Vietnam is looking to increase the capabilities of its fighter fleet at the expense of an Israeli-made standoff multi-role cruise missile that can strike targets over 250 kilometers away with pinpoint accuracy.
According to Flightglobal, Vietnam is considering a purchase an advanced version of the Israel Military Industries (IMI) Delilah standoff-range air-to-surface missile.
The purchase was discussed between Vietnamese President Tran Dai Quang and IMI chairman Yitzhak Aharonovitch in Hanoi recently.
The missile is designed to target moving and re-locatable targets with a circular error probable (CEP) of 1 metre (3 ft 3 in). Unlike a typical cruise missile, which is locked onto a pre-programmed target prior to launch, the Delilah missile’s unique feature, as claimed by the manufacturer, is being able to “patrol” and surveil an area before a remote navigator identifies the specific target of the attack.
There is the issue of what Vietnamese aircraft would put such a missile to use. Their Su-30MK2 fighter jets could possibly be adapted to employ the missile or Ka-28 helicopters could also be adapted to sport the missile.