BPS-500 missile boat

HQ 381
History
Vietnam
Name	HQ 381
Builder	Ba Son Shipyard
Launched	June 1998
In service	2001–present
Status	Active [1]
General characteristics
Class & type	BPS-500
Type	Corvette [2] [1]
Tonnage	525 tons (full load) [2]
Length	62 metres (203.4  ft) [2]
Beam	11 metres (36.1  ft) [2]
Draught	2.5 metres (8.2  ft) [2]
Propulsion	2 × MTU diesel engine for 19,600  bhp (14,600 kW); [2] 2 x Kamewa pump-jets [2]
Speed	32 knots (59  km/h) [2]
Range	2,200 nautical miles (4,100  km; 2,500  mi) at 14 knots (26  km/h) [2]
Complement	28 [2]
Sensors & processing systems	MR-352 ("Cross Dome") search radar [2] MR-123 ("Bass Tilt") fire control radar [2]
Armament	1 x AK-176 76 mm gun [2] 1 x AK-630 30 mm CIWS [1] 2 x 12.7 mm machine guns [2] 8 x Kh-35 Uran anti-ship missiles [2] 1 x 9K38 Igla MANPADS [2]

HQ 381 is a Vietnam People's Navy corvette and the only example of the BPS-500 class. The ship was designed in Russia and the first missile corvette produced in Vietnam.

Development

Vietnam began a program to modernize its military equipment in the mid-1990s following further territorial disputes in the South China Sea with China. ^[3] One aspect of the program was to develop domestic production and repair capability. Russia agreed to supply or co-produce small warships and missiles; ^[4] In 1996, Russia and Vietnam agreed to co-produce the BPS-500; ^[5] this may have been a part of or related to a cooperative military shipbuilding ^[6] or corvette program called KBO-2000. ^[7]

BPS-500 was designed by the Severnoye Design Bureau. ^[2] Two were ordered ^[7] and Russia supplied two kits to the Ba Son Shipyard. HQ 381 was built with modular technology, ^[8] launched in June 1998 and became operational in late-2001; ^[2] it was the first missile corvette produced in Vietnam. ^[4] No more were produced as the ship did not meet requirements ^[9] or more advanced ships became available. ^[10] The pump-jets raised construction and maintnenace costs and had poor performance at low speed. The hull had insufficient seakeeping for long-range operations. There may also have been software and control system problems. ^[8]

Severnoye was contracted to assist overhauling and upgrading the ship in 2013 ^[6] and 2017. ^[11]

Description

BPS-500 is an improved Pauk-class corvette. ^[2] Angled surfaces reduce radar cross section. The pump-jets with directional nozzles have better maneuverability in shallow waters and generate less noise than propellers. ^[8]

References

1. The International Institute for Strategic Studies 2025, p. 309.
2. Saunders 2015, p. 1004.
3. Thayer 2016, p. 207.
4. Thayer 2016, p. 209.
5. Thayer 2016, p. 208.
6. "Nga nâng cấp tàu tên lửa 'độc nhất' BPS-500 cho Việt Nam" [Russia upgrades the 'unique' BPS-500 missile ship for Vietnam]. Báo Đất Việt (in Vietnamese). 6 April 2014. Archived from the original on 5 May 2016.
7. Baker, A.D., III (March 1998). "World Navies in Review". Proceedings. Vol. 124, no. 8, Whole Number 1141. United States Naval Institute.
8. "Vì sao Việt Nam nâng cấp tàu tên lửa BPS-500?" [Why did Vietnam upgrade the BPS-500 missile ship?]. VTC News. 15 April 2024. Archived from the original on 23 October 2014.
9. Thayer 2018, p. 439.
10. Thayer 2016, p. 217.
11. "Tàu BPS-500 Việt Nam trang bị vũ khí mới sau nâng cấp". Nghệ An. 9 September 2017. Retrieved 21 January 2026.

Sources

• The International Institute for Strategic Studies (2025). The Military Balance 2025. London: Routledge. ISBN   978-1-041-04967-8.
• Saunders, Stephan, ed. (2015). Jane's Fighting Ships 2015-2016. Jane's Information Group. ISBN   978-0710631435.
• Thayer, Carlyle A. (August 2016). "Vietnam's Strategy of 'Cooperating and Struggling' with China over Maritime Disputes in the South China Sea". Journal of Asian Security and International Affairs. 3 (2). SAGE Publications: 200–220.
• Thayer, Carlyle A. (2018). "Force Modernization: Vietnam". In Singh, Daljit; Cook, Malcolm (eds.). Southeast Asian Affairs. Singapore: ISEAS Publishing. pp. 429–444. ISBN   978-981-4786-84-3.