On November 2, 2025 – Pentagon Chief Pete Hegseth expressed during his visit to Hanoi, the capital of Vietnam, that the United States hopes to establish a closer military relationship with Vietnam. Hegseth’s visit comes at a time when discussions have been ongoing for the possibility of providing military equipment to Vietnam.
This visit by Hegseth coincides with the 30th anniversary of diplomatic relations between the United States and Vietnam, as well as the second anniversary of the elevation of their relationship to a comprehensive strategic partnership. The Pentagon official had meetings with ASEAN defense ministers in Malaysia on Saturday, November 1, before proceeding with his visit to Vietnam on Sunday.
Hegseth stated before meeting with Vietnam’s Defense Minister Phan Van Giang in Hanoi that “a deeper military cooperation will benefit both of our countries.”
He also mentioned that the United States has already delivered three patrol boats and three T-6 training planes to the Vietnam Coast Guard, with plans for further deliveries in the future.
Phan Van Giang hosted a welcome ceremony for Hegseth at the Defense Ministry headquarters, followed by formal discussions between the two parties.
Vietnam has long relied heavily on weapons supplied by Russia and has been seeking to diversify its sources of armaments. The United States lifted its arms embargo on this Southeast Asian nation back in 2016. Negotiations between Vietnam and the United States for weapon supplies have progressed under the Biden administration, but no formal announcements regarding major supplies have been made yet.
In a statement, the Vietnamese Defense Ministry expressed that both the United States and Vietnam have agreed to continue advancing their security cooperation, particularly in defense and related fields.
According to sources familiar with the matter as reported by Reuters, it is expected that the issue of U.S. weapon supplies will be a major topic of discussion during the meeting between defense officials of the United States and Vietnam.
Both parties have mentioned that the Lockheed Martin C-130 Hercules military transport aircraft is among the topics up for discussion. A U.S. official also confirmed that the talks will involve the C-130 transport aircraft.
A Vietnamese source mentioned that the supply of U.S. military helicopters could also be discussed, especially the Lockheed Martin S-92 helicopters and Boeing’s Chinook helicopters.
The governments of Vietnam and the United States, as well as the Pentagon and Lockheed Martin, have not responded to media requests for comments.
Defense Minister Phan Van Giang stated that the visit of the U.S. Secretary of Defense holds great significance as it coincides with the 30th anniversary of diplomatic relations between Vietnam and the United States. He emphasized that it will further enhance the development of the comprehensive strategic partnership and deepen bilateral defense cooperation between the two countries.
Collaboration on post-war issues remains an emotional and political cornerstone of the U.S.-Vietnam relationship. Secretary of Defense Hegseth mentioned that addressing the legacy issues of the Vietnam War “remains the foundation of our defense relations and is the top priority for this administration and the Defense Department.”
Phan Van Giang suggested that the U.S. continue to support the training of high-quality military personnel in Vietnam and the development of cybersecurity capabilities. He also invited U.S. military officers to come to Vietnam to learn Vietnamese and participate in international defense officer courses.
The Vietnamese Defense Minister highly praised the U.S. for sending senior defense officials and advanced equipment to participate in the 2024 Vietnam International Defense Exhibition and invited continued support and participation in the third edition of the event planned to take place by the end of 2026.