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U.S. Ambassador Marc Knapper and U.S. Pacific Air Forces Commander General Kevin B. Schneider joined Air Defense Air
Force (ADAF) Commander Lieutenant General Nguyen Van Hien for the handover of the T-6C Trainer Aircraft.
The delivery of the first T-6C Trainer Aircraft – five of 12 – is a significant milestone in the bilateral defense relationship.

Defense and the U.S. Air Forces been expanding, said Jedidiah P. to build on the recent elevation of
committed to the T-6C trainer air- Royal, principal deputy assistant U.S.-Vietnam relations to a compre-
craft to operationalize and improve secretary of defense for Indo-Pacific hensive strategic partnership.
the ADAF’s pilot training program. Security Affairs.
Recently, Vietnam has also turned
ADAF Commander Lieutenant On Sept. 9, 2023, President Joe to India, Japan and Israel for its
General Nguyen Van Hien said, Biden traveled to Hanoi, where the defence requirements.
“This aircraft is useful materiel two countries took steps to ele-
which supports Vietnamese vate relations to a comprehensive This August, Vietnamese Prime
military pilots in complementing, strategic partnership encompass- Minister Pham Minh Chinh visited
enhancing the capability of train- ing cooperation across a range of India and during a meeting with his
ing, interoperability, meeting the diplomatic, economic and defense Indian counterpart Narendra Modi
requirements of training military industrial endeavors, among others, emphasised that “defence collabo-
pilots, mission readiness, home- said Royal, ration is a very important pillar and
land protection. In the coming industry collaboration should be a
time, Vietnam side commits to A year later, Secretary of Defense priority.”
collaborate with the U.S. side in Lloyd J. Austin III reaffirmed the Indeed, defence industry coop-
United States’ commitment to
exploiting and utilizing T-6C air- continue strengthening ties with eration has emerged as a very
craft in the most effective manner, Vietnam as he met with Vietnamese significant area.
to serve as a basis for the training Defence Minister Gen. Phan Van
and assigning tasks in Vietnam Giang at the Pentagon. The two leaders signed an imple-
Air Defense Air Force”. mentation arrangement for defense
Austin said the U.S. remains industry cooperation, establishing
Defense cooperation and shared focused on overcoming the legacies a framework for future collabo-
security interests in Vietnam have of war as the two countries continue ration. Discussions between the

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