On 10 August a ceremony was held to mark the start of the construction of the first locally designed and built frigate for the Vietnam People’s Navy at the Song Thu Corporation shipyard in Da Nang. At around 3,000 tonnes she will be the largest and most advanced combat vessel built by Vietnam, the multipurpose anti-submarine frigate is primarily equipped with homegrown weapons and systems.
The Vietnamese Ministry of National Defence stated, “The project underscores the nation’s self-reliance, ambition, and technical expertise, marking a major leap forward for its defence industry and military shipbuilding sector. Furthermore, it highlights Vietnam’s growing capacity to master core technologies and develop modern military hardware.
“The project embodies the Party and State’s guidelines to forge an “autonomous, self-reliant, resilient, dual-use, and modern” defence industry sector. As a landmark achievement in military shipbuilding, it demonstrates the proficiency of local engineers and scientists in constructing advanced vessels and integrating complex combat equipment.”
Addressing the event, the Deputy Minister for Defence, Senior Lieutenant General Pham Hoai Nam noted that the Ministry of National Defence, the General Department of Defence Industry, and the Naval Service have entrusted Song Thu Corporation with building the multipurpose anti-submarine frigate. With a 50-year tradition of construction and development, the corporation stands as one of the military’s leading shipbuilding facilities. Over the recent decades, it has continuously bolstered its capacity and reputation in building and providing technical support for military vessels, while promoting economic growth and exports, making an important contribution to the development of the defence industry.
The Military Industry-Telecoms Group – Viettel will design and manufacture the majority of the ship’s weapons and sensors. They will include phased-array radars as well as anti-aircraft and anti-ship missiles.
It is expected that the ship will be completed in 2029.
Source: Vietnamese Ministry of National Defence
