Media: Vietnam Finalizes Deal to Acquire at Least 24 F-16 Fighter Jets

Vietnam has reached an agreement to purchase at least 24 American-made F-16 fighter jets.

The deal, as reported by 19FortyFive citing its sources, comes after extensive negotiations between the governments of both nations.

The exact number has not been disclosed yet, but the purchase is expected to include at least 24 combat aircraft.

The publication notes that if the F-16s’ acquisition is combined with other platforms that Vietnam is interested in purchasing from the U.S., it could lead to the largest defense deal between the two countries.

Discussions about the sale of F-16s to Vietnam have been ongoing since 2016, when the United States lifted the arms embargo on Hanoi. The acquisition of new American fighter jets could impact Vietnam’s relations with other countries in the region, particularly China.

One of the key reasons driving the F-16s’ purchase is the increasing challenges faced by the Vietnamese Air Force in operating its Russian-made Su-27 and Su-30 fighter aircraft. The main issue is that these fighter jets are approaching the end of their warranty period.

“When the Vietnam People’s Air Force turned to the Russians for help with servicing their aircraft, the representatives of Rosoboronexport and Sukhoi stated that they were unwilling to continue supporting the platforms without large upfront payments,” the publication reported.

Vietnam is reluctant to make payments because it is not confident that it will receive all the services. Hanoi is also concerned about making payments to Russia due to fears over the U.S. and EU sanctions policies.

Vietnamese officials have emphasized that the approval of the F-16s’ sale by the U.S. Congress could’ve been challenging.

“Hanoi is also concerned that modern air-to-air missiles for the F-16, such as the AIM-120 AMRAAM, may not receive approval for sale to Vietnam,” 19FortyFive reports.

Another complicating factor is that there are very few affordable older models of the F-16 available. Therefore, Vietnam will likely need to order the newer F-16V model, which comes at a significantly higher cost. However, it is noted that the United States might take steps to assist Hanoi in financing the F-16s’ purchase.