Viet Nam, Laos and Cambodia hold a joint civil defence exercise on super typhoon response in Ha Noi

19 October 2026

Viet Nam, Laos and Cambodia held a joint civil defence exercise at Brigade 249 of the Engineer Corps in Ha Noi on 14 October 2026. Forces came from the Viet Nam People's Army, the Lao People's Army and the Royal Cambodian Armed Forces. The exercise ran in two phases: preparing to respond to a super typhoon by setting up a joint command post and assigning tasks, then practical scenarios covering rescue of residents in flooded areas, deployment of a field hospital, search and rescue from collapsed structures, and response to hazardous chemical leaks. Deputy Prime Minister and Minister of National Defence Phan Van Giang of Viet Nam attended, along with his counterparts Khamliang Outhakaysone of Laos and Tea Seiha of Cambodia. The exercise was held under a 2019 agreement among the three defence ministers and the 2026 bilateral defence cooperation plans.