Defence Minister Rajnath Singh on Monday left for a two-nation tour beginning with Vietnam where he will hold bilateral talks with his counterpart Phan Van Giang on deepening strategic military cooperation, including likely on the BrahMos supersonic cruise missile deal which is at advance stage of negotiations. He will depart for South Korea on Tuesday and return to Delhi on May 21
Prior to his departure, the Defence Minister said he was looking forward to visiting the two Asian nations to further expand the scope of bilateral engagement. “The focus will be on deepening strategic military cooperation, strengthening defence industrial partnerships, and boosting maritime collaboration, promoting peace and stability in the Indo-Pacific region,” Singh said.
BrahMos Deal
His visit to Hanoi follows Vietnamese President To Lam’s last week’s tour of India, where he met Prime Minister Narendra Modi, Defence Minister Rajnath Singh, apart from others in India. Though there was no official word on it, it is believed progress on BrahMos too figured during the engagement with Singh.
The Defence Minister’s visit to Vietnam marks 10 years of Comprehensive Strategic Partnership between the two nations which was upgraded to Enhanced Comprehensive Strategic Partnership during the two-day state visit of President of Vietnam to India from May 5.
Singh, on his second visit since 2022, will hold bilateral talks with Minister of National Defence of Vietnam General Phan Van Giang, said the Ministry of Defence in a statement.
During his visit to South Korea, Singh will hold bilateral talks with the Minister of National Defence, Republic of Korea, Ahn Gyu-back to review defence cooperation between both the sides and explore new initiatives to further strengthen bilateral engagements. They will also exchange views on regional and global issues of shared interest.
South Korea Talks
Singh will also meet Minister of Defence Acquisition Program Administration (DAPA) Lee, Yong-cheol and chair the India-Korea business roundtable. Both the countries are said to be working towards a third phase of cooperation for joint development of next-generation defense systems, including anti-aircraft guns, missile systems, autonomous platforms and AI. The joint manufacturing of the K9 Vajra-T tracked self-propelled howitzers by Larsen & Toubro and South Korea’s Hanwha Aerospace is one of the examples of smooth defence industrial engagement between the two sides.
The MoD said India’s contribution in the Korean War is one the most profound chapters in history, defined by unwavering commitment to global peace and stability. India’s decision to extend the support was meant to add a healing touch to the war by deploying 60 Parachute Field Ambulance of the Indian Army.
India’s Korean War Contributions
Serving for more than three years, the unit treated over two lakh patients and performed about 2,500 surgeries, in addition to treating a number of civilians.
The second major contribution of India was the Chairmanship of Neutral Nations Repatriation Commission, an Indian proposal to the UN, which was accepted with majority. Accordingly, Custodian Force of India, a 5,230 strong Indian Army contingent undertook peaceful repatriation of almost 2,000 prisoners of war in the post-war phase.
To honour the fallen soldiers, a joint inauguration of the Indian War Memorial with Minister of Patriots and Veterans Affairs Kwon Oh-eul has been planned on May 21.
Published on May 18, 2026