BPS-500 missile boat

BPS-500 is a missile boat in service with the Vietnam People's Navy. It was the only missile boat built under the project KBO 2000 where Vietnam started to domestically build this class in the late 1990s. KBO 2000 is a joint project between the Russia and Vietnam in order to build missile boats in Vietnam. Russia which is represented by Severnoye Project Design Bureau (SPKB) is involved in the design scheme of missile boats of the BPS-500 class as required by the Vietnam Navy.^[4][5]

HQ 381

Ship 381
History
Vietnam
Name	HQ 381
Builder	Ba Son Shipyard
Launched	1999
Commissioned	1999
In service	1999–present
Homeport	Cam Ranh Naval Base, Khanh Hoa
Status	Active
General characteristics
Class & type	BPS-500 missile ship
Displacement	517 tons (standard) 600 tons (full load)
Length	62 metres (203.4 ft)
Beam	11 m (36.1 ft)
Draught	2.2 m (7.2 ft)
Propulsion	2× diesel engines with 19,600 horsepower
Speed	30 knots (56 km/h) (maximum) 16 knots (30 km/h) (cruising)
Range	14 knots - 2,200 nautical miles - 30 days
Complement	49
Sensors & processing systems	Pozitiv-ME surveillance radar MR-123-03 fire control radar[1]
Armament	1 AK-176 76mm gun[2] 1 Igla air defense missile system 2 AK-630M 30mm close-in weapon systems 2 12.7mm machine guns 8 Kh-35 Uran-E anti-ship missiles[3]

Production cooperation

The sole BPS-500 missile ship was part of Project KBO 2000, jointly designed and manufactured by Vietnam and Russia.

KBO 2000 was a military shipbuilding cooperation project between Russia and Vietnam, with Russia represented by the Northern Design Bureau (SPKB). SPKB participated in designing the BPS-500 missile corvette according to the requirements of the Vietnam People's Navy.

The first BPS-500 missile ship was built at a shipyard in Ho Chi Minh City (Ba Son Shipyard) with technical assistance and equipment, spare parts supplied by Russia. According to a Jane’s article published in March 1999, the BPS-500 was already completed, launched, and undergoing sea trials at that time.^[6]

The ship was built using modern modular technology with angled surfaces to increase radar scattering capability. A special feature is the use of pump-jet propulsion instead of traditional propellers, which offers better maneuverability in shallow waters, enhanced agility through directional nozzles, and significantly reduced noise compared to conventional propellers.^[7]

However, after completing the first BPS-500 ship, Vietnam halted the program. Some foreign media sources cited the ship’s outdated design, inability to meet Vietnam’s evolving requirements, or inferiority to Project 1241.8 Molniya class ships as reasons for the project's cancellation.

One major issue was the propulsion system. The pump-jet mechanism led to higher construction costs, complexity in manufacturing, unstable operation, and poor performance at low speed (best suited for high speed). The ship’s hull design was also criticized for poor seaworthiness, making it unsuitable for operations in distant seas.^[8]

Upgrade

According to a contract with Rosoboronexport, in 2013, Russia’s Northern Design Bureau began providing technical support for the overhaul and upgrade of the sole BPS-500 missile patrol ship (Ship 381) for the Vietnam People's Navy. This was confirmed in the company's 2013 financial report.^[9]