India, Vietnam deepen defence cooperation with focus on maritime security
Defence Minister Rajnath Singh held a ministerial-level bilateral meeting with Vietnamese Minister of National Defence Phan Van Giang on May 19, 2026. Both s...
What Happened
- Defence Minister Rajnath Singh held a ministerial-level bilateral meeting with Vietnamese Minister of National Defence Phan Van Giang on May 19, 2026.
- Both sides reviewed the defence partnership and agreed to expand cooperation through regular dialogues, joint military exercises, and exchange programmes between their armed forces.
- The two sides jointly inaugurated a Language Lab at the Air Force Officers College and signed a Memorandum of Understanding on cooperation in artificial intelligence and quantum technology.
- The bilateral relationship was recently upgraded to an "Enhanced Comprehensive Strategic Partnership," marking an elevation from the Comprehensive Strategic Partnership established in 2016.
- The cooperation framework specifically focuses on maritime security, freedom of navigation, and a rules-based Indo-Pacific order.
Static Topic Bridges
India-Vietnam Bilateral Relations: Evolution
India and Vietnam have progressively deepened ties over two decades. Relations were upgraded from a general Partnership in 2003 to a Strategic Partnership in 2007, and then to a Comprehensive Strategic Partnership in 2016 during Prime Minister Narendra Modi's visit to Vietnam in September 2016. The most recent elevation to an "Enhanced Comprehensive Strategic Partnership" reflects the growing alignment on Indo-Pacific security, defence technology, and economic integration.
- 2003: Partnership established.
- 2007: Upgraded to Strategic Partnership.
- 2016: Upgraded to Comprehensive Strategic Partnership.
- 2026: Further elevated to Enhanced Comprehensive Strategic Partnership.
- Vietnam is a significant partner under India's Act East Policy.
Connection to this news: The defence ministerial meeting and MoU on AI and quantum technology are concrete deliverables under the Enhanced Comprehensive Strategic Partnership framework.
India's Act East Policy and the Indo-Pacific
India's Act East Policy, formally launched in 2014, transformed the earlier Look East Policy (1991) into a more proactive engagement with ASEAN nations and the broader Indo-Pacific. Vietnam occupies a strategic position in the South China Sea region and is a core partner for India's interests in maintaining freedom of navigation, open sea lanes, and a rules-based maritime order.
- Vietnam is a member of ASEAN; India holds a Dialogue Partner status with ASEAN since 1992 and achieved Strategic Partnership status with ASEAN in 2012.
- The South China Sea is one of the world's busiest maritime trade routes, carrying approximately one-third of global shipping by volume.
- India's BrahMos missile supply agreement with Vietnam (signed 2016) was a landmark defence export under Make in India.
Connection to this news: The bilateral focus on maritime security and joint military exercises directly supports India's Indo-Pacific strategy of a free, open, and inclusive maritime domain.
UNCLOS and Freedom of Navigation in the South China Sea
The United Nations Convention on the Law of the Sea (UNCLOS), adopted in 1982 and entering into force in 1994, provides the legal framework governing maritime zones — including Territorial Sea (12 nautical miles), Contiguous Zone (24 nm), Exclusive Economic Zone (200 nm), and the High Seas. China's expansive nine-dash line claim in the South China Sea is widely held to be inconsistent with UNCLOS. A 2016 Permanent Court of Arbitration ruling found China's historic rights claim under the nine-dash line to have no legal basis under UNCLOS, though China rejected the ruling.
- India is a signatory to UNCLOS and consistently reaffirms freedom of navigation and overflight based on UNCLOS principles.
- The South China Sea dispute involves claims by China, Vietnam, the Philippines, Malaysia, Brunei, and Taiwan.
- Freedom of Navigation Operations (FONOPs) are conducted by multiple navies to assert international maritime law.
Connection to this news: India and Vietnam share a convergence in supporting UNCLOS-based maritime governance, making maritime security cooperation a natural pillar of their deepened partnership.
Key Facts & Data
- India-Vietnam Comprehensive Strategic Partnership established: September 2016.
- Latest upgrade: Enhanced Comprehensive Strategic Partnership (2026).
- MoU signed: Cooperation in artificial intelligence and quantum technology.
- Joint inauguration: Language Lab at Air Force Officers College (Vietnam).
- UNCLOS adopted: 1982; entered into force: 1994.
- South China Sea carries approximately one-third of global shipping by volume.
- Vietnam is one of India's key defence export partners; BrahMos missile deal signed in 2016.
- India's Act East Policy launched: 2014 (evolved from Look East Policy, 1991).