At the defense exhibition, more than 300 booths from 242 leading defense enterprises from Vietnam and abroad were displayed and introduced military devices, newly and recently researched and introduced weapons. Domestic enterprises manufactured and showcased notable military products such as infantry weapons, air defense equipment, communication devices and advanced defense technology solutions.
The exhibition space of the Vietnamese defense industry, located in the center of the indoor exhibition area, consistently attracted a large number of officers, soldiers, civilians and foreign visitors to experience and explore.
Here were the new, modern “made in Vietnam” infantry weapons such as the STV-380, which is a family of Vietnamese-made service assault rifles, to gradually replace the old AK-47 submachine gun and the SBT12M1 sniper rifle.
Factory Z131, a defense and security business of the General Department of Defense Industry, introduced several exemplary unmanned aerial vehicles (UAVs) designed and manufactured by the unit.
Compared to the Vietnam International Defense Exhibition 2022, the Vietnamese defense industry displayed the products this time much larger in scale and quantity.
Among them were newly-launched military weapons and technical equipment. Colonel Nguyen Quang Huy, Deputy Director of the Technology Management Department, the General Department of the Defense Industry under the Ministry of Defense of Vietnam, stated that all products displayed at a booth of the General Department of the Defense Industry were manufactured entirely by domestic units, meeting the needs of all military units and available for export.
According to Major General Pham Thanh Khiet, Deputy Head of the General Department of Defense Industry, Vietnam has now essentially ensured the weaponry and equipment for its troops.
Among them are many modern types such as the missiles introduced at this exhibition.
Over the passing years, the Vietnamese defense industry has transitioned from receiving aid, procurement and assembly to self-research, design and production.
In the past decade, 80 percent of the military weapons and equipment have resulted from domestic scientists' research projects and tasks, confirming the strong advancement of the Vietnamese defense industry as well as opening up many significant opportunities.
Within the framework of the International Defense Exhibition 2024, a series of seminars took place.
At the Vietnam-United States Defense Industry Cooperation Workshop, Major General Le Quang Tuyen, Deputy Head of the General Department of Defense Industry, emphasized that the comprehensive strategic partnership between Vietnam and the U.S. has achieved significant milestones, in which defense cooperation plays a pivotal role.
This achievement not only enhances the defense capabilities of each side but also towards the common goal of maintaining peace, stability and development in the region.
U.S. Ambassador to Vietnam Marc E. Knapper affirmed that the United States of America highly values cooperation with Vietnam, especially in the defense sector.
The ambassador stressed that defense industry cooperation not only opens up economic opportunities but also symbolizes trust, respect and commitment of both nations towards regional security.
At the Vietnam-Russia Defense Industry Cooperation Workshop, Major General Duong Van Yen, Deputy Head of the General Department of Defense Industry, stated that over the passing years, military cooperation between Vietnam and the Russia Federation has achieved proud milestones.
The Vietnam-Japan Defense Equipment and Industry Cooperation Workshop marked a significant step forward in defense relations between the two countries.
Nguyen Trong Khang, Chairman of the Board of Directors of MK Aerospace Joint Stock Company, which is one of the pioneering private Vietnamese enterprises participating in the defense industry, said that the grand-scale exhibition shows military strength of a country striving towards the goal of promoting a proactive, self-reliant, dual-purpose and modern defense industry; both enhancing defense capabilities and economic development serving practical benefits for the people's lives, as affirmed by Prime Minister Pham Minh Chinh at the exhibition's opening ceremony.
At the Vietnam International Defense Exhibition 2024, units under the General Department of Defense Industry and Viettel Group co-signed 16 contracts with a total value of about US$286.3 million and 17 strategic cooperation agreements between the Vietnamese defense industry and enterprises from countries with developed industries such as the United States, India, France and Belgium.
