Vietnamese People's Air Force - Modernization
Any modern aircraft that are purchased in the near future will likely be of Russian origin, and thus will need to be returned in order for repairs or upgrades to be completed, further diminishing the air force's combat readiness.
India and Vietnam signed a major Defence Cooperation Agreement (DCA) in March 2000, under which India would overhaul Vietnam’s fleet of MiG-21 aircraft [100 aircraft, by one report] and provide training assistance for Vietnamese fighter pilots and technicians. In March 2005, Vietnam’s Chief of the General Staff visited India to discuss further Indian assistance in overhauling MiG fighters. And in October 2006, India supplied Vietnam with a number of spare parts for its MiG-21 combat aircraft.
In 2004, Vietnam reportedly acquired from four to ten Su-22M4 ground attack fighters from the Czech Republic including spare parts and ammunition. Vietnam then reached a deal with the Ukraine to upgrade a number of these aircraft so they could launch anti-ship missiles. In 2007 Vietnam purchased 40 second-hand Sukhoi Su-22M4 fighter bombers from Poland’s Profus Management.
Trainers
In 2008, Vietnam ordered 10 Yak-52 trainer aircraft from Romania. Vietnam received ten new Yak-52 trainers from the Aerostar factory in Bacau, Rumania, between late 2009 and 2011. They are used by 920 Training Regiment at Nha Trang. Scramble reports the 910 Training Regiment moved from Nha Trang to Dong Tac (Tuy Hoa) in late 2003. It still operates the L-39C, and received fourteen additional aircraft from Ukraine and Czech Republic between 2002 and 2008.
Between 6 and 12 [some sources report eight] Yak-130UBS trainers were expected to replace the L-39 in the 2015-2025 timeframe. This was reported within the framework of the Airshow MAKS-2011, although no order has been signed as of mid-2014.
By early 2017 Vietnam was choosing between Russian Yak-130 and Czech L-39 New Generation planes for its future center for training pilots of supersonic fighter aircraft. The Russians note that the L-39 is a single-engine plane and its avionics no longer fit that of modern warplanes like Su-30, Su-35 and MiG-35. This meant that it can no longer be used as a trainer for modern-day pilots.
The Vietnamese need a trainer with characteristics that are as close as possible to those of supersonic warplanes their young pilots will fly on. However, the subsonic Yak-130 is fully equipped to imitate a plane’s behavior in conditions of supersonic flight which is a regime rarely used even by modern fighter jets.
Transport Aircraft
The three C295 transport aircraft that Vietnam ordered from Airbus Defence and Space (DS) were scheduled to enter service with the Vietnamese air force from 2015, IHS Jane's reported in July 2014. The purchase contract - secured in 2013 at a cost of about US$100 million - also included spares, maintenance, and training to the air force, which is expected to take delivery of the aircraft at intervals of about six months. It is also understood that the aircraft were sold to Vietnam in a basic transport configuration with no additional mission systems included.
Air Defense
Edward O’Dowd wrote in 2007 that "[t]he Vietnamese air defenses, particularly around the Red River Delta, were, in the 1970s, among the best in the world". But Vietnam’s air defense system began to decay following the collapse of the Soviet Union in 1991 and in the following years became outdated.
In August 2003, Russia agreed to supply Vietnam with two batteries of S-300PMU1 surface-to-air missile systems in a contract valued at U.S. $200 million. The first S-300PMU1 battery of twelve missile launchers and sixty-two missiles was delivered in August 2005.
Vietnam signed a contract with Tetraedr for an upgrade package for over 30 emplacements of the S-125 air defense missile "Pechora-M" to the standard S-125-2TM Pechora-2TM. Tetraedr development is the combination medium-range air defense missiles S-125-2TM. Tetraedr was founded April 26, 2001 in the capital, Minsk, Republic of Belarus. In the process of modernization, the basic parts to be replaced, equipped with photovoltaic "day-night" systems and defensive radio techniques to deal with anti-radar missiles. Two missile are mounted on truck chassis produce by the Minsk factory.
The S-125-2TM Pechora-2TM would equip at least 10 air defense missile regiments (the 8th regiment using Pechora-2M includes regiment 213, 250, 257, 274, 276, 282, 284 and regiment 285). In October 2010, the vehicles and components to upgrade the S-125 "Pechora-M" in first phase of this contract was transported to Noi Bai airport.
After a period of upgrade of the Pechora-2TM at the A31 Factory, Department of Engineering, Air Defense-Air Force, 152 Battalion of the 250 Missile Regiment was the first unit to receive the weaponry refurbished. From 26 to 28 March 2011, the Battalion 152 and Tetraedr experts, A31 Factory and Technical Department of the Air Force and Air Defense tested the missiles. During the firings, 152 battalions used the equipment of S-125-2TM fired a total of six missiles (1 missiles on 26/03/2011 and 5 missiles on 28/3/2011) kill the six target aircraft, results killing 100%.
The second unit to receive the S-125-2TM was the 122 Battalion of the Regiment 284. During live firing drills from 1 to 5 December 2011 at TB1, Battalion 122 with technical experts Tetraedr conducted successful test firing of the S-125-2TM with the performance of the equipment of 152 Battalion.
Vietnam has shown great interest in purchasing Russia's cutting-edge S-400 Triumph missile defense system, and with good reason: the air defense system is regarded by many as second to none in terms of combat capabilities. Moreover, Hanoi is happy with its experience using Russian-made anti-aircraft weapons. Russia is Hanoi's oldest, most reliable weapons development partner.
By 2017 an unspecified number of Israeli Python-5 missiles had been supplied to Vietnam for use by the country’s Israeli-made Spyder-SR short and medium range mobile air defense system, and that some of these missiles can be installed on Soviet and Russian made warplanes.
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