During the recent visit of Vietnamese President To Lam to India, there has been much talk about Vietnam being one of the potential buyers of India's BrahMos missile, though the deal has not been formally signed yet.
Following the visit of To Lam, P. Kumaran, Secretary (East) in the Ministry of External Affairs, said discussions between Narendra Modi and the visiting Vietnamese President covered defence cooperation, including the possible sale and long-term maintenance of various military platforms for Vietnam, among which was the BrahMos missile system.
“Vietnam is an important partner in the Indo-Pacific, and all these areas of cooperation are based on the broad premise that a strong Vietnam will support the cause of peace and stability in the Indo-Pacific. We talk about a number of platforms, and the BrahMos platform is one of them. On BrahMos, specifically, watch this space,” he was quoted as saying then.
While there have been references to a potential sale of BrahMos to Vietnam, worth about ₹60 billion, in carefully worded briefings since 2024, there is once again intense focus on the deal as Defence Minister Rajnath Singh begins his Vietnam tour on Monday.
Singh's visit to Vietnam and South Korea later is aimed at exploring ways to shore up strategic defence cooperation, including joint production of military hardware.
Before departing for Hanoi, which is the capital of Vietnam, Singh said his visit to the two Asian nations would focus on deepening defence industrial cooperation, expanding maritime collaboration, and advancing peace and stability in the Indo-Pacific region.
Singh will hold bilateral talks with Vietnam's Minister of National Defence, Phan Van Giang, during the visit.
The defence minister's visit comes days after India and Vietnam elevated their ties to an enhanced comprehensive strategic partnership during To Lam's trip to New Delhi.
Guided by the Joint Vision Statement on Defence Partnership towards 2030, India and Vietnam have expanded cooperation across a wide range of areas, including military exercises, staff talks, naval and air force exchanges, defence industrial cooperation, maritime security, hydrography, search and rescue, and peacekeeping operations.
It also involves training Vietnamese Army, Navy, and Air Force personnel under programmes such as the Indian Technical and Economic Cooperation Programme.
As Singh lands in Vietnam, talks on the possible sale of the BrahMos missile are being watched closely.
