India Gives INS Kirpan to Vietnam, Upholding its ‘Look East’ Policy

India has accelerated its ‘Look East’ policy by providing them with INS Kirpan, an indigenously developed missile warship, to Vietnam. This warship will be deployed in the South China Sea and put China’s aggression in check as it looks to expand its dominance in the maritime region, as well as in the Indian Ocean. Defence Minister Rajnath Singh made this announcement soon after his meeting with his Vietnamese counterpart, General Phan Van Gang in New Delhi on June 9. This will be a cost-friendly deal for Vietnam, which is looking to strengthen its coastal defence against China.
The statement released by India’s Defence Ministry reads, “Both Ministers identified means to enhance existing areas of collaboration, especially in the field of defence industry cooperation, maritime security, and multinational cooperation.” The officials also discussed defence research and joint production during the Vietnamese defence minister’s visit to the Defence Research and Development Organization (DRDO) headquarters.” Along with INS Kirpan, India and Vietnam are also currently negotiating the sale of the Brahmos supersonic missile, which India has jointly developed with Russia. While there has been no update on this development yet, Vietnam has shown great interest in having this missile, which will greatly limit China’s military aggression on the land as well as water borders.

Image source: Indian Navy