NEW DELHI: An active-duty missile corvette of the Indian Navy is on its way to Vietnam as a gift, the first warship given by India to any country.
The domestically built corvette INS Kirpan left India’s east coast on Wednesday (Jun 28), the navy said.
India and Vietnam have strengthened their ties in recent years, with a special focus on defence, as both countries are concerned over an increasingly assertive China.
India has given smaller boats and military equipment to countries like Maldives and Mauritius in the past and a submarine to Myanmar.
But the corvette for Vietnam is the first time India has given a warship to a Chinese neighbour with a coast on the South China Sea, where several countries have overlapping territorial claims.
China has for years claimed sovereignty over the entire South China Sea, and has been sensitive to the presence of other militaries in the region.
The Indian Navy said in a statement the transfer of the Kirpan “reflects India’s commitment to assist its like-minded partners in enhancing their capacity and capability”.
Source: CNA
