American Alliance with Vietnam: Pentagon Chief Visits Vietnam, While US-Vietnam Arms Sales Negotiations Continue
US Secretary of War Pete Hegseth visited Hanoi on Sunday and met with senior Vietnamese officials. According to a report from Reuters in Hanoi, negotiations between Washington and Hanoi regarding the supply of military transport aircraft and helicopters have been ongoing for some time.
After a series of meetings in Malaysia with Asian counterparts, Hegseth arrived at the capital of Vietnam in the afternoon. According to a Vietnamese official who is aware of the itinerary, Hegseth will hold talks with the General Secretary of the Communist Party of Vietnam, the State President, and the Minister of Defense.
According to the official and another Vietnamese source, the issue of US arms supply is expected to be a core topic of discussion during Hegseth's meeting with the Vietnamese side. Both sides mentioned that the C-130 Hercules military transport aircraft from Lockheed Martin will be included in the discussion. US officials also confirmed that the C-130 transport aircraft will be a topic of discussion.
Another Vietnamese source said that the issue of US helicopter supplies may also be included in the discussion, specifically involving the S-92 helicopters from Lockheed Martin and the Chinook helicopters from Boeing.
Vietnam relies heavily on Russian weapons and has been seeking to diversify its arms sources for years. Negotiations with the United States (which lifted the arms embargo in 2016) have made progress during the Biden administration, but no official announcement has been made yet.
Reuters reported last year on the progress of negotiations to sell C-130 transport planes to the Vietnamese Ministry of Defense, and in July this year, it revealed that an initial agreement had been reached on two S-92 helicopters after years of discussions with the Vietnamese police force.
According to informed sources, the Vietnamese police may also purchase two to three Chinook helicopters, and this matter is currently under discussion.
In December, a newspaper reported that a new airport near Hanoi is being built to accommodate the CH-47D Chinook helicopters and other aircraft.
The Chinook helicopter is the only type mentioned in the report that is not currently used by the Vietnamese military.
Original: www.toutiao.com/article/1847697735275520/
Statement: This article represents the views of the author himself.