Throughout its 60 years of construction, combat, and growth, the Air Defence - Air Force (AD-AF) has always promoted its core role to accomplish numerous outstanding feats, which have significantly contributed to the cause of national liberation, construction, and defence. Currently, in response to the new requirements of building the Military, enhancing national defence, and safeguarding the Fatherland, the AD-AF needs to intensify research and development of the art of AD-AF combat to firmly protect the national sky in the new situation.

The AD-AF was established on October 22, 1963, and over the course of 60 years of construction, combat, and growth under the leadership of the Party, directly the Central Military Commission and the Ministry of National Defence, different generations of AD-AF officers and soldiers have consistently maintained and exemplified the noble qualities of “Uncle Ho’s Soldiers”, being ready to sacrifice, courageous, resourceful, and creative to overcome all difficulties and challenges, thus dedicating their talents and intelligence to the cause of protecting the national sky, achieving remarkable feats, notably the “Hanoi - Dien Bien Phu in the air” Victory in 1972. In recognition of these outstanding achievements, the Missile, Air Force, Radar, and Anti-Aircraft Artillery branches have been bestowed with the title of Hero of the People’s Armed Forces by the State. There are numerous factors contributing to the outstanding achievements of the AD-AF. Among them, the continuous study and practical summarisation to develop and refine the theoretical art of AD-AF combat tailored to each specific target and wartime situation are of paramount importance.

In the current regional and global contexts where there are complicated and unpredictable developments, nations with scientific, economic, and military potentials have been promoting military modernisation, concentrating investments in developing advanced and high-tech vehicles and weaponry. Besides, they are restructuring their forces to be elite, compact, versatile, and efficient. Consequently, new methods of warfare, particularly in air combat operations, have experienced significant advancements in terms of force utilisation scale, modernisation levels of weaponry and technical equipment, as well as diverse and complex combat tactics and strategies. Hence, the imperative to research, develop, and progressively refine the art of AD-AF combat is an urgent requirement.

As the core force on the air-to-air front that is ready to defeat any plots and tricks of the enemy’s air offensives in all situations, the AD-AF identifies the enhancement of research and development of the art of AD-AF combat as a priority, focusing on several content and measures as follows:

Firstly, continuing to thoroughly grasp the concepts of people’s war and the strength of the entire people to build an increasingly solid AD-AF posture. Based on the Party’s policy of building an all-people national defence and people’s war, the AD-AF should effectively propose and advise the Central Military Commission and the Ministry of National Defence to direct all levels to proactively prepare the three-tiered air defence, the people’s air defence, and the all-people air defence postures even during peacetime. The construction of defensive areas within provinces and cities must be closely linked with the construction of a strong AD-AF posture in each locality and strategic direction on the nationwide scale, thus ensuring readiness for AD-AF combat operations in all situations. Besides, the AD-AF closely combines the economy with national defence, being prepared to mobilise forces and technical means to ensure readiness for AD-AF combat operations. It plans and gradually invests in the construction of airport systems, runways, air defence sites, depots, evacuation areas, and mobile routes of the AD-AF based on requirements and tasks. Additionally, the AD-AF regularly organises close coordination between the AD-AF, military regions, corps, the Navy, the Border Guard, and electronic warfare and information technology forces, etc. in defensive areas to maximise the overall strength of the entire people and army on the air-to-air front in the war to safeguard the Fatherland.

An anti-aircraft gun squad in a live-firing exercise

Secondly, focusing on researching and developing the theoretical art of AD-AF combat in new conditions. The AD-AF needs to concentrate on researching, developing, and progressively refining theoretical issues related to the art of AD-AF combat appropriate to the scales, types, and forms of high-tech warfare. In this regard, it is essential to develop the tactics of the AD-AF associated with the combat activities of defensive areas within provinces, cities, and military regions at both strategic and campaign levels, considering various forms of combat and warfare in the context where the enemy employs high-tech weaponry, strong electronic warfare, and extensive cyber warfare. Specific attention should be given to concretising the theoretical issues related to the establishment and transformation of AD-AF postures in strategic areas and directions; the combination of on-site combat with mobile forces; the integration of widespread and independent combats with large-scale joint-forces combats; manoeuvres to avoid the enemy’s fire attacks; anti-aircraft operations; organisation, use, and deployment of forces, etc. In addition, theoretical research should be carried out on the innovative and flexible application of methods, forms, tactics, techniques, and strategies of combat, as well as the art of creating and seizing opportunities to take the initiative in attacking the enemy. Besides, it is crucial to promote the overall strength of the AD-AF and other forces in countering the enemy’s air offensives and in joint-forces operations in various forms of combat and warfare.

Thirdly, enhancing the combat practice capability of the AD-AF. The combat practice of the AD-AF includes various activities such as manoeuvring and deploying forces to form battle positions; organising reconnaissance systems to detect and alert the enemy’s airborne activities; organising combat activities against the enemy; and deploying logistical and technical support systems. Among them, organising combat activities against the enemy is the most important aspect. Therefore, all levels need to reinforce training and exercises to elevate the combat practice capability of their soldiers. During the implementation process, it is crucial to thoroughly grasp the viewpoints, mottos, principles, and relationships in training; actively innovate the content, programmes, and training methods aligned with the situations, combat objects, areas of operations, organisational structure, and the capability to ensure weaponry and technical equipment in the new combat conditions. Training should focus on enhancing the competence of command officers at all levels so that they can firmly grasp the Party’s viewpoints, Vietnamese military art, and combat principles. Additionally, special emphasis should be placed on training and enhancing the competence of staff officers at various levels, improving their abilities to advise, forecast, organise combat operations, and flexibly handle combat situations, thus ensuring victory for their units. The AD-AF focuses on training technical officers and staff to master weaponry and equipment, understand technical procedures, and enhance proficiency in handling and utilising weaponry and equipment in modern warfare conditions, thus addressing combat situations flexibly and effectively. It successfully organises combat training in complex conditions, night-time combat; enhances mobility as well as search and rescue operations; and fulfils maritime and island missions in line with the requirements in the new situation.

Fourthly, regularly researching to grasp the enemy, especially the combat objects of the AD-AF. Agencies and units should frequently organise research to thoroughly grasp the enemy situation, focusing on aspects such as their plots, targets, tactics, time of attacks, infiltration directions, forces, types, technical characteristics and tactics of various weapons and technical equipment, means of air offensives as well as development of forces. On that basis, they can develop appropriate and effective combat methods and tactics to proactively gain the initiative when a situation occurs. Importance is attached to improving and supplementing the national reconnaissance and surveillance systems; establishing a multi-channel information system within the surveillance system; and applying information technology to accelerate the effective gathering and processing of airborne intelligence at command posts and units to proactively handle situations that may arise. In the current conditions, the AD-AF and its units need to develop coordinated plans among airborne, naval, ground, and technical reconnaissance forces to firmly grasp the enemy situation. Besides, it should strengthen international cooperation to gather, process, and manage information while precisely forecasting airborne and maritime situations, thus being ready to respond to non-traditional security challenges.

Fifthly, attaching importance to the training and development of human resources. To develop the art of AD-AF combat in new conditions, it is essential to emphasise the training and development of AD-AF officers. Therefore, all levels should continue to thoroughly grasp and strictly implement higher echelons’ resolutions, directives, and instructions regarding the education, training, development, and planning of officers. Moreover, they should continue to carry out the strategy of training high-quality human resources at military academies and officer schools within the AD-AF as well as academies and schools within and outside the Army.  The AD-AF integrates domestic training with sending personnel for training to countries with traditional relationships in training command staff officers, military pilots, specialised technical engineers, etc. Besides, officers should enhance their language and computer skills to meet the requirement of mastering new weapons and technical equipment, thus gradually meeting the working conditions in the international military and defence collaboration environment. The AD-AF strengthens investment in infrastructure and technical equipment to build regular, exemplary, standardised, modern, and interconnected academies and schools. Furthermore, it effectively deploys the development of smart schools to adapt to the Fourth Industrial Revolution and international cooperation in education and training. The AD-AF successfully applies the achievements of the Fourth Industrial Revolution in command, operations, and combat coordination while attaching importance to resolving the relationship between humans, weaponry, and technical equipment. Indeed, it actively researches, proposes, and participates in scientific and technological programmes organised by the State and the Ministry of National Defence.

Major General VU HONG SON, Deputy Commander - Chief of Staff of the AD-AF