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Pentagon Chief Urges Closer Ties With Vietnam
(MENAFN- Gulf Times) The US wants deeper military ties with Vietnam, US Defence Secretary Pete Hegseth said yesterday at the start of a visit to Hanoi, amid prolonged talks for the potential supply of military equipment to Washington's former foe.
The Southeast Asian nation, which relies heavily on Russian weapons, has been looking to diversify its arsenal for years. Talks with the US, which lifted an arms embargo in 2016, gained momentum during the Biden administration but have not yet yielded any formal announcement on major items.
"Deeper (military) cooperation will benefit both of our countries," Hegseth, who arrived in the Vietnamese capital after meetings in Malaysia with Asian counterparts, said prior to meeting Defence Minister Phan Van Giang.
The US had already delivered three cutters to the Vietnamese coastguard and three T-6 trainer aircraft, from an order of 12, and intended to do more, he added.
In a statement, Vietnam's defence ministry said both governments agreed to continue promoting security cooperation, including in areas such as defence.
It also praised the signing of an agreement on Friday to deepen cooperation on war legacy remediation, including for dioxin decontamination.
Talks on US arms supplies are expected to dominate the agenda, according to two Vietnamese sources briefed on the matter.
Both mentioned Lockheed Martin C-130 Hercules military transport planes among the items to be discussed. A US official also confirmed C-130s would come up in the talks.
One of the Vietnamese sources said the supply of US helicopters could also be discussed, specifically Lockheed Martin S-92s and Boeing Chinooks.
Boeing deferred questions on the matter to the two governments.
Vietnam's government, the Pentagon and Lockheed Martin did not respond to requests for comment outside business hours.
The Southeast Asian nation, which relies heavily on Russian weapons, has been looking to diversify its arsenal for years. Talks with the US, which lifted an arms embargo in 2016, gained momentum during the Biden administration but have not yet yielded any formal announcement on major items.
"Deeper (military) cooperation will benefit both of our countries," Hegseth, who arrived in the Vietnamese capital after meetings in Malaysia with Asian counterparts, said prior to meeting Defence Minister Phan Van Giang.
The US had already delivered three cutters to the Vietnamese coastguard and three T-6 trainer aircraft, from an order of 12, and intended to do more, he added.
In a statement, Vietnam's defence ministry said both governments agreed to continue promoting security cooperation, including in areas such as defence.
It also praised the signing of an agreement on Friday to deepen cooperation on war legacy remediation, including for dioxin decontamination.
Talks on US arms supplies are expected to dominate the agenda, according to two Vietnamese sources briefed on the matter.
Both mentioned Lockheed Martin C-130 Hercules military transport planes among the items to be discussed. A US official also confirmed C-130s would come up in the talks.
One of the Vietnamese sources said the supply of US helicopters could also be discussed, specifically Lockheed Martin S-92s and Boeing Chinooks.
Boeing deferred questions on the matter to the two governments.
Vietnam's government, the Pentagon and Lockheed Martin did not respond to requests for comment outside business hours.
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