U.S. to provide 18 patrol boats to Vietnam

By Toan Dao   May 23, 2016 | 06:10 pm PT
The United States plans to supply several patrol boats to help Vietnam enhance maritime security and safety, the White House said in a statement May 23.

“At Vietnam’s request, we are pursuing providing 18 MetalShark 45-foot patrol boats, as well as training and maritime law enforcement equipment to the country’s Coast Guard,” the White House said, adding that the two countries’ Navies are also working more closely together.

The United States has provided more than $45.7 million since fiscal year 2014 through the State Department’s Foreign Military Financing and law enforcement capacity building programs, according to the statement.

Additional assistance for Vietnam is provided through the Department of Defense’s Cooperative Threat Reduction Program and Maritime Security Initiative (MSI) funding, a regional initiative for which the Department of Defense has committed $425 million over five years, it said.

The U.S. will also help Vietnam develop a peacekeeping training center near Hanoi and provide medical equipment to support Vietnam’s U.N. pledge of a deployable Level II hospital, the White House said.

 
 
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