India gifts missile corvette to Vietnam amidst deepening ties
The corvette INS Kirpan, pictured before its handover from the Indian Navy to Vietnam. (Photo: Indian MoD)
Cementing the two countries' defence partnership, India has donated a second-hand warship to Vietnam.
India gifted a 32-year-old missile corvette, INS Kirpan, to the Vietnam People’s Navy (VPN). This is the first time that India has donated an operational corvette to a friendly country.
The former Indian Navy vessel departed Visakhapatnam on 28 June and arrived in Cam Ranh Bay in Vietnam on 8 July. Built by Garden Reach Shipbuilders and Engineers, the ex-INS Kirpan is the third of four Khukri-class corvettes.
When Gen Phan Van Giang, Vietnam’s Minister of Defence, visited India from 17-19 June, his Indian counterpart Rajnath Singh had promised to gift this vessel.
The Indian MoD said the
Already have an account? Log in
Want to keep reading this article?
More from Naval Warfare
-
![Maritime defence in the Mediterranean faces challenges from vulnerable land power]()
Maritime defence in the Mediterranean faces challenges from vulnerable land power
As an indispensable energy crossroads, the Mediterranean is at serious risk from grey zone disruption. As navies increasingly employ AI data centres, what happens when cutting-edge defence technologies rely on the very infrastructure most susceptible to hybrid tactics?
-
![US Navy to conduct an experimentation campaign with emerging tech in 2026 and 2027]()
US Navy to conduct an experimentation campaign with emerging tech in 2026 and 2027
The Technology Operational Experimentation Events will inform future requirements as the US Navy looks for innovative solutions across three key operational domains.
-
![US Navy to acquire micro-uncrewed underwater vehicles for ISR and coastal data collection]()
US Navy to acquire micro-uncrewed underwater vehicles for ISR and coastal data collection
The Naval Supply Systems Command is seeking authorised resellers of JaiaBot uncrewed underwater vehicles and multivehicle pods. The platforms will support undergraduate education at the US Naval Academy.
