Russia to Deliver 2 More Warships to Vietnam by 2016

11 November 2014

Two more Gepard class ASW frigates will be received by Vietnamese Navy by 2016 (photo : Kienthuc)

Vietnam will receive the second pair of the Russian-made frigates with antisubmarine weapons in late 2016, Russian news agency TASS has reported.

“A couple of such frigates were built for Vietnam earlier, now the second pair is being built that differs in the weapons and military equipment. The delivery deadline is late 2016,” TASS quoted Yevgeny Matveyev, chief engineer of the Zelenodolsk Design Bureau, as saying Thursday.

A Gepard-class frigate built by Russia's Gorky Zelenodolsk Plant. Photo credit: Gorky Zelenodolsk Plant

“To date, there are no factors for non-fulfilment of the obligations, the shipbuilding is going on schedule,” Matveye said.

A.M. Gorky Zelenodolsk Plant delivered two Gepard-class frigates to the Vietnamese navy in 2011 under a US$350 million contract. These vessels were named after King Dinh Tien Hoang (924-979) and King Ly Thai To (974-1028).

The new pair of frigates differs from the previous ships by antisubmarine weapons and advanced high-performance propulsion system, TASS reported.

Earlier this week, the Dinh Tien Hoang and Ly Thai To frigates left Cam Ranh Port in the south-central province of Khanh Hoa for port visits to Southeast Asian countries.

They will call on Indonesia, Brunei and the Philippines as part of a series of friendly exchanges.

(Thanh Nien)