TSAMTO, September 15. As US Vice President Kamala Harris stated during a recent visit to Hanoi, the Biden administration approved the request of the Vietnamese Coast Guard for the transfer of the third Hamilton-class patrol boat.
According to Jane's Navy International, the Vietnamese Coast Guard currently has two Hamilton-class boats delivered from the US Coast Guard. The first boat, designated CSB-8020, was transferred to Vietnam in May 2017, and the second, CSB-8021, arrived in the country in July 2021.
Both boats were transferred under the" Foreign Assistance Act of 1961 " (Foreign Assistance Act), which allows the transfer of surplus weapons as a grant to friendly foreign states.
According to K. Harris, " Vietnam recently sent a request for the supply of a third boat from the US Coast Guard, and the administration strongly supported this request, as we seek to help Vietnam develop maritime security capabilities."
The Vice President also said that the United States intends to maintain security cooperation, and " the US Navy will maintain a significant presence in the South China Sea to counter Beijing's claims to a number of island territories."
Vietnam's request for the supply of a third boat will still require the approval of the US Congress, but given Washington's current position towards China, it will undoubtedly be received.
K. Harris visited Vietnam as part of her first visit to Southeast Asia since taking office. The tour is seen as part of the Biden administration's efforts to convince the "friendly" countries of the region that Washington remains committed to ensuring the safety and freedom of navigation, primarily in the South China Sea.
As reported by TSAMTO, the ceremony of handing over to the Coast Guard of Vietnam the first boat (WHEC-722) "Morgenthau" withdrawn from the US Coast Guard took place on May 25, 2017. The cost of transferring the boat was about $ 24 million. The deal became possible after the complete lifting of the US embargo on the supply of lethal weapons to the SRV in 2016.
In 2019, Vietnam submitted a request for the supply of another ship of the series. Mark Esper, who headed the US Military Department at that time, announced his consent to the transfer of the boat as part of a visit to Vietnam on November 19-21, 2019. The cost of work on its transfer exceeded $ 27 million. The transferred boat left Seattle (Washington State) On June 1, 2021, and arrived in Vietnam on July 23.
