US defence companies in talks to sell helicopters, drones to Vietnam

A military drone is displayed during the Vietnam 2022 International Defence Expo in Hanoi, on Dec 8, 2022. - AFP

HANOI (Reuters): US defence firms have discussed supplying military gear, including helicopters and drones, to Vietnam in talks with top government officials, two sources with knowledge of the dialogue told Reuters, a new sign the country may reduce its reliance on Russian arms.

Lockheed Martin, Boeing, Raytheon, Textron and IM Systems Group met with the officials on the sidelines of the country's first large-scale arms fair last week, according to the US-Asean Business Council, the industry body that arranged the meetings.