Vietnam Defense and News forum

[Viet]

Vietnam plans to launch production of Hyundai Rotem rolling stock​

18 December 2025
Reading time ~ 2 min

Mock-up of the interior of a passenger car from THACO. Source: THACO
Krechetov Dmitry, Editorial Contributor
Yashchenko Olga, Editorial Contributor to International Projects, ROLLINGSTOCK Agency

Vietnam: The South Korean manufacturer and the Vietnamese corporation THACO have signed a strategic partnership agreement, which provides for domestic production of locomotives, metro trains and later HSR trains under the local brand name.

In addition, the partners intend to manufacture equipment and signalling systems as well as organise technical and repair services and infrastructure management.

Under the agreement, THACO will build in Ho Chi Minh City a 786-hectare industrial complex with workshops, a service centre and test tracks. The localisation of production is expected to reduce rolling stock life cycle costs from 20 to 30%.

The partnership is signed in the light of the Vietnamese government’s far-reaching plans for increasing domestic production of rolling stock. In particular, the national operator VNR has previously announced that the infrastructure development between 2030 and 2050 would require 261 locomotives, 1,000 passenger coaches, 7,000 freight cars, 1,500 urban rail cars and also 1,100 cars for high-speed trains. It is worth noting that the country has recently approved the construction of the first North–South HSR line with a design speed of 350 km/h. To implement the project, the government is considering such public finance mechanisms as subsidies and preferential loans.

Passenger coaches and freight cars are currently assembled and overhauled by Vietnamese VNR and Gia Lam Train, a local private railway company. However, there are not yet domestically manufactured locomotives and multiple units in the country. Today, Vietnam operates 258 locomotives, 980 passenger coaches and 4,300 wagons, but the majority of the fleet needs to be decommissioned within a decade.

 

[Viet]

Coming faster than expected
Vinspeed and Siemens plan to start building the southern section Saigon-Can Gio HSR in weeks.

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[Viet]

Vietnam starts work on rail link to China amid infrastructure spending spree​

By Reuters
December 19, 20255:04 AM GMT+1Updated 1 hour ago

A woman walks a path after a snowfall in Lao Cai province, Vietnam, January 11, 2021. REUTERS/Thanh Hue Purchase Licensing Rights, opens new tab

HANOI, Dec 19 (Reuters) - Vietnam on Friday started construction on several large infrastructure projects, including five stations of a railway system linking it with China, the government said. The Southeast Asian manufacturing hub has been ramping up public investments as one of its key drivers of economic growth, which is targeted at above 8% for this year and above 10% in 2026.

The 391 km (243 mile) railway, with a price tag of 203.2 trillion dong ($7.72 billion), will run from the border city of Lao Cai and pass through the capital Hanoi before reaching Haiphong, home to the largest seaport in northern Vietnam, the government said in a statement.

Construction work on the railway tracks will begin late next year, the government said, adding that the entire project will be completed by 2030.

Vietnam said early this year that it would receive loans from the Chinese government for the project.

The railway project is part of a giant spending plan involving 234 infrastructure projects with a combined investment of 3,400 trillion dong ($129.23 billion), 18% of which will be funded by the state while the rest will come from other sources, including the private sector, it said.

 

[Viet]

That’s quick.
“Thanh nien” (the youth) the gov broadcaster
Saigoners can reach the beach of Can Gio in 20 minutes via HSR.
Construction begins this month,
to complete 2028.

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[Viet]

With projects launched on a single day totaling $129 billion Vietnam’s infrastructure spending goes into overdrive.

Vietnam launches $129B infrastructure drive from Long Thanh airport to Phu Quoc metro

Vietnam on Friday morning launched and inaugurated a sweeping package of 234 major infrastructure projects nationwide, marking one of the country’s largest coordinated development drives to date, with total investment exceeding VND3.4 quadrillion (US$129.2 billion).

e.vnexpress.net

 

[Viet]

Code sign “VN1”
Vietnam’s Airforce One

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[Viet]

Why Vietnam’s 6-barrel Gatling gun uses NATO 7.62x51 instead of Russia 7.62x54 ammo?
Russian caliber tends to become jammed at high fire rate 6,000 rounds a minute.
Another aspect, using NATO rounds enables Vietnam to export weapons to the western market.

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[Viet]

With 270,000 the Vietnamese are the fastest growing group of foreigners in South Korea
Seems to be a win win, while Vietnam population is growing, Korean population is collapsing.

Vietnamese lead surge as Korea's foreign resident population hits record-high 1.69 mil. - The Korea Times

Korea’s foreign resident population has climbed to an all-time high, driven by a sharp rise in young migrants and a particularly strong influx from...

www.koreatimes.co.kr

 

[Viet]

Vietnam highway is expected to reach 5,000 km by 2030 or earlier.
if the lane can be made wider to at least 3.75m, similar to Germany autobahn, then allowed speed can be higher or even speed limit can be lifted.

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[Viet]

Vietnam aims to build its own railway industry with US$100bil push​

• VIETNAM
• Friday, 19 Dec 2025
  
  2:09 PM MYT

A train runs on the elevated section of the Nhon–Hanoi urban railway line in Hanoi. — VNA/VNS
HANOI: Vietnam is betting that a new Government decree will help it build its own trains and railway equipment instead of relying on foreign suppliers, opening the door for local companies to compete for major contracts in a US$100 billion infrastructure boom.

Decree 319/2025/NĐ-CP, issued on Dec 12, sets clear rules for which Vietnamese firms can receive technology and manufacturing contracts for the nation's biggest rail projects. It's a major shift from the old approach of relying almost entirely on foreign contractors.

Vietnam aims to build its own railway industry with US$100bil push

HANOI: Vietnam is betting that a new Government decree will help it build its own trains and railway equipment instead of relying on foreign suppliers, opening the door for local companies to compete for major contracts in a US$100 billion infrastructure boom.

www.thestar.com.my

 

[Viet]

Sapa, the place far from modern civilization, most foreigners probably don’t know.

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[Viet]

Good progress
out of 113 countries Vietnamese students rank in the top 10 in the Olympiad international competitions 2025 in
Mathematics, Physics, Chemistry, Informatics, Astrophysics and AI.

 

[Viet]

Red flag on vehicles
An artillery unit (10 towed howitzers 152mm) on the way to the southern front

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[Viet]

Vietnam kicks off construction of Lao Cai-Hanoi-Hai Phong railway​

Source: Xinhua| 2025-12-20 13:26:15|Editor: huaxia

Chinese Ambassador to Vietnam He Wei addresses the ground-breaking ceremony for the first component of the Lao Cai-Hanoi-Hai Phong railway in Lao Cai, Vietnam, Dec. 19, 2025.

Vietnamese authorities on Friday kicked off construction of the first component of the Lao Cai-Hanoi-Hai Phong railway, an important project aimed at enhancing regional connectivity and promoting economic development in northern Vietnam. The railway will span over 390 km of main track, running through six provinces and cities of Lao Cai, Phu Tho, Hanoi, Bac Ninh, Hung Yen, and Hai Phong. (Xinhua/Liu Ying)

LAO CAI, Vietnam, Dec. 20 (Xinhua) -- Vietnamese authorities on Friday kicked off construction of the first component of the Lao Cai-Hanoi-Hai Phong railway, an important project aimed at enhancing regional connectivity and promoting economic development in northern Vietnam.

At the ceremony, Vietnamese Deputy Minister of Construction Nguyen Danh Huy said the project reflects the strong commitment of Vietnam and China to deepening the comprehensive strategic cooperative partnership and accelerating the building of a community with a shared future that carries strategic significance.

The project represents a strategic breakthrough in developing a modern national infrastructure system, and is expected to create new growth momentum for the regions it passes through, he added.

The railway will span over 390 km of main track, running through six provinces and cities of Lao Cai, Phu Tho, Hanoi, Bac Ninh, Hung Yen, and Hai Phong.

Built to standard gauge, the line is designed for both passenger and freight transport, with maximum speeds of up to 160 km per hour on main sections.

Chinese Ambassador to Vietnam He Wei said the project will further break down geographical barriers, significantly enhance cross-border transport capacity, reduce logistics costs, and facilitate economic circulation.

It will enable connectivity of the supply chains between the two countries and provide strong support for economic development, the ambassador said, expressing hope that both sides would advance the project in a scientific, orderly and steady manner.

The first component of the project involves building the infrastructure of stations and station squares along the line. ■

Delegates of China and Vietnam attend the ground-breaking ceremony for the first component of the Lao Cai-Hanoi-Hai Phong railway in Lao Cai, Vietnam, Dec. 19, 2025. Vietnamese authorities on Friday kicked off construction of the first component of the Lao Cai-Hanoi-Hai Phong railway, an important project aimed at enhancing regional connectivity and promoting economic development in northern Vietnam.

The railway will span over 390 km of main track, running through six provinces and cities of Lao Cai, Phu Tho, Hanoi, Bac Ninh, Hung Yen, and Hai Phong. (Xinhua/Liu Ying)

Engineering vehicles are seen at the site of the ground-breaking ceremony for the first component of the Lao Cai-Hanoi-Hai Phong railway in Lao Cai, Vietnam, Dec. 19, 2025. Vietnamese authorities on Friday kicked off construction of the first component of the Lao Cai-Hanoi-Hai Phong railway, an important project aimed at enhancing regional connectivity and promoting economic development in northern Vietnam.

The railway will span over 390 km of main track, running through six provinces and cities of Lao Cai, Phu Tho, Hanoi, Bac Ninh, Hung Yen, and Hai Phong. (Xinhua/Liu Ying)

Excavators operate at the site of the ground-breaking ceremony for the first component of the Lao Cai-Hanoi-Hai Phong railway in Lao Cai, Vietnam, Dec. 19, 2025. Vietnamese authorities on Friday kicked off construction of the first component of the Lao Cai-Hanoi-Hai Phong railway, an important project aimed at enhancing regional connectivity and promoting economic development in northern Vietnam.

The railway will span over 390 km of main track, running through six provinces and cities of Lao Cai, Phu Tho, Hanoi, Bac Ninh, Hung Yen, and Hai Phong. (Xinhua/Liu Ying)

 

[Viet]

Vietnam to Build World’s Second-Largest Stadium​

By: Cokorda Krishna Sadhana, December 20, 2025 3:49 am

Vietnam National Team
In a striking demonstration of national ambition, Vietnam took a decisive step toward positioning itself as a global sporting force on December 19.

At a ceremony in Hanoi that served as the command center for 234 simultaneous project launches nationwide, Prime Minister Pham Minh Chinh and Vingroup Chairman Pham Nhat Vuong officially broke ground on the Olympic Sports Urban Area. Valued at $35.2 billion, the vast development is anchored by the spectacular Trong Dong Stadium—a venue conceived not merely as a sports arena, but as a defining landmark of Vietnam’s “New Era” and a credible future host for the Asian Games and even the Olympic Games.

The stadium itself is a feat of cultural storytelling. Its distinctive circular form and tiered façade are inspired by the ancient Dong Son bronze drums, a powerful symbol of Vietnamese heritage. Flowing architectural lines echo the mythical Lac bird, evoking a nation rising confidently toward a high-tech future. Spanning 73.3 hectares in Thuong Phuc commune, southern Hanoi, the venue is designed to accommodate 135,000 spectators. Once completed, it would become the world’s second-largest stadium, surpassed only by North Korea’s 150,000-capacity Rungrado 1st of May Stadium.