Vietnam Boosts Naval Power with Second Gepard-Class Frigate

 

The Vietnamese Navy boosts its capabilities amid regional disputes.

(Photo: JSC Zelenodolsk Shipyard)

August 23, 2011 By Nicolas von Kospoth, Managing Editor - defpro.com

Second Russian-built frigate “Ngo Quyen” joins Vietnamese Navy

The build-up of naval powers on the western Pacific Rim continue, amid ongoing tensions over disputed islands in the South China Sea and China’s increasing claims of leadership in the region. As Associated Press (AP) reported, Vietnam received the second Russian-built guided missile frigate of the Gepard-class on Monday.

The Vietnamese Navy welcomed the newest of member of its growing fleet at the Cam Ranh naval port in central Vietnam. The frigate, which was built by the Russian JSC Zelenodolsk Shipyard, will enter service under the name “Ngo Quyen” (HQ-012).

Vietnam took delivery of the first ship of this class, the “Dinh Tien Hoang”, in March 2011. The Gepard-class vessels are expected to significantly improve the capabilities of the Vietnamese Navy. According to the Thanh Nien newspaper, Navy commander Nguyen Van Hien explained that the vessels will increase “the combative strength as well as the capability of managing and defending the country’s sea sovereignty.”

The Vietnamese naval fleet to a large extent is made up of Russian-built, as well as few US- or indigenously built vessels. The two Vietnamese frigates, which are based on the Russian design of the late 1980s but of which only one ship was built and introduced with the Russian Navy, have been ordered in 2006 and were completed in 2010 and 2011.

INTERNATIONAL DISPUTE DRIVES MODERNISATION EFFORT

Vietnam is seeking to significantly modernise its naval fleet in order to improve its ability to enforce its territorial claims in the South China Sea. Despite official statements in the past, calling for a peaceful settlement of issues regarding the waters of the Paracels and the Spratleys Islands, the political environment has significantly deteriorated during recent months.

Both, Hanoi and Beijing are accusing each other of claiming exclusive sovereignty of the barren island chains, which are believed to be rich in natural resources. Quarrels over allegedly intercepted and captured fishing boats, increased armed naval patrols and exercises, as well as interferences in interfering oil exploration activities, repeatedly flared up and led Vietnam to pass a law to establish a marine militia to protect Vietnam’s maritime sovereignty. Further, China’s recent move to build-up a naval aviation and to launch an aircraft carrier increased its neighbours’ concerns.

As an article of the Center for Strategic and International Studies (CSIS) recently explained (see http://goo.gl/iWGJH) the regional parties in the territorial dispute are “ramping up their sea defense capabilities through greater military cooperation with the United States and procurement of new platforms to bolster their ability to defend their claims.” This includes the Philippines (the geographically closest country to the Spratleys Islands), which received a decommissioned US Coast Guard cutter on Tuesday, now named BRP Gregorio del Pilar. According to the Voice of America (VOA), “the 46-year-old ship will be the most capable vessel in a fleet made up of mostly World War II-era ships.”

Although its antagonist in this territorial issue is obviously superior in terms of military strengh, the modernisation and expansion of its naval fleet during the last years reflects Vietnam’s efforts to establish a deterring element. This includes an order for six Russian-built “Improved Kilo”-class esel electric attack submarines (Project 636M) placed in 2010, which are expected to join the Vietnamese Navy at a rate of one submarine per year.

According to RIA Novosti, the total contract value is estimated to amount to $2.1 billion. Additonal contracts to improve Vietnams coastal infrastructure as well as for related weapon systems deliveries could increase the total sum to some $3.2 billion.

According to the White Paper on National Defence, released by the Vietnamese Ministry of National Defence (MoND) in 2009 (it was the third time that the country published a white Paper on defence since 1998, see also http://goo.gl/qohHI), Vietnam’s defence budget in 2008 amounted to 27 trillion dong ($1.48 billion / €1.0 billion) which corresponds to 1.8 per cent of the annual gross domestic product (GDP).

Despite assessments of the Chinese Xinhua press agency, suggesting that Vietnam’s defence budgets of the next five years would not significantly differ from the 2008 ratio, the Vietnamese Deputy Minister explained in 2009 that Vietnam would set aside 2.5 per cent of annual gross domestic product for defence spending.