India Donates A Ready To Use Warship to Vietnam For The First Time In History

According to the Press Trust of India, India presented its Kukri-class guided-missile frigate INS Kirpan to Vietnam on July 22.

On July 22, India Donated a Warship to Vietnam.

Indian officials stated that this was the first case of India rendering an operational warship to a friendly country. Chief of Naval Staff R Hari Kumar, who is on an official visit to Vietnam, officiated at the handover ceremony of the warship at the Cam Ranh Deepwater Port in Vietnam. The Indian Navy said the ship had been handed over to the Vietnamese People's Navy and was equipped with a full "weapons supply".

Speaking at the donation ceremony, Kumar said, "Today's handover ceremony symbolizes the deep-rooted friendship and strategic partnership between India and Vietnam." "More importantly, this is the first time ever that India has provided a fully operational corvette to a friendly foreign country," he added.

Kumar said that the transfer of the "Girban" to Vietnam coincides with India's vision of "one earth, one home, one future" proposed at the G20 summit. India has oil exploration projects in the South China Sea. The two countries have been increasing maritime security cooperation over the past few years to protect common interests.

"Today's event reaffirms our commitment to expand and deepen our defense partnerships not only bilaterally but within the broader multilateral framework," Kumar said. He expressed the hope that the "Girban" can continue to sail on the vast sea after being handed over to Vietnam, "adhere to the principles of freedom, justice and order based on international rules, and become the pillars of building a 'good force'".

Kumar further said, "At the time India provided the Girban to the navy of Vietnam, we knew about Vietnam navy's capability to keep such a machine. We are sure that the Vietnamese Navy will use the ship's great potential to defend its national maritime interests, contribute to regional security, and promote peace and stability." The Indian Navy donated the ship to Vietnam after it was decommissioned.

It is reported that the " Girban" has been an integral part of the Eastern Fleet of the Indian Navy since it entered service in the Indian Navy in 1991, and has participated in many operations in the past 32 years. The ship is 90 meters long, 10.45 meters wide , has a maximum displacement of 1450 tons, and is composed of about 12 officers and 100 sailors.

Kumar said, "The Indian Navy's transfer of the 'Girban' to the Vietnamese People's Navy symbolizes that the Indian Navy has become the preferred security partner in the Indian Ocean region." Accompanied by the Indian tricolor flag, the "Girban" embarked on its final journey from India to Vietnam on June 28, and arrived in Cam Ranh , Vietnam on July 8.

Also see https://chin-updates.blogspot.com/2023/07/indian-energy-ministers-disagree-on-emission-reduction-roadmap.html