HANOI, Nov 2 — United States (US) Defence Secretary Pete Hegseth is set to meet Vietnamese senior officials today as he visits Hanoi amid prolonged talks over Washington's potential supply of military equipment to its former foe, including transport planes and helicopters.
He is expected to arrive in the Vietnamese capital early on Sunday afternoon after a series of meetings in Malaysia with his Asian counterparts, a Vietnamese official briefed on the trip said.
Hegseth was expected to meet Vietnam's Communist Party chief Tô Lâm, President Lương Cường, and Defence Minister Phan Văn Giang.
Talks on US arms supplies are expected to dominate the agenda, according to the official and another Vietnamese source briefed on the matter. Both mentioned Lockheed Martin C-130 Hercules military transport planes among the items to be discussed.
A US official also confirmed C-130s would come up in the talks.
One Vietnamese source said the supply of US helicopters could also be discussed, specifically Lockheed Martin S-92s and Boeing CH-47s.
The three sources declined to be named as the information was not public. They all said it was not clear whether any deal or announcement would be made today. Boeing deferred questions on the matter to the Vietnamese and US governments.
Vietnam's government, the Pentagon, and Lockheed Martin did not respond to requests for comment outside business hours.
Planes, helicopters under discussion
The Southeast Asian country, which relies heavily on Russian weapons, has been looking for years to diversify its arsenal. Talks with the US, which lifted an arms embargo in 2016, gained momentum during the Biden administration but have not yet yielded any formal announcement.
Last year, Reuters reported on discussions to sell C-130 planes to Vietnam's Defence Ministry, and in July on a preliminary deal for two S-92 helicopters, after years of talks with Vietnam's public security forces.
The possible purchase of two or three Chinook helicopters by Vietnam's police was also under discussion, said one of the sources briefed on the matter.
In December, a newspaper controlled by the police said a new airport under development near Hanoi would be suitable for Chinook CH-47D helicopters and other models.
The Chinook was the only aircraft mentioned in the report that is not currently in use by Vietnamese forces.
