Hanoi (VNA) – The 2025 Vietnam–India bilateral army exercise on United Nations peacekeeping operations (VINBAX 2025) concluded on November 27 after nearly 20 days of intensive training carried out in a spirit of responsibility and professionalism.
VINBAX 2025 aimed to strengthen defence cooperation between Vietnam and India in UN peacekeeping, in line with the two nations’ Comprehensive Strategic Partnership.
Maj. Gen. Pham Manh Thang, Director of the Vietnam Department of Peacekeeping Operations and head of the exercise’s Steering Committee, said this year’s edition marked a notable expansion in scale, participating components, operational content and technical complexity, consistent with agreements reached through bilateral defence dialogues.
He noted that the outcomes of VINBAX 2025 have enhanced the specialist capabilities, coordination and interoperability of engineering forces and other participating units, enabling more effective future deployment to UN missions. The exercise also provided an important platform for instructors and experts from both sides to share experience, refine professional skills, and improve planning, directing and operating large-scale, complex field exercises.
Indian Ambassador to Vietnam Tshering W. Sherpa congratulated all participating forces on their outstanding performance, praising their professionalism and teamwork. He held that VINBAX has grown remarkably over the years into a fully developed field training exercise, enabling both militaries to refine procedures and cooperation in realistic scenarios. He also highlighted the effective application of modern technologies this year, which improved situational awareness, coordination and overall training quality.
Sen. Lt. Gen. Phung Si Tan, Deputy Chief of the General Staff of the Vietnam People’s Army and Deputy Head of the Ministry of National Defence's Steering Committee for the participation in UN peacekeeping operations, commended the efforts and contributions of all participants, emphasising that VINBAX is the only bilateral UN peacekeeping exercise Vietnam conducts with a foreign partner. The successful rotational hosting by both nations, he said, reflects their high political trust and substantive defence cooperation, and demonstrates their shared commitment to contributing to UN peacekeeping, for stability and prosperity in the region and the world at large.
The officer stressed that the exercise showcased effective coordination between the two militaries in addressing realistic peacekeeping scenarios aligned with mission requirements in UN field operations. He expressed confidence that the success of VINBAX 2025 will lay a solid foundation for future bilateral exercises and deepen practical, diverse and results-oriented defence collaboration, particularly in UN peacekeeping.
On this occasion, collectives and individuals with outstanding achievements during the exercise were awarded Certificates of Merit from the Minister of National Defence and the Chief of the General Staff of the Vietnam People’s Army./.
Vietnam, India conduct integrated field exercise on peacekeeping
The exercise was successful, helping participating forces master procedures, skills, and coordination mechanisms needed for handling integrated scenarios in a UN peacekeeping mission environment.
