Vietnam recently agreed to purchase six Kilo-class submarines from Russia, concluding discussions that had been in the works for a number of years. In an interesting twist, the project, announced this April, calls for Russia to complete construction of six submarines that were once planned for service in the Venezuelan Navy, and to instead turn the vessels over to Vietnam at an undisclosed date. This announcement is likely to have repercussions on at least four continents. In Venezuela, for example, the termination of the deal signifies a realization that falling oil prices and economic problems are throwing a wrench into Hugo Chavez's once proud dream of fielding a navy and military that might someday be capable of serving as more than just an irritant to the United States. This Russian deal with Vietnam is surely a relief to U.S. Navy planners, however, as it leaves six fewer quiet diesel submarines prowling potentially hostile South American waters. In Europe, meanwhile, the project is a significant step that allows Russian Admiralty Shipyards in St. Petersburg to stay busy despite a global economic downturn and shrinking arms sales to other regions of the world. In Asia, the sale of the subs to Vietnam is most likely to upset neighboring China and will, along with the purchase from Russia of two Gepard-class frigates, allow the Vietnamese Navy to step into the 21st century while better protecting its regional maritime interests.
April marked a major milestone elsewhere in Asia as China's People's Liberation Army Navy (PLAN) celebrated its 60th anniversary in truly grand style with a fleet review the likes of which the nation has never seen. In addition to dozens of Chinese surface ships and submarines, 21 vessels from 14 other nations took part in the festivities. The monumental naval review was also attended by the U.S. Navy's Chief of Naval Operations, Admiral Gary Roughead, as well as the Navy's Aegis destroyer USS Fitzgerald (DDG-62), crew members of which are pictured here manning the rails and rendering honors to China's newest Type 051C destroyer, the Shijiazhuang. This PLAN celebration served as an important showcase for China's growing naval capabilities but it was also perhaps an attempt to demonstrate transparency in response to Western criticism of its naval and military secrecy.
On 7 March 2009 Indonesia commissioned into service the Frans Kaisiepo, the fourth and final corvette of the SIGMA, or Diponegoro, class. Indonesia's SIGMA program began with the launch of its first vessel, the Diponegoro, in September 2006 with the sisters Hasanuddin and Sultan Iskandar Muda entering service in 2007 and 2008, respectively. The newly commissioned corvettes are armed with Exocet antiship missiles, Mistral surface-to-air missiles, a 76-mm gun, and torpedoes. The Dutch-built ships were constructed by Damen Schelde Naval Shipbuilding in Vlissingen, Netherlands. After commissioning, the Frans Kaisiepo, shown here, set sail on 11 April for a six-week cruise en route to her new home in Surabaya, Indonesia.