Indian Navy Transfers Fully Operational Warship to Vietnam, Adding Yet More Naval Hardware to the South China Sea

The Indian navy led a handover ceremony on Saturday for the INS Kirpan, the first time that New Delhi has gifted another country with a full-functioning warship. Images via the Indian Navy.

The Indian Navy gifted the Vietnam People’s Navy with an aging yet still functioning warship on Saturday during a handover ceremony for the INS Kirpan in the central Vietnamese port city of Cam Ranh.

The transfer comes one month after Indian Defense Minister Rajnath Singh announced New Delhi would gift the missile boat as part of an effort to bolster Hanoi’s ability to contest territorial disputes in the East Vietnam/South China Sea.

  • Get a daily email packed with the latest China-Africa news and analysis.
  • Read exclusive insights on the key trends shaping China-Africa relations.
  • Full access to the News Feed that provides daily updates on Chinese engagement in Africa and throughout the Global South.

China, Africa and the Global South... find out what’s happening.

Subscribe today for unlimited access.

OR

Already a subscriber? Log in Click Here to Learn More
by Eric Olander

Most Read

1
Developing Countries’ Debt Servicing Costs to China Are Significant, but Nowhere Near as Much as Other Creditors
2 Chinese Military Fans Discuss Why Indonesia Bought Rafale Instead of J-10C
3
Chinese Cargo Planes Secretly Ferrying Supplies to Iran, Claim Online Sleuths
4
Thailand in Last-Minute U.S. Talks as 36% Tariff Looms
5
Indonesia Goes Nuclear, Taps China and Russia for Modular Reactors
6 From J-10C to Kaan? Indonesia’s Fighter Jet Deal With Turkey Shocks Chinese Military Fans

You Might Like

Chinese Embassy in Vietnam Blasts Blinken For “Sowing Discord” in Southeast Asia

The Chinese Ministry of Foreign Affairs did not comment over the weekend about U.S. Secretary of State Antony Blinken’s visit to Vietnam but will likely do so on Monday at the regular press briefing ...

Vietnam PM Arrives in China for Visit as a U.S. Aircraft Carrier Arrives

Vietnam’s legendary great power hedging strategy was on full display this weekend when the massive U.S. aircraft carrier Ronald Reagan arrived in the central city of Da Nang for a rare port of call ...

China-Pakistan Cooperation on Weapons, Border Construction: Reports

Press outlets in India are reporting that Chinese entities are working with the Pakistani army to build infrastructure along the de facto India-Pakistan border (known as the Line of Control), which runs through ...

Lots of Handshakes, Smiles and an Aircraft Carrier Framed Vietnam PM’s Visit to China

Vietnamese Prime Minister Phạm Minh Chính wrapped up a jam-packed three-day visit to China on Tuesday with a meeting with President Xi Jinping while a giant U.S. aircraft carrier was docked back home ...

What is The China-Global South Project?

Independent

The China-Global South Project is passionately independent, non-partisan and does not advocate for any country, company or culture.

News

A carefully curated selection of the day’s most important China-Global South stories. Updated 24 hours a day by human editors. No bots, no algorithms.

Analysis

Diverse, often unconventional insights from scholars, analysts, journalists and a variety of stakeholders in the China-Global South discourse.

Networking

A unique professional network of China-Africa scholars, analysts, journalists and other practioners from around the world.

More about CGSP