Vietnam Unveils New Missile System in Parade Rehearsals

The armed forces of Vietnam have presented what is assumed to be an advanced cruise missile package during the massive militarized practices to celebrate the 80th anniversary of the August Revolution and National Day of the nation which is planned in September 2nd. Vietnam unveils new missile system in parade rehearsals, marking a milestone in the modernization of the defense sector of this Southeast Asian state. This Vietnam unveils new missile system in parade rehearsals event is also a sign of the ability to make military technologies in the country to ensure regional stability in the current tense atmosphere of the region.

The large-scale military display was held in National Military Training Center No. 4 in the vicinity of Hanoi with the first combined exercise involving thousands of military personnel and a lot of military hardware. Several columns of tanks, artillery systems and dedicated military vehicles including more than 15,000 soldiers were deployed as the impressive showcase of the military capabilities in Vietnam.

Nevertheless, the biggest attention of international defense experts was devoted to one more weapon developed by Viettel and referred to as a missile system. The presence of this advanced weapons system on the ground will mark a clear indication of Vietnam keenness in attaining more self reliance in strategic military technologies as well as minimize reliance on foreign military sources.

The showcased system has been identified by the Vietnamese military observers as of the large family of subsonic cruise missiles belonging to the Viettel Aerospace Institute (VTX). This native program of development is the fruit of years of intense research and development to the Vietnam defense industry and this puts the country among those countries that can capable of producing the advanced guided missile systems.

The new missile system is also said to have several missiles adapted to the similar range 80 to 100 kilometers whose purpose is intended to facilitate both anti-ship and land-attack operations. Such dual-capability approach gives Vietnamese troops a wide range of response options to different threats, increasing the overall capability of the country to deter the opponent.

Sources in the defense sector, who have keyed-in with the developmental program, have intimated that the design could have some inspiration lines with the Russian Kh-35E missile, but Hanoi has never publicly admitted to any direct technological association. Another strategic goal of Vietnam is to gain additional independence in paramount defensive technologies, which is reflected in the cruise missile family that has been developed assets of indigenous research and development activities.

As military sources report, the modern day missile assets of Vietnam now consist of missile systems that feature an impressive operational capability of 100 kilometers; 130 kilometers; and 300 kilometers. In a remarkable development, it is reported that the initial version VCM-01 amounting to an 80-kilometer range is yet to be put into operation leading critics in the defense circles to ponder whether the new model can be considered to have immense improvement in technology compared to its predecessors.

Viettel Aerospace Institute has become the most active organization in the process of further developing the missile-building capacity and the entire defense industry of Vietnam. Vietnam has made major steps towards investing in indigenous weapons within the last decade, as it perceives its strategic need to enhance deterrence capabilities of the nation, as well as, deemphasize foreign reliance in military suppliers.

This home grown development strategy conforms to a wider regional tendency toward a self-sufficient defense industry and the question of technological sovereignty. The moves to manufacture homegrown military technologies in Vietnam indicate the lessons deduced by the endemic supply chain weaknesses of the world and the need to ensure that some important warfare mechanisms lie under control.

The public demonstrations of the new missile system follow the period of intensified tensions in the South China Sea, where Vietnam has been reinforcing the ownership of the land along with advancing its air and maritime forces. The fact that this showcase is being done at this time eludes a loud sound of commitment by Vietnam towards the protection of its interests to be executed in the strategic maritime region.

The South China Sea is a complicated venue of infringing territories as Vietnam still stands on some so-called islands and sea characteristics. The evolution of more sophisticated missiles technologies that can undertake anti-ship roles, as well as land-attacks, means that Vietnam would be in a better position to secure these bases and extend its influence into the disputed waters.

The missile development program in Vietnam can be viewed as the essential part of the overall modernization of the military that is based on the modernization of the defense capabilities of the country to answer the needs of the 21st century. The adoption of modern guided missile systems by the military forces of Vietnam indicates the level of ambition that the nation has followed in its bid to ensure that it retains reasonable deterrence capabilities towards any form of aggression.

The multi-variant development strategy of missiles enables Vietnamese armed forces to adjust their means of responding to particular threat situations, be it employment when the naval intrusion must be repelled or when the land-based targets should be addressed. This is because it makes the defense strategy of Vietnam more effective and gives its military commanders various operation alternatives.

The current emergence of the indigenous cruise missile systems shows both maturity of the Vietnam defense industry and its accumulating technological advancement. Viettel aerospace institute success in missile technology development has made Vietnam to be one of a few countries in the world that has the ability to manufacture guided weapons system.

This native capacity is less reliance of Vietnam with overseas providers of military equipment and far more control over the process of transferring and modifying of the military technological capability. Having the capability to manufacture, sustain and modernize the missile systems internally also guarantees operational readiness without external support and authorization.

The display of the new missile system in Vietnam has drawn interest of the analysts of defense in the region, as well as international military monitors of the military trends in Southeast Asia. The indigenous development of cruise missiles capabilities proves the Vietnamese level of technological innovation and the increasing role of the country in the region defense considerations.

The positive display of the new Vietnamese missile system indicates that the country would remain to develop further its own weapons systems. The successful history in developing missiles by the Viettel Aerospace Institute shows a possibility of future technological improvements and increment in the operations.

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As Vietnam keeps funding its defense research and development, the nation mussel program is likely to change to feature long-range models, enhanced guidance schemes as well as enhanced warhead capabilities. These trends would also enhance the deterrence position and defensive power of Vietnam.

The new missile system that was shown during the rehearsals of the National Day parade can be viewed as one of the milestones on the way to modernizing the country in terms of its defense. The high achievement in the indigenous cruise missile conceptualization shows that Vietnam is technologically strong and is strategic in focusing on the self-dependence of defense. With the evolving regional tensions, the vanishing military balance in Southeast Asia is being complemented with the strengthening of the deterrence capabilities of Vietnam through the development of missiles.

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