In the spring of 1975, the General Offensive and Uprising launched by our armed forces and people culminated in a complete victory. Within that monumental epic, the liberation of the Spratly Islands held great significance, affirming the Party’s strategic thinking and vision regarding territorial integrity, and laying the foundation for the sacred mission of protecting the country’s maritime and island sovereignty.

In the early months of 1975, the resistance war against the U.S. for national salvation recorded a series of resounding victories that dramatically shifted the theatre of war in the South. After the triumph in Buon Ma Thuot, the strategic opportunity to completely liberate the South had ripened. The Central Military Commission (CMC) proposed to the Politburo a plan to both prepare for the final decisive strategic battle and proceed with the liberation of islands and archipelagos, completing the cause of national reunification. To realise the Party’s strategic resolution, the General Staff directed the Navy in coordination with the 5th Military Region to organise forces to liberate islands of the Spratly Archipelago then occupied by the puppet regime. Recognising the special importance of this task, the General Staff demanded exploitation of every favourable opportunity to liberate the Spratly and preventing foreign forces from illegally seizing these islands.

General Secretary To Lam works with the Navy in June 2024

Taking on this sacred responsibility, the Naval Party Committee and Command mobilised maximum force to both participate in the liberation of Sai Gon and rapidly coordinate with the 5th Military Region in the offensive to liberate the Spratly Islands. Accordingly, the Navy deployed naval detachments of the 125th Brigade and 1st Unit of 126th Regiment, along with reinforcements from 471th Commando Battalion of the 5th Military Region, to carry out a maritime campaign to land and liberate the Spratly Islands. Given the guiding principles of speed, boldness, secrecy, surprise, and determination to prevent any adversaries from exploiting vulnerabilities to occupy our islands, within just 20 days’ combat preparation and operations, the Navy in coordination with the 5th Military Region successively liberated Song Tu Tay Island on April 14, Son Ca on 25 April, Nam Yet on 27 April, Sinh Ton on 28 April, and finally took control of the Large Spratly Island on 29 April. This concluded a strategically significant mission assigned by the CMC to the Navy. This victory held profound strategic importance, which not only contributed to the overall triumph of the Spring 1975 General Offensive and Uprising, leading to the complete liberation of the South and reunification of the country but also affirmed Vietnam’s sovereignty over the Spratly Archipelago. At the same time, it stopped hostile forces from taking advantage of the situation to occupy the islands illegally.

The 1975 liberation of the Spratly Islands laid a solid foundation for the ongoing mission of safeguarding the Fatherland’s maritime and territorial sovereignty. Half a century has passed, but the lessons and historical significance of this campaign remain highly relevant in terms of seizing opportunities, building determination, coordinating operations, and organising forces to successfully complete assigned missions. This is invaluable experience to be applied and leveraged in today’s new context to fulfill the sacred mission of firmly protecting the Fatherland’s sovereignty over the seas and islands. Accordingly, the Navy has identified several key solutions as follows.

First, it is necessary to continuously monitor and accurately forecast the situation to timely advise the Party, the State, the CMC, and the Ministry of National Defence (MND) on effective approaches to address situations at sea. The campaign to liberate the Spratly Islands demonstrated that by understanding the enemy’s plots, intentions, and force deployment, the Navy could coordinate, make bold decisions, organise secret offensives, and secure victories with minimal losses. Building on the experience, in recent years, the Navy has prioritised intelligence gathering and analysis, especially the ambitions and strategic calculations of major powers in the East Sea, thereby enabling timely and accurate recommendations to the Party, State, CMC, and MND on flexible responses to emerging situations. This ensures we remain proactive and unsurprised, resolutely defending sovereignty and maintaining stability in waters and islands of the Fatherland. Notably, in response to provocative actions and violations by foreign vessels in our country’s maritime zones, the Navy has actively collaborated with functional departments of the MND and Ministry of Foreign Affairs to advise and propose countermeasures. At the same time, it has promptly provided field-based information, images, and data as evidence to support the fight against infringements on Viet Nam’s sovereignty, sovereign rights, jurisdiction, and national interests at sea, contributing to preserving peace and stability in maritime areas.

Amid evolving national defence tasks, particularly the mission of protecting maritime and island sovereignty, the Navy will continue to direct its departments and naval regions to intensify implementation of firmly grasping the situation, detecting early, and responding promptly and effectively to unfavourable factors, especially sudden developments and traditional and nontraditional security challenges from the grassroots level. The Navy will strictly maintain readiness and combat alert routines, strengthen patrols, reconnaissance, and maritime surveillance, coordinate closely with relevant forces to closely monitor key maritime areas, and provide in-depth, accurate forecasts of strategic developments, especially emerging challenges, as a basis for advising on policies and responses to prevent unexpected events and threats to maritime security, order, and safety, as well as challenges to the peaceful and stable environment in the region and the world.

Second, the Navy is to actively and proactively participate in building a strong all-people national defence posture, closely linked with the people’s security posture at sea. Victory of the liberation of the Spratly Archipelago in 1975 affirmed the strategic vision of the Party, the CMC, and the MND while laying a solid foundation for the cause of safeguarding maritime and island sovereignty. Drawing on that lesson, in order to harness the overall power to firmly protect the Fatherland’s maritime and islands sovereignty, the Navy has consistently advised the Party, the State, the CMC, and the MND on policies and solutions to build and reinforce our strategic presence on islands and archipelagos, turning them into “shield” to defend the Fatherland from afar. The focus is on proposing the rearrangement and deployment of naval forces across different regions to establish a strategic posture with sufficient depth, forming a solid and interconnected coast-sea-island defence system that can be transformed into people’s war posture at sea in the event of a conflict. In the immediate term, the Navy is concentrating on studying and proposing adjustments to the deployment of naval forces in maritime and island areas, ensuring the flexibility and close coordination of this posture. This ensures capabilities for both joint, inter-service, and combined arms operations while maintaining the ability to act independently, if necessary, particularly in key maritime and island regions. The Navy also continues to strengthen its organisation and logistical–technical forces in connection with building the people’s logistical and technical potential as well as logistical-technical capabilities of coastal defence zones. Research is being conducted to innovate methods and enhance the capacity to provide logistic and technical support for forces operating long-term at sea, especially those equipped with modern systems. At the same time, the Navy is proactively cooperating with ministries and agencies at the central level and coastal localities to build strong maritime militia and reserve forces. Plans are in place to promptly mobilise and deploy them in defence of maritime and island sovereignty, serving as a support base for fishermen to venture offshore and remain at sea, contributing to a robust all-people defence posture and a solid people’s heart and mind posture at sea. Moreover, the Navy is promoting development of economic-defence zones, dual-use infrastructure, and civilian facilities, prioritising remote and underdeveloped maritime and island areas. It is enhancing the construction of defence structures on islands, including ship docks and ports. Research is also underway to propose development and improvement of maritime legal frameworks, creating a unified legal foundation for marine economic development in conjunction with sovereignty and jurisdiction protection. Notably, policies to encourage and support fishermen to permanently settle on islands are being proposed, contributing to the sacred mission of defending the Fatherland’s maritime and island sovereignty.

Third, there is a need to vigorously innovate combat training work to enhance both inter-service, combined arms, and independent combat capabilities. To ensure success of the campaign to liberate Spratly Islands, the Navy closely coordinated with 5th Military Region to make thorough preparations in every aspect, especially in supplemental training and practicing island assaults in alignment with the determined operational plans. During the march and combat operations, the Navy ensured secretive movement, skillful camouflage, flexible deception maneuvers, and successfully misled the enemy. When landing, they made full use of the night for surprise attacks, quickly taking control of the battlefield and transitioning to defence to confront enemy counterattacks.

A live-firing exercise held by the Navy

Today, given increasing demands for sovereignty management and protection, increased quality of the Navy’s combat training is even more crucial. To this end, the Navy continues to thoroughly implement the CMC’s Resolution No. 1659-NQ/QUTW, dated 20 December 2022, on improving training quality for the 2023–2030 period and beyond. The Navy takes the training that is “fundamental, mastery-based, and specialised in the operation of weapons and technical equipment” as the breakthrough and the tasks of protecting maritime and island sovereignty and building a revolutionary, regular, elite, and modern Navy as the training goals. Departments and units adhere to the motto of “basicness, practicality, and robustness,” actively renewing training content and methods, ensuring synchronicity, specialisation, and close alignment with the operational environment, organisational structure, and existing weapons and equipment. In addition, the Navy directs its units to innovate coordination and exercise formats, focusing on strengthening force-on-force drills and inter-service and combined arms exercises, naval task group exercises, and increasing the use of simulation methods, real-time automated command systems, and cyber warfare scenarios, to be fully prepared for traditional and nontraditional security challenges.

Fourth, international cooperation and defence diplomacy are to be promoted to build an environment of peace, friendship, cooperation, and development. In early 1975, while we were focusing all efforts on the strategic final battle to liberate the South, the puppet troops faced imminent collapse and could withdraw from the Spratly Archipelago at any time. Therefore, there was a high risk of foreign forces exploiting the situation to illegally occupy the islands. Recognising this scenario, our Party made a prompt and strategic decision to simultaneously launch the offensive to liberate the Spratly Islands, affirming our maritime and island sovereignty. Applying this lesson in recent years, in the face of complex developments in the East Sea with many potential destabilising risks, the Navy has strictly adhered to the Party’s foreign policy and the leadership of the CMC and MND, particularly the defence diplomacy principle of “defending the Fatherland from afar,” to preserve a stable environment for national development. To date, the Viet Nam People’s Navy has established cooperative relationships with the navies of 50 countries both within and outside the region, including those of the five permanent members of the United Nations Security Council. The Navy also actively participates and makes significant contributions in regional and international naval cooperation mechanisms, such as the ASEAN Navy Chiefs’ Meeting, the Western Pacific Naval Symposium, the ADMM-Plus Experts’ Working Group on Maritime Security, and other forums involving exchanges, cooperation in training, joint patrols, and exercises. These activities help strengthen political trust and promote cooperative relations between the Viet Nam People’s Navy and other regional and international navies.

Building on these achievements, in the coming time, the Navy will continue to study and advise on expanding defence diplomacy activities. This includes focusing on improving the effectiveness of bilateral defence relations with the navies of neighbouring countries, major powers, strategic partners, ASEAN member states, and traditional friends, ensuring depth, stability, sustainability, and long-term cooperation based on the principles of national interest, equality, mutual benefit, and compliance with international law. Efforts will also be made to promote exchanges and negotiations to expand bilateral naval consultation mechanisms, joint patrols, and hotline connections with neighbouring navies. The Navy will implement and uphold existing cooperation agreements and international commitments while improving the effectiveness of international cooperation in areas such as naval engineering, technology transfer, training, hydrography, search and rescue, and combating illegal, unreported, and unregulated (IUU) fishing. Furthermore, it will expand relationships and enhance its role in multilateral cooperation mechanisms, strengthening joint efforts to address nontraditional security challenges. Through these efforts, the Navy aims to foster stronger ties and cooperation with global navies, raise the reputation and position of the Viet Nam People’s Navy internationally, and contribute to maintaining a peaceful and stable environment, preventing and repelling the risk of conflict while firmly protecting the sacred maritime and island sovereignty and continental shelf of the Fatherland from afar.

The victory of the liberation of the Spratly Islands in 1975 holds profound strategic significance. It not only contributed to the complete success of the Spring 1975 General Offensive and Uprising, which fully liberated the South and reunified the country, but also firmly affirmed Viet Nam’s sovereignty over the Spratly Islands. At the same time, it thwarted hostile forces’ schemes to illegally occupy the islands, laying a vital foundation for the cause of safeguarding maritime and island sovereignty and territorial integrity of the Fatherland in the new era. Building on the historical significance and invaluable lessons from this achievement, the Navy continues to build a revolutionary, regular, elite, and modern force and resolves to protect the sacred maritime and island sovereignty of the Fatherland.

Vice Admiral TRAN THANH NGHIEM, Member of the Party Central Committee, Member of the Central Military Commission, Commander of the Navy