By A Correspondent
Hanoi/New Delhi: In a significant step that underscores the growing maritime partnership between New Delhi and Hanoi, India and Vietnam signed a landmark agreement on Nov. 11, 2025, for mutual submarine search and rescue support, and cooperation during the 15th India-Vietnam Defence Policy Dialogue (DPD) held in Hanoi.
The dialogue, co-chaired by India’s Defence Secretary Rajesh Kumar Singh and Vietnam’s Deputy Minister of National Defence Senior Lieutenant General Hoang Xuan Chien, has reinforced both nations’ shared commitment to bolster defence collaboration and maritime resilience in the Indo-Pacific.
Submarine Cooperation: A Deeper Strategic Alignment
The newly signed Memorandum of Agreement on Mutual Submarine Search and Rescue Support marks a first-of-its-kind initiative between the two countries, creating a framework for joint underwater operations, technical assistance, and coordinated rescue missions in the event of submarine emergencies.
Analysts view this as a strategic game-changer, given the rising importance of submarine warfare and surveillance in the Indo-Pacific, a region increasingly shaped by China’s assertiveness in the South China Sea.
The agreement is expected to enhance interoperability, enable real-time response mechanisms, and strengthen naval trust between India and Vietnam.
Expanding Defence Industry Ties
Alongside the submarine pact, India and Vietnam also signed a Letter of Intent to strengthen defence industry cooperation. The two sides agreed to promote the transfer of technology, joint research, and co-development of high-tech defence equipment, with an emphasis on core technologies, joint ventures, and knowledge exchange.
Both sides also decided to convene a follow-up meeting in December 2025 under the ongoing Implementing Arrangement on Defence Industry Cooperation, involving India’s Department of Defence Production and Vietnam’s General Department of Defence Industry.
This step is expected to accelerate collaboration in defence manufacturing, complementing India’s ‘Make in India’ and ‘Atmanirbhar Bharat’ (Self-Reliant India) initiatives, as well as Vietnam’s growing defence modernisation drive.
Emerging Areas and Regional Security Focus
The 15th DPD also reviewed progress in existing cooperation areas such as hydrography, UN Peacekeeping, ship visits, and AI applications in defence. Moving forward, both nations will expand collaboration in cybersecurity, military medicine, real-time intelligence exchange, and capacity building.
The two sides exchanged views on the regional security environment, particularly focusing on maintaining peace, stability, and freedom of navigation in the Indo-Pacific and the South China Sea, a vital maritime corridor for global trade.
A Key Pillar in the Indo-Pacific Vision
Defence Secretary Singh also met Vietnam’s Minister of National Defence General Phan Van Giang, briefing him on the outcomes of the dialogue. The next Defence Policy Dialogue, the 16th edition, will be held in India in 2026.
The DPD remains the cornerstone of the India-Vietnam Defence Partnership, advancing initiatives under the India-Vietnam Joint Vision Statement 2030.
As Vietnam plays a pivotal role in India’s Act East Policy and broader Indo-Pacific strategy, the growing synergy between the two militaries symbolises a shared resolve to ensure a free, open, and rules-based maritime order.
With the new submarine rescue pact and defence technology agreements, India and Vietnam have set the stage for a deeper and more strategic engagement: one that goes beyond traditional cooperation and firmly anchors their partnership in the evolving Indo-Pacific security architecture.
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