On Saturday, India handed over the missile corvette INS Kirpan to Vietnam. India’s navy leader, Admiral R. Hari Kumar, emphasised the two nations’ shared concerns about the Indo-Pacific in light of China’s aggressive behaviour in the area.
Admiral Kumar, who presided over the ceremony at Cam Ranh, said Vietnam “serves as an important partner in India’s ‘Indo-Pacific Vision’, which aims to strengthen ties and develop partnerships towards keeping the region safe, secure, and stable.”
The “joint vision statement on India-Vietnam defence partnership towards 2030,” which was recently signed, “will significantly enhance the scope and scale of existing security collaboration and ensure that no “single” nation can unilaterally alter or misinterpret rules to serve its own interests in the Indo-Pacific.”
During his meeting with his Vietnamese counterpart General Phan Van Giang in New Delhi on June 19, Defence Minister Rajnath Singh announced the “gifting” of INS Kirpan, a 1,450-ton Khukri-class missile corvette in service with the Indian Navy. This was just one more military outreach to the Southeast Asian nation.
Due to Beijing’s territorial expansionism towards its neighbours, it has been deploying warships and survey vessels into Vietnam’s exclusive economic zone (EEZ) on a regular basis, escalating the already tense situation in the South China Sea.
According to Admiral Kumar, “Both India and Vietnam are responsible members of the international community and frequently demonstrate their commitment to upholding the principles of justice and fairness enshrined in the international legal framework.”
The commander of the navy spoke of India “gracefully accepting” the ruling of the International Court of Justice that allowed Bangladesh access to a greater marine area in a contentious section of the Bay of Bengal.
He noted that these instances “set a precedent for resolving future disputes through shared values of peaceful means, adhering to international law and strengthening bonds between two nations.”
After 32 years of service, the 90-meter-long INS Kirpan, which is staffed by 12 officers and 100 sailors, was decommissioned from the Indian Navy and given to the Vietnam People’s Navy (VPN) along with a “complete weapons complement.”
“Today’s ceremonial handing-over represents the long-standing friendship and strategic alliance between India and Vietnam. This is the first time India has ever offered a fully functional corvette to a friendly foreign nation, according to Admiral Kumar.
With the help of regular joint exercises, military exchanges, and training programmes, India has been progressively strengthening its defence ties with Asean nations like Vietnam, Indonesia, Singapore, and the Philippines. India is currently looking to increase training of Vietnamese people in a variety of disciplines, including electronic warfare, cyber-security, and operations of fighter jets and submarines.
