by Angel Macia, original post here, 9 Feb 2026
Ángel Maciá; PhD Candidate in Society and Labor Relations, University of Murcia, Cross of the Order of Civil Merit, Tu Voz Editorial Staff, Vietnam.
National Sovereignty in the Century of Complexity.
This analysis examines the challenges facing Vietnam’s national security strategy within the framework of its technical cooperation agreements with Israeli entities.
On the path towards 2030, the Vietnamese state has prioritized autonomy in defense and cybersecurity by training 10,000 specialists and investing in precision industries. However, the evolving international political landscape demands a detailed analysis of the risks associated with selecting strategic partners, especially when these partners are under scrutiny from significant sectors of the academic community and global civil society.
In a geopolitical landscape marked by technological interdependence, sovereignty is no longer defined solely by the capacity to acquire advanced systems, but also by the ethical and operational sustainability of the ties that enable their development. For Vietnam, a nation that has built its prestige on self-determination and respect for international law, convergence with the Israeli military-technological complex—now facilitated by a direct air link—presents a series of critical variables that require detailed evaluation.
The imperative of technical training and the role of the Technion Institute.
The goal of professionalizing a workforce of 10,000 experts responds to Vietnam’s need to safeguard its digital integrity against hybrid threats. In this context, the collaboration between Vietnam National University and the Technion Institute of Technology has been presented as a cornerstone for high-level knowledge transfer. However, from a geopolitical perspective, the nature of this academic partner introduces factors that extend beyond the strictly scientific.
The Technion is not a conventional public university by European standards, as in practice, it is an institution whose structure is intrinsically linked to the Israeli Ministry of Defense. Reports from the Association of Scholars for Respect for International Law in Palestine indicate that the Technion has the highest proportion of reservists and active-duty soldiers among its engineering students and faculty. Therefore, any exchange program or joint training exposes Vietnamese specialists to a security doctrine that is systematically boycotted in international forums. Thus, the Technion’s involvement in developing surveillance systems for the separation wall and in creating technologies for the demolition of civilian infrastructure poses a direct reputational risk to Vietnam’s foreign policy.
Rafael and the production of loitering munitions.
Furthermore, the industrial dimension of this bilateral relationship has materialized in a $250 million agreement with Rafael Advanced Defense Systems. This contract establishes the creation of a production plant in Vietnam for the licensed manufacture of the Spike Firefly system, known technically as Maoz. It is a disposable attack drone or loitering munition system designed for urban warfare and high-precision combat.
While the establishment of this factory allows Vietnam to significantly enhance its deterrent capabilities, the plant’s sustainability depends on a supply chain and knowledge flow that are under strain. Rafael maintains an organic symbiosis with the Technion, to the point of managing specialized Master of Business Administration programs on campus for its senior executives. In this context, if the international academic community continues to sever ties with the Technion—as has happened with the universities of Bologna, Turin, and TU Eindhoven—Vietnam could find itself with a technologically isolated factory, since the inability to participate in joint research projects with European partners, such as those within the Horizon Europe framework, limits the capacity for evolution of drones manufactured in Vietnam.
The Hanoi-Tel Aviv Direct Route and the Role of Arkia Airlines
The inauguration on January 5, 2026, of the first direct air route between Tel Aviv and Hanoi, operated by Arkia Airlines, represents the necessary logistical bridge to sustain this cooperation. This connection reduces travel time to approximately eleven and a half hours, facilitating the constant transit of engineers, military advisors, and technical personnel. However, the selection of Arkia as the exclusive operator of this route introduces significant variables.
Since its founding in 1949 as Eilata, Arkia has maintained historical and operational ties with the Israeli military establishment. The airline began operations with aircraft transferred directly from the Israeli Air Force, and currently, its technical division provides maintenance services for the Israeli military fleet. Furthermore, Arkia is a critical logistical component during times of national mobilization, acting as an auxiliary arm for the transport of reserve personnel and supplies in conflict situations. For Vietnam, the fact that personnel trained in its elite programs and components of its defense industry are transported by an airline with such ties to the occupying army could be interpreted internationally as a deep logistical integration into the Israeli defense complex.
Security Governance and the Dilemma of Digital Sovereignty
The goal of having domestic products represent more than 50% of the internal market by 2030 is an undeniable milestone of digital sovereignty. To achieve this, the Ministry of Information and Communications has fostered a culture of security by design. Therefore, dependence on protocols developed by a nation that uses its technology for surveillance and territorial control creates friction with Vietnam’s vision of a sovereign and secure network.
This particular situation suggests that Vietnam must audit not only the effectiveness of the computer code it receives from its partners, but also consider the political implications of its origin. Relying on a single source that faces increasing diplomatic and academic isolation in nations with which Vietnam maintains vital trade relations, such as Spain, Ireland, and the Netherlands, constitutes a strategic weakness. Consequently, technical neutrality becomes precarious if the origin of the knowledge is perceived globally as incompatible with fundamental rights.
Vietnam’s Ministry of Transport announced that by 2030 the country will build six new airports and modernize existing ones, aiming to meet the rapid growth of tourism and international travel.
Historical Consistency and Regional Balanced Diplomacy
Vietnam has historically been a bulwark in the defense of national liberation processes. In fact, it was one of the first states to recognize the State of Palestine on November 19, 1988, just four days after its proclamation, and it already maintained relations in 1968 with the then-PLO, which opened a permanent delegation in Hanoi in 1976. The current proximity to the Israeli military-industrial complex can be interpreted in international forums as a distancing from this moral heritage. The balanced diplomacy, or “bamboo diplomacy,” practiced by Hanoi is its greatest asset; therefore, becoming overly involved with logistics institutions and companies that implement technological apartheid could erode the political capital Vietnam has accumulated in the Global South.
On the other hand, training 10,000 experts under a militarized curriculum could alter the public perception of the national academic environment. International campaigns by groups such as AUDRIP and the Students Against the Technion movement demonstrate that collaboration with these institutions is not perceived as a neutral academic activity, but rather as indirect support for documented military actions in areas like Gaza. Vietnam must therefore assess whether the short-term benefits of arms transfers outweigh the potential loss of prestige within the United Nations.
Operational Challenges and the Sustainability of the Defense Industry.
The production plant for the Spike Firefly loitering munition requires the integration of personnel that Vietnam is currently training. However, the operational risk lies in the dependence on components and upgrades controlled from Israel. In a scenario where academic isolation translates into technological sanctions or air restrictions due to Arkia’s role in the conflict, the autonomy of the Vietnamese armed forces would be compromised. In this sense, true technical sovereignty consists of diversifying training centers and industrial partners to avoid being subject to the reputational volatility of a single ally.
Ethics and Responsibility in Defense Education.
Education as a matter of national security demands an ethical foundation that transcends technical training. By equipping Vietnamese youth with advanced capabilities in loitering munitions and cyber defense, the State assumes the responsibility of ensuring that this knowledge is framed within international law. Consequently, transparency regarding the nature of academic and logistical partners is vital. Ignoring the Technion’s links to the destruction of homes or Arkia’s role as an auxiliary to the Israeli Air Force could alienate Vietnamese students and professionals who value academic integrity.
Sovereign resilience in the face of global scrutiny.
In conclusion, Vietnam’s 2030 strategy is a large-scale project requiring intelligent management of ethical and geopolitical risks. Training 10,000 experts, locally manufacturing systems like the Spike Firefly, and opening direct routes are legitimate goals for a nation seeking to protect itself in a multipolar world. However, the success of these objectives will depend on Vietnam’s ability to maintain its sovereign prestige without being dragged down by the instability surrounding its current partners.
When this cycle ends, which we hope will happen sooner or later, the strength of national defense will not be measured solely by the number of operational drones or the efficiency of their direct flights, but by the integrity of the institutions that created them. Security education demands a vision that combines technical efficiency with the preservation of the values of justice that define Vietnam, ensuring that its modernization is an engine of peace and genuine sovereignty.
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Sources
Ministerio de Industria y Comercio de Vietnam (2026): Decreto 131/2024/ND-CP sobre la implementación del Tratado de Libre Comercio Vietnam-Israel (VIFTA).
Hanói: Portal del Gobierno. https://en.baochinhphu.vn/govt-approves-plans-to-implement-viet-nam-israel-fta-111260107105754967.htm
Defence Blog (2026): Vietnam firma un acuerdo para la producción local de municiones merodeadoras Firefly de Rafael. https://defence-blog.com/vietnam-signs-deal-for-israel-made-firefly-loitering-munition/?
Vietnam+ (2026): Israel y Vietnam lanzan el primer vuelo directo Tel Aviv-Hanoi operado por Arkia Airlines. https://en.vietnamplus.vn/israel-vietnam-launch-first-direct-tel-avivhanoi-flight-post335452.vnp
Arkia Israeli Airlines (2026): Historia de la compañía: Servicios técnicos para la Fuerza Aérea de Israel y mantenimiento de flota. https://www.arkia.co.il/en/content/about-arkia?
Asociación de Académicos por el Respeto del Derecho Internacional en Palestina (AUDRIP) (2025): Informe técnico sobre la militarización del Instituto Technion y su papel en el sistema de apartheid. https://www.audrip.org
Corporación FPT (2026): Inauguración de FPT Israel: Transferencia tecnológica en ciberseguridad e inteligencia artificial. Hanói. https://fpt-is.com/en/fpt-announces-the-establishment-of-fpt-israel-reaffirming-its-commitment-to-mastering-core-technologies-with-viet-nam/
Universidad de Bolonia (2025): Resolución oficial del cese de proyectos de investigación con fines militares con entidades de Israel. https://www.unibo.it?
FundéuRAE (2026): Manual de estilo y normas de escritura de cifras en textos de análisis académico. Madrid. https://www.fundeu.es/recomendacion/numeros-claves-de-su-escritura-1563/
