One of the highlights of the ongoing Vietnam International Defence Expo has been the emergence of several new weapon systems, defence technologies and upgrades to existing platforms developed indigenously in Vietnam.
Several new armed and unarmed Unmanned Aerial Systems (UAS) are on display in addition to deep modernisation upgrades to Russian-origin defence equipment such as missiles, Air Defence (AD) guns and missiles and armoured vehicles. The showstopper however, is the wide range of advanced defence equipment being displayed for the first time by Vietnam’s Military Industry and Telecoms Group (Viettel) at the ongoing show.
Speaking to Daily News, a company official said, “Viettel’s strategic goal in High-tech research and production is to create dual-use, modern products that are smarter, faster, more accurate, and more powerful. Viettel’s high-tech military products will be suitable for environmental conditions and combat methods of the Vietnam People’s Army and comply with international standards.”
New Unmanned Aerial Vehicles (UAV), Counter- Unmanned Aerial Systems (UAS) systems and active electronic beam-forming Fire Control Radars are being presented to the public for the first time. The new VRS-M555 is a 3D medium range air-defence radar operating in the S-band. Viettel had showcased 60 military products and 59 civilian products at the Vietnam International Defense Exhibition in 2022, however this year, the number of highly sophisticated defence equipment displayed stands at 120. Many of these are already in operational use with the Vietnamese military. Viettel is fast emerging as a leader in supply of military telecommunications equipment, and network security, devices, providing a vital advantage to the Vietnamese military. Viettel had begun its research with projects on communication equipment and radar systems in 2011 and then branched out in 2014 to undertake key tasks in missile technology development and began satellite research and manufacturing in 2021. Viettel has already researched and produced more than 50 types of products in 10 high-tech weapons and equipment industries to supply to the army. The ten identified high-tech industries are; radar, opto-electronic equipment, Electronic Warfare, military information, simulation training, command and control, UAVs, aerospace equipment, cyber warfare, cyber security and other product groups.
On display at the show is the XE RA-DA (VTAR-01), which is capable of detecting, locating and tracking surface targets and providing targeting information to the C4ISR system. The medium range radar has been designed and manufactured in Vietnam. Another indigenously designed product on display is the Vietnam Command Post Vehicle (VCPV-01). The Vietnamese Coastal Defence Missile System (VCS-01) is another indigenously developed weapon system. The mobile, ground-based coastal defence missile system can sink naval ships and vessels. The missiles are carried on a VLV-01 mobile launcher. Viettel’s coastal radar system is now in operational use in five naval regions. The Red River anti- ship missile is part of the Truong Son missile complex. A missile maintenance vehicle, missile carrier, guidance radar station, command vehicle of the complex and self-propelled launcher makes up a single Truong Son complex.
Viettel’s products are also gaining valuable export orders with the company already having entered into contracts worth millions of dollars with Malaysia and the Philippines this year for industrial equipment, radars and training simulation systems. In December 2023, Viettel High Tech and QuadGen had jointly launched a 5GP system in India; the system incorporates comprehensive equipment products across all three network layers: radio access network (Macro, Micro, AIO base stations), 100G transmission network, and 5GC core network. According to company officials, Viettel’s system enables the provision of private network services, encompassing two primary offerings: eMBB data and VoNR service. At Defence & Security 2023 exhibition held in Bangkok, Thailand, Viettel High Tech announced that it would enter the Indonesian market for aircraft simulators and pilot training systems. It signed an agreement with PT. Bandara Praniagatama of Indonesia for distribution of Viettel’s aircraft simulators and pilots training system in Indonesia.
Speaking at the time, Nguyen Vu Ha, General Director of Viettel High Tech said “Our Made in Vietnam system, is expertly crafted by a dedicated team of Viettel specialists who possess core technology. This empowers Viettel with the capability to swiftly adapt and promptly address user requests, without relying on external partners. Such autonomy enables us to facilitate uninterrupted training for the Air Force, ensuring pilot safety, and bolstering the combat readiness of the Indonesian Air Force.” Earlier this month, a new Viettel High-Tech SU30-MK2 aircraft simulation system was revealed. The agreement marked a significant milestone in Viettel’s efforts to expand its export market for Viettel’s aircraft simulators, with expected revenues reaching tens of millions of dollars.
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