It is expected that India will offer a range of military equipment to Vietnam including the BrahMos missile and Varunastra anti-submarine torpedo. Vietnam had earlier expressed interest in the naval version of the BrahMos. While, India expects to open the window for the sale of the first homegrown heavyweight anti-submarine torpedo Varunastra. India had earlier announced a credit line of USD100 million during President Pranab Mukherjee's visit to Vietnam for procurement of off-shore patrol boats.
Experts see this visit as a counterstroke to China's policy of arming India's rival Pakistan for decades. Bharat Karnad, former member of India's National Security Council and security analyst, told Sputnik, "India should not only equip Vietnam with the Brahmos supersonic cruise missile but also transfer to Hanoi the 700 km Agni-1 medium-range ballistic missile; but suitably disguised as falling within the MTCR-mandated 300 km range restrictions. China has already done its worst. It is time for India to reciprocate amply in equal measure."
Karnad says, "The tragedy is that the Indian government has taken so long to realize the strategic value of responding to China in kind as a tit-for-tat measure against its nuclear missile arming Pakistan. I have long argued that if India lacks the stomach for a fight with China, as seems to be the case, then India's national interest is best served by arming to the hilt Vietnam, the only country that despite comprehensive disparity with China, has repeatedly shown the guts and the gumption to take on the Chinese military."
Meawnwhile, India's space agency ISRO is already working towards the establishment of a Satellite Tracking & Data Reception Station and Data Processing Facility in Vietnam for ASEAN member countries. This station will cover the entire region of ASEAN including the South China Sea. During Modi's visit, it is also expected that both countries will agree to upgrade all the military equipment like the T-54, T-55 and helicopters.
