Vietnam Coast Guard ship CSB 8002 has arrived in Chennai for Sahyog HOP TAC, strengthening maritime cooperation, law enforcement and pollution response between both countries….reports India Daily News Desk
A Vietnamese Coast Guard ship has arrived in Chennai for the second edition of the joint exercise Sahyog HOP TAC, as India and Vietnam continue to deepen cooperation in maritime security and law enforcement.
The visit includes the Vietnamese Coast Guard Ship CSB 8002 and a six-member delegation from the Vietnam Coast Guard. The engagement is aimed at strengthening operational coordination and professional ties between the Vietnamese Coast Guard and the Indian Coast Guard.
The Indian Coast Guard said the exercise will provide an opportunity for both sides to exchange expertise and share best practices in areas including maritime pollution response and maritime law enforcement.
In a post on X, the Indian Coast Guard said the visit would also coincide with the seventh India-Vietnam Coast Guard High-Level Meeting in Chennai.
The Indian Coast Guard said the second edition of Sahyog HOP TAC would “strengthen operational cooperation” through professional exchanges and the sharing of experience in marine pollution response and maritime law enforcement.
The exercise comes amid a wider expansion of defence and security engagement between New Delhi and Hanoi, with both countries seeking to strengthen cooperation across military, maritime and strategic domains.
The latest Coast Guard engagement follows a visit to India by a five-member delegation from the Vietnam People’s Army, led by Major General Do Minh Xuong, Director of the Vietnam Army Academy.
The delegation visited Mhow from August 17 to 20, according to the Embassy of India in Vietnam. During the visit, the Vietnamese delegation explored modern artificial intelligence and quantum computing laboratories, advanced weapon systems and contemporary tactical training methods.
The visit was seen as another step in expanding defence cooperation between the two countries, with an emphasis on mutual learning, professional training and capacity building.
The two sides have also stepped up high-level military dialogue.
Earlier this month, Chief of the Air Staff Air Chief Marshal A P Singh visited Hanoi, where he held discussions with senior Vietnamese military leadership.
During his interactions with General Nguyen Tan Cuong, Chief of the General Staff of the Vietnam People’s Army and Deputy Minister of National Defence, the two military leaders reiterated their commitment to strengthening defence cooperation under the India-Vietnam Enhanced Comprehensive Strategic Partnership.
They also discussed international and regional security developments and issues of common interest.
India and Vietnam have traditionally maintained close relations, with their partnership elevated to an Enhanced Comprehensive Strategic Partnership. Defence and security cooperation remains one of the key pillars of the relationship.
Bilateral military engagement has expanded considerably in recent years, moving beyond high-level exchanges to include military-to-military dialogue, training, capacity building and cooperation involving different branches of the armed forces.
Maritime security has become an increasingly important component of the partnership, given the two countries’ shared interest in maintaining a secure and stable maritime environment and strengthening cooperation between their maritime agencies.
The Sahyog HOP TAC exercise provides a practical platform for the Indian and Vietnamese Coast Guards to build operational familiarity while exchanging knowledge on maritime law enforcement and emergency response.
Marine pollution response is another significant area of cooperation, with both sides able to share operational practices for dealing with incidents that could affect coastal and marine environments.
The arrival of CSB 8002 in Chennai therefore adds a maritime dimension to a series of recent defence engagements between India and Vietnam.
The sequence of Coast Guard, army and air force interactions reflects the increasingly broad-based nature of security cooperation between the two countries.
As India and Vietnam continue to strengthen their Enhanced Comprehensive Strategic Partnership, officials from both sides are placing greater emphasis on practical cooperation, professional exchanges and joint capacity building across the defence and maritime sectors.
