By Francesco Guarascio and Khanh Vu
HANOI (Reuters) – Vietnam will showcase regionally made weapons at a world arms honest in Hanoi on Thursday, because it seeks to spice up its home business and probably export navy gear.
Among the many practically 250 exhibitors can be high defence firms, together with from the US, Europe, Turkey and nations at struggle with one another, resembling Israel, Iran, Russia and Ukraine.
The Southeast Asian nation is a serious importer of weapons, particularly from Russia, having invested for years in its defence capabilities in an unstable area the place it has clashed with China over boundaries within the South China Sea.
However just lately it has additionally bolstered its home defence business and selling exports of navy merchandise is now a precedence, defence ministry officers have repeatedly mentioned.
State-owned defence agency Viettel and different native firms will showcase missile defence methods, drones, air defence radars, armoured autos and artillery, in accordance with defence ministry media.
A few of these weapons can be displayed for the primary time, mentioned Nguyen The Phuong, an professional on Vietnam safety at Australia’s College of New South Wales.
He famous a key technique to strengthen the native business had been the signing of offers with international arms exporters to have a few of their elements produced in Vietnam.
Talks with South Korean firms had been underway for potential new offers beneath these situations, particularly for artillery and aviation, he mentioned.
Related talks had additionally been held with firms from different nations, together with the Czech Republic, officers mentioned.
RIVALS’ GEAR ON DISPLAY
On the expo, Iran’s defence ministry may have a whole pavilion, not removed from the cubicles of Israel’s defence corporations Israel Aerospace Industries and Rafael Superior Protection Techniques.
The honest will even host a dozen cubicles of Russian corporations and one for Ukraine’s Motor Sich, an plane engine producer.
A dozen Turkish defence firms, together with Aselsan, Turkish Aerospace Industries and Roketsan, are amongst listed contributors, making Turkey’s one of many largest delegations.
China’s Norinco can be one in every of two Chinese language exhibitors, in a primary for a Vietnamese defence honest.
U.S. defence giants Lockheed Martin, Boeing and Textron Aviation Protection will even have their cubicles on the honest.
They’ve all been concerned in talks with Vietnamese authorities for the sale of helicopters. Lockheed can be discussing a potential deal on C-130 Hercules navy transport planes, sources had informed Reuters.
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