Vietnam Receives First U.S.-Supplied Military Aircraft, Beechcraft T-6C Texan II

(DEFENCE SECURITY ASIA) – Vietnam has received five Beechcraft T-6C Texan II military trainer aircraft, marking the first military planes supplied by the United States to the Southeast Asian nation, which once fought a war against it in the 1970s.

The training aircraft reportedly arrived at Tan Son Nhat Airport in Ho Chi Minh City, according to witnesses cited by Radio Free Asia.

One witness, who requested anonymity due to the sensitivity of the issue, said he saw five training aircraft painted with Vietnamese air force markings at the civilian airport. The planes are expected to be moved to a military airbase soon.

Flight tracking website Flightradar24 reported that the first trainer landed at midday Monday after a nearly two-hour flight from Don Mueang Airport in Bangkok, where it had made a stopover.

The Beechcraft T-6 Texan II, a single-engine turboprop aircraft manufactured by Textron Aviation, is widely used for pilot training, particularly for those transitioning to U.S. fighter jets such as the F-16.

Vietnam’s acquisition of these trainers has sparked speculation about potential future purchases of F-16s as part of efforts to modernize its air force, which has traditionally relied on Soviet-made equipment.

According to the manufacturer, the T-6 Texan II is a next-generation military trainer designed for all levels of instruction.

Vietnam reportedly ordered 12 T-6C Texan II aircraft, the export variant of the T-6, in 2021.

Observers have described the deal as a significant milestone since the end of the Vietnam War.

The U.S. lifted its embargo on lethal arms sales to Vietnam in 2016.

At Vietnam’s inaugural defense expo in December 2022, then U.S. Ambassador Marc Knapper expressed Washington’s intent to support Hanoi’s efforts to globalize, diversify, and modernize its armed forces.

Brigadier General Sarah Russ of the U.S. Pacific Air Forces (PACAF) told Vietnamese media at the time that the training aircraft would be delivered between 2024 and 2027.

“The arrival of the Beechcraft aircraft represents a small but important step forward in Vietnam-U.S. defense relations,” said Ian Storey, a senior fellow at Singapore’s ISEAS-Yusof Ishak Institute.

“However, it remains uncertain whether Vietnam will acquire fighter jets such as the F-16 from the U.S. or continue to rely on more trusted partners like Russia,” he added.

“Advanced U.S. aircraft like the F-35 are well beyond Vietnam’s budget.”

Media reports have previously suggested Vietnam’s interest in procuring F-16s, but negotiations with the U.S. have stalled due to concerns about how such a deal might affect Hanoi’s relationships with other nations, including China.

According to Reuters, Vietnam also fears the U.S. might not supply missiles for the F-16s if purchased.

Vietnam and China have long-standing disputes over the South China Sea.

Hanoi is wary of potential reactions from both China and Russia—its long-standing defense supplier—should it acquire F-16s.

In September last year, the U.S. was reportedly in talks with Vietnam to finalize its largest arms deal with the country since the war ended nearly 50 years ago.

Those discussions followed a historic visit to Hanoi by U.S. President Joe Biden.

The five T-6C Texan II aircraft left the U.S. earlier this month, flying through Europe and the Middle East before reaching Vietnam, according to Flightradar24.

A Vietnamese military source confirmed that the aircraft would be stationed with the 920 Regiment at Phan Thiet Military Airport in central Binh Thuan province.

Since the Vietnam War’s conclusion, the Vietnamese air force has operated several Western aircraft seized from South Vietnam’s military. However, the T-6C Texan II marks Vietnam’s first direct purchase of military aircraft from the U.S. – DSA