Vietnamese Navy Receives Last Frigate Bought from Russia

Vietnamese Navy received the last out of two Project Gepard 3.9 frigates purchased from Russia, reports Defense News. The ship arrived at Cam Ranh port on Aug 22, 2011. The first ship in series built by Zelenodolsk Shipyard was handed over to Vietnamese Navy in March 2011.

Vietnam bought two Project Gepard 3.9 frigates in 2006. In the national navy, the ships obtained names of Dinh Tien Hoang and Ly Thai To. Displacement of a Project Gepard 3.9 ship is 2,100 tons. Each ship is armed with antiship missile system, one 76.2-mm and two 30-mm gun mounts. The ships are equipped with heliport for Ka-28 type helicopters.

Through recent years, Vietnam tied a number of contracts with Russia for surface ships and submarines. In particular, Vietnam bought 12 Project 12418 boats in 2005; in the fall of 2010 it started to construct them under license. In 2009 Vietnam purchased from Russia six Project 636 Varshavyanka diesel electric submarines for $1.8 bln.

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Source: rusnavy, August 24, 2011;