Vietnam Buys Another 12 Su-30MK2 From Russia

Vietnam has signed a contract with Russia for the delivery of another batch of 12 Su-30MK2 fighter aircraft between 2014 and 2015. The contract is said to be worth $450 million.

Russia had earlier delivered two batches of Su-30MK2. The first batch of 8 Su-30MK2 was ordered in 2009 and the second batch of 12 Su-30MK2 was ordered in 2010.

Vietnam also has the older Su-27. Ironically, both the Su-27 and Su-30 are also in service with China, a country with which Vietnam has a territorial dispute. This raises the possibility that the same type of aircraft could be serving on both sides of a potential conflict.

The Su-30s from Vietnam are similar to the ones in service with Russia and China in that they lack the canards and thrust-vectoring engines that are part of the Su-30s used by India and Malaysia.

Vietnam is also scheduled to receive in November 2013 the first of six Project 636M Kilo class diesel-electric submarines ordered in 2009 for $2 billion. Currently, a submarine crew from Vietnam is being trained in Russia.

China was the first to receive the Project 636M submarine when it ordered 8 units. Prior to that, the Chinese received two older Project 636 and two Project 877EKM submarines.

Russia has begun building six domestic versions of the Project 636M submarines for its own Black Sea Fleet. Another prominent user of the Kilo class is India, which recently lost an upgraded Project 877EKM submarine.


http://en.rian.ru/military_news/20130821/182888208/Russia-to-Deliver-12-Su-30-Fighter-Jets-to-Vietnam--Source.html

By Doomych [Public domain], via Wikimedia Commons

Vietnam to Receive its First Project 636M / Kilo Class Submarine in 2013

According to Igor Vilnit, the general director of the Rubin design bureau, Vietnam will receive its first Project 636M / Kilo class diesel-electric submarine in 2013 as scheduled.

The submarine is currently undergoing sea trials. Russia and Vietnam had signed a $2 billion contract for the delivery of 6 Project 636M submarines. All 6 are to be delivered by 2016.

The Project 636M submarine is the latest export version of the Project 636 / Varshavyanka class submarine, which in turn is an improved version of the Project 877 class.

Compared to the Project 877 class, the Project 636 class is slightly larger and longer. It features several improvements, such as lower acoustic signature with noise reduction, 7-bladed skewed propeller and a new sonar.

In addition to laying mines and firing torpedoes from its six 533 mm topedo tubes, the Project 636M can fire the 3M-54 Klub missiles to engage targets on land, under water and on the surface.

The first country to purchase the Project 636M submarine was China, which ordered 8 submarines in a $1.6 billion contract. This raises the possibility that Project 636M submarines would face off against each other in a conflict between Vietnam and China.

Algeria is the only other user of the Project 636 class with 2 Project 636M units. Other prominent users of the older Project 877 class submarines are India and Iran.

Due to problems with the Project 677 / Lada class submarines, which was to replace the Project 636, Russia placed an interim order for 6 domestic versions of the Project 636 submarine.

The Russian versions of the Kilo class are thought to be superior to the export versions. All 6 Russian Project 636 submarines are scheduled to serve in the Black Sea Fleet of the Russian Navy starting in 2014.


http://en.rian.ru/military_news/20130329/180332942/Russia-to-Deliver-First-Kilo-Class-Sub-to-Vietnam-in-2013.html

By Colby Drake, U.S. Navy [Public domain], via Wikimedia Commons