Thayer Vietnam To Stand Up UAV Reconnaissance Unit
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Carlyle Alan ThayerThayer Vietnam To Stand Up UAV Reconnaissance Unit
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Carlyle Alan ThayerThayer Consultancy Background Brief:
ABN # 65 648 097 123
Vietnam to Stand Up UAV
Reconnaissance Unit
Carlyle A. Thayer
May 15, 2021
Vietnam’s Ministry of National Defence is reportedly considering creating a specialised
unit to oversee the deployment of Unmanned Aerial Vehicles (UAE) for intelligence,
surveillance and reconnaissance. We request your evaluation of this development.
Q1. What progress has Vietnam made in developing domestically produced UAVs for
military purposes?
ANSWER: Domestic Production1
In 1993, several Vietnam People’s Army research institutions commenced research
and development of Unmanned Aerial Vehicle (UAV) targets for air defence training.
In was only in 2001, however, that Vietnam began to produce a variety of small civilian
and military UAVs integrated with modern technology. Three institutions were at the
forefront of producing locally build drones – Viettel Group, HT1 and Vietnam
Aerospace Association (VASA).
In 2008, Vietnam began to research, design and build an indigenous UAV.
In 2011, Vietnam began producing a number of UAVs for civilian purposes, such as
scientific research, environmental survey, and foreign fire prevention.
In 2012, the Vietnam Aerospace Association and the Swedish Unmanned Group
collaborated to build two Magic Eye 1 UAVs. The Vietnam Aerospace Association also
teamed up with Russia’s Irkut Engineering to develop a small 100 kg UAV for civilian
purposes.
In May 2013, Vietnam flight-tested six indigenously built drones. These were mainly
short- and medium-range UAVs equipped with high-definition long-range infrared
cameras and target detection sensors. For the first time, UAVs were produced for
military use such as air defence training, surveillance and reconnaissance, search and
rescue, and land border and maritime patrols.
1
This Background Brief borrows from Tran Viet Thai, “Proliferated Drones: A Perspective on Vietnam,”
Center for a New American Security, Washington, D.C., June 2016. 1-8.
http://drones.cnas.org/reports/a-perspective-on-vietnam/.
2
It was only in November-December 2015, with design assistance from Belarus, that
Vietnam was able to successfully produce its first high-altitude long-endurance UAV,
the HS-6L. This prototype was a joint project of Vietnam’s Academy of Science and
Industry and the Ministry of Public Security. The largest HS-6L is unarmed and
equipped with optical and radar surveillance systems. It has a range of 4,000
kilometres and endurance of up to thirty-five hours. The HS-6L is designed and
equipped for civilian use such as communication, exploration of natural resources, and
maritime search and rescue.
In 2020, it was reported that Vietnam was experimenting with converting its
decommissioned MiG-21 aircraft into unmanned target drones. That same year,
Viettel displayed a mock-up medium-size single-engine twin-boom design military
UAV at a defence exhibition. The mock-up was fitted with air-to-surface missiles
providing a hint of future development. In the short-term Vietnam’s UAVs will likely
be equipped to carry out Intelligence, Surveillance and Reconnaissance (ISR) missions.
Q2. What foreign countries have or are likely to assist Vietnam develop its own UAE
unit?
ANSWER: Three countries have assisted Vietnam – Israel, Belarus and the United
States.
Israel. In 2014-15, Vietnam placed an order with Israel’s Aeronautics Defense Systems
for the for the procurement of Obiter-2 and Obiter-3 UAVs to assist in targeting for its
coastal artillery and missile defence systems. Vietnam also entered into discussions
with prospective Israeli partners to develop and produce military UAVs in Vietnam
under a technology transfer agreement.
In 2020, Vietnam placed an additional order for the acquisition of Orbiter 2 and Orbiter
3 UAVs to be used as forward observation platforms for its Artillery Corps. The Orbiter
3 can carry a payload of 5.5 kg, fly at a speed of 55-130 km/h at an altitude of 5,486
metres for seven hours.
In 2018, Vietnam ordered a suit of three Heron 1 TP UAVs and related ground station
at a cost of between $140-$160 million. The Heron 1 TP is a long-duration, medium
altitude reconnaissance and surveillance platform. The Heron can carry a payload of
250 kg, fly at a speed of 205 km/h at an altitude of 10,700 metres for forty-five hours.
Delivery has been delayed to 2021 due to the coronavirus pandemic.
Belarus. In 2014-15, Vietnam took delivery of several Grif-K tactical drones from
Belarus. The Grif-K has a wingspan of 5.7 metres, a maximum take-off weight of 120
kg and a payload of 25 kg.
United States. In 2019, Vietnam ordered six ScanEagle UAVs under the U.S. Maritime
Security Initiative. The ScanEagle system comprises several remotely piloted aircraft
controlled from a ground station. The ScanEagle is launched from a pneumatic
catapult either from land or sea where it can be recovered with a Skyhook.
The ScanEagle carries one primary modular payload that can be quickly replaced with
other modules to suit the mission such as primary electro optical and infrared
payloads. Other payloads include Visual Detection and Ranging (VIDAR), maritime
Automatic Identification System (AIS), and Identification Friend and Foe (IFF).
3
The six ScanEagles are expected to be delivered to the Vietnam Coast Guard in 2022.
Conclusion
The report that Vietnam’s Ministry of National Defence is mulling the creation of a
UAV force for ISR would appear to be a natural progression resulting from domestic
research and development combined with the import of foreign technology and
assistance over the last decade. The acquisition of the ScanEagle UAVs from the United
States will be a major step forward in technology.
Vietnam has an extended coastline facing the South China Sea that gives rise to a need
to monitor what is going on in its Exclusive Economic Zone. A dedicated UAV force
would have responsibility for training, maintenance, operations, and data collection,
analysis and dissemination by specialised ground stations.
It remains to be seen if Vietnam will enter into cooperative agreements with Israeli or
American companies for the transfer of technology and co-production in Vietnam.
Suggested citation: Carlyle A. Thayer, “Vietnam to Stand Up UAV Reconnaissance
Unit,” Thayer Consultancy Background Brief, May 15, 2021. All background briefs are
posted on Scribd.com (search for Thayer). To remove yourself from the mailing list
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Thayer Consultancy provides political analysis of current regional security issues and
other research support to selected clients. Thayer Consultancy was officially
registered as a small business in Australia in 2002.
4
Grif-K Orbiter 2 Orbiter 3 Heron 1 TP ScanEagle
Country Belarus Israel Israel Israel U.S.
Endurance 6-7 hours 7 hours 45 hours 24 hours
Range 150 km 350 km
Payload 25 kg 5.5kg 250 kg 3.4 kg
Max Speed 130 km/h 205 km/h 148 km/h
Ceiling 5,486 m 10,700 m 5,944 m
Take off 120 kg 30 kg 1,200 kg 22 kg
weight
Wing span (l) 5.7 m 4.4 m 16.5 m 31 m
Length – – 1.6m
5
Country Unmanned Aerial Vehicles
Naval Aviation: ISR Heavy BZK-005; Medium BZK-007; Air Force: ISR UAV 2
China bde with GJ-1; GJ-2; Air Defence: CISR • Heavy 12+ GJ-1; GJ-2; GJ-11 (in test)
ISR • Heavy 14+: 12+ EA-03; 2+ WZ-8;
Japan
Army: ISR • Medium 25: 13 Nishant; 12 Searcher Mk I/II; Naval Aviation: ISR
India 10: Heavy 4 Heron; Medium 6 Searcher Mk II; Air Force: ISR 5 sqn with Heron;
Searcher MkII; ISR • Heavy 9 Heron; Medium some Searcher MkII
Army: ISR • Light Mastiff III; Naval Aviation: 1 bn with Chung Shyang II and
Taiwan ISR • Medium ε28 Chung Shyang II;
Brunei
Cambodia
Air Force: Aerostar ISR UAV 1 sqn with Aerostar, UAV CISR • Heavy CH-4B (in
Indonesia test), ISR • Medium
Laos
Malaysia
Air Force: CISR • Heavy 4 CH-3
Myanmar
Army: ISR • Medium Blue Horizon; Air Force: ISR • Medium 5: 2 Blue Horizon
Philippines II; 3 Hermes 900
Army: ISR • Light Skylark, Air Force: 1 sqn with Hermes 450 2 sqn with Heron,
Singapore Air Defence: ISR 17+: Heavy 8+ Heron 1; Medium 9+ Hermes 450
Army: 1 UAV bn with Hermes 450; Searcher II, ISR • Medium 4+: 4 Hermes
Thailand 450; Searcher; Searcher II; Air Force: ISR • Light U-1
Vietnam