Acquisitions would further militarise the territorial dispute in the South China Sea, where Beijing has reportedly been building up its presence

This article is more than 5 years old

This article is more than 5 years old

Vietnam is seeking to upgrade its air defences by acquiring western fighter jets and drones, a move which would further militarise a dispute with Beijing over territorial claims in the South China Sea.

Hanoi is speaking to European and US contractors to buy jets, patrol planes and unarmed drones, Reuters reported on Friday.

Several countries claim islands and surrounding waters in the South China Sea, including Malaysia, Brunei, Vietnam, Taiwan and the Philippines. China claims most of the area. The naval corridor is an important shipping route and the region is thought to have oil and gas reserves.

Industry sources told Reuters that Vietnam was in discussions with Swedish defence contractor Saab, the European multinational Eurofighter, the defence wing of Airbus and US firms Lockheed Martin and Boeing. The companies and the Vietnamese foreign ministry did not confirm reports.

Carl Thayer, an analyst on the South China Sea at the Australian Defence Force Academy, said Vietnam already has Russian Sukhoi Su-27 and Su-30 fighter jets but its air force is in need of an upgrade.



A strong navy and air force … provides the ability to give China a bloody nose Ian Storey, Institute of South East Asian Studies

“Vietnam badly needs modern maritime reconnaissance aircraft to patrol its vast maritime domain,” he said. “Reports that Vietnam has canvassed widely with European and American defence contractors fits its profile of extensive market research and bargaining for the best package deal.”

Vietnam spent $3.4bn (£2.2bn) on defence in 2013, according to the Stockholm International Peace Research Institute, and has close to half a million ground forces. Ian Storey, from Singapore’s Institute of South East Asian Studies, said Vietnam wants to reduce its military dependence on Moscow before the Chinese government puts pressure on Russia to reduce weapons sales.

“Although Hanoi knows that its military will always be outnumbered and outgunned by China’s, a strong navy and air force provides it with a limited deterrence and, if push comes to shove, the ability to give China a bloody nose in battle,” Storey said.

China has reportedly started building up its military presence on islands artificially created by land reclamation. On Monday, the secretary of the Australian defence department, Dennis Richardson, said Beijing’s rapid claim on contested islands “dwarfs what the other claimant states have done”.

The South China Sea disputes have already led to altercations. In May, Chinese and Vietnamese ships collided as Beijing tried to set up an oil rig. Vietnam released footage of a Chinese ship ramming and sinking a Vietnamese fishing boat.

Countries in the region have also tried to boost their claims to islands by constructing houses, schools and medical centres on them. The Ho Chi Minh City government’s website in Vietnam said that 180 citizens will be able to join a six-day tourism, fishing and seafood cruise to the contested Spratly archipelago this month.

It called the promotion “the big trip of your life, reviving national pride and citizens’ awareness of the sacred maritime sovereignty of the country”.