Vietnam begins building largest homemade anti-sub frigate
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- Vietnam began construction on its largest and most advanced domestically made anti-submarine frigate at the defense ministry's Song Thu Shipyard in Danang City, according to the Quan Doi Nhan Dan newspaper on Aug 10.
- Most of the vessel's weapons and military equipment will be developed or assembled in-country, with military-run telecoms and technology group Viettel working alongside other defense research units, the navy, and Song Thu.
- The project aligns with Vietnam's official defence industry policy of being "autonomous, self-reliant, self-strengthening, dual-use and modern," reflecting Hanoi's push to cut reliance on military imports largely sourced from Russia.
- Vietnam's navy has previously modernized with Russian-built Kilo-class submarines and Gepard-class frigates, while expanding a growing fleet of domestically built missile boats and patrol vessels.
- Vietnam will host the Vietnam International Defence Expo in Hanoi in December — its third biennial edition — aimed at boosting domestic defence production and diversifying sources of military equipment.
Why it matters: Vietnam is moving from Russian-sourced Kilo submarines and Gepard frigates toward a domestically built anti-submarine frigate with locally developed weapons, in waters marked by long-running maritime disputes with China and other claimants. The December Hanoi expo gives Vietnam a platform to court international arms suppliers and reduce its dependency on Moscow.
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