Vietnam Defence Forum

[Viet]

Chinese media mocks Australia, Japan, India, Vietnam alliance

Talk of alliance aimed at pushing back on China’s growing influence draws ridicule from state media

Vietnam's Vice Minister of Defence Nguyen Chi Vinh speaks during the Shangri La security dialogue in 2016. Photo: AFP / Roslan Rahman

By ASIA UNHEDGED JUNE 7, 2017 5:43 AM (UTC+8)

China’s Global Times described a new regional bloc as a “ridiculous utopia”, in response to a Reuters report that Australia, Japan, India and Vietnam were quietly stepping up talks to form an alliance to counter Beijing’s growing influence.

The editorial (link in Chinese) argued that the countries in the region need to cooperate with China to achieve their “most important tasks”. At the same time, the Trump administration would pay no mind to the message that Washington needs to step up its regional presence. Trump, after all, needs to fix problems at home, regardless of the “grumbling” of allies.

“Talk of Asian countries ‘forming alliances’ to counter China is always attention grabbing, but this discussion actually becoming an effective geopolitical point of leverage is not realistic Asia is not the Europe of those days, today is not the Cold War era of the past, making new alliances to counter China will severely harm the geopolitical climate…

it would have no benefit for the countries involved, and for these reasons whatever countries actually raised the flag of such an alliance would be almost as awesome as Don Qixote.”

 

[Viet]

Cuba

General Ngo on a visit to Havanna. Meeting with country's leader General Raul Castro, seeking an increase of military cooperation. Nice: Vietnam and Cuba will share expertise in counterintelligence. The Cubans are said having good experience and knowledge in dwarfing off US military subversion attempts. We can learn one or two lessons from Cuba and adopt it to East Asia.

 

[Carlosa]

Well base on the limited angle of these pictures, i can say several things:

_ No Harpoon or Anti-ship weapon onboard. The PCC-761 ordinary load out dont carry any
_No triple torpedoes launcher racks. ( And good lord, i want it present so much)
_The 76mm Oto Melara rear turret has been removed for unknown reason. probably make space for a makecraft Helipad ?
_The 40mm Nobong dual turret at front seem to change from a fully enclose turret to a glass turret. The options are a new Nobong turret design but the same dual 40mm, a Sea Vulcan with 6 20mm barrel, a 30mm turret of a Korean design and finally, the same 23mm ZSU we see on our Coast Guard ships :v
_And finally, the Depth Charge Rack at the very rear of the ship MAY have been removed as well, cant say for sure but the ship rear appearance seem normal so hopefully that this is wrong. At least with that, this ship can function a bit in ASW role and bolster our Petyas which are old as Mother Earth herself

And about the ship numbering, this hhas been and will be the new regulation from now: Numbers only.

Good info, thank you.

Too bad about the triple torpedoes launcher, VN will probably end up installing Indian or Russian ones. It seems like VN will have to do quite a bit of "remodeling" to make the ship compatible with current Vietnamese weapon systems and standards.

 

[Carlosa]

Greenhouse farming in Vietnam’s Truong Sa (Spratlys)

TUOI TRE NEWS

UPDATED : 06/08/2017 18:05 GMT + 7

http://tuoitrenews.vn/society/41379/greenhouse-farming-on-vietnams-truong-sa-spratly-islands

Naval Sub-Lieutenant Tran Quoc Hiep (first row, third left) during a musical performance on Son Ca (Sand Cay) Island in Vietnam’s Truong Sa (Spratly) archipelago
Tuoi Tre

An initiative by a volunteer student from Hanoi six years ago now provides soldiers and civilians in Vietnam’s Truong Sa (Spratly) archipelago with a sustainable source of greens.

In 2011, Naval Sub-Lieutenant Tran Quoc Hiep, at the time still a junior at the Military Academy of Logistics in the Vietnamese capital, first set foot in the East Vietnam Sea archipelago with plans to help islanders grow vegetables in harsh conditions.

“I grew up in Me Linh District just north of the Thang Long Bridge, where my family grew rice, vegetables and flowers to sell in the capital’s downtown,” Hiep said. “I signed up for the Military Academy of Logistics partially because I wanted to use my farming experience to help soldiers who perform their duty in unfavorable conditions.”

“When I heard about a program by the Central Committee of the [Ho Chi Minh Communist Youth] Union that was looking for youths to visit Truong Sa, I just couldn’t resist,” Hiep recalled.

The program’s goal was to seek Vietnamese youths with ideas to help improve the lives of people on the islands.

Joining Hiep on the journey to Truong Sa was then-Deputy Minister of Agriculture and Rural Development Bui Ba Bong and Dr. Ngo Quang Vinh from the Institute of Agricultural Science for Southern Vietnam, both of whom showed interest in Hiep’s plan to transform vegetable farming on the islands.

One year later, Hiep graduated with distinction and asked to join the Vietnam People's Navy so that he might pursue his dream of returning to Truong Sa.

In 2015, that dream became a reality when the now-naval sub-lieutenant was stationed on Sinh Ton (Sin Cowe) Island, one of many islands in the Truong Sa archipelago.

Hiep was mobilized to Son Ca (Sand Cay) Island in the same archipelago at the end of 2016 where he is still stationed.

Vegetable shortage

According to Hiep, farming for vegetables on the island is a luxury, as every centimeter of cultivatable soil is precious.

“Ten square meters in the mainland may not seem like much, but on these islands even having one square meter of soil for farming is a blessing,” he explained.

“I was fortunate to be stationed on the island when the greenhouse farming project by Dr. Ngo Quang Vinh was already being piloted,” Hiep said. “We worked together on the project. When we first started it was still incomplete, but now both of these islands can provide vegetables for themselves and have no need for outside aid.”

Hiep said on each of the islands he would learn from the farming experience of soldiers and couple it with his own knowledge to introduce effective farming techniques for each particular situation.

The young logistics officer focuses on creating perfect soil combinations and selecting the high-yielding seeds for growing vegetables.

The vegetables are watered daily using urine and recycled water to prevent the greens from the negative effects of salinization from seawater.

In April, two 100 square meter greenhouses were put into operation on Son Ca Island with the help of experts from the Institute of Agricultural Science for Southern Vietnam.

The greenhouses not only provide a more sustainable farming method for locals on the islands but also help collect precious rainwater to be used for daily activities, according to Phan Duc Duy Nha, a research scientist at the institute.

 

[Viet]

Good info, thank you.

Too bad about the triple torpedoes launcher, VN will probably end up installing Indian or Russian ones. It seems like VN will have to do quite a bit of "remodeling" to make the ship compatible with current Vietnamese weapon systems and standards.

It would cost the Koreans millions USD if missiles, torpedo and their fire control systems including radar are still mounted on the ship. So cheaper for Korea if all expensive parts are removed. Not to mention there is a risk Vietnam can unlock some secrets of the weapon systems. But for us it is better than nothing. We can try to copy the ship structure and ship artillery.

 

[Viet]

Meeting with the emperor and empress of Japan

Not too bad the outcomes of the 5-day Vietnam/Japan summit: deals worth $22 billion are signed. On the last day of the summit the Japanese company Nidec announces a plan to open plants in Vietnam in summer 2018 to produce robot components and motors used in air conditioners and household appliances. Worth $500 million. In addition Tokyo will deliver six patrols boats to the Vietnam Coast Guard for $344 million, financed by ODA.

http://thediplomat.com/2017/06/what-did-the-vietnam-premiers-japan-voyage-accomplish/

http://asia.nikkei.com/Business/Companies/Nidec-to-build-A-C-robot-parts-factories-in-Vietnam

However the biggest prize Vietnam will receive, if the Japanese agree to give Vietnam free access to the rich Japanese consumer market and defense technology. In return Vietnam will agree to Japan led TPP11 and provide Japanese warships the privilege of freedom of navigation in the SC sea

 

[Carlosa]

What Did the Vietnam Premier’s Japan Voyage Accomplish?
A closer look at Nguyen Xuan Phuc’s trip this week.
Prashanth Parameswaran
http://thediplomat.com/2017/06/what-did-the-vietnam-premiers-japan-voyage-accomplish/

From June 4-8, Vietnamese Prime Minister Nguyen Xuan Phuc paid a four-day visit to Japan. The visit, his second since assuming this position last April, reinforced the importance of the bilateral relationship, which had been elevated to the level of an extensive strategic partnership back in 2014.

Japan and Vietnam have long had an important relationship. The initial focus of ties was economic, and Japan has evolved to become Vietnam’s largest source of official development assistance, second largest foreign investor, third largest tourism partner, and fourth largest trading partner.

But there has been increasing security cooperation as well in recent years, especially with common concerns about China’s maritime assertiveness in the East and South China Seas. This dimension of ties has grown to include not just exchanges and visits, but regular dialogues, port calls, and capacity-building and the sharing of best practices.

The momentum in ties continued through 2017 as both countries prepare to commemorate the 40th anniversary of the relationship in 2018. In February, Japanese Emperor Akihito and Empress Michiko had their first ever state visit to Vietnam, following Japanese Prime Minister Shinzo Abe’s own visit to the country in January. And this week, Phuc embarked on his four-day visit to Tokyo.

Phuc’s trip, which came after his recent voyage to the United States to meet President Donald Trump, consisted of a number of engagements including meetings with Japanese political and economic figures, a summit meeting with Abe, a keynote address at an investment conference, and attendance at the 23rd International Conference on the Future of Asia.

Most of the focus during the visit was on the economic domain, with Phuc and Abe witnessing the handover of agreements worth $22 billion following the investment conference on Vietnam, which Phuc labeled “historic.” The media attention to this part of the relationship was also unsurprising since both countries are part of the Trans-Pacific Partnership (TPP), whose future is uncertain following Trump’s withdrawal, and Vietnam will be hosting the Asia Pacific Economic Cooperation (APEC) summit later this year.

But there were developments on the security side as well. For instance, one of the exchange of notes of yen loan projects signed by the two sides on June 6, which had been pledged by Japan in 2016, was for the Maritime Security and Safety Capacity Improvement Project where Tokyo would deliver six patrols boats to the Vietnam Coast Guard in a deal worth 38.482 billion yen ($344 million). And during the June 5 meeting between Vietnam’s Deputy Defense Minister Nguyen Chi Vinh and his Japanese counterpart Ro Manabe, both sides hailed the trajectory of current collaboration and pledged to ink a vision plan for the future of Vietnam-Japan defense cooperation.

There were a string of other developments as well, which both sides incorporated into a joint statement on deepening their extensive strategic partnership. In the statement, both sides expressed satisfaction at the “robust, comprehensive, and substantive growth” of the Vietnam-Japan relationship, even in the face of challenges like protectionism as well as “complex developments” continuing to take place in the South China Sea.

 

[Viet]

UAV2

 

[Viet]

AUSTRALIAN NAVY WORKING WITH VIETNAM
06/06/2017: Developing deeper Defence relationships with Vietnam.

In 2017, the Australian Defence Force deployed a team of medical specialists to Exercise Pacific Partnership to work alongside Defence Force personnel and civilian medical practitioners from the United States, Great Britain and Japan in cities and provinces of Malaysia, Myanmar, Sri Lanka and Vietnam.

The Australian contingent included two Royal Australian Navy Medical Officers specialising in Dive Medicine who participated in an information exchange program with the United States Navy ad Vietnam People’s Armed Forces. Pacific Partnership is the largest annual multilateral humanitarian assistance and disaster relief preparedness mission conducted in the Indo-Asia-Pacific region, and aims to enhance regional coordination in areas such as medical readiness and preparedness for man-made and natural disasters.

Australia has been involved in every iteration of Pacific Partnership since it was first started more than twelve years ago after the multinational Humanitarian Assistance and Disaster Relief response to the 2004 tsunami event in Banda Aceh.

http://www.sldinfo.com/australian-navy-working-with-vietnam/

 

[Viet]

Cybersecurity
Frustrated with the Philippines, Vietnam Resorts to Cyber Espionage

Article by Guest Blogger for Adam Segal

Philippines' President Rodrigo Duterte (L) shakes hands with Vietnamese Prime Minister Nguyen Xuan Phuc as they meet at Phuc's Cabinet Office in Hanoi on September 29, 2016 POOL New/Reuters

The recent disclosure that an Advanced Persistent Threat (APT) operating out of Vietnam covertly released the transcript of talks between the Philippine President Rodrigo Duterte and the United States’ Donald Trump sheds light on an often overlooked cyber actor in the region. The recent disclosure suggests Vietnam is becoming a disruptive regional force in cyberspace.

The appearance of inter-state cyber operations within South East Asia is not surprising given the long-standing, and often territorial, disputes between geographically proximate states. While Vietnam is a known actor in the regional cyber domain, its activity has paled in comparison to China, which undertakes frequent cyber espionage operations against neighbors, including Vietnam. In addition, cyber operations attributable to Vietnam have mainly targeted companies and dissidents – thus letting Vietnam fly under the radar.

What is new and unique is attribution of Vietnamese attacks on Philippine state agencies, which was first reported on May 15. Cyber intelligence firms such as FireEye have attributed these attacks to an actor designated as APT32 (aka OceanLotus Group). The group has been associated with espionage campaigns targeting both foreign governments and local dissidents alike – to an extent mimicking the profile of Chinese operations within this domain.

While no definitive link can be drawn between this group and direct government sponsorship, the alignment between targets and national interest is quite telling and supports the cyber forensic analysis already conducted. While still relying on common techniques such as spear phishing and corrupted Doc files, the hackers’s use of custom-built code suggests they are part of a well-resourced group.

The timing of the documents leak suggests an attempt on the part of the Vietnamese regime (or elements of it) to increase pressure on the Philippines by exposing its warming ties with China. The document disclosure also included notes from a conversation between Duterte and Chinese President Xi Jinping. This rationale is not surprising considering the new president’s conciliatory remarks towards China and his willingness to forgo the advantage gained by the Philippines from the Permanent Court of Attribution in the Hague decision last spring, which weakens the on-going claims by other South East Asian states, including Vietnam.

Nevertheless, even if Vietnam’s motive is evident, what it hopes to achieve is unclear. Is Vietnam trying to shame the Philippines into taking an assertive stance against China? If this is the goal, then the Vietnamese are overlooking the unique characteristics of the current Philippine administration, which has demonstrated an unwillingness to change its policies in the face of external pressure. Duterte’s refusal to curb the excesses of his “war on drugs” despite economic threats (e.g. loss of EU financial aid) reinforces this view.

Perhaps, Vietnam’s goal is simply to sow chaos and distrust – which has been Russia’s objective in recent information operations against the electoral systems of Western democracies. Understood in this context, the burden of response is not on the state, but the society to reject these information disclosures and the more pernicious threat of disinformation. So far, the Philippine public has remained unresponsive to such stimuli and has maintained an overall position of unity against external threats. This outcome calls into question the efficiency of disinformation operations. If the goal of the Vietnamese was to foment outrage in the Philippines and force Duterte to reconsider his position, then proponents of this operation have either failed to understand how the Philippine public would react or have simply poorly timed their disclosure. In this situation, it may have been both.

However, even if ineffective, Vietnam will incur little cost for engaging in cyber operations against neighbors, which is why we can expect them to continue. Despite growing interest in the ASEAN bloc regarding the threat of cyber operations, no mechanism exists to “punish” Vietnam. Similarly, as espionage is considered a routine state behavior, it is unlikely that its neighbors would reprimand Vietnam. Finally, the fact that ASEAN members, in general, are characterized as having limited defense capabilities in cyberspace, publicly criticizing Vietnam may invite future retaliation through cyberspace that other members may wish to avoid.

Miguel Gomez is a senior researcher at the Center for Security Studies and Brandon Valeriano is a Reader at Cardiff University, the Donald Bren Chair of Armed Politics at the Marine Corps University, a fellow at the Niskanen Center, and author of Cyber War versus Cyber Realities on Oxford University Press.
https://www.cfr.org/article/frustrated-philippines-vietnam-resorts-cyber-espionage

 

[Viet]

The White House
Office of the Press Secretary
May 31, 2017

Joint Statement for Enhancing the Comprehensive Partnership between the United States of America and the Socialist Republic of Vietnam

The President of the United States of America Donald J. Trump hosted the Prime Minister of the Socialist Republic of Vietnam Nguyen Xuan Phuc at the White House today to chart an agenda for United States-Vietnam relations, building on the positive momentum of the Comprehensive Partnership between the two countries.

As a Pacific power with widespread interests and commitments throughout the Asia Pacific, the United States shares many important interests with Vietnam. The two leaders emphasized that many opportunities lie ahead for United States-Vietnam relations, including increasingly enhanced political, diplomatic, economic and trade ties, and ever-growing cooperation in the areas of science and technology, national defense and security, education, people-to-people exchange, humanitarian and war legacy issues, as well as regional and international issues of mutual concern. The two leaders are committed to pursuing these opportunities under an enhanced Comprehensive Partnership, grounded in respect for the United Nations Charter and international law, each other’s independence, sovereignty, territorial integrity, and respective political systems.

The two sides pledged to continue high-level contacts and exchanges of delegations, including through regular dialogue between the U.S. Secretary of State and Vietnam’s Minister for Foreign Affairs to discuss measures to enhance the bilateral Comprehensive Partnership. They also committed to strengthen existing dialogue mechanisms, including party-to-party ties. President Trump expressed his support for Vietnam in successfully hosting APEC 2017 and noted that he looks forward to visiting Vietnam and attending the APEC Leaders’ meeting in November.

The two leaders pledged to actively promote mutually beneficial and ever-growing economic ties to bring greater prosperity to both countries. They underscored support for continued development cooperation. Prime Minister Nguyen Xuan Phuc affirmed that Vietnam would pursue a consistent policy of economic reform and international integration, creating favorable conditions for foreign companies, including those of the United States, to do business and invest in Vietnam; protecting and enforcing intellectual property; and bringing its labor laws in line with Vietnam’s international commitments. The two countries affirmed the importance of promoting bilateral trade and creating favorable conditions for the businesses of both sides, particularly through the effective use of the Trade and Investment Framework Agreement to address issues in United States-Vietnam relations in a constructive manner. The two leaders welcomed the resolution of several priority trade issues, including mobile phone roaming services and veterinary drugs, and they pledged to continue to work together constructively to seek resolution of other priority issues of each country, including those related to intellectual property, advertising and financial services, information-security products, white offal, distiller’s dried grains, siluriformes, shrimp, mangos, and other issues. The United States noted Vietnam’s interest in achieving a market economy status, and the two sides pledged to continue to consult in a cooperative and comprehensive manner via the bilateral working group. Both sides welcomed the announcement of more than $8 billion in new commercial deals.

The two leaders pledged to strengthen bilateral defense ties under the 2011 Memorandum of Understanding (MOU) on Advancing Bilateral Defense Cooperation and the 2015 Joint Vision Statement on Defense Relations. The two leaders discussed the U.S. Government’s recent transfer of a Hamilton-class Coast Guard cutter to help improve Vietnam’s law enforcement capabilities, and Prime Minister Nguyen Xuan Phuc expressed interest in acquiring more defense equipment from the United States, including additional Coast Guard cutters. The two leaders also discussed measures to expand cooperation in such prioritized areas as humanitarian cooperation, war legacies, and maritime security. They also looked into the possibility of a visit to a Vietnamese port by a United States aircraft carrier and discussed steps to further cooperation between the naval forces of the two countries. The two leaders welcomed the signing of the Memorandum of Understanding on the establishment of the working group on the Cooperative Humanitarian Assistance and Medical Storage Initiative, and pledged to implement the arrangement expeditiously.

The two leaders pledged to strengthen cooperation in the fields of security and intelligence. The United States and Vietnam pledged to work together to combat terrorism as well as transnational and cyber-enabled crimes. Prime Minister Nguyen Xuan Phuc expressed his appreciation and looked forward to the United States’ cooperation and assistance to Vietnam in the area of United Nations peacekeeping operations, including the provision of equipment and support for Vietnamese officers’ participation in United Nations peacekeeping.

The two leaders pledged to continue cooperation in the fields of science, technology, space, and innovation. The two leaders expressed their support for a Framework Agreement on Cooperation in the Peaceful Uses of Outer Space, as well as for bilateral discussions and forums on science, technology, and innovation.

The two leaders welcomed the growth of people-to-people ties, especially through academic and professional exchange programs. They recognized the important contributions of the Vietnamese–American community and the nearly 4,000 exchange alumni to United States-Vietnam relations. They also noted that, with over 21,000 Vietnamese students currently in higher education programs in the United States, academic ties between the two countries are strong and will be strengthened even further through Vietnam’s support for the launch of the Fulbright University in Ho Chi Minh City. The United States welcomed more Vietnamese students to study in the United States and remains committed to processing visas, including for students, in an expeditious manner in accordance with United States law. The two sides also welcomed the establishment of the Peace Corps program to advance English language learning in Vietnam.

The two sides committed to work together to address war legacy issues, including through such joint efforts as dioxin remediation, taking note of the progress that has been made at Da Nang Airport and intent to discuss continued collaboration at Bien Hoa Airport, and the removal of unexploded ordnances. President Trump expressed appreciation for Vietnam’s continuing cooperation in the humanitarian mission of accounting for United States personnel still missing from the war, and pledged to cooperate with Vietnam in its efforts to locate its missing soldiers.

Prime Minister Nguyen Xuan Phuc affirmed that Vietnam will work actively with the United States to expeditiously return Vietnamese nationals subject to final orders of removal, using the 2008 United States-Vietnam Agreement on the Acceptance of the Return of Vietnamese Citizens as a basis. The two leaders pledged to set up a working group to discuss this issue.

The two sides pledged to work actively together to finalize agreement on an appropriate representational site and land tenure arrangement for a new U.S. Embassy in Hanoi. The United States pledged to support Vietnam in acquiring new facilities for its representative offices in the United States.

President Trump and Prime Minister Nguyen Xuan Phuc welcomed the results of frank and constructive dialogue on human rights, including during the 21st round of the United States-Vietnam Human Rights Dialogue in May 2017, to narrow differences and continue to build mutual trust. The two leaders recognized the importance of protecting and promoting human rights, and the interconnection between human rights and the security and sustainable development of each country. They encouraged further cooperation to ensure that everyone, including members of vulnerable groups, regardless of their gender, race, religion, or sexual orientation, and including persons with disabilities, fully enjoy their human rights. The United States welcomed Vietnam’s ongoing efforts to refine its legal system to better protect and promote human rights for everyone.

On regional issues, the two leaders expressed their concern for the Democratic People’s Republic of Korea’s nuclear and ballistic missile tests, which violate multiple United Nations Security Council resolutions and escalate tensions in the region. Both sides reaffirmed their support for the denuclearization of the Korean Peninsula and urged all parties concerned to strictly implement all relevant United Nations Security Council resolutions.

President Trump and Prime Minister Nguyen Xuan Phuc affirmed that the South China Sea is a waterway of strategic significance to the international community. The two leaders underscored the importance of freedom of navigation and overflight and other lawful uses of the seas, and noted with concern the destabilizing impacts that unlawful restrictions to the freedom of the seas have on peace and prosperity in the Asia–Pacific region. The two sides also affirmed full support for the peaceful resolution of disputes without the threat or use of force or coercion, in accordance with international law, including full respect for diplomatic and legal processes, and called upon all parties concerned to implement their international legal obligations in good faith in any resolution to these disputes. They highlighted the importance that parties refrain from actions that would escalate tensions, such as the militarization of disputed features. President Trump stressed that the United States will continue to fly, sail, and operate anywhere international law allows.

The two sides affirmed their continued implementation of the principles decided upon by the leaders of ASEAN and the United States in the 2016 Sunnylands Declaration, and their promotion of activities to commemorate the 50th anniversary of ASEAN’s founding and the 40th anniversary of United States-ASEAN relations. The United States affirmed its commitment to the United States-ASEAN Strategic Partnership, and to supporting common efforts to develop a rules-based ASEAN Community and ASEAN centrality in the evolving regional architecture.

The two countries pledged to continue to work together to address global challenges, including environmental protection, global health, global health security, and trafficking in persons and wildlife. The United States expressed support for Vietnam in its development of a national reference laboratory to enhance the Vietnam’s ability to detect emerging disease threats in the region, and the two countries affirmed their strong support for the Global Health Security Agenda to prevent, detect, and respond to infectious disease threats. The two countries also affirmed their longstanding partnership under the President’s Emergency Plan for AIDS relief. As a development partner of the Mekong River Commission (MRC) and a founding member of the Lower Mekong Initiative (LMI), the United States reaffirmed its support for cooperation among MRC members, as well as between MRC members and other regional mechanisms, in using, managing, and developing trans-boundary water sources in an effective and sustainable manner. The United States also affirmed its assistance to Vietnam in combating climate change via concrete mitigation and adaptation measures.

The two leaders heralded the bright future for the enhanced United States-Vietnam Comprehensive Partnership and are committed to making it deeper, more substantive, and more effective to better serve the interests of the two peoples, and to better contribute to peace, stability, cooperation, and development in the Asia-Pacific region and the world.

 

[Viet]

Vietnam defense budget 2016 is $5 billion, expected to expand to $6.2 billion by 2020 (HIS Jane’s). actually very little considering our security threat but the budget can only increase in line with the economy.

https://sputniknews.com/asia/201706021054258791-duterte-russia-weapons-philippines/

 

[Viet]

Some news of the day

"I think the leadership in Hanoi has felt that the food has fallen out from them in the past years. Key tenets of their strategy for dealing with China, the TPP, or continued U.S. engagement, are now really in doubt,”. “No country in the past few years did more than Vietnam to engage the U.S. and ensure that it was committed to regional peace, prosperity, and freedom of the seas, than Vietnam. They have a lot riding on this.” says Zachary Abuza, Professor at the National War College, in Washington, DC.

Maybe not a coincidence: two US B1 strategic nuclear bombers conduct bombing raid exercise in the South China Sea, and a bonbon, in the new budget submitted to the Congress, Donald Trump suggests to abolish special inspection on Vietnam cat fish imports as Vietnam government wanted during the US/Vietnam summit in Washington.

The way to go, not empty words, to strengthen Vietnam/Japan relationship: Vietnamese carriers Vietnam Airlines and Jetstar Pacific will begin to serve direct flights to Osaka.

Military run Telecom company VietTel introduces a new 4G Wifi router, an online charge service vOCS and plan to expand business to Indonesia and Nigeria.

Z751 military factory on mass production of 105mm gun truck, artillery finder M21A1, machine gun. some Ural-375Đ trucks have 12,7mm anti aircraft gun.

 

[Viet]

QĐND nữ sinh

 

[Viet]

CNC machines at ammunition factory z113, calibre 7.62x54mm (K53), 7.62x39mm (K56), and 7.62x51mm (NATO)