In a significant move to bolster defence ties and counter China's growing influence in Southeast Asia, India has offered the BrahMos cruise missile to Vietnam during the visit of Vietnamese President To Lam. Prime Minister Narendra Modi discussed enhancing defence cooperation with President Lam, emphasizing New Delhi's commitment to its 'Act East' policy and describing Hanoi as an important partner in the Indo-Pacific region.
Defence and Security Cooperation
The leaders reaffirmed that defence and security cooperation is a key pillar of the India-Vietnam Comprehensive Strategic Partnership. They commended the effective implementation of the joint vision statement on the partnership, which continues to guide the growing defence ties between the two countries.
Providing details, P Kumaran, Secretary (East) in the Ministry of External Affairs (MEA), stated on Wednesday, “On BrahMos, I want to broadly state that Vietnam is a very important partner for us in the Indo-Pacific and all these areas that we cooperate in are based on the broad premise that a strong Vietnam will serve the cause of peace and stability in the Indo-Pacific. We do talk about a number of platforms and BrahMos platform is also one of them and, you know, watch this space.”
Scope of Defence Partnership
Kumaran explained that the defence partnership framework covers capacity building, training of Vietnamese armed forces, UN peacekeeping cooperation, joint exercises, port calls, ship visits, and hydrographic surveys. Several Memoranda of Understanding (MoUs) are already operational, including in areas such as submarine rescue, humanitarian assistance and disaster relief, mutual logistics support, and defence industry cooperation.
“We are pursuing an agreement on white shipping information sharing, cybersecurity, and AI-enhanced security measures. There is also ongoing cooperation on transnational crime involving the navies and the coast guards,” he added.
Defence Procurement and Industrial Cooperation
A delegation from the Society of Indian Defence Manufacturers visited Vietnam in March 2026 to explore opportunities for defence procurement by Vietnam. The Prime Minister offered assistance with maintenance and MRO (Maintenance, Repair, and Overhaul) support for platforms that Vietnam operates, such as the Sukhoi-30 and the Kilo-class submarines.
Kumaran further noted that a previously announced $500 million credit line was discussed, along with identified defence procurement projects worth $300 million, including 14 high-speed patrol boats and three offshore patrol vessels. “The remaining $200 million will involve the next stage of lines of credit, which could include the upgradation of ships belonging to the Vietnam Navy and the purchase of submarine batteries,” he said.
Position on UNCLOS and South China Sea
On the United Nations Convention on the Law of the Sea (UNCLOS) and the South China Sea, Kumaran stated, “Our position is well-documented. We uphold the importance of maintaining peace, stability, security, and freedom of navigation and overflight.” The Indian delegation thanked the Vietnamese side for inviting India to participate in its nuclear power sector.
