The Latest: On May 5, 2026, State President Tô Lâm began a state visit to India scheduled from May 5-7 at the invitation of Prime Minister Narendra Modi. During this visit, he is expected to sign several defense agreements. According to Reuters sources, discussions will include expanding defense cooperation and the possible purchase of the BrahMos anti-ship missile system.
The Details: The BrahMos missile system is a weapon jointly developed by India and Russia, capable of reaching speeds of approximately 2.8 – 3.0 Mach speed. According to another Reuters source, a second agreement involving training and logistical support could also be signed between Việt Nam and India. This has an estimated total value of 60 billion rupees, which is equivalent to approximately $629 million.
The Background: The Ministry of National Defense continues to receive top priority regarding state budget allocations in Việt Nam. For the year 2026, the National Assembly allocated more than 317.172 trillion đồng from the state budget to the ministry. Out of this total budget, approximately 49.510 trillion đồng is specifically designated for investment and development.
In 2023, India provided military training support to Việt Nam and transferred the domestically built missile corvette INS Kirpan to the Vietnamese side.
Subsequently, in August 2024, Việt Nam signed an agreement with India to implement a US$500 million defense credit package, which is approximately 12.818 trillion đồng. Việt Nam has also shown interest in India’s BrahMos missile system for nearly 15 years, with documented interest spanning 2012, 2013, 2014, 2015, 2016, 2020, 2022, 2023, and 2024. However, it remains unclear how many agreements related to the missile system have ultimately succeeded prior to this current visit.
Thạch Hãn wrote this article in Vietnamese and published it in Luật Khoa Magazine on May 6, 2026. The Vietnamese Magazine has the copyrights of the English translation.
