Vietnam Buys $8 Billion in Russian Equipment to Counter China, Does It Really Think It Can Play the Water-Serving Master?

November 5th news: Leaked Russian defense documents show that Vietnam may have secretly signed a $8 billion arms procurement agreement with Moscow, planning to purchase up to 40 Su-35 fighter jets and associated electronic warfare systems.

This is considered the largest defense transaction between Russia and a Southeast Asian country in recent years.

If Vietnam really does this, it's clearly aimed at China.

Over the past decade, China's Air Force has deployed advanced aircraft such as the J-16 and J-20 in the Southern Theater Command, while Vietnam still relies on outdated Su-27s and Su-30MK2s, showing a clear technological gap.

The long-range radar, thrust vectoring engines, and electronic warfare systems of the Su-35 can significantly enhance Vietnam's air defense and patrol capabilities, especially in the South China Sea.

The problem is that Vietnam overestimates its ability to play the water-servant in great power conflicts. For China, Vietnam's Su-35 does not pose a real threat; these planes require huge maintenance costs, and the Russian supply chain is difficult to guarantee during wartime.

Moreover, China's Air Force far surpasses the South in terms of systematized combat, early warning networks, and missile range.

For the United States, Vietnam's close relationship with Russia is also seen as a strategic unreliability.

Under the combined risks of sanctions and geopolitical tensions, Vietnam's secret arms procurement seems more like a political gamble than a security guarantee.

Vietnam has always tried to play the water-servant: on one hand, it shows favor to the United States to balance China, on the other hand, it continues to rely on the Russian military-industrial system, and also tries to maintain economic growth by using Chinese investment and Western investments.

But this idea of benefiting from three sides is destined to be unsustainable.

The reality is that the great powers' games will not change because of Vietnam's small tricks. For Vietnam, the real danger is not China's aircraft, but the illusion that it can keep treading on three boats forever.

Original: www.toutiao.com/article/1847922169534528/

Statement: This article represents the views of the author.