Vietnam bolstering Spratlys firepower

Robert Karniol, Defence Writer

With an eye apparently fixed on strengthening its defensive posture in the disputed Spratly Islands, Vietnam is in the final stages of negotiating the purchase from Israel of a new short-range ballistic missile (SRBM) system. The deal, sources told The Straits Times, could be concluded by the end of this month - and would be Israel's first sale to Vietnam of a lethal system.

The SRBM under discussion is called the Extended Range Artillery Munition, or Extra. It was jointly developed by Israel Military Industries and the MLM Systems Division of Israel Aircraft Industries (IAI), and was publicly unveiled at the 2005 Paris Air Show.

'Extra munitions have a range in excess of 150km and carry a 125kg warhead,' IAI states on its website, adding that they have a circular error of probability (CEP) of about 10m.

CEP is a measure of precision, indicating the radius within which a projectile is likely to strike at least half the time. Standard American 155mm artillery shells reportedly have a CEP of 200m to 300m at moderate ranges.

'Extra is capable of being launched from multiple platforms... (and) is packed in a four-unit pod configuration for land-based launches. It can be installed on a high-mobility truck or in a fixed installation,' IAI further notes.

The Vietnam People's Army (VPA) Navy is looking at a land-based version that would target approaching ships. This reflects two recent trends: advances in artillery capabilities, and a renewed jostling over contested areas of the South China Sea.

The pioneering Canadian engineer Gerald Bull, who was killed under mysterious circumstances in 1990, worked from the 1960s to produce a 'super gun' for cost-effective space launches. More recent developments in field artillery have been somewhat less ambitious, with much of the progress centred on extended range munitions and the introduction of guidance systems.

The impact of extended range munitions is evident with the FH2000 155mm/52-calibre field howitzer and Pegasus 155mm/39-calibre lightweight howitzer, both from Singapore Technologies Kinetics. Each has a normal range of 19km using a standard M107 projectile, but this is increased to 40km and 30km, respectively, with an extended range round.

Extra is at a different level altogether but it is hardly unique. The United States-made Army Tactical Missile System and Israel's Long Range Artillery rocket can fire to a range of 300km with a CEP of around 10m, while the Iskander system from Russia can reach 400km and has a CEP of 5m to 7m.

Effectiveness also involves cost and destructive power. Vietnam's price for an Extra projectile is not yet known but its destructive power is greater than Singapore's US-made High Mobility Artillery Rocket System, or Himars. The Extra has a 125kg warhead and the Himars a 90kg warhead on its most advanced projectile, the M31.

Vietnam's proposed acquisition of the Extra system is particularly noteworthy in that it is geared to bolster the 27,000-strong naval infantry force, whose roles include the defence of outlying islands. This supplements other force modernisation initiatives with a maritime focus, including an order from Russia for six Kilo-class patrol submarines, and from Canada for three DHC-6 Series 400 amphibious aircraft for maritime patrol (plus three more for utility purposes).

A contract concluded with Moscow last December for 12 Sukhoi Su-30MKK fighter aircraft also has a maritime dimension as these can carry sophisticated anti-ship missiles.

Hanoi is looking to update an ageing inventory of military platforms and systems. But if that is the over-arching strategic objective, it involves the disputed Spratly Islands.

The Spratlys archipelago is described by Wikipedia as 'less than 4 sq km of land area spread over more than 425,000 sq km of sea'. Sovereignty over this vast area is disputed in whole or in part by six parties - Brunei, China, Malaysia, the Philippines, Taiwan and Vietnam. But the potentially most combustible contest is between Beijing and Hanoi.

The region has seen sporadic incidents and a few clashes. Though calm for some years, with an informal code of conduct signed in 2002 by Asean and China, tensions have more recently begun to simmer. A year ago, China submitted a claim to some 80 per cent of the South China Sea under the United Nations Law of the Sea Convention. Beijing subsequently seized several Vietnamese fishing boats, including an incident earlier this month.

This environment is clearly influencing Hanoi's force modernisation. But, more encouragingly, Vietnam's assumption this year of the Asean chairmanship suggests it could lead a push for some sort of political accommodation.