The United States and Vietnam are discussing the sale of Lockheed Martin C-130 Hercules military transport planes to Hanoi, two people familiar with the discussions said, in a sign of closer security cooperation between the two former foes.
The talks could lead to a supply agreement this year, the sources said, in what would represent Vietnam’s largest military deal since it said publicly at the end of 2022 that it intended to diversify its defence supplies, which have for decades relied heavily on Russian gear.
The C-130 can carry soldiers, military equipment and other supplies, and would boost Vietnamese defence capabilities at a time of rising South China Sea boundary tensions with China and other countries in the region.
The United States could offer Hanoi financial support as part of a sale, the sources said.
One of the sources, a US official, said that could amount to tens of millions of dollars covering maintenance and other costs.
The other source, a Vietnamese person briefed on the talks, said the model under consideration was the C-130J, the aircraft’s latest iteration.
Neither source would indicate the total cost of the possible deal and the number of planes under discussion.
Both declined to be named because the talks were not public.
The White House declined to comment, and Vietnam’s defence ministry did not respond to a request for comment.
Talks on US arms supplies to Vietnam have been under way for months, before major changes in Vietnamese leadership, which experts and analysts say should not significantly change the country’s posture on foreign and economic affairs.
The discussions show the United States’ growing efforts to gain influence with Hanoi, nearly half a century after the end of the Vietnam War.
Since an arms embargo was lifted in 2016, US defence exports to Vietnam have been largely limited to coastguard ships and trainer aircraft, stymied by Hanoi’s concerns over costs, U.S. government approvals and compatibility with existing gear. — Reuters
