Vietnamese warship joins ASEAN+ naval exercise in Singapore

The drill was held within the framework of the ASEAN Defense Ministers’ Meeting Plus, and on its completion on Sunday the frigate docked at Changi Naval Base in preparation for its participation in the 2019 International Maritime Defense Exhibition Asia.

The exercise had involved, besides Vietnam, Singapore, Australia, Indonesia, the Philippines, Thailand, Brunei, China, Japan, South Korea, the U.S., and India.

The HQ-016 Quang Trung's crew took part in a formation maneuver for aerial photography and information sharing on suspicious targets and logistics at sea, giving its crew the opportunity to hold exchanges and enhance their interoperability with other countries' navies.

The vessel also carried out patrolling and scouting operations and joined long-distance seafaring training, inspected the status of its weaponry and equipment and enhanced the command and combat capability of its crew.

The HQ-016 Quang Trung is a Russian-built, Gepard-class frigate commissioned in February 2018. It is equipped with modern armaments, multiple cloaking technologies and electronic jamming and electronic warfare systems.

Its main armaments include eight 3M24E anti-ship missiles with an operational range of 130 kilometers (70 nautical miles), a 76.2 mm AK-176MA naval gun, a Palma air defense missile and gun system, two AK-630M point-defense guns and four 533 mm torpedo tubes.

It is also capable of carrying a Ka-28 helicopter to enhance its ability to detect and destroy enemy submarines.