In a recently released video by the Vietnamese armed forces, the 490th Brigade of the Vietnam People’s Army can be seen participating in a training exercise involving the deployment of Scud tactical ballistic missiles. Vietnam is currently working with international partners to enhance the capabilities of its Soviet-era Scud missile systems, focusing on extending their range and reducing the Circular Error Probable (CEP) to increase accuracy.
The Vietnamese armed forces, also known as the Vietnam People’s Army, have been reported to possess Scud B and Scud C short-range ballistic missiles. The Scud missiles were likely acquired from the Soviet Union or Russia, given their historical military relationship. According to our source, the Vietnamese armed forces have an undisclosed number of Soviet-made conventional 9K72/9K77 tactical ballistic missiles, NATO reporting names RS-SS-1C/D Scud B/C.
Although there is limited public information on the specific details of the Vietnamese Scud missile inventory, it is known that Vietnam has been focusing on modernizing its armed forces and improving its missile capabilities. The Scud missiles in the Vietnamese armed forces would provide a tactical ballistic missile capability that could be employed in various regional defense scenarios.
As with other countries that possess Scud missiles, the presence of these systems in Vietnam raises concerns due to their proliferation and potential to carry weapons of mass destruction. However, Vietnam has been participating in various international arms control and nonproliferation initiatives, which may mitigate some of these concerns.
The 9K72 missile, also known as the R-17 Elbrus or the Scud B, is a short-range, road-mobile, tactical ballistic missile system developed by the Soviet Union in the early 1960s. It was an improved version of the earlier R-11 (Scud A) missile system and was widely exported to various countries, including several in the Middle East, Asia and North Africa.