Vietnam receives third Kilo-class submarine
Vietnam received its third Project 636M Kilo-class submarine christened Haiphong (HQ 184) on 29 January under a $2 billion that will see the Vietnam People’s Navy (VPN) receive six boats in total.
Vietnam’s purchase of these submarines marks a major improvement in the navy’s capabilities, spurred by assertive Chinese activity in the South China Sea. Vietnam’s submarines are equipped with more modern equipment than China’s own Kilo-class boats.
Images from local media showed the boat arriving in the Cam Ranh Bay Naval Base aboard the Dutch-registered Rolldock Star, a heavy-lift transport ship that departed Saint Petersburg on 15 December.
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