John Cockerill Defense and Vietnam’s Viettel Group Sign Landmark Defense Partnership
A recent ceremony at the French Embassy in Hanoi marked the signing of a landmark partnership between Belgian defense firm John Cockerill Defense and Vietnam’s Viettel Group. This long-term cooperation agreement establishes a framework for the joint development, production, and marketing of advanced land-defense systems. The deal combines Viettel’s strengths in electronics, sensors, and systems integration with John Cockerill’s expertise in weapons and vehicle systems. The signing emphasized the growing strategic ties between the two countries and was witnessed by senior French and Vietnamese officials.
John Cockerill Defense CEO Thierry Renaudin said, “The partnership lays a robust foundation for future development of both Vietnam and France”. Viettel High Technology Industries CEO Nguyen Vu Ha stated that “The cooperation is a critical component of our long-term plan, building on Viettel’s core technologies and its ability to tailor solutions for diverse domestic and international needs”. The signing took place during President Macron’s state visit to Vietnam and highlighted the deal’s diplomatic importance and reinforced Franco–Vietnamese defense ties. Viettel Group is Vietnam’s leading technology and industrial conglomerate that operates in 11 countries. Defense is a strategic focus for Viettel as it has developed a wide range of modern military systems and actively promotes its exports to international markets. John Cockerill Defense is a premier provider of multifunctional vehicle turrets (25–120 mm) and high-mobility combat vehicles. Its weapon systems are renowned for combining superior firepower with a lightweight design to maximize battlefield mobility. The partners aim to capture a larger share of the global market for next-generation land-combat platforms.
The agreement signals a deepening of Euro–Vietnamese defense cooperation. While providing John Cockerill with a strong foothold in Southeast Asia this partnership also supports Viettel’s strategy of leveraging foreign collaborations to enhance its defense export ambitions. The agreement lays a robust foundation for future development in land-defense technology and reflecting both companies’ goals of strengthening defense sovereignty and expanding internationally.