Vietnam Defence Forum

[Viet]

nice words of the russian army chief to the new visiting Vietnam defence Minister, General Ngo Xuan Lich. Maybe a coincidence: at the same day, Moscow advocates the idea of establishment of a collective security system in the Asia-Pacific region. an apparent move to counter the US dominated military alliance and the new Chinese emerging security threat. while the first serves Russia´s national interest, the latter Vietnam´s. or as chinese love to say it: win-win.

anyway VN new army chief visits Russia not only for nice words, but also for some major events, and one of them is the launch of a new built Gepard Frigate for the Navy by tomorrow.


http://sputniknews.com/russia/20160425/1038552650/russia-collective-security-system.html




Russian defense minister calls Vietnam Russia’s strategic ally
April 25, 16:54 UTC+3 MOSCOW

Russian Defense Minister Sergey Shoigu is holding a meeting with his Vietnamese counterpart Ngo Xuan Lich

Russian Defense Minister Sergey Shoigu
© Sergei Savostianov/TASS


MOSCOW, April 25. /TASS/. Vietnam is Russia’s major partner in the Asia-Pacific region and relations with this country are among Russia’s foreign policy priorities, Defense Minister Sergey Shoigu said at talks with his Vietnamese counterpart Ngo Xuan Lich.

Shoigu congratulated the defense minister on his appointment, expressing gratitude that his first visit was to Russia.

"We consider your country as a strategic ally, an old and reliable friend. Vietnam is for us a major partner in ensuring security in the Asian-Pacific Region," Shoigu said.

More:
http://tass.ru/en/politics/872255

 

[Viet]

http://www.channelnewsasia.com/news/asiapacific/amid-south-china-sea/2729942.html

Laos' new President is on a three-day visit to Vietnam to boost ties as tension brews over territorial disputes in the South China Sea between China and several ASEAN nations.

• By Tan Qiuyi
• Posted 25 Apr 2016 22:40
  

Lao President and Head of Laos' People Revolutionary Party Bounnhang Vorachit (left) and Nguyen Phu Trong, Vietnam Communist Party Secretary General wave during a welcoming ceremony at the presidential palace in Hanoi on Apr 25, 2016. (Photo: HOANG DINH NAM/AFP)


HANOI: Laos President and Communist Party chief Bounnhang Vorachit on Monday (Apr 25) arrived in neighbouring Vietnam for his first overseas visit since assuming the party’s top post in January.

Mr Vorachit held talks with Vietnam’s Communist Party boss Nguyen Phu Trong and Prime Minister Nguyen Xuan Phuc, and is scheduled to meet President Tran Dai Quang on Tuesday.

Vietnamese media hailed the visit as a signal of the two nations’ special friendship even as questions remain over Laos’ close ties with China, with whom Vietnam is locked in a maritime dispute over the South China Sea.

Mr Vorachit’s trip comes in the wake of Chinese Foreign Minister Wang Yi’s visit to Vientiane over the weekend, where he told reporters that China had come to a “consensus” with Laos, Cambodia and Brunei on the sea spat. A Xinhua report said China and the three countries agreed the territorial dispute was not an issue between China and the Association of Southeast Asian Nations (ASEAN) "as a whole", and should not affect China-ASEAN relations.

Analysts Channel NewsAsia spoke to cautioned that China’s statement should be taken with a pinch of salt.

None of the three countries have come out to confirm nor repudiate China and they’re not likely to, said Dr Le Hong Hiep, visiting fellow at the Institute of Southeast Asian Studies in Singapore. But the Laotian leader’s visit to Hanoi will be an opportunity for Vietnamese leaders to clarify and for Laos to reassure its longstanding partner about what was really said in meetings with China, he added.

China’s large land reclamation projects and increasing assertiveness in the South China Sea is seen to have had an alienating effect in the region and observers say this is making ASEAN countries think twice before adopting an obvious pro-China position.

It is something of an open secret within Vientiane's diplomatic circles that Laos President Vorachit has close ties with Vietnam, so a more balanced approach to China could be expected from the new leadership, said Dr Tran Viet Thai, deputy director of the Institute for Foreign Policy and Strategic Studies in Hanoi.

Laos is the chair of ASEAN this year, where the maritime spat has become the most contentious issue in recent years testing successive hosts’ ability to maintain ASEAN unity. Four out of ten ASEAN member states have claims in the South China Sea.

Mr Vorachit is scheduled to meet Vietnamese President Tran Dai Quang on Tuesday before wrapping up his visit in Ho Chi Minh City on Wednesday.

 

[BoQ77]

Third Project 11661 frigate for Vietnamese Navy built in Russia
Military & Defense
April 25, 16:51 UTC+3
The frigate will be put afloat on April 27 to undergo trials

A Project 11661 Gepard vessel (archive)
© ITAR-TASS/Mikhail Medvedev

KAZAN, April 25. /TASS/. Russia’s Zelenodolsk Shipyard in the Volga area has built the third Project 11661 Gepard-3.9-class frigate for the Vietnamese Navy, shipyard spokesman Andrey Spiridonov told TASS on Monday.

The frigate will be put afloat on April 27 to undergo running trials, the spokesman added.

"The shipyard has completed the construction of a Gepard-3.9-class frigate for the Vietnamese Navy. The vessel will be floated out on April 27," Spiridonov said.

According to him, the ceremony of floating out the frigate will be attended by the Vietnamese Navy’s delegation.

"The Vietnamese delegation has arrived today to view the ceremony. Representatives of Russia’s arms exporter Rosoboronexport will also take part in the ceremony," the spokesman said.

The Zelenodolsk Shipyard delivered the first two Gepard-3.9-class frigates to the Vietnamese Navy in 2011. After that, Vietnam signed a new contract to receive another two Project 11661 frigates.

The construction of the fourth Project 11661 frigate is nearing completion at the Zelenodolsk Shipyard.



More:
http://tass.ru/en/defense/872248

 

[Gen Padmanabhan]

Very good news to hear about this again. I hope this is for real and up to date because this story broke on May 2012 and then we didn't hear anything about them again. I still have the old articles of that time saved, it was also for 6 ships.. I used to post a lot of material about this on the other forum.

These are the Kamorta class ships, they are not destroyers, but frigates. In the Indian Navy they are known as corvettes. They are good ASW ships, but the version for India doesn't have anti ship missiles, so that will need to be modified for Vietnam.

I think the Sigma deal is already dead, the Kamorta class is the replacement for that.

A simpler version of the Kamorta-class might also be selected for the Philippines.

Have to wait for more details and confirmation of the weapon systems.

I think Vietnam should choose its own weapon package, should ask to install smaller version of MF-STAR that is on Saar Corvette.
Ask to remove those 2 RBU-6000, instead ask for 8 BrahMos, 16 Barak 8 and 2 torpedo tubes for ASW.

Also ask for access to integrated battle for Vietnam Navy, like of GSAT-7.

Very good news to hear about this again. I hope this is for real and up to date because this story broke on May 2012 and then we didn't hear anything about them again. I still have the old articles of that time saved, it was also for 6 ships.. I used to post a lot of material about this on the other forum.

These are the Kamorta class ships, they are not destroyers, but frigates. In the Indian Navy they are known as corvettes. They are good ASW ships, but the version for India doesn't have anti ship missiles, so that will need to be modified for Vietnam.

I think the Sigma deal is already dead, the Kamorta class is the replacement for that.

A simpler version of the Kamorta-class might also be selected for the Philippines.

Have to wait for more details and confirmation of the weapon systems.

GSAT-7 military sats are useful not only for integrating whole navy, but also in detecting Ballistic missile launch.

The yellowish equipment is actually IR sensor for detecting ballistic missile launch.

 

[Carlosa]

I think Vietnam should choose its own weapon package, should ask to install smaller version of MF-STAR that is on Saar Corvette.
Ask to remove those 2 RBU-6000, instead ask for 8 BrahMos, 16 Barak 8 and 2 torpedo tubes for ASW.

Also ask for access to integrated battle for Vietnam Navy, like of GSAT-7..

Absolutely, that was also my idea, the place where the 2 RBU-6000s are is the ideal place for 8 / 16 Brahmos. For the Barak-8 there are already 2 nice spots on the rear of the ship, at the sides of the hangar and they should be able to hold up to 32 cells.

RBU-6000 can be replaced with Paket-NK which I think is better.

Indian sonars, Indian CMS, Oto Melara 76mm gun made in India, etc, etc.

A ship like this would be far, far better than a Sigma class, really a true pocket destroyer.

 

[Aqsuperman]

A side view of Molniya class missile ship. A bit lacking in long range air-defense so a new air defense destroyer will be a perfect choice to strengthen our fleet potential

 

[BoQ77]

Barak-8 is suitable to our need.
@Carlosa : How's about your life in Da Nang?

 

[Viet]

a look into weaponry storage of SU-30 bombers

R-27 air-to-air missile, air-to-surface missile
Kh-29 anti-ship missile
Kh-31 air-to-surface missile

and for the first time ever revealed to public, the new
RVV-AE
medium range, active radar homing air-to-air missile

an example of fighter jet with fearsome RVV-AE air-to-air-missiles (NATO designation R-77)

 

[Carlosa]

Barak-8 is suitable to our need.
@Carlosa : How's about your life in Da Nang?

Everything is going fine here, Danang keeps getting better and better man. When are you coming? Its nice to see you here again, the thread needs you.

 

[Viet]

For the first time ever, revealed to public, images of the headquarters of the Vietnam People´s Army during the Vietnam war, a underground bunker in the premise of the Thang Long Imperial citadel, Hanoi.

 

[Viet]

carlosa, I can see aegis destroyers on the horizon


http://thediplomat.com/2016/04/us-may-lift-vietnam-arms-embargo-on-obamas-asia-trip/

 

[BoQ77]

Everything is going fine here, Danang keeps getting better and better man. When are you coming? Its nice to see you here again, the thread needs you.

I, my wife and kids have been in Da Nang last November. My kids love evenings at Helio Center and Dragon Bridge, Linh Ung Pagoda and Hoi An.
We took picture with the Coast Guard ship No. 8005 in Song Thu Shipyard that would be launched next Monday.

I didn't remember exactly what you advise about hotel, we just choose Emily Hotel and Apartment by the sea, that has quite large and good studio room ( location : behind Holiday Beach hotel )
view the beach from room

Oh , it's nearly Firework event this week.

And yes, I'm back here!!!


This taken at about 5:30am from the hotel room ( Bao Quyen hotel )

 

[Carlosa]

I, my wife and kids have been in Da Nang last November. My kids love evenings at Helio Center and Dragon Bridge, Linh Ung Pagoda and Hoi An.
We took picture with the Coast Guard ship No. 8005 in Song Thu Shipyard that would be launched next Monday.

I didn't remember exactly what you advise about hotel, we just choose Emily Hotel and Apartment by the sea, that has quite large and good studio room ( location : behind Holiday Beach hotel )
view the beach from room
View attachment 302422

Oh , it's nearly Firework event this week.

And yes, I'm back here!!!


This taken at about 5:30am from the hotel room ( Bao Quyen hotel )
View attachment 302420
View attachment 302421

Oh that's great, send me a private message next time that you come and we can meet.

That hotel has a nice view. There are many good and cheap hotels just meters next to the river between Han river bridge and dragon bridge. Also quite a few within 200 meters of the beach. I like the Holiday beach hotel area a lot. They just built a few nice things on the beach side where they have the beach coffee shop, looks very nice, I go there often.

The Linh Ung Pagoda is my favorite spot in Danang. The Hello center is definitely a great place for kids, they can easily get addicted to it.

Did you go to the marble mountain area?

I'm hoping to see bigger ships made at the Song Thu Shipyard in the future, maybe the DN-4000.

Have a nice holiday this weekend. Take care.

 

[Aqsuperman]

M46 in action against Chinese incursion. To this day, its remain the longest range artillery in VN arsenal, wich may require some sort of up-range modernization

 

[BoQ77]

Oh that's great, send me a private message next time that you come and we can meet.

That hotel has a nice view. There are many good and cheap hotels just meters next to the river between Han river bridge and dragon bridge. Also quite a few within 200 meters of the beach. I like the Holiday beach hotel area a lot. They just built a few nice things on the beach side where they have the beach coffee shop, looks very nice, I go there often.

The Linh Ung Pagoda is my favorite spot in Danang. The Hello center is definitely a great place for kids, they can easily get addicted to it.

Did you go to the marble mountain area?

I'm hoping to see bigger ships made at the Song Thu Shipyard in the future, maybe the DN-4000.

Have a nice holiday this weekend. Take care.

No marble mountain area but Terracotta Park near Hoi An.
Room rate from 22 $ to 25$ for 30-40sqm with sea, river view is ok, many others are cheaper but smaller or limit view.

Regret have no chance to connect to you for some drinks by Hoang Sa road or Han river bank. Seafood is cheap and fresh, and some Foster beer that rarely find in Hanoi.

Da Nang, Hoi An taxi rate isn't cheap as in Hanoi, I still recommend green color Mai Linh taxi for customer care. Yellow color isn't good.