On Saturday, India handed over the missile corvette INS Kirpan to Vietnam.India’s navy head, Admiral R. Hari Kumar, emphasized the two nations’ shared concerns about the Indo-Pacific in light of China’s aggressive behavior in the area.
Chief Kumar straight statement on Vietnam :
As he presided over the ceremony in Cam Ranh, Admiral Kumar stated, “Vietnam acts as a key partner in India’s ‘Indo-Pacific Vision,’ which seeks to strengthen ties and build partnerships towards maintaining the area safe, secure, and stable.
He continued, “The recent signing of the ‘joint vision statement on India-Vietnam defence partnership towards 2030′ will significantly expand the scope and scale of current security cooperation and ensure that no’single’ nation can unilaterally alter or misinterpret rules to serve its own interests in the Indo-Pacific.
As part of yet another military outreach to the Southeast Asian nation, on June 19 in New Delhi, Defence Minister Rajnath Singh announced the “gifting” of INS Kirpan, a 1,450-ton Khukri-class missile corvette in service with the Indian Navy.
Due to Beijing’s territorial expansionism against its neighbors, it has been deploying warships and survey vessels into Vietnam’s exclusive economic zone (EEZ) on a regular basis, escalating the already tense situation in the South China Sea.
According to Admiral Kumar, “Both India and Vietnam are responsible members of the international community and frequently demonstrate their commitment to upholding the principles of justice and fairness enshrined in the international legal framework.”
India “gracefully accepting” the International Court of Justice’s ruling granting Bangladesh access to a greater marine area in a disputed section of the Bay of Bengal was referred to by the head of the Navy.Such cases “set a precedent for resolving future conflicts through shared values of peaceful means, adhering to international law and strengthening bonds between two nations,” he said.
The 90-meter-long INS Kirpan, which is staffed by 12 officers and 100 sailors, was decommissioned from the Indian Navy after 32 years of service and given to the Vietnamese People’s Navy (VPN) with a “complete weapons complement.”
“Today’s handing-over event symbolizes India and Vietnam’s enduring friendship and strategic alliance. For the first time ever, India is making a fully operating corvette available to any friendly foreign nation, according to Admiral Kumar.
Through consistent joint exercises, military exchanges, and training initiatives, India has been progressively improving its defense ties with Asean nations including Vietnam, Indonesia, Singapore, and the Philippines. In order to do this, India is currently looking to intensify training of Vietnamese soldiers in a variety of subjects, including electronic warfare, cyber-security, and operations of submarines and fighter jets.
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