France seeks expanded cooperation with Vietnam in helicopter supply, satellite tech, frigate building

The French Navy's frigate Vendémiaire, carrying 93 officers and sailors under the command of Lieutenant Commander Jean-Christophe Dherbecourt, docked at Greenport on Thursday for a visit to Hai Phong City scheduled to run until November 16.

The Vietnam People's Navy held a welcoming ceremony for the vessel at the port on Thursday, followed by a tour for Vietnamese representatives to learn about the ship's functions and main facilities.

During the visit, the Vendémiaire's officers and crew will pay courtesy calls on leaders of Military Region 3, the Hai Phong People's Committee, and the Commander of Naval Region 1.

The two sides will also exchange expertise on ship survivability and conduct joint exercises with the Vietnam Coast Guard, alongside sports and cultural activities.

Speaking to the press, Lieutenant Commander Dherbecourt said this was his first visit to Vietnam.

The Vendémiaire had previously visited Hai Phong twice under different commanders and made several port calls in Da Nang City and Cam Ranh in Khanh Hoa Province.

He said the vessel's regional missions take it far from its main base in New Caledonia, a French overseas territory.

Port calls in partner countries are necessary to replenish fuel and food supplies and allow the crew to rest, despite the ship's capability to cross the Pacific Ocean between Asia and the Americas.

French Ambassador Didier Le Bret said Hai Phong is a major industrial and commercial port city and the headquarters of the Vietnam People's Navy.

The frigate's visit reflects the two countries' shared commitment to freedom of navigation and international trade.

Over the past two years, France-Vietnam defense cooperation has made progress as Vietnam pursues a policy of diversifying its partners and sources of supply, the ambassador said.

He described France and Europe as reliable and stable partners for Vietnam and outlined several areas where the two sides could expand cooperation.

Pointing to the helicopter on the Vendémiaire's flight deck, he said helicopters can be used for coastal patrols, search and rescue operations, support for oil and gas activities, and transportation of working delegations.

France is seeking to supply next-generation helicopters for civilian and military use as Vietnam replaces and upgrades its existing fleet, he said.

Satellite technology is another area for cooperation, according to the ambassador, who identified observation, communications, and force deployment as three components of defense capabilities.

France is cooperating with Vietnam on a new earth-observation satellite project to improve the country's capacity to monitor security threats and forecast natural disasters from space.

France hopes to expand cooperation in this field in the coming years, he said.

The country is also discussing support for Vietnam's defense industry, including the development of domestic frigate-building capabilities for the Vietnamese Navy, he added.