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
-
![RTX Raytheon advances with the development of new Barracuda mine neutraliser]()
RTX Raytheon advances with the development of new Barracuda mine neutraliser
The new Barracuda version has been engineered to perform enhanced subsea and seabed warfare missions.
-
![Future of the US Navy’s Arleigh Burke programme remains unclear]()
Future of the US Navy’s Arleigh Burke programme remains unclear
The US Navy does not have a precise date for the award of the procurement contract for the third Arleigh Burke-class destroyer despite having the funds to advance with the programme in FY2025.
-
![US Navy may look to foreign suppliers to accelerate shipbuilding programmes]()
US Navy may look to foreign suppliers to accelerate shipbuilding programmes
The US Navy (USN) is currently reassessing its acquisition efforts and seeking ways to reduce the multiple delays across the shipbuilding initiatives.
