For obvious reasons, the U.S. hasn’t provided Vietnam with weapons since the end of the American War. While we still see old American jeeps puttering around Saigon, most of Vietnam’s military equipment has come from Russia. But Barack Obama’s nominee for ambassador to Vietnam said that it might be time to reconsider the sale and transfer of lethal weapons to the country.

The nominee, Ted Osius, made the statement at a Senate confirmation hearing on Tuesday and said that Vietnam has seen improvements in many of the preconditions that must be met for a lift of the ban, but any change must be made at a pace with which the Senate Committee on Foreign Relations and Vietnam would be comfortable.

His statement was a response to a question from Republican Sen. John McCain who supports such a step.

Vietnam-U.S. relations have long thawed with diplomatic ties being established in 1995 and numerous free-trade deals signed or pending.

Osius, a veteran diplomat, has served in Indonesia, India, Vietnam, Thailand and the Philippines. His appointment as ambassador to Vietnam must be confirmed by the Foreign Relations Committee and the full Senate.

[Thanh Nien // Photo via Tin Tuc]