Vietnam starts building largest homemade anti-submarine warship

HANOI — Vietnam has begun construction on what it describes as the country's largest and most advanced domestically ​made anti-submarine frigate, a military-owned newspaper reported.

The vessel, being built ‌at the defence ministry's Song Thu Shipyard in Danang City, will also have most of its weapons and military equipment developed or ​assembled in the country, the Quan Doi Nhan Dan newspaper ​said late on Monday (Aug 10).

Vietnam, which has long been ⁠involved in maritime disputes with China and other claimants to the ​South China Sea, has been seeking to expand its ​domestic defence manufacturing capabilities while reducing reliance on imported military hardware sourced largely from Russia.

The project underscores Vietnam's policy of developing a defence industry ​that is "autonomous, self-reliant, self-strengthening, dual-use and modern", according to ​a government statement.

Military-run telecoms and technology group Viettel, along with other ‌defence ⁠research and manufacturing units, would work closely with the navy and Song Thu during the construction of the vessel, including the development and installation of weapons and equipment, the report ​said.

Vietnam's navy ​has undergone a ⁠major modernisation drive over the past decades, with the purchase of Russian-built Kilo-class submarines ​and Gepard-class frigates, alongside a growing fleet ​of ⁠domestically built missile boats and patrol vessels.

Vietnam is due to host the Vietnam International Defence Expo in Hanoi in ⁠December, the ​third edition of the biennial ​event, as it seeks to boost domestic defence production and diversify sources ​of military equipment.

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