Special Report: Vietnam displays new military equipment in Hanoi parade

VPA BMP-2 IFVs displayed during Vietnam's military parade in Hanoi on 2 September to mark the country's 80th National Day. (Nhac Nguyen/AFP via Getty Images)

Vietnam showcased a series of locally developed new military equipment at its 80th National Day parade held on 2 September in Hanoi.

These systems, all of which are likely in service with the Vietnam People's Armed Forces, included the XTC-02 armoured personnel carrier (APC), the XCB-01 infantry fighting vehicle (IFV), the VCS-01 Truong Son coastal defence missile system, and VU-C2 loitering munition.

Vietnam's display of these locally developed systems is closely aligned with the country's aim – outlined in its 2019 defence white paper – to modernise its armed forces and reduce dependency on foreign suppliers. Vietnam's traditional supplier of military equipment is Russia.

Armoured vehicles

At the parade, the Vietnam People's Army (VPA) unveiled its XTC-02 4×4 APC, developed and built by the country's General Department of Defence Industry (GDDI). Vietnam.vn, the government's information service, said the XTC-02 has a length of 7.2 m, a width of 2.7 m, and a height of 2.2 m. The vehicle features a 12.7 mm anti-aircraft machine gun and a 7.62 mm heavy machine gun. The XTC-02 has a top speed of 95 km/h on land, 12 km/h on water, and an operational range of 800 km, Vietnam.vn said.

The tracked XCB-01 IFV was unveiled at the Vietnam International Defence Expo (VIDEX) 2024 held in Hanoi in December. The XCB-01 – built by the GDDI's Factory Z189 and based on the Soviet-era BMP-1 IFV – is fitted with a 73 mm smoothbore gun with a semi-automatic reloading system, a 7.62 mm PKT machine gun, a B72 anti-tank missile launcher, and a 12.7 mm anti-aircraft machine gun.