Once enemies, now allies? Washington courts Hanoi as Vietnam looks beyond Moscow

HANOI: The United States is looking to strengthen its military ties with Vietnam, Defence Secretary Pete Hegseth announced on Sunday (Nov 2) as he kicked off a visit to Hanoi. The trip signals Washington’s growing focus on Southeast Asia — and on building a closer partnership with a nation that was once its wartime adversary.

US-Vietnam relations

Hegseth’s visit comes as the two countries continue long-running talks over potential US arms sales, part of Vietnam’s broader push to move away from its heavy reliance on Russian military equipment and expand its network of defence partners.

The US lifted its decades-long arms embargo on Vietnam back in 2016, but major defence deals have been slow to materialise. That may be starting to change. Negotiations have picked up pace in recent years, especially under the former Biden administration, as both sides look to strengthen regional security cooperation amid growing tensions in the South China Sea.

According to Vietnamese officials familiar with the discussions, military supplies will be the main focus of Hegseth’s trip. The two sides are expected to talk about transport and utility aircraft, including Lockheed Martin’s C-130 Hercules — a reliable workhorse used by US and allied forces — as well as helicopters from Lockheed Martin and Boeing, such as the S-92 and the iconic CH-47 Chinook.

One source said Vietnam’s police forces could also receive two or three Chinook helicopters, and that a new airport near Hanoi is reportedly being designed to accommodate these heavy-lift aircraft.

Neither government has said whether any agreements will be finalised during Hegseth’s visit, and officials from the Pentagon, Vietnam’s government, Lockheed Martin, and Boeing have all declined to comment.

Still, the talks mark a notable step forward in US-Vietnam defence relations — one that could shift the region’s military balance and further establish Washington’s presence in one of Asia’s most strategically important countries.