John Cockerill of Belgium and Viettel of Vietnam to jointly develop next-generation armored vehicles.

On May 27, 2025, John Cockerill Defense and Viettel Group signed a Partnership Agreement establishing a long-term cooperation framework for the co-development, production, and marketing of a range of land-defense systems for international markets. The announcement emphasized the intention to combine and leverage Viettel’s experience in defense electronics, sensors, systems integration, and production with John Cockerill Defense’s capabilities in land weapons and vehicle systems design, development, manufacturing, and marketing.
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Viettel’s infrastructure, technological ownership, and export ambitions align with John Cockerill Defense’s interest in market expansion and modular weapon platform deployment. (Picture source: John Cockerill)

The agreement was formalized during France’s State Visit to Vietnam and took place at the Embassy of France in Hanoi, in the presence of Mr. Éric Lombard, Minister for the Economy, Finance, and Industrial and Digital Sovereignty of France, and Mrs. Phan Thị Thắng, Deputy Minister of Industry and Trade of Vietnam. The agreement was signed by Mr. Nguyễn Vũ Hà, CEO of Viettel High Technology Industries Corporation, and Mr. Thierry Renaudin, CEO of John Cockerill Defense.

The partnership is structured around complementary technical and industrial strengths. Viettel provides expertise in key defense technologies, integrated production capacity, and domestic experience in systems engineering. John Cockerill Defense contributes a product portfolio in vehicle-mounted weapon systems, turret design, and simulation tools, including experience in export-driven defense programs. Both companies stated the partnership would support their strategic objectives. According to Mr. Renaudin, the agreement provides a foundation for future development in the defense field. Mr. Hà said that cooperation with John Cockerill Defense France forms a critical component of Viettel High Tech’s long-term plan and builds on Viettel’s existing ownership of core technologies and capacity to adapt systems to diverse operational requirements. The agreement also highlights the bilateral defense industry engagement between France and Vietnam, reinforcing political and industrial ties.

Viettel Group, officially the Viettel Military Industry and Telecoms Group, is a Vietnamese state-owned enterprise under the Ministry of National Defence. The company was established on June 1, 1989, under the name Electronics and Information Equipment Corporation (Sigelco), initially focusing on telecommunications infrastructure. In 1995, the company changed its name to Viettel and expanded its services to become Vietnam’s leading telecommunications operator. During the early 2010s, Viettel diversified into cybersecurity, defense, and high-tech sectors. In 2017, it was officially designated a Defense and Security Enterprise. Today, Viettel operates in 11 countries and territories across Asia, Africa, and the Americas and positions itself as a technology and industrial group with strategic defense capabilities.

Viettel’s defense sector activity includes research, development, and manufacturing of a broad array of military technologies. The group has created over 60 different products across ten major defense categories. These include communication systems, surveillance and radar equipment, electronic warfare technologies, and missile platforms. Among its key systems is the VCS-01 Trường Sơn coastal defense missile system, which employs the VSM-01A anti-ship missile with an operational range of 80 kilometers. Viettel also developed the VT-Patrol, a short-range reconnaissance unmanned aerial vehicle, and electronic warfare systems such as the VCUS/C and VCUS/E, which are intended to detect, disrupt, or neutralize unmanned aerial systems. These developments reflect Viettel’s attempt to supply the Vietnamese military with modern equipment and to promote its defense systems for export in global markets.

John Cockerill Defense is part of the John Cockerill Group, a Belgian industrial and engineering company with roots dating back to 1817. The group was founded by English industrialist John Cockerill, who established an ironworks in Seraing, Belgium. The company originally manufactured steam engines, locomotives, and steel production machinery. Over the years, the enterprise expanded into energy systems, industrial solutions, and environmental technologies. In 2002, the group was restructured under the name Cockerill Maintenance & Ingénierie (CMI). In 2019, it reverted to its historic name, John Cockerill, to reflect its broader scope and legacy. Today, the group operates on five continents in 29 countries, employs more than 6,000 people, and recorded €1.201 billion in revenue in 2023. Its business areas now include energy transition, sustainable industrial production, infrastructure, mobility, natural resource management, and defense.

Within the defense sector, John Cockerill Defense specializes in the design, production, and integration of multifunctional turrets for light and medium armored vehicles. Its systems cover calibers ranging from 25mm to 120mm and are marketed under the Cockerill brand. The Cockerill 3000 Series is a modular turret family that enables adaptability across multiple mission profiles. The company also developed the Cockerill i-X, a high-mobility interceptor vehicle equipped with sensors and weapons designed for rapid deployment operations. John Cockerill Defense also provides immersive, embedded, mobile, and interconnectable simulation systems through its subsidiary Agueris, which are intended to support operational and tactical training. Additional services include through-life support and system upgrades. The company also supplies Arquus-branded high-mobility military vehicles, integrating turret systems and wheeled platforms to offer combined land warfare solutions. The acquisition of Arquus, a French military vehicle manufacturer, has expanded John Cockerill Defense’s integration capacity.

The agreement between Viettel and John Cockerill Defense takes place in a context of growing bilateral cooperation between Vietnam and France, both in political and industrial terms. The strategic intent behind this partnership is to develop new land defense systems that draw on each side’s core competencies and to offer those solutions to domestic and international clients. Viettel’s infrastructure, technological ownership, and export ambitions align with John Cockerill Defense’s interest in market expansion and modular weapon platform deployment. The partnership is designed to generate co-developed systems capable of responding to the evolving requirements of armed forces in diverse environments. It also reflects a broader international trend in which defense companies from different regions seek joint development paths to increase competitiveness, facilitate technology transfer, and reinforce mutual industrial bases.