Vietnam seeks to boost domestic defence industry as it hosts arms fair
Life & Style

Vietnam seeks to boost domestic defence industry as it hosts arms fair

Hanoi on Thursday. The event aims to boost its domestic defence industry and promote military exports.

The fair will feature nearly 250 exhibitors, including top defence companies from the U.S., Europe, Turkey, Israel, Iran, Russia, and Ukraine. Despite being a major importer of Russian weapons, Vietnam has recently focused on strengthening its local defence industry.

The country’s state-owned defence firm Viettel, along with other local companies, will display missile defence systems, drones, air defence radars, armoured vehicles, and artillery. Some of these weapons will be showcased for the first time, according to the defence ministry’s media.

“This marks a key step in Vietnam’s strategy to strengthen its defence industry,” said Nguyen The Phuong, a Vietnam security expert from the University of New South Wales. He highlighted that Vietnam’s approach includes signing deals with foreign arms exporters to produce some components locally.

Promoting exports of military products has become a priority for Vietnam’s defence ministry. This move reflects the nation’s push for greater self-reliance in a region marked by boundary disputes with China in the South China Sea.