France, Israel, Vietnam
French embassy pushing Airbus for new Vietnam spy satellite despite bumpy past

Vietnam
Hanoi's public security ministry sets out requirements for future airborne unit

US company Sikorsky is leading the race to supply Vietnam's Ministry of Public Security with its first helicopters, but Hanoi is also in talks with other manufacturers.

France, Vietnam
Vietnamese public security ministry modernises with Safran's Patroller drones

The Elysée Palace claims to have clinched €9bn worth of potential contracts with Hanoi as a result of Emmanuel Macron's recent visit. While this figure may well be inflated, some deals were made behind the scenes, including with Safran.

Vietnam
Airbus eager to maintain its Earth observation link with Hanoi

Vietnam's remote sensing agency, the National Remote Sensing Department, is in talks with Airbus Defence and Space (ADS) to secure a maintenance contract for the ground station of VNREDsat-1, the country's first Earth observation satellite.

Vietnam
Hanoi picks North American cyber sleuths over long-standing provider

Vietnam's Ministry of Public Security has dropped its long-serving cyber intelligence provider, Israeli group Cellebrite, but is still allocating large budgets as it continues to pursue its cyber crackdown.

Vietnam
Hanoi digs deep to fund geospatial imagery needs

Vietnam's geospatial intelligence needs are growing, but its military is having to buy images from foreign operators. In the long term, Hanoi hopes to acquire its own optical satellite.

Taiwan, United States, Vietnam
Hanoi goes global in search for loitering munition parts

The People's Army of Vietnam's latest armament research programme has its engineers seeking parts from Taiwan and Finland to the US and Japan.

France, Vietnam
French companies hone their space intelligence business strategy in Hanoi

French firms now appear to have a well-oiled plan for selling their spy satellites to Hanoi, despite complex procurement conditions brought on by local anti-corruption investigations and the Vietnamese government's approach that is not in line with Paris.

The Intelligence Gazette
Russia using Hawala payments, Vietnam's new Paris defence attaché, ISC renewal, Silk Roads into Europe, Kremlin/Vatican's parallel diplomacy

Appointments, reforms and the issues at stake: every Monday, Intelligence Online serves up snippets big and small from the global intelligence community.

Russia/UKRussian embassy uses Hawala payments to dodge sanctions

Vietnam/France Hanoi appoints new defence attaché to Paris embassy

United KingdomNew Westminster intelligence committee crew take over

ChinaSecond New Silk Road phase turns towards Europe

Vatican/RussiaKremlin sends back-channel message it is open to Christmas ceasefire

Europe, Saudi Arabia
UP42 sale gives Airbus breathing space in Riyadh and at home

The Saudi state-owned Neo Space Group's purchase of space observation services platform UP42 marks a leap forward for the country's geospatial intelligence capabilities. It also comes as a relief for the seller, Airbus Defence and Space.

The Intelligence Gazette
DGSE training camp revamp, Wagner hires for Africa, Xi's talk with Macron at G20, New military intelligence chief in Hanoi, Viginum awaits its hour against Baku

Appointments, reforms and the issues at stake: every Monday, Intelligence Online serves up snippets big and small from the global intelligence community.

FranceDGSE to bring parachutist training centre up to scratch

RussiaWagner's Africa Corps is hiring

China/FranceXi and Macron to discuss Ukraine at G20 summit in Rio

VietnamPham Ngoc Hung closes 10-year chapter as military intelligence chief

FranceViginum awaits its hour against Baku

Europe, Vietnam
Germany nixes latest move in Vietnam's anti-corruption campaign

Vietnam's biggest ever corruption scandal, which has implications for Western defence companies, is fast turning into a diplomatic affair.

France, Vietnam
Convicted Vietnamese defence agent Nguyen Thi Thanh Nhan's French connections

Wanted on corruption charges, the former CEO of AIC Group, Nguyen Thi Thanh Nhan, who served as a go-between for Western defence companies in Vietnam, is now on the run in China. Before that, she built an extensive network of contacts in France's political and defence circles.

France, Israel, Vietnam
Vietnam baulks at Airbus's observation satellite proposal

While the French embassy in Vietnam is still hoping that Airbus might land an earth observation satellite order, the Vietnamese government appears unready to commit, marking what could be the end of this central project in the two countries' bilateral defence cooperation and a blow to French chances of further defence contracts in Vietnam.

Israel
IAI drones will take to Vietnam's skies

According to our sources, Israel Aerospace Industries (IAI) will deliver three Heron 1 drones and a control station to the [...]