Cam Ranh Bay means ‘Sweet Stream’ which has always been the strategic point of interest since the 19th century as the French, Russian, Japanese and American navies used the wide, deep and protected natural harbours but also used it as a refuelling station. It was a launching pad for military operations in the region of East Asia. This natural harbour as of today holds the most coveted geostrategic position near the South China Sea and also due to the past infrastructural development by all these foreign powers in the Cam Ranh Bay, the ‘Apple of the Eye of the East’ which inevitably makes Viet Nam’s Cam Ranh Bay a most sought after harbour in the present situation. Keeping in mind the strategic importance of it, every country over the years has been making visits to the Cam Ranh Bay but in all possibility the United States could be regaining this vital strategic bay and that could be the changing dynamic in tackling China in the South China Sea.It mightinevitably helping the global vision of free and open Indo-Pacific blossom and help maintain the multipolar status quo of the world order.
Foreign Powers
In 1847, the French Navy was the first to build a harbour defence artillery emplacements and also build few small military compounds so that they could protect against the approaches and advances from other countries. The strategic importance of the Cam Ranh Bay was the reason that French preferred to construct the ports of the cities of Saigon and Da Nang during the 19th century. During the Russo-Japanese War of 1904-1905, the Russian Navy made use of the port and later in April 1905, a Russian naval fleet sailed into the Cam Ranh Bay to refuel under the leadership of Vice Admiral Zinovi Rozhdestvensky and as the port is so close of the South China Sea, it was marked as a port for strategic military outpost.[i] After the war, the Japanese army used the port extensively and worked on the role to provide logistics to these bases, military sea transportation and material supplies and also worked as additional military operations for naval operations at the sea.[ii]
In 1963, there was a renewed interest in the bay by the United States of America and Admiral Harry D. Felt, the Commander in Chief, Pacific (CINCPAC), the overall military commander of the Pacific area and Southeast Asia championed this task of developing it to at least one up to date pier for deep water ships at the Cam Ranh Bay. Raymon, Morrison-Knudson (RMK) pioneers in building Viet Nam from the U.S. side that can be called the ‘infrastructural godfathers for Viet Nam’ and they first set foot in Viet Nam on 2nd May 1963 and started to set up offices and quarters in the former French military barracks close to the pier site. By 12th July 1963, the construction of a causeway had started and this was followed by the construction of the pierfender system, water system, powerhouse and Petrol Oil Lubricants (POL) tanks and the overall cost of the pier project was 1.6 million dollars in 1964. The overall plan was to move exclusively water encompassed through major ports of Saigon and Cam Ranh Bay and also have shallow-draft ports like Qui Nhon and Da Nang which would help establish a series of shallow-draft ports along the coast and that would also help in the distribution of supplies. With the development of larger ports along with smaller ports throughout the country, it also supported the inland by highways and airlifts which would be helpful in the time of combat. In 1965, after a short break, the construction work was aimed to build more facilities in the Cam Ranh Bay and led to the building of a 1,100-foot landing strip to 1,400 feet and build new roads and reinforced the already existing ones. They also extended the long pier by 300-foot-length and provided two berths for full-size deep-water freighters. Equipment storage platforms, POL storage area and temporary motor pools had been added in August 1964.[iii] In 1965, the overall plan aimed to make Saigon and Cam Ranh Bay as major logistical bases and Qui Nhon, Nha Trang, Phan Rang and Vung Tau was to be made into minor support bases and together several projects had been completed. Also, barge offloading facilities, airfields, ramps for landing craft and logistical storage facilities had also been incorporated into the plan. [iv]
The Port of Saigon and the Port of Cam Ranh Bay were most capable harbours in South Viet Nam capable of docking deep-draft oceangoing vessels made at a reasonable amount of effort and cost and they also had the facilities of Army and Air Force barracks along with an extensive airbase building and set pace for major operational and depot facilities in the Cam Ranh Bay. Soon, it became one of the bases for the Navy’s Market Time coastal patrol operations, along with being a large Navy communications station and a naval air station at the Cam Ranh Bay airfield site. A major priority was the need to build a temporary 10,000-foot runway which would help accommodate the most advanced fighter-bombers in the U.S. military arsenal, the F-4s and on 16th October 1965, the Cam Ranh runway had been completed. Thereby, Cam Ranh Bay emerged as the second largest port in Viet Nam next to Saigon and was the third busiest airbase after the Saigon and Da Nang. The Cam Ranh Bay airfield project included aircraft parking areas, storehouses, barracks complexes and a new 10,000 foot Portland cement runway and taxiway. A 400-foot timber fuel jetty extending out to five and a half fathom line to accommodate the much needed fuel supply. Cam Ranh Bay was developed into a theatre depot and an inter theatre air terminal.[v] Also, the four deep draft ports-Da Nang, Qui Nhon, Cam Ranh Bay and Saigon had emerged as based development plans and the centres eventually became semi-autonomous logistical enclaves and also, a fighter-bomber and logistics terminal had been built in the Cam Ranh Bay. By 1966, four deep-draft DeLong piers to the one shorter 300 deep water pier had been built and these helped develop additional deep-draft ports and berths at the Qui Nhon, Vung Tau, Cam Ranh Bay, Vung Ro and Da Nang. Also, the first DeLong pier had all equipment’s and spare parts which were towed to Cam Ranh Bay. By May 1966, third general cargo pier had been made to help provide a large cargo-handling area and this helped the port facility form a major part of the logistical area in the Cam Ranh Bay.[vi]
Also, by late 1966, the Cam Ranh Bay had been supported by 8,000 combat troops for operations, 11,100 combat support troops and 17,000 service support troops on a direct basis. The port was able to handle 8 deep-draft cargo vessels plus one tanker simultaneously. Also, it included major logistics and support facilities like a deep-water port with ten berths at the Cam Ranh Bay, depot at Cam Ranhn Bay, LST ports at Nha Trang, Phan Rang and Tuy Hoa, Jet airfields at Cam Ranh Bay and Phan Rang, six other airstrips and five were C-13 capable and market time facilities. Therefore, the Cam Ranh Bay base helped in housing the soldiers, arming them, supplying and resupplying the Americans.[vii] Da Nang had major facilities like being a deep-water port, the Naval Support Facility depot, Jet aircrafts at Da Nang and Chu Lai, C-130 airfield and shallow LST ports at Chu Lai and Hue and it also worked to engage on coastal patrol and harbour defence.[viii]
1975 onwards, Viet Nam had several ready-made facilities which had been already set up and left by the previous powers and the Soviet Power wanted to run operations.[ix] The Soviets had substantially improved the naval capabilities of Viet Nam and it also improved the costal defence capabilities through PETYA I Class frigates, POLNOCNY lading ships, SHERSHEN torpedo boats and OSA II missile patrol boats which had been made to base near Haiphong. The USSR also gifted Viet Nam their first floating drydock which was a 4,500 ton dock and provided limited short term repair of submarines and small surface warships up to the PETYA class frigate. The Russians delivered a minesweeper and along with that several other patrol craft to Viet Nam and also provided a limited anti-submarine warfare capability through the delivery of Ka 25/HORMONE helicopters.[x] The Su-22/FITTER aircraft was one of the most sophisticated aircrafts that the Soviets had ever build and it could carry 4,000 kilograms of bombs and operate up to 950 nautical miles and these had been assigned for ground attack and close air support mission. The heavily armed MI-24 HIND helicopter was also delivered by the Soviets to Viet Nam.[xi] The Soviets kept upgrading the base for the Cold War and so, they constructed new docks, weapons storage facilities, aircraft runways, barracks, and a power station. They also build the state of the art signals intelligence (SIGNIT) facility at the Cam Ranh Bay. By 1984, the Cam Ranh Bay had emerged as a strategic naval base and so, they reconsidered towards a strong military presence at sea but with the end of the Cold War, the Russians gradually removed their military personnel, aircraft, and vessels.[xii]
In 1991, Russians had withdrawn their forces from the base but were still inclined to continue their presence in the Cam Ranh Bay which would help elevate their strategic foot in the sea and a negotiation was done of 60 million dollars which would be paid by the Russians as rent. By 1994, the port had been transformed into a commercial facility and this was a major game changer for Viet Nam as the Russians were interested in military technology cooperation in 1998. Since, Viet Nam didn’t renew the lease and opened the Bay out to the commercial use of navies, it was here that Viet Nam realised that the need to “exploit the potential and advantages of Cam Ranh Bay to serve its national socio-economic development objectives.” In 2002, the Russians pulled out its personnel, vessels, and equipment from Cam Ranh Bay and it remained unused till 2010.[xiii] Then on 19 November 2003, the Navy missile frigate USS Vandegrift docked in Ho Chi Minh City and this was the first U.S. Navy ship to dock in Viet Nam since the end of the brutal war and was a symbolic act of boosting stronger relations between the U.S-Viet Nam. On 28 July 2004, the USS Curtis Wilbur DDG-54-arrives in Da Nang and this becomes the second U.S. Navy ship to visit Viet Nam since 1975. In fact, 2009 saw a major highlight in the military ties between the two countries when the Naval ships USS Blue Ridge and the USS Lassen docked at Da Nang port on 7 November 2009 and this was marked by a goodwill gesture as for the first time two U.S. Navy ships visited Da Nang concurrently. On August 8, 2010, the U.S Navy’s nuclear-powered aircraft carrier, USS George Washington had arrived off the coast of Da Nang in central Viet Nam and also many military and government interactions between the two countries also took place and a joint navy search and rescue training also took place and Aegis destroyer USS John S McCain made a port call in Da Nang which again anchored off southern Viet Nam in August 2011 and October 2012.
Vietnamese Prime Minister Dung announced at the close of the East Asia Summit in 2010 that the facilities at Cam Ranh Bay would become available for commercial use by all foreign navies the following year. This was followed up a revamp by Viet Nam as it hired Russian consultants and purchased Russian equipment for the renovation of the port and the involvement of the Russian came at a cost of 200 million dollars and it also provided Viet Nam with six kilo-class submarines to be housed at the Cam Ranh Bay and also build a training centre for the Vietnamese Navy personnel. They also delivered submarines HQ-182 in 2013 and in March 2014, HQ-183 and HQ-184 Haiphong to be decked at the Cam Ranh Bay.[xiv] On August 8, 2010, the U.S Navy’s nuclear-powered aircraft carrier, USS George Washington had arrived off the coast of Da Nang in central Viet Nam and also many military and government interactions between the two countries also took place and a joint navy search and rescue training also took place and Aegis destroyer USS John S McCain made a port call in Da Nang which again anchored off southern Viet Nam in August 2011 and October 2012. From August 2011, dry cargo ship USNS Richard Byrd, the U.S. Navy contracted for maintenance and repair services for logistics support ships in Cam Ranh Bay almost every year.[xv] In 2011, the United States Naval Ship (USNS) Byrd underwent seven days of maintenance at the port. It is important to note that the USNS Byrd is part of the U.S Military Sealift Command and therefore is not a warship. Instead, USNS Byrd is a civilian manned vessel used to re-supply American naval ships out at sea.[xvi] In 2011, Russia too expressed their renewed interest in the port and in 2012 announced to regain access to the naval base at the Cam Ranh Bay for energy projects [xvii]
In June 2012, in a historic visit of the U.S. Secretary of Defence Leon Panetta went to the Cam Ranh Bay and his stopping at the harbour made him the most senior U.S Official since the end of the war visit it and he commented “Today I stand on a U.S. ship here in Cam Ranh Bay to recognize the 17th anniversary of the normalization of relations between the United States and Vietnam. . . . We have a complicated relationship but we’re not bound by that history . . . it is very important that we be able to protect key maritime rights for all nations in the South China Sea and elsewhere”.[xviii] In 2013, Russia and Vietnam announced that Moscow would help aid in the construction of a maintenance and repair facility at Cam Ranh Bay which would be completed by 2015 and Russian Defense Minister General Shoigo recently visited Cam Ranh Bay to oversee and monitor the progress on the various facilities of Russia like constructing for Vietnam’s new Kilo-class submarines and building a five-star resort at Cam Ranh Bay for Russian soldiers docking at the bay after long overseas missions. In 2014 too, after several bilateral discussions, the two countries considered how to streamline administrative procedures for Russian ships that want to dock at the Cam Ranh Bay port for repairs and re-supply. Japan and India also showed interest in using the port and Indi was allowed to use the Nha Trang port.[xix]
In 2016, as part of the Naval vessels hosted by CRIP since its inauguration several countries visited Viet Nam and they are Singapore came with its RSS Endurance in March 2016, Japan came with Ariake and Setogiri in April 2016 and France came with FS Tonnerre in May 2016. India came with Indian Naval Ships Satpura and Kirch arrived on a four day visit to the Cam Ranh Bay and worked on interoperability in communication. [xx] After a break of few months came, the U.S. USS Frank Cable in October 2016 and China followed suit in October itself in its PLAN Xiangtan, PLAN Zhoushan and PLAN Chaohu. November 2016 had Australia visit with its HMAS Warramunga and December 2016 had many countries visit like South Korea’s ROKS Cheon Ji and ROKS Chungmugong Yi Sun-sin, Philippines’s BRP Ramon Alcaraz[xxi] and it finally, the year ended with USS Mustin. It is important to understand that almost all countries did visit Viet Nam in 2016 as with the opening up of the Cam Ranh Bay International port led one thing very clear for sure that the Cam Ranh had many takers and all the countries were trying their hand out at these visits.
The highlight was 2017, as the bulk of the naval vessels visits were made by the U.S. starting May 2017, the visit of the USNS Fall River and this was followed by Japan’s JS Izumo 183 and JS Sazanami 113 and in June the U.S. USS John S. McCain and USS Coronado and finally in August 2017, the USS San Diego concluded the year with its visit.[xxii] US Hamilton ship was received in Viet Nam in 2017 and also transfer the Hamilton-class Coast Guard cutter to improve Viet Nam’s law enforcement capabilities. The two countries established a working group for a Cooperative Humanitarian and Medical Storage Initiative which was used for humanitarian assistance and disaster relief and both the sides exchanged bilateral dialogues mechanisms.[xxiii] The maximum number of naval vessels visited was made by America which was a clear sign that America was not only interested but wanted to take the Cam Ranh Bay port on lease and tackle Chinese aggressiveness in the South China Sea. 2018 also had some visits like Russia Admiral Tributs, admiral Vinogradov and Pechenga in June 2018 and by September 2018, Japan’s Kuroshio too made a visit.[xxiv] On 10th June 2019, two vessels the frigate HMC Regina and supply ship Asterix had visited the Cam Ranh Bay for the first time and this visit was more interesting as even a country like Canada was now worried about having strategic interest in the Cam Ranh Bay which was a clear give away of the importance that Cam Ranh Bay has. The most recent visit of the USS Theodore Roosevelt (CVN-71), a nuclear powered aircraft docked into Tien Sa Port, Da Nang along with Bunker Hill, a highly sophisticated US navy cruiser visited Viet Nam from March 5-8, 2020 and it believed that it was sent to tackle the Chinese aggression taking place in the recent months.[xxv]
Why ‘Now’ Cam Ranh Bay?
The port of Cam Ranh Bay has historically been developed as air and sea port by major efforts by America and later Moscow made several efforts towards. With time, a lot of infrastructure has deteriorated and a bulk of the remaining infrastructure is being worked upon. Viet Nam opening up the Cam Ranh Bay has led to the shadow side of strategic interests of all the countries as the port of the Cam Ranh Bay is geostrategically closest to the South China Sea and it is a supply hub as it helps in refuelling, repairing vessels and aircraft carriers and that in the course of the present Chinese maritime aggressiveness is an extremely important strategic location. Also, this port is vital in the sea lines of communications and helps out in the maritime passageways which are used for seaborne transportation of goods, trade and most importantly crude oil which is the need for the future. Also, in the time of a war or a would be situation for war in the region of the South China Sea, the sea lines of communication would be extremely critical and keeping in mind, the Chinese aggressiveness and their maritime superiority urge this base would be vital in monitoring China’s activities. It is important to understand that among all the other countries, the U.S. has the strategic wherewithal to tackle and contain China and of course, America is looking for equal partnership in dealing with China from the other countries like Japan, India, Australia and the way China is going about, Russia too could join the bandwagon in tackling and containing China.
It is also important to understand that the QUAD 2.0 would also be greatly benefited if the Cam Ranh Bay goes to the U.S. as all the other members would be able to get access as well. It is important to understand due to the close proximity to the South China Sea, Japan would highly benefit from this Bay as well as it would add access to its other ports like Okinawa and Guam which would help strengthen the maritime security and framework of Japan. Also with regard to the Senkaku Islands, the access to Cam Ranh Bay would highly benefit Japan and since Japan is a Security alliance with the U.S., it would also help out America in the upgradation of the Cam Ranh Bay. Also, Japan is a pioneer in infrastructural development and Japan has been investing in Viet Nam as well like the Lach Huyen Port Infrastructure Construction Project consisting of port, road and bridge and is supposed to reduce the time between Tan Vu and Lach Huyen to 12 minutes from 155 minutes. Also, the Japan-Guam-Australia Fiber-Optic Submarine Cable System Project, which is being coordinated by Japanese and U.S. private sectors, would be a big help to the Cam Ranh Bay as if the Governments deicide then the same could be done among Japan-Guam-Viet Nam. India has also been actively participating near the Cam Ranh Bay and with India in the Cam Ranh Bay would help India take stronger steps and increase its presence in the South China Sea which would not only make Japan very happy as Japan wants India to be more active in the South China Sea but it would also help strengthen the Japan-America-India (JAI) grouping which is aimed at quality infrastructural development and also boost the maritime sector for all these countries even more. Also, the E3 countries like France, U.K and Germany have also expressed “their interest to reduce tensions and contribute to maintaining and promoting peace, security, stability and safety in the region, including as regards the rights of coastal States in their waters and the freedom and rights of navigation in and overflight above the South China Sea”. Also, it is rather fair to give some due credit to the Americans for building the Cam Ranh Bay as an asset for Viet Nam and the way the relations have improved between America and Hanoi, it is but obvious that the U.S could well get a chance at regaining the Cam Ranh Bay.
Pic courtesy-VNA news
(The views expressed are personal)
Notes
[i] Ian Storey and C. Thayer. 2001. “Cam Ranh Bay: Past Imperfect, Future Conditional” published in the Contemporary Southeast Asia, 23(3), 452-473. www.jstor.org/stable/25798562 (Accessed on 17 June 2020)
[ii] Roger P. Fox. 1979. “ Air Base Defense in the Republic of Viet Nam 1961-1973” published by the Office of Air Force History, United States Air Force, Washington, D.C.,1979. https://media.defense.gov/2010/Sep/21/2001330253/-1/-1/0/AFD-100921-023.pdf (Accessed on 17 June 2020)
[iii] Richard Tregaskis. “Southeast Asia; Building the Bases”, the History of Construction in Southeast
Asia, US Government Printing Office, Washington, D.C., p. 45-141. https://books.google.co.in/books/about/Southeast_Asia_Building_the_Bases_The_Hi.html?id=Koejt5WIaFAC&redir_esc=y (Accessed on 18 June 2020)
[iv]Ibid.
[v] Ibid.
[vi] Lt. Gen. Carroll H. Dunn. “Vietnam Studies: Base Development in South Vietnam, 1965-
1970” published by Department of the Army, Washington, D. C., p. 55.
[vii] Please refer to K. M. Chrysler.1965. US News and World Report, 11 Oct. 1965.
[viii] Captain Juan A. De Leon Pn(GSC).1989. “Cam Ranh Bay revisited (1979-1989): The Strategic Significance of Cam Ranh Bay Then and Now published as a master thesis by the University of New South Wales, Australian Defence Force Academy dated November 1989. http://unsworks.unsw.edu.au/fapi/datastream/unsworks:52938/SOURCE01?view=true (Accessed on 18 June 2020)
[ix] Please see Washington Star, 19 May 1979.
[x] "More Soviet Naval Craft Deliveries", August 1979, US government intelligence report, Thayer
Files, Vol. I.
[xi] Ibid.
[xii] Ian Storey and Carlyle A. Thayer. 2001. “Cam Ranh Bay: Past Imperfect, Future Conditional.” Published by Contemporary Southeast Asia, Vol. 23, No. 3 (December 2001): 451-453. www.jstor.org/stable/25798562(Accessed on 17 June 2020)
[xiii] James Hardy. 2012. “Back to the Future: The U.S. Navy Returns to The Philippines” published by the Diplomat dated 16 Oct. 2012.http://thediplomat.com/2012/10/just-like-old-times-us-navy-returns-to-philippines/(Accessed on 18 June 2020)
[xiv] David Brewster.2012. “India as an Asia-Pacific Power”. New York: Routledge, pp. 98.
[xv] Tomotaka Shoji. 2018. “Vietnam’s Security Cooperation with the United States:
Historical Background, Present and Future Outlook” published by NIDS, Tokyo. http://www.nids.mod.go.jp/english/publication/kiyo/pdf/2018/bulletin_e2018_2.pdf(Accessed on 12 June 2020)
[xvi] Greg Torode. 2011. “US navy returns to Cam Ranh Bay” published by South China Morning Post dated 27 Aug. 2011. http://www.scmp.com/article/977291/us-navy-returns-cam-ranh-bay(Accessed on 18 June 2020)
[xvii] Stephen Blank. “Russian Military Policy in Asia: A Study in Paradox” published by Swedish Defense Research Agency. RUFS Briefing No dated 20. September 2013. http://www.foi.se/Documents/RUFS%20Briefing%20No.%2020%20.pdf
(Accessed on 18 June 2020)
[xviii] Lolita C. Baldor, “Panetta sends message to China on Vietnam visit,”
Associated Press, June 3, 2012. https://news.yahoo.com/panetta-sends-message-china-vietnam-visit-165721537.html(Accessed on 11 June 2020)
[xix] Thuy T. Do. 2014. “Is Vietnam’s ‘Bamboo Diplomacy’ Threatened by Pandas? published by the Establishment Post dated 19 April 2014. http://www.establishmentpost.com/vietnams-bamboo-diplomacy-threatenedpandas/(Accessed on 18 June 2020)
[xx] Pankaj K Jha and Vo Xuan Vinh. 2020.” The US factor in Vietnam–India relations in India, Vietnam and the Indo-Pacific: Expanding Horizons” published by Routledge-Taylor & Francis Group, London and New York. ISBN: 978-0-367-11030-7.
[xxi] Niranjan Chandrashekhar Oak. 2018.”Cam Ranh port: A lever in Vietnam’s naval diplomacy” published by ORF dated 6th October 2018. https://www.orfonline.org/expert-speak/cam-ranh-port-lever-vietnam-naval-diplomacy/ (Accessed on 18 June 2020)
[xxii] Ibid.
[xxiii] Viet Nam’s MOFA. 2018. “Basic Documents about Vietnamese-U.S. Relations”. http://www.mofa.gov.vn/vi/cn_vakv/america/nr040819114015/ns181031102536(Accessed on 12 June 2020)
[xxiv] Ibid.
[xxv] Dr.Pankaj Jha. 2020. “USS Roosevelt in Vietnam waters” published by Cescube dated 9 March 2020. http://www.cescube.com/vp-uss-roosevelt-in-vietnam-waters(Accessed on 12 June 2020)
