The submarines, named the HQ-186 Da Nang andHQ-187 Ba Ria-Vung Tau, were among the six submarines that Vietnam purchasedfrom Russia as part of their contract signed in 2009, and the last ones to bedelivered.
On behalf of the Government, Prime MinisterNguyen Xuan Phuc said the purchase of the most modern diesel-fueled submarines forthe Navy is part of the strategic vision of the Party and State to strengthenthe national defence at sea and increase capacity for the naval force.
The PM requested the Vietnam People’s Navy toimplement seriously the Party and State’s guidelines on addressing disputes inthe East Sea, stating that Vietnam consistently and clearly asserts itssovereignty over Hoang Sa (Paracel) and Truong Sa (Spratly) archipelagos.
“With goodwill and efforts, we resolutely andpersistently settle any disputes in the East Sea via peaceful means on thebasis of international law, including the 1982 UN Convention on the Law of theSea (UNCLOS), the Declaration on the Conduct of Parties in the East Sea (DOC),and Vietnam’s Law of the Sea 2012, while continuing to work for a Code ofConduct in the East Sea (COC), so that the East Sea is really an area of peace,stability, friendship, and development, for the interests and security of allnations in the region and around the word”, he said.
The PM reiterated Vietnam’s policy of peace andself-defence, noting that the modernisation of military, including thedevelopment of a modern submarine fleet, is normal for a marine country.
The move is not anarms race and does not aim at any nations, but to firmly safeguard the nationalsovereignty over seas, islands, and continental shelf in any circumstances, hestressed.
With a displacement of 3,000-3,950 tonnes, thenearly 74m-long submarine can operate at a maximum depth of 300 meters and arange of 6,000-7,500 nautical miles for 45 days with 52 crew members.-VNA