Vietnam will get an active-duty missile corvette from the Indian Navy as a gift; this is the first warship that India has ever donated to a nation.

According to the navy, the locally constructed corvette INS Kirpan departed India’s east coast on Wednesday.

Indian and Vietnamese relations have improved recently, with a particular emphasis on defence, as both nations worry about a more assertive China.

India has already donated military gear and smaller vessels to nations like the Maldives and Mauritius, as well as a submarine to Myanmar.

However, India’s gift of the Corvette to Vietnam marks the first time it has handed a warship to a Chinese neighbour with a coastline in the South China Sea, a region where multiple nations have conflicting claims to territory.

China has long asserted its sovereignty over the entirety of the South China Sea while being mindful of the presence of other armed forces in the area.

The delivery of the Kirpan “reflects India’s commitment to assist its like-minded partners in enhancing their capacity and capability,” the Indian Navy said in a statement.

This is the first time India has given a completely functional corvette to a friendly foreign country.

When Vietnam’s Defence Minister Gen. Phan Van Giang visited India earlier this month, the gift was disclosed.

The battleship, which was built and made in India, was inducted into the Indian Navy in 1991.

According to the navy, it is equipped with close-quarters and medium-range weapons, chaff launchers, and surface-to-surface missiles. If missiles were transferred, that fact was not mentioned.

After meeting with his Vietnamese counterpart, Chinese Defence Minister Li Shangfu stated on Tuesday that Beijing is ready to cooperate with Hanoi to improve high-level communication and cooperation.