Adm R Hari Kumar, CNS on an official visit to Vietnam will preside Decommissioning followed by Handing Over Ceremony of INSKirpan to VietnamPeople’sNavy VPN, scheduled on 22 Jul 2023 at CamRanh, Vietnam. The transfer of an indigenously built in-service missile corvette, INS Kirpan, from IndianNavy to Vietnam People’s Navy reflects India’s commitment to assist its like-minded partners in enhancing their capacity and capability, and is in consonance with GOI policies of ‘Act East’ and ‘Security and Growth for all in the Region SAGAR’. This is maiden occasion of gifting a fully operational corvette by India to any Friendly Foreign Country. INS Kirpan, an indigenously built Khukriclass Missile Corvette is being handed over to VPN in accordance with Hon’ble RM announcement of gifting an in-service missile corvette to Vietnam on 19 Jun 2023. Towards executing the same, INS Kirpan departed on her final journey under Indian Tricolour from India to Vietnam on 28 Jun 2023 and reached Cam Ranh, Vietnam on 08 Jul 2023. Adm R Hari Kumar would also be visiting Vietnam People’s Navy’s Headquarters at HaiPhong for bilateral interaction with VAdm Tran Thanh Nghiem, CINC, Vietnam People’s Navy and would be calling on Minister of National Defence, Vietnam. The visit of CNS signifies a high level of bilateral defence engagements between IN and VPN, as well as India’s recognition of ‘ASEAN Centrality’ to region.
