Vietnamese frigate Dinh Tien Hoang (HQ-011)

HQ-011 Dinh Tien Hoang is the first Gepard class frigate (Gepard 3.9 type) in the Vietnam People's Navy. The Vietnamese Navy contracted the Zelenodolsk shipyard in Russia to build the ship.

HQ-011 Dinh Tien Hoang is designed to perform search tasks, track and destroy floating target ships, air defense, anti-submarine (limited), escort, and patrol territorial waters and special areas with economic rights. The shipcan enter combat independently or in squadrons, and is equipped with stealth technology, to present a minimum presence on enemy radar screens.

Vietnam and Russia signed a contract on May 12, 2006 worth USD $350 million to build two Gepard-class frigates designed by the Institute ZPKB in Zelenodolsk.

At the request of the Vietnam People's Navy the ship known as Project 11661 was completely redesigned to become Gepard 3.9. The redesigned ships include stealth technology and the most advanced weapons available from Russia today, including air defense systems, Palma Close-in weapon system AK-630, Kh-35 anti-ship missiles, and Kamov Ka-27 helicopters. The anti-submarine technology includes the RBU-6000 anti-submarine rocket launcher. These two ships are the latest generation of the Gepard class produced at the Zelenodolsk plant. It took two years to build the prototypes under Project 11661.

HQ-011 Dinh Tien Hoang was launched on December 12, 2011. The ship is named after Dinh Tien Hoang, the first Vietnamese emperor following the liberation of the country from the rule of the Chinese Han Dynasty. He was the founder of the short-lived Đinh Dynasty and a significant figure in the establishment of Vietnamese independence and political unity in the tenth century.

Other Gepard-class frigates
The navy had already purchased two Gepard 3.9 frigates in 2011. Interfax reported that Vietnam signed contracts with Rosoboronexport to provide two more Gepard 5.3 frigates. According Sergei Rudenko Gorky, Deputy Director of the Zelenodolsk shipyard, the first two Gepard frigates are equipped with the most modern missiles, and the second pair will be equipped with the most modern anti-submarine devices.