Major Blow to Russia: Asia’s Loyal Friend Vietnam Turns Away, Won’t Buy Russian Weapons from Putin

Hanoi: Russia has suffered a significant setback in Asia as Vietnam, a traditionally reliable defense partner, shifts away from Russian weaponry. India had already reduced its dependence on Russian arms in recent years, replacing Russian fighter jets with French Rafales in its air force and increasingly sourcing weapons from Israel. Now, Vietnam is following a similar path.

Vietnam’s Changing Defense Strategy
Vietnam’s air force has long relied on Russian aircraft, including 16 Su-22M4 jets, 9 Su-22UM3K trainers, 5 Su-27SK fighters, 5 Su-27UBK trainers, 35 Su-30MK2 multirole fighters, and 12 Yak-130 trainer aircraft. However, since 2022, Hanoi has been diversifying its military procurement. Reports indicate that Vietnam is close to finalizing a major deal with France for Rafale fighter jets. Discussions have reached an advanced stage, building on a bilateral defense cooperation agreement signed in 2013.

Moving Beyond Russian Equipment
Vietnam is not limiting its diversification to fighter jets. Instead of ordering additional T-90S tanks from Russia, it has opted to upgrade its old T-54 and T-55 tanks with Israeli collaboration. After the U.S. lifted arms sale restrictions in 2016, Vietnam purchased roughly $400 million worth of U.S. weapons and equipment, including coast guard vessels and training aircraft. The country is now considering C-130J transport aircraft from the U.S.

Earlier, Vietnam also explored purchasing F-16 fighter jets from the U.S., but budgetary constraints—its annual defense budget is around $10 billion—made this difficult, particularly for procurement and long-term maintenance. Switching from Russian jets to French Rafales will also require Vietnam to revamp its airbase infrastructure and aviation ecosystem, as existing Russian missiles and weapons systems are incompatible with Rafale aircraft.

Expanding Partnerships with France and South Korea
Vietnam is increasingly strengthening defense ties with France and South Korea. Negotiations are underway to acquire K9 155-mm self-propelled howitzers from South Korea, integrating NATO-standard weapons systems into its military. While it will take several more years to fully reduce reliance on Russian arms, this shift signals that Russia has lost a once-loyal and dependable partner in the Asian defense market.