India, Vietnam Boost Defence Ties with Tech, Maritime Focus

• India and Vietnam signed two key defence agreements in Hanoi, focusing on maritime safety and defence industry cooperation
• The agreements include a MoA on submarine rescue operations and an LoI on joint production and technology transfer
• Implementation faces challenges like interoperability, technology transfer issues, and regional security dynamics

The 15th India-Vietnam Defence Policy Dialogue (DPD) took place in Hanoi, during which the two nations made the remarkable decision to sign two agreements, thus, contributing to a better future of defence cooperation.

The purpose of these agreements is to influence directly and operationally the bonding of both parties in particular the areas of maritime safety, defense goods and services, and e-security of the new domain.

Since raising their relationship to the status of a "Comprehensive Strategic Partnership" six years ago, India and Vietnam have been consistently building up their defense ties with a special interest in the area of maritime security.

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At the DPD meeting, the two countries were reviewing the development in several areas such as hydrography, ship visits, peacekeeping, and artificial intelligence, and shipyard modernization which are considered niche. The dialogue between the two nations comes at a time when the Indo-Pacific is increasingly becoming a contested area and, therefore, the discussions carry more weight from a strategic point of view.

Among the signed agreements are two major ones, an MoA on Mutual Submarine Search, Rescue Support and Cooperation and an LoI on Defence Industry Cooperation. The former establishes a basic structure on functioning of the two navies in distress situations and also improves their inter-operability, while the latter allows for the sharing of production, technology and expertise under the Make in India initiative and Vietnam's military modernization plans.

Challenges are there in the way of the implementation of these agreements which although are promising in nature. The slow pace of development may be due to such factors as the need for operational interoperability, difficulties in transferring technology, and conflicting priorities among the defense sectors of the two countries.

Moreover, the ongoing conflicts in the Indo-Pacific region may add complications to these efforts. On the other hand, these agreements have marked the beginning of a major transition towards more open, strategic cooperation which has not only reinforced the two countries' ties but also helped to stabilize the security situation in the region.