The defence ties with Vietnam, India has agreed to train the southeast nation’s Sukhoi-30 fighter pilots. The agreement was reached during bilateral discussions between Defence Minister Manohar Parrikar and his Vietnamese counterpart, General Ngo Xuan Lich. India and Vietnam have been steadily stepping up their cooperation, especially in the defence sector, against the backdrop of the growing assertiveness of China in the region.

• Bilateral ties recently received a further fillip when Prime Minister Narendra Modi visited Vietnam in September, on his way to the G-20 Summit in Guangzhou.
• Both India and Vietnam operate Russian Su-30 jets and the two countries’ models differ slightly in their configuration.
•  India already trains Vietnamese sailors in operating Kilo class submarines, which Hanoi had begun inducting since January 2014. India operates over 200 Su-30MKI fighters and nine Kilo-class diesel electric submarines.
•  The cost of training is being worked out. However, it will not be paid through the $500 million Line of Credit (LoC) extended by Delhi to Hanoi for defence procurements.

   

• The terms and conditions of the LoC have been agreed upon. Vietnam has sought some concessions, to which we agreed. Some of it will be for modernisation of the existing equipment and the rest for new platforms.

   

• A programme for cooperation between the Air Forces was also signed. A senior official said that it covered a cross-section of activities, including training of pilots and exchange of experts.