IAF Chief begins three-day visit to Vietnam to boost defence cooperation

The three-day official visit of Indian Air Force Chief Air Chief Marshal Amar Preet Singh to Vietnam from March 10-12, 2025, marks a significant milestone in India's evolving defence diplomacy in Southeast Asia. This engagement is not an isolated event but a deliberate continuation of India's Act East Policy, first articulated in 2014 as a strategic upgrade from the Look East Policy initiated in 1992. The visit underscores India's commitment to deepening its Comprehensive Strategic Partnership with Vietnam, which was elevated to this level during Prime Minister Narendra Modi's visit to Hanoi in September 2016. Vietnam, as a key ASEAN member and a country with shared concerns over maritime security in the South China Sea, has emerged as a pivotal partner in India's Indo-Pacific vision. The historical defence ties between India and Vietnam date back to the 1970s, but gained momentum post-2000 with the signing of the Defence Cooperation Agreement in 2000 and the Joint Vision Statement on Defence Cooperation (2015–2020). India has previously supplied four Dhruv Advanced Light Helicopters (ALH) to the Vietnam People's Air Force and has offered the BrahMos supersonic cruise missile system, which would make Vietnam the first foreign operator of this Indo-Russian joint venture missile. The current visit focused on expanding air domain cooperation, including pilot training, maintenance of Indian-origin platforms, joint air exercises, and capacity building — all critical for interoperability and trust-building between the two air forces. From a constitutional and policy perspective, such defence engagements derive legitimacy from Article 253 of the Indian Constitution, which empowers Parliament to make laws for implementing international treaties and agreements. While defence cooperation falls under the Union List (Entry 1, Defence of India), the executive's power to conduct foreign policy and defence diplomacy flows from Article 73, extending the Union's executive power to matters where Parliament has legislative competence. The visit also aligns with India's obligations under the United Nations Charter, particularly Chapter VII, to promote regional peace and security through collective defence arrangements. Strategically, this engagement strengthens India's position as a net security provider in the Indo-Pacific. It complements other initiatives like the Quad (India, US, Japan, Australia), the Indo-Pacific Oceans Initiative (IPOI), and bilateral logistics agreements such as the one signed with Vietnam in 2023. For Vietnam, deeper ties with India diversify its defence partnerships beyond traditional reliance on Russia and provide access to Indian defence technology and training infrastructure. Looking ahead, the visit paves the way for potential co-development and co-production of defence equipment under India's 'Make in India' and 'Atmanirbhar Bharat' initiatives. Future joint exercises, possibly under the aegis of the ASEAN Defence Ministers' Meeting-Plus (ADMM-Plus), could further institutionalize air force cooperation. As regional security dynamics evolve — particularly with China's assertiveness in the South China Sea — India-Vietnam defence collaboration will remain a cornerstone of a rules-based, inclusive Indo-Pacific order.