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Le sous-marin Hai Phong (classe Kilo) a jetté l'ancre mercredi dans le port de Cam Ranh, province de Khanh Hoa (Centre), après un mois et demi de traversée depuis le port russe de Saint-Pétersbourg.
Il s'agit du 3e des six sous-marins de classe Kilo commandés par le Vietnam à la Russie dans le cadre de son plan de modernisation de la Marine populaire du Vietnam.
Ce sous-marin a été transporté par le porteur de colis lourds Rolldock Sea.
D'une longueur de 73,8 mètres et d'une largeur de 9,9 mètres, le sous-marin HQ Hai Phong a un déplacement de 3.000 à 3.950 tonnes et une vitesse moyenne de 20 milles nautiques/heure. Il est capable d'opérer à une profondeur maximale de 300 mètres et bénéficie d'une autonomie de 6.000 à 7.500 milles nautiques et de 45 jours. Son équipage comprend 52 membres.
En 2014, la Russie a remis au Vietnam deux sous-marins identiques, le HQ-182 Hanoi et le HQ-183 Ho Chi Minh-Ville, à la charge de la brigade 189 de la Marine vietnamienne.

WASHINGTON — On President Barack Obama’s first day in Beijing at the start of a weeklong swing through Asia, the US State Department published new language in the Federal Register to reflect a change in its policy to allow exports of lethal defense items to Vietnam.
The changes were first announced in early October when Vietnamese Foreign Minister Pham Binh Minh met in Washington with National Security Adviser Susan Rice and Secretary of State John Kerry.
But the official revision of the State Department’s International Traffic in Arms Regulations (ITAR) didn’t come until Nov. 10.
The notice said that it is “in the best interests of U.S. foreign policy, national security, and human rights concerns that exports of lethal defense articles and defense services to Vietnam may be authorized on a case-by-case basis when in support of maritime security and domain awareness.”
Despite the language about human rights, however, the government of Vietnam maintains a spotty track record in respecting international norms for the treatment of its civilians.
The State Department’s own 2013 annual report on human rights maintained that Vietnam placed “severe government restrictions on citizens’ political rights, particularly their right to change their government.”
Still, experts have said they expect Vietnam to be interested in maritime surveillance aircraft, likely excess P-3 aircraft that the US Navy is looking to retire as it brings more advanced P-8s online, as well as surveillance equipment.
In 2013, Kerry announced an agreement to provide Vietnam with five fast, unarmed patrol vessels.
After spending time in Beijing at the Asia-Pacific Economic Cooperation conference, Obama will travel to Burma and Australia to meet with leaders there.

India and Vietnam are aided by the fact that they had relied heavily on Russian military hardware in the past and have capabilities that can be shared, says a source.

Vietnam’s Prime Minister Nguyen Tan Dung and his delegation, on a two-day visit from Monday, will discuss placing orders for offshore patrol vehicles at Indian shipyards using the $100-million line of credit provided by India under a defence agreement.

The latest MoU will further solidify India’s assistance on vessel construction and submarine training to Vietnam’s forces as part of the Strategic Partnership signed between the two countries in 2007.

The agreements for the OVL to prospect in two more fields, along with another MoU for PetroVietnam to prospect for oil off the Indian coast in the Bay of Bengal, will have a geostrategic impact. In September 2011, China issued a demarche to India over Vietnam’s decision to allow the OVL to prospect in blocks number 127 and 128. At the time, India cited Vietnam’s sovereign claims over the blocks.

Asked on Friday about the possibility of China’s objections over agreements during the current visit, Ministry of External Affairs spokesperson Syed Akbaruddin said, “Vietnam has offered us some blocks in the South China Sea, we are examining it. If they are commercially viable for us, certainly we will take those into account and proceed further.”

Ivan Kartzov landing ship launch on 30/09/2013 in shipyards in the Far East Vladivostok (all photos : militaryrussia.ru)
Amphibious ship Ivan Kartzov high speed (280 tons the amount of water displacement) has completed state testing in the Pacific Ocean, near the military port Vladivostok (Russia) and is about to hand over to the Vietnamese Navy, according to Red Star newspaper (Russia) dated 11.9.
This is a lightweight class amphibious ships of project 21820 (code named Sea Cow), with displacement water volume of 280 tons, 45 meters long, 8.5 meters across, a draft of 1.9 m, maximum speed is 35 knots (65 km / h) in 0.75 m high wave mode. Range of class amphibious assault ship is 930 km. Capacity 4 armored vehicles and 40 soldiers. Ship's cargo compartment can accommodate up to 140 tons.

The vessel was launched at the shipyard Date 30/09/2013 Far East in Vladivostok. Initially the ship was designed and built for the Pacific Fleet, the ship was then exported to Vietnam under the 2010 contract.
Ivan Kartzov ship is a close second in this project 21820 to Russia has closed and is for experiment 4 units, including one unit of Vietnam has completed state testing, and 3 assigned to the Baltic Fleet and the Caspian fleet.
A spokesman for the shipyard's Yaroslav Russia, where their three amphibious ships for the Russian Navy 21820, Red Star told that this class amphibious ship maneuver, running very fast and cheaper than Zubr landing hovercraft (type Ukraine sold to China).

The ship is automatically controlled by a computer, just 6 OS, two machine guns armed and shoulder-fired anti-aircraft missiles.
The ship is designed for high-speed running on the sea, with amphibious troops fighting vehicles to wheeled or crawler is not the most convenient beach.

Expert: US-Vietnam military relations warming Vietnam was America intentionally offensive weapons
During the chairman of the Joint Chiefs of Staff revealed Martin Dempsey on the 16th visit to Vietnam, the United States in the "near future" to discuss whether to cancel the ban lethal weapons to Vietnam provisions. Military expert Du Wenlong said during an interview with CCTV, said Vietnam needs offensive weapons, thereby improving sea and air forces of neighboring countries deterrent. China Research Institute of International Ruan Zongze that the warming of US-Vietnam military relations between the two countries, the United States marked the further deepening of the South China Sea issue involved.

Vietnam hopes to obtain weapons deterrent from the United States

U.S. arms embargo against Vietnam has experienced a process from tightening to relax. United States arms embargo against Vietnam South Vietnam regime collapse began in 1975, when the Viet Cong seized a large number of American arms left over to South Vietnam, the United States this has been brooding. 1984, Washington formally implemented an arms embargo against Vietnam. However, in recent years the attitude taken by the United States embargo has been softened. In 2007, the United States policy toward Vietnam weapons ban obvious change, the Bush administration revision of the International Traffic in Arms Regulations, as the case may allow the sale of non-lethal weapons to Vietnam, but all deadly weapons remains limited. The United States if the "partial lifting of the ban on the sale of lethal weapons", arms exports to Vietnam will further relaxed....

...Du Wenlong noted that the Vietnamese want to get the most air and sea and amphibious equipment. Most Vietnam helicopters currently in use or during World War II and the Vietnam War from the United States seized the UH-1 helicopters, if Vietnam has A-10 attack aircraft and AH-64 "Apache" helicopter gunships, then Vietnam will be the ability to control at low altitude substantial increase in the target for reconnaissance capability will enhance the surrounding seas. In addition, the special needs of amphibious ships in Vietnam to improve amphibious capabilities, such as second-hand "Wasp" class amphibious assault landing craft or other common, with these weapons, the ability to defend and attack capabilities Vietnam vested interests will be greatly improved. Vietnam may also purchase radar, through a wide range of remote surveillance and early warning, raise the South China Sea maritime and aerial reconnaissance capabilities.

VietNamNet Bridge – Nguyen Quoc Hoa, the creator of the Truong Sa submarine, has decided to test the sub during the ongoing Rammasun storm, which is believed to be one of the strongest in history, in order to examine its rescue capabilities under extreme weather conditions. However, some experts believe he is making a mistake.

In May, Hoa said the submarine was ready for a test. The Rammasun typhoon is expected to hit northern provinces of Quang Ninh and Hai Phong on July 19.

“I will go the sea to test the sub when the hurricane rushes in,” Hoa said.

Explaining his decision, Hoa said one of his purposes in designing the sub was to make it capable of joining rescue activities under extreme weather conditions.

“I have worked on many hypothetical situations which I think may happen with the sub and I have drawn up rescue plans in case of emergency. The equipment for maintaining contact between the sub and the mainland is also ready,” he said. “The sub is now in the most perfect condition to operate in a storm”.

Hoa reassured the public that submarines do not sink when their flap-doors are closed, and they can float on water. When the subs dive underwater, they are uninfluenced by wind or storm, because in principle, strong winds can only have influences above water.

“So, I have no worries when testing the sub in the storm,” he said, adding that he is confident about putting the sub in the most severe weather conditions.

However, scientists have advised Hoa against testing Truong Sa sub in the storm.

Phan Boi Tran, the creator of the Yet Kieu submarine, said Hoa should not take risks by going to the open sea on stormy days.

“It’d be better to test the sub’s diving capability in the conditions of normal weather first, and only when everything is okay should he think of testing the sub in bad weather,” Tran said.

“Vietnam every year receives more than 10 typhoons, which means there will be many more opportunities for Hoa to test his sub. So there is no need to be hasty,” he added.

Tran also warned about the problems Truong Sa may meet when going to the open sea in stormy weather.

He agreed that submarines will not be affected by wind and storm when they are underwater. However, he said this is true only when subs are 20-30 meters underwater. He said he did not know whether Truong Sa sub can dive to such a depth.

After the first sea test of the Truong Sa sub failed due to technical problems, Hoa said he had gathered all strength to improve the features of the sub, including the capability of the steering, the movement above and underwater, and the operation of the AIP system (Air-independent propulsion).

Dat Viet

The sixth Improved 'Kilo' (Project 636)-class diesel-electric submarine (SSK) on order for the People's Army of Vietnam (PAVN) Navy was laid down on 28 May at the Admiralty Shipyards in St Petersburg, Russia, according to local media reports.

The vessel, Vung Tau , is the final SSK procured from Russia under a 2009 contract worth USD2 billion.

The boats feature six 533 mm tubes that can launch TEST-71 series anti-surface and anti-submarine heavyweight torpedoes.

Unnamed defence officials also told state-run news agency RIA Novosti that the third SSK, Haiphong , is undergoing sea trials while the fourth, Da Nang , was floated out in March. Vietnam commissioned first-in-class Hanoi in January.

All six boats are scheduled for delivery by 2016.

La Marine populaire du Vietnam a organisé une cérémonie de hissement du drapeau national sur les deux premiers sous-marins de la classe Kilo, marquant la mise en service officielle de ces bâtiments jeudi dans le port militaire de Cam Ranh, province de Khanh Hoa (Centre).
Cet événement revêt une importance particulière comme il marque un nouveau développement de la Marine populaire du Vietnam en particulier et de l’Armée populaire du Vietnam en général, s’est félicité le Premier ministre Nguyên Tân Dung lors de la cérémonie à laquelle ont assisté l’ancien secrétaire du Parti communiste du Vietnam Lê Kha Phiêu, le vice-Premier ministre et ministre des Affaires étrangères Pham Binh Minh et des dirigeants de certains ministères et localités....

...Le Premier ministre a réaffirmé que la politique de défense du Vietnam est celle de la paix et de l’auto-défense. La modernisation de l’armée du Vietnam est seulement destinée à l’autodéfense et à la sauvegarde des intérêts légitimes du pays. Elle ne vise aucunement un quelconque pays ...

...A ce jour, le Vietnam a pris livraison de deux sous-marins à propulsion diesel-électrique du projet 636 Varchavianka (Improved Kilo, selon le code de l'OTAN). Baptisés HQ-182 Hanoi et HQ-183 Hô Chi Minh-Ville, ces bâtiments appartiennent à la troisième génération de sous-marins.

D'un déplacement en charge de 3.100 tonnes, les submersibles de cette classe ont un déplacement de 2.350 tonnes en surface et de 3.950 tonnes en plongée et une vitesse de 17/20 nœuds. Ils peuvent plonger à 300 mètres de profondeur et sont dotés de torpilles de 533 mm (six tubes), de mines et de missiles de croisière Kalibr.

NEW DELHI (PTI): Aiming to deepen bilateral military cooperation, India and Vietnam on Friday held strategic defence dialogue here.
The Vietnamese delegation was led by Deputy Defence Minister Senior Lt Gen Ngyyen Chi Vinh, while the Indian side was headed by Defence Secretary R K Mathur.
Vinh also called on National Security Advisor Ajit Doval and Army chief Gen Dalbir Singh Suhag.
The annual dialogue comes two months after Prime Minister Narendra Modi held wide-ranging talks with his Vietnamese counterpart here.
Though defence officials remained tight-lipped about what transpired during the meeting, sources said all issues relating to cooperation in the crucial sector were discussed.
According to official sources, Vietnam has agreed to buy four patrol vessels for its Navy under the Line of Credit Scheme extended by India but is yet to formally identify the shipyard it wants them from.
Vietnam wants the vessel for surveillance off its coast and around its military bases in the Spratly Island chain in the South China Sea where it is building a credible naval deterrent to China with Kilo-class submarines from Russia.
The sources also said that talks are on to train Vietnam Air Force pilots in flying Sukhoi fighters as well.
India is already training Vietnam Navy personnel in operating the Russian-origin Kilo-class submarine among other areas.
India and Vietnam have a long-standing defence relationship but it has been restricted to military exchanges, training, spares and maintenance of military hardware.

Final preparations are underway for the transfer of the third Kilo-class diesel submarine, named "Haiphong", from Russia to Vietnam.
"Haiphong" conducted three phases of underway training for the submarine's future crew in July, August and September. The submarine then conducted two brief underway periods on October 29-November 2 and November 5-10. Over the past month, Admiralty Shipyards completed some final cosmetic touch-ups on the boat in preparation for the official hand-over.
In October, shipyard officials stated that "Haiphong" would depart for Vietnam before December 10. And it looks like that may be close to the truth.
The heavy-lift ship "Rolldock Star" (IMO: 9656498) departed Antwerp, Belgium, at 14:00 GMT today en route to St. Petersburg, where it is expected to arrive at 15:00 GMT on December 8. "Rolldock Star" was used to ferry the second Vietnamese Kilo ("Ho Chi Minh City") from Russia to Vietnam earlier this year. With an approximate six-week transit, the heavy-lift ship should arrive in Cam Ranh Bay in late-February 2015.

JAKARTA, November 6. /TASS/. Two Gepard 3.9 class frigates that Russia is building for Vietnam will be delivered to the customer on schedule - in late 2016, a representative of the shipbuilding company told TASS on Thursday at the Indo Defence international exhibition.

“A couple of such frigates were built for Vietnam in earlier, now the second pair is being built that differs in the weapons and military equipment. The delivery deadline is late 2016,” chief engineer of the Zelenodolsk Design Bureau Yevgeny Matveyev said.

The designer said the new frigates for the foreign customer will have, in addition to the surface countermeasure systems, antisubmarine warfare equipment. “To date, there are no factors for non-fulfilment of the obligations, the shipbuilding is going on schedule,” Matveyev said.

The construction of the second pair of the Gepard 3.89 class frigates with antisubmarine weapons for the Vietnamese Navy continues the work of the JSC A.M. Gorky Zelenodolsk Plant within the framework of international military-technical co-operation. The contract on the construction of the first pair of the warships of project 11661 was concluded in 2005. The plant successfully fulfilled all the building stages - the warships were delivered in 2011.

The new pair of frigates differs from the previous ships by antisubmarine weapons and advanced high-performance propulsion system.

The third diesel-electric submarine (SSK) Project 636, built in St. Petersburg Admiralty Shipyards for Vietnamese Navy in late 2014 will be delivered at the point of bases in Cam Ranh Bay, according to Interfax-Military News Agency, citing a source in the Russian shipbuilding industry.
"Currently, the third boat export series is working out the program of ship crew practice customer. This - the second stage of the marine part of the training. The first successfully completed 1 to July 20 in the area of the island of Hogland. During the first phase of the boat held submerged 57 hours, "- said the agency interlocutor.
According to him, 20 August boat will return to the factory, and then again after 10 days will be released into the sea. "In November, she will be transferred to the customer," - he said. The fourth boat series recently came to the factory sea trials.
According to the plan is the construction of the fifth and sixth corps. "Launching of the sixth boat series is scheduled for September next year," - said the agency interlocutor.
The first and second series of the Vietnamese boat HQ-182 "Hanoi" and HQ-183 "Ho Chi Minh City" in April became part of the 189th Brigade Navy submarine forces in Vietnam. Delivery to Kamran accomplished by the Dutch LASH.
Contract to supply Vietnam six diesel-electric submarines of Project 636 was signed in 2009 during the visit to Moscow by Prime Minister Nguyen Tan Dung. In addition to the construction of the submarines contract provides for the training of Vietnamese crews, as well as supply of necessary equipment and technical equipment.
Project 636 diesel-electric submarine is the third generation of submarines. These boats have a good modernization potential, allowing them to integrate new weapons, and in particular, anti-ship missile complex Club, significantly expanding the zone of destruction purposes. Due to the ultra-low noise in the West boats of this type are called "black hole".

PANO – The Ba Son Shipyard under the General Department of Defence Industry on June 24th successfully launched two high-speed missile ships, designated M3 and M4, for the Vietnam People’s Navy.

The ships with modern weapons and equipment will help the Vietnam People’s Navy increase combat strength and firmly protect the national sovereignty over sea, islands and exclusive economic zone.

Previously, the shipyard launched the two ships of the same kind for the Navy.

ST. PETERSBURG, May 28 (RIA Novosti) – The final Kilo-class Project 636 diesel-electric submarine for the Vietnamese navy under a 2009 contract was laid down Wednesday in St. Petersburg, a defense industry source told RIA Novosti.

"Today, we had the ceremony of laying down the sixth submarine for Vietnam. This is the latest submarine in this series," the source said.

Under the $2 billion contract, two submarines have already been delivered to Vietnam, the third is undergoing sea trials, a fourth was floated out in late March, and the fifth and sixth are now under construction.

"Two submarines have already been transferred to the Vietnamese Navy, the third is to be transferred this year and the remaining three in 2015-2016," according to the source.

The vessels are built at the Admiralty Shipyards, a leading enterprise of the Russian shipbuilding industry and part of the United Shipbuilding Corporation. Its military products include warships, especially nuclear and diesel-powered submarines, and large auxiliary vessels.

The $2 billion contract for the supply of six improved Kilo-class submarines to Vietnam was signed in 2009. The submarines will be armed with Club-S anti-ship missiles. The noise level of these submarines is considered the lowest among all Russian vessels.

The People's Army of Vietnam (PAVN) Navy will equip its third and fourth Russian-built Gepard 3.9 (Project 11661) light frigates with the Palma close-in weapon system (CIWS), Nudelman Precision Engineering Design Bureau confirmed in a statement issued 22 April.

The PAVN is scheduled to take delivery of the vessels, reported to be anti-submarine warfare (ASW) variants, in 2017. The first two ships in class, Dinh Tien Hoang and Ly Thai Ho , were commissioned in March and August 2011 respectively and loaded with a similar CIWS.

The Palma CIWS consists of Sosna-R hypersonic surface-to-air missiles, two six-barrel AO-18KD 30 mm automatic cannons and the 3V-89 electro-optical multichannel electronic countermeasures resistant fire-control system. The principal control system is electro-optic with radar back-up.

According to company literature, the system can engage six targets at up to 8 km simultaneously depending on the number of firing modules installed. The manufacturer indicates a gun kill envelope of 0.2 to 4 km to an altitude of 3,000 m and a missile kill envelope of 1.6 to 10 km to an altitude of 5,000 m.

Le quatrième sous-marin classique (Projet 636M) construit par la Russie pour le Vietnam sera mis à l'eau au chantier naval de l'Amirauté (St Pétersbourg) le 28 mars prochain. (flotprom)

Les navires russes opérant en Méditerranée au 26 mars sont :

Le croiseur nucléaire lance-missiles Pierre le Grand (fl. du Nord), le porte-avions Amiral Kouznetsov (fl. du Nord), le grand navire de lutte ASM Amiral Levtchenko (fl. du Nord), le grand navire de débarquement Olenegorsky Gorniak (fl. du Nord), le navire de renseignement Amiral Fedor Golovin, les remorqueurs Altaï et Nicolaï Tchiker, et les tankers Sergei Osipov et Kama. (flot.ru)

VietNamNet Bridge - The Russian Gorky Shipyard will build and hand over two additional Gepard-class frigates to the Vietnam People's Navy by 2017, the Itar-Tass news agency reported on February 26.

This brings the cumulative number of frigates that Vietnam has contracted for with the shipyard as part of a restocking Gepard-3.9 project to six.

Itar-Tass quoted a shipyard spokesperson as saying engineers are putting the finishing touches to the manufacture of the hull.

Following the installation of technical positioning and other electronic components they will begin trial runs in the Baltic Sea and should be ready for delivery in early 2017, the news agency reported.

Vietnam received two first Gepard-class frigates from Russia in 2011 under a contract signed in 2006.

It signed another contract for two more such vessels in 2013, and the manufacture is on the right track.