BPS-500 missile boat
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. One aspect of the program was to develop domestic production and repair capability. Russia agreed to supply or co-produce small warships and missiles; In 1996, Russia and Vietnam agreed to co-produce the BPS-500; this may have been a part of or related to a cooperative military shipbuilding or corvette program called KBO-2000.BPS-500 was designed by the Severnoye Design Bureau. Two were ordered and Russia supplied two kits to the Ba Son Shipyard. HQ 381 was built with modular technology, launched in June 1998 and became operational in late-2001; it was the first missile corvette produced in Vietnam. No more were produced as the ship did not meet requirements or more advanced ships became available. 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.
Severnoye was contracted to assist overhauling and upgrading the ship in 2013 and 2017.