India gifts missile corvette INS Kirpan to Vietnam
Recently India has gifted INS Kirpan to Vietnam to boost defense ties with it.
- INS Kirpan is a Khukri class missile corvette. It can perform a variety of roles in coastal and offshore patrolling, coastal security, surface warfare, anti-piracy etc.
- Defense cooperation is considered a part of defense diplomacy. It is an ideal means of furthering national foreign policy objectives.
- This can help in laying the groundwork for friendship on a global scale, preventing conflicts, promoting mutual trust and capabilities, etc.
Importance of defense cooperation in meeting foreign policy goals:
- This will enhance the security of the immediate neighborhood and the Indian Ocean Region (IOR).
- Joint capability to face natural calamities and unrest in neighboring countries will improve.
- Apart from India’s neighboring countries, it will also help in strengthening relations with major global powers and creating a ‘base of friendship’.
- Capabilities of one’s own armed forces can be enhanced by exposure to other nations’ technologies, organizations, doctrines, concepts, etc. Domestic defense industry will get a boost. India currently has defense cooperation agreements with more than 53 countries.
Source – The Hindu
