Vietnam held a ceremony on Monday to launch two domestically-made guided missile corvettes.

Two Molniya-class guided missile ships, built by Ba Son Shipbuilding Company under the General Department of Military Industry, were launched during the ceremony that took place at the base of the 2nd Regional Command of the Vietnam People’s Navy.

The vessels will be added to the fleet of Brigade 167.

The event was attended by representatives of the Consulate General of Russia in Ho Chi Minh City and the business partners of Ba Son Company from Russia.

Employees of Ba Son Shipbuilding Company, the builder of the two vessels, were present at the launching ceremony. Photo: Tuoi Tre

“The ships are the assets of our people. All officers train hard to protect the vessels and defend the national flag,” Rear Admiral Hoang Hong Ha, deputy commander of the Vietnam People’s Navy, said during the ceremony. 

The two vessels will help strengthen the country’s ability to manage and defend its maritime sovereignty, and raise the strength of its naval force, he added.

These are the fifth and sixth Molniya-class ships that Vietnam has built itself rather than bought from Russia as in the past.

Naval officials and sailors at the ceremony. Photo: Tuoi Tre

The manufacture of the locally-made vessels was initiated on October 15, 2013.

On June 24, 2014, the first pair of the guided missile corvettes were given to the People’s Navy.

Each of the ships costs approximately VND3 trillion (US$131.7 million), and are a milestone in Vietnam’s shipbuilding history.

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