Singapore and Vietnam enjoy a warm and friendly defence relationship. There are regular exchanges between both defence ministries and the armed forces.

Defence Cooperation Agreement (DCA)

In 2009, the Ministry of Defence (MINDEF) of the Republic of Singapore and the Ministry of National Defence (MoND) of the Socialist Republic of Vietnam signed an Agreement between the Government of the Republic of Singapore and the Government of the Socialist Republic of Viet Nam on Bilateral Defence Cooperation ("DCA"). The DCA served as a framework for both countries to formalise existing interactions and promote new areas of cooperation.

The signing of the renewed DCA on 25 February 2022 reflects our mutual commitment to enhance defence ties. Under the renewed DCA, both sides commit to (a) conducting regular policy dialogues, exchanges and Track 1.5 seminars; (b) enhancing cooperation and promoting closer interaction between the SAF and the Vietnam People's Army (VPA); and (c) cooperating in areas of mutual interest such as military medicine, counter-terrorism, humanitarian assistance and disaster relief (HADR) and search and rescue.

Bilateral Defence Cooperation

MINDEF/SAF and the MOND/VPA have had regular interactions throughout the years, which continued despite the disruptions caused by the COVID-19 pandemic.

There are high-level policy dialogues where key officials from both defence establishments exchange views on defence and security issues of mutual interest. The SAF and VPA also cooperate through training assistance, port calls, and professional exchanges in areas such as submarine rescue and HADR. Of note, the RSS Endurance was the first foreign navy ship to call into Cam Ranh International Port in 2016. Vietnam has also regularly accredited an International Liaison Officer to the RSN's Information Fusion Centre (IFC) and Changi Regional HADR Coordination Centre (RHCC). The renewed DCA provides a foundation for both sides to deepen these areas of cooperation.