It was claimed that Vietnam was contemplating the purchase of F-16 Viper fighter bombers in September 2023, roughly the same time that President Biden was scheduled to arrive in Hanoi for a state visit. Up to this point, this problem has not yet manifested itself. On the other hand, another one might be coming shortly since it is deemed to be less “thorny.” This is because the acquisition of combat aircraft has other ramifications, particularly with regard to ammunition, support, and training.
According to Reuters, the Vietnamese government has initiated negotiations to acquire the C-130J Hercules cargo aircraft. With the United States of America appearing to be prepared to provide financial facilities, a deal could be reached before the end of this year.
No information is available regarding the quantity of aircraft that Vietnam plans to purchase. As of right now, the Vietnamese armed forces only have three CN-295s that Airbus supplied for its airline transportation needs. They had approximately forty AN-26 aircraft that they had received from the Soviet Union up till the year 2018. These aircraft had the capacity to carry a load of 5.5 tons, which was four times less than a C-130J Hercules.
