 2015, it is planned to build repair and logistics facilities in the deep-water port. Rebuilding of the military base is up in the air.

In recent years, Vietnam has been one of the most active buyers of Russian military equipment. They have been purchasing high-tech ships and aircraft. The center is expected to service ships of all classes and types, including medium repairs.

In 2009, during a visit to Moscow of Prime Minister Nguyen Tan Dung, a contract for the supply to Vietnam of six diesel-electric submarines was signed. The contract also provides for training of Vietnamese crews. For this purpose a training center is being set up in Cam Ranh.

Back then, there was hope that Russia will be able to regain its presence in this important part of the Asia-Pacific region.

Cam Ranh Bay is one of the most convenient and strategically important bays throughout the South Asian region. From there, one can control one of the key shipping routes linking the Indian and Pacific oceans. Luzon and the Malacca Straits are located nearby. The base at Cam Ranh Bay is getaway not only for the northern part of the Indian Ocean, but also the Gulf, East China and South China seas.


Cam Ranh Bay is considered one of the best deep-water harbors in the world. In 1979, the USSSR signed a 25 years lease with Vietnam for this bay. For Vietnam that with the help of the USSR had been consistently fighting off the Americans and the Chinese it was a logical decision. The Soviet Union also had to ensure the presence in the region, creating a counterweight to the U.S. naval bases in the Philippines.

At some point American troops were located in Cam Ranh Bay and built a port and an airport there. After the defeat in Vietnam, the Americans were forced to leave, and after the Vietnam-China war the Soviet military came to the bay. They upgraded the already established infrastructure and turned Cam Ranh Bay into a first-class naval base capable of receiving hundreds of ships




During the active restructuring of the base over ten thousand citizens of the USSR lived there, an entire Soviet colony thousands of miles away from their native country. However, in the late 1980 s and early 1990's events began taking place around the base that could be called a disguised fleeing. Although the term of the agreement was to expire only in early 21 century, Soviet equipment was withdrawn from the base early. The remaining one hundred workers could not maintain the infrastructure of the base with a total area of ​​hundreds of square kilometers at the appropriate level.

In 1995 an event unparalleled in the history of Soviet aviation took place. During landing on the airfield at Cam Ranh Bay three combat aircraft Su -27 from squadron "Russian Knights" have crashed. Hanoi has demanded an annual fee of $500 million for the lease of the base. The owners of the base rejected Russia's proposal to write off the lease amount from Vietnam's $10 billion debt to the USSR.

The Vietnamese even threatened to give the base to China or the U.S., but this, of course, was an empty threat. Finally, in early 2000s, Russia has officially left the base.

Since then, the Vietnamese converted the military airfield into a civilian airport and deployment of a mixed regiment of military aviation is now likely there. In addition, the Vietnamese are not ready to place military bases of foreign states in Cam Ranh.

"The position of Vietnam is not to allow any foreign country to place military bases in Cam Ranh," said the Minister of National Defense of Vietnam, Army General Phung Quang Thanh. Instead, Vietnam intends to establish in Cam Ranh an international center for servicing vessels that will be operated independently.

In the days of "equitable" friendship between the USSR and Vietnam, the heyday of the base in Cam Ranh, the Vietnamese controlled the entry and exit from the port by shore batteries at the entrance to the bay and in the same way controlled the airspace with its air defense units. The base itself was demarcated on the ground by two perimeters. The outside perimeter was controlled by the Vietnamese who also worked on the base itself. It is clear that the Vietnamese would not allow an aggravation of the situation with the Soviet military at the time, but they have always emphasized their status of the owners.

Therefore, the creation of a large naval base in the region is hardly possible. Quite frankly, there is nothing to send there, as the program for re-armament of the Navy is regularly breached, and it would be strategically wrong to spread thin those insignificant resources that Russia still has.

Most likely, Hanoi will allow Moscow to create a maintenance and logistics point in Cam Ranh Bay, especially considering that this base will be used for repair and tests of diesel-electric submarines and frigates of project 11661E "Gepard -3.9" shipped to Vietnam. Now two more guard ships "Gepard -3.9" are being built at Zelenodol'sk Gorky plant for the Vietnamese Navy.

Nevertheless, the existence of this base allows the Russian Navy to significantly expand the sphere of action and plow southern sea continuously with its groups.

New ships are likely to appear soon, and Russia has no conflicting interests with the Vietnamese, unlike with some other Asian friends. The generation of the Vietnamese that remembers who burned Vietnamese villages and who protected the population is still alive. And while these people are alive, the relations between Russia and Vietnam will be normal. This is a great moral basis for the gradual resumption of the allied relations in a particular format and restoration of the Russian presence in this region of the world.


Russia to build maintenance facility for ships in Vietnam's Cam Rahn - English pravda.ru
 
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Time to teach China a lesson, let them know who is the best army in Asian :coffee:
 
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hm...as per Russian media, Vietnam expects the naval base to be ready in 2015.
Vietnam Sets 2015 Deadline for Soviet, Russian Ship Repair Facility | World | RIA Novosti


old pic of Cam Ranh base

7350916284_70787e87b8_b.jpg
 
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lol maintenance base, yea Vietnam that's a game change for sure.


Oh.... I forgot, bases are sitting ducks for chinese missiles.
 
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Yeah military bases are sitting duck just like Chinese Hai Nam islands military base. Hai Nam is closer to Vietnam than China to Cam Ranh

Do you even know Hainan is a huge island not a single base? Beside, what you gonna use? your vintage 1960s ****? Please fire a missile at China so we can obliterate all your military installations.

Yeah military bases are sitting duck just like Chinese Hai Nam islands military base. Hai Nam is closer to Vietnam than China to Cam Ranh

Do you even know Hainan is a huge island not a single base? Beside, what you gonna use? your vintage 1960s ****? Please fire a missile at China so we can obliterate all your military installations. Vietnam have next to no aerial defense, just waiting to get bombed.
 
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NO need for a crossfire. Humans are strange. For us war creates (the need for) weapons, and then weapons create war. lol :) Strong militaries are not required to fulfil ancient revenges, but to maintain deterrence and balance i.e to prevent war.
 
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Yeah military bases are sitting duck just like Chinese Hai Nam islands military base. Hai Nam is closer to Vietnam than China to Cam Ranh

Hainan, I'm assuming you mean, is China. How could China be further from Vietnam than Hainan. This makes no sense. This is like saying the US is further away from Canada than Washington state is.
 
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Time to teach China a lesson, let them know who is the best army in Asian :coffee:
dude, no need to start a troll war with such a provocative post

NO need for a crossfire. Humans are strange. For us war creates (the need for) weapons, and then weapons create war. lol :) Strong militaries are not required to fulfil ancient revenges, but to maintain deterrence and balance i.e to prevent war.
that is the way to go...just for defence purpose
 
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@Viet @Minjitta @Soryu @EastSea

guys,I thought that Kam Ranh Bay will be open to every friendly country.even India thought to get a burth right in that base.hell,even USA wanted that.but suddenly,this move may backtrack all these proposals.its true that Russia had this base in the past and its one of the best deep sea port of the world.also,it is in the junction of Malacca Strait,South China Sea and Pacific.shouldn't you guys give burthing rights to USN and JSDN??and what plan is on Cam Ranh Bay Airbase??
 
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Why Vietnamese are so keen on aiming at China? Vietnam and China, this is not even a fair match. Russia itself is a weak power compared to China.
 
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I find it very dangerous the Vietnamese is targeting us with their military buildup. Are they forgetting about something here?
 
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I find it very dangerous the Vietnamese is targeting us with their military buildup. Are they forgetting about something here?

We don't forget what happened in 1979, kids.

Why Vietnamese are so keen on aiming at China? Vietnam and China, this is not even a fair match. Russia itself is a weak power compared to China.

Problem is who is trusted partner for defend our country sovereignty.
 
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