Russia Offers Upgraded Variant of the Gepard 3.9 to Vietnam

04 Oktober 2019

Gepard 3.9 variant with vertical VLS tube cluster is capable of carrying 16 missiles twice as much as the old version (all photos : Soha)

Among many weapons Rosoboronexport Russia presented at DSE Vietnam 2019 Exhibition, the most striking is the design that could become the future flagship of the Vietnamese Navy.

Russia offers an extremely "flagship" to the Vietnamese Navy

At the International Exhibition on Defense and Security - DSE Vietnam 2019 taking place in Hanoi, Russia's Rosoboronexport State Import and Export Group of Russian arms for the first time introduced the Gepard missile defense missile variant. Latest 3.9, the most modern class of warships currently on the Vietnamese People's Navy.

This can be considered as an active move of Rosoboronexport when there is information that Vietnam and Russia are negotiating a contract to build the third pair of Gepard guard boats (No. 5 and No. 6) based on the success of The first two pairs of ships.

With bringing the latest Gepard 3.9 model to Hanoi, Rosoboronexport wants to directly introduce the Vietnamese Navy to the perfect upgrade for this warship class. After optimizing the design, the Gepard class can meet the Vietnamese Navy's operational requirements in the new situation.

Compared to existing Vietnamese warships, the upgraded Gepard 3.9 variant possesses superior overall power with many changes, giving it more comprehensive warfare capability at sea. What the current Gepard ships cannot do yet.

If Vietnam chooses to design the upgraded Gepard 3.9 ship being introduced at DSE Vietnam 2019, then this is likely to be the future flagship of the Vietnamese Navy because of its "terrible" design.

What is special about the flagship model offered to Vietnam?

Based on the model presented by Rosoboronexport at DSE Vietnam 2019, the upgraded Gepard 3.9 vessel has a larger size and amount of water expansion than the existing Gepard ships in Vietnam.

The ship's weapons system has undergone a complete change, when the 2x4 8 Kh-35 Uran-E anti-ship launch tube assembly was removed, instead of a vertical missile launcher cluster that could carry 16 names. fire, double that of conventional Gepard ships.

This is also the main reason why Gepard 3.9's hull was extended to be able to place the rocket launchers vertically in the middle of the hull, it is unclear if this slight increase in size will affect the ability of the stealth. Gepard 3.9 or not, but certainly the leading Russian designers have calculated optimally.

The need to sacrifice stealth capabilities (not the strength of the Gepard 3.9 class) is entirely worth it because the vertical cluster of Russian rocket launchers can not only carry anti-ship missiles but also cruise missiles, anti-submarine missiles and even anti-ship anti-ship missiles.

Two models will certainly be fitted to the upgraded Gepard 3.9 variant, the Kalibr cruise missile and the Yakhont supersonic anti-ship missile, as many other Russian Navy warships.

Gepard 3.9's missile strike capability at sea will be doubled with multitasking capabilities that can cope with a variety of targets. In particular, if equipped with long-range air defense missiles, these ships can serve as a squadron air defense mission.

In addition to missiles, the AK-176M gunboat on Gepard 3.9 will also be replaced by the more modern A-190-01 or A-192 gunboats. The remaining weapons such as 533mm PTA-53-11661 heavy torpedo tube cluster; Palma-SU close-range weapons complex and AK-630M anti-aircraft artillery complex remain intact.

Despite the significant increase in combat power, the design of the upgraded Gepard 3.9 is still a bit flawed when it is not equipped with a complete hangar and still reuse the previous design.

This can be a big minus point of the new Gepard 3.9, when in the process of operating the existing Gepard ships, the Navy discovered that the hangar on board was quite limited, especially in long-time activities at sea. significant impact on the technical specifications of the ship as well as the Ka-28 submarine helicopters that ships carry.

Hopefully, before agreeing on the design of the new Gepard 3.9 class, the Russian side can equip this defense class with a better hangar.

Will Russia transfer Gepard-class shipbuilding technology to Vietnam?

According to many military experts analyzing besides introducing the upgraded variant of Gepard 3.9, it is likely that the Russian side will discuss more with Vietnam about the possibility of transferring Gepard 3.9 shipbuilding technology based on the success of the contract. copper Molniya fast attack missile ship 1241.8 ago.

The reason for this is not to be mentioned at the present time because in the past, with our shipbuilding technology, we could not afford to build large warships. It still took many years to understand the process of building Molniya rocket ships themselves 1241.8.

However, at the present time, things have changed when Ba Son Shipbuilding Company, one of the leading naval shipyards in Vietnam, put into operation a marine industry complex capable of building new ships. War has a displacement of more than 2,000 tons, laying an important premise to help us build new warships like Gepard 3.9.

Starting from this point, the Russian side has a basis for assessing and trusting the issue of transferring Gepard 3.9 shipbuilding technology to Vietnam, as they did with the contract of supplying Molniya rocket ships 1241.8

And it is very likely that the third pair of Gepard ships will be built in Vietnam by Ba Son Shipbuilding Company because it meets all the necessary and technological conditions, people and the pride. named the modern battleship "Made in Vietnam".

(Soha)