Boeing, Lockheed Martin Attend Vietnamese Arms Symposium

Relax Vets, it’s just business.

Next week President Obama will visit Vietnam. Shortly thereafter, he will likely lift the arms embargo on Vietnam, because that’s what Barry does.

Then, Boeing, Lockheed and maybe Raytheon will ink arms contract with our former mortal enemy, amounting to billions of dollars.

This reminds me of Iron Man the movie, when Stark’s partner was inking fucked up arms deals in secrecy, only in real life.

Vietnam has been in talks with Western and U.S. arms manufacturers for several years now to boost its fleets of fighter jets, helicopters and maritime patrol aircraft, although Russia, its traditional supplier, maintains a dominant position.

Industry sources say Hanoi is keen on U.S. weapons yet wary of the threat of a future embargo even if the current one ends. The countries do have a common concern in China, however, whose assertiveness in the South China Sea has alarmed Washington.
Obama is due to start his Vietnam visit on May 22, the first by a U.S. president in a decade, underlining the rapidly warming relationship between the countries at a time of testy ties and growing mistrust between Hanoi and Beijing, which have competing claims to the Paracel and Spratly islands.

MODERNIZATION NEEDS

A spokesman for Lockheed Martin confirmed the company was attending the Hanoi event.

Boeing is also attending, although the firm made it clear it was not in contravention of the embargo.

“I would like to point out that any defense-related sales to Vietnam will follow development of U.S. government policy on Vietnam,” a spokesman said.

“We believe Boeing has capabilities in mobility and intelligence surveillance and reconnaissance platforms that may meet Vietnam’s modernization needs.”

They need modernization.

The fucked up communist nation of Vietnam, where untold human rights atrocities have taken place over the decades since the Vietnam War, has increased military spending to the tune of 700% in recent years, coinciding with their emergence onto the world stage as preferred slave factory locale for scores of western tech and textile corporations.