India hands over INS Kirpan to Vietnam in landmark move
maritime interests, contribute to regional security, and foster peace and stability," said Admiral Hari Kumar. India has steadily bolstered its defence partnership with Vietnam in recent years.
In 2022, Defence Minister Rajnath Singh handed the country 12 high speed patrol guard boats. According to Premesha Saha of the Observer Research Foundation, five of these were built in India while the rest were built in Vietnam under an Indian Line of Credit. India has also helped the country build its defence technological capabilities and sponsored the establishment of an Army Software Park with a $5 million grant.
India has also signed a mutual logistics support agreement with Vietnam. "The transfer of INS Kirpan from the Indian Navy to Vietnam People's Navy symbolises the status of Indian Navy of being the preferred security partner in the Indian Ocean Region," according to the PIB’s press release.
Vietnam, like India, has shown deep concern about China’s growing maritime power in the Indo-Pacific over the past few years. The two countries have maritime territorial disputes, which have at times triggered diplomatic clashes.
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