Japan, Vietnam exploring joint work on ‘fast landing craft’

WASHINGTON — The governments of Japan and Vietnam revealed this week that they’re in discussions to potentially launch a joint project to build new fast landing vessels.

The defense chiefs for both nations met in Japan where they “agreed to commence discussions toward realizing concrete cooperation, including the possibility of the joint development and production of fast landing craft,” according to a readout from the Japanese Ministry of Defense published Wednesday.

“They also concurred on further strengthening these efforts by promoting defense industrial cooperation among other areas,” the readout said.

Japanese Defense Minister Shinjiro Koizumi offered a few — but only a few — more details about the potential project in a press conference today, according to Naval News. The outlet reported that Koizumi described the envisioned vessels as essentially littoral transport ships that could quickly get personnel and supplies from larger ships at sea to shore.

Beyond that, however, specifics were scarse. The Japanese readout described the potential ship deal in the context of strengthening “efforts in defense equipment and technology cooperation.”

The naval cooperation comes amid tightening ties between Tokyo and Hanoi, including the elevation of relations to a “comprehensive strategic partnership” in 2023.

“Vietnam’s importance to Japan has grown in recent years, spanning economics, politics, and security,” Shoji Tomotaka, director of the Department of Asia Studies at Japan’s National Institute for Defense Studies, wrote for The Diplomat earlier this month. “As Vietnam grows its regional influence within ASEAN, closer ties are central to Japan’s Southeast Asian strategy. Both countries also face Chinese maritime pressure — Japan in the East China Sea, Vietnam in the South China Sea — and that shared strategic outlook reinforces the partnership.”