On Wednesday, India’s indigenously built Missile Corvette INS Kirpan left Visakhapatnam on its final journey from India to Vietnam. The warship completed its final voyage under the Indian flag as it went from India to Vietnam, proudly displaying the Indian Naval Ensign for the last time.
INS Kirpan, a gift to Vietnam
It was the last journey under the Indian warship because, by the end of July, INS Kirpan would be given to the Vietnam People’s Navy on the completion of training of its naval personnel.
INS Kirpan, commissioned into service in 1991, is a third indigenously built Khukri class missile corvette currently serving in the Indian Navy in various operational and humanitarian assistance operations.
The ship is equipped with sensors and various weapons, including surface-to-surface missiles, chaff launchers and medium-to-close-range guns.
The warship received a ceremonious welcome from Vietnam’s Navy on Saturday as it entered the Cam Ranh International Port in Vietnam.
Meeting of the Defence Ministers
Last month Vietnamese Defence Minister Gen Phan Van Giang visited India and met with Indian Defense Minister Rajnath Singh in New Delhi. Soon after the meeting, an announcement was made regarding INS Kirpan.
In a statement released on 28th June, the Indian Defence Ministry said the transfer of an indigenously built active missile corvette, INS Kirpan, from the Indian Navy to the Vietnam People’s Navy mirrors New Delhi’s commitment to assist “like-minded partners”.
The statement also highlighted India’s vision of Vasudhaiva Kutumbakam (The World Is One Family) and “Security and Growth for all in the Region” (SAGAR).
The statement further said about the cooperation between the country’s navies, including information sharing, regular goodwill visits by naval ships and delegations, repair of vessels, and joint exercises.
An Eye on China
Although, India has previously given smaller boats and military equipment to countries like Maldives and Mauritius and even a submarine to Myanmar.
This marks the first occasion for India to gift a completely active warship to a country sharing a border with China and having a coast on the South China Sea, where many countries have disputed territorial claims.
China has for years claimed sovereignty over the entire South China Sea, due to which it has not been in good relations with other militaries in the region.
India and Vietnam have recently strengthened their ties, primarily focusing on defence, as both countries are concerned over China claiming their sovereign region as its own.
What’s the South China Sea Dispute?
The South China Sea dispute is a decades-long territorial and maritime dispute involving multiple countries in the region between Southeast Asia and China. It revolves around competing territorial claims over the South China Sea’s water, islands, and reefs.
The countries involved in the dispute are China, Vietnam, Malaysia, Brunei, Philippines, and Taiwan, a country that China claims is part of its own under the one-China policy.
The dispute concerns sovereignty, freedom of navigation, maritime boundaries, marine ecosystem protection and resource access. However, tensions have recently escalated due to Chinese activities like aggressive patrolling, artificial island construction, and military installations.
