Provincial defensive area exercise is a chance to test and evaluate comprehensively the leadership, direction and administration capacity of Party committees and authorities at all levels; the capacity to act as an advisor as well as the level of organisation, command, and combat coordination of military agencies, police, departments, branches, and mass organisations in defence situations; supplement defensive combat plans, strengthen local defence and security in the new situation. Well aware of that and thoroughly grasping, implementing Resolution No. 03-NQ/TU, dated 24 December 2020 of the Standing Board of the Provincial Party Committee on local defence and military work in 2021, Directive No. 1199/CT-QK3, on 20 April 2021 of the 3^rd Military Region Command, from 22^nd to 24^th November 2021, the province of Nam Dinh held a defensive area drill of the year. This is a large-scale drill, conducted at both provincial and district levels (Nam Dinh city, Truc Ninh district), in a large space, with many contents, using various types of weapon, technical equipment and components, and forces. This is also the first year that the province implements the Resolution of the 13^th National Party Congress, the resolutions of the Party congresses at all levels for the 2020-2025 term, while many of the cadres participating in the exercise were newly appointed with little experience in the drill content; the 4^th Covid-19 outbreak happened complicatedly, ... which had a significant impact on the exercise.

With high responsibility, solidarity, and strong determination, right after the Military Region's Directive on the exercise was issued, the Provincial Military Party Committee and Military Command focused on researching and advising the Provincial Party Committee and the Provincial People's Committee to synchronously promulgate directives, plans and documents to hold drills in the province's defensive area in 2021; established the Steering Committee, the Organising Committee and sub-committees to assist, assign tasks to members; focused on leading, directing, organising, grasping and deploying tasks for localities, departments, agencies and branches to urgently and seriously implement, in order to concretise the Party's resolutions and directives, and the Government's decrees on the construction and operation of the defensive area.

Sticking to the leadership and direction of the Military Region’s Party Committee and Command, implementing the content of: “Transforming the armed forces into combat-readiness states, transforming the localities into defence states; preparing and practising defensive combat”, the Provincial Military Command advised the Steering Committee and the Organising Committee to proactively make plan of  the exercise to submit to the 3^rd Military Region for approval; direct and guide Nam Dinh city and Truc Ninh district to build their intentions and procedures for the exercise relevant and suitable to the local situation. With the motto that the preparation process is a process of self-training and self-improving the capacity for cadres at all levels, the Organising Committee of the exercise has developed a plan and coordinated with the relevant authorities of Military Region 3 to conduct training for 155 cadres at provincial level; direct the Provincial Military Command to hold training for 302 cadres of Nam Dinh city and Truc Ninh district, in order to improve their awareness, methods and responsibility in the exercise; and built nearly 800 documents of good quality, in accordance with the combat intentions, and relevant to the characteristics, situation and circumstance of the province.

Chairman of the Provincial People’s Committee rewarding individuals and collectives with achievements in the provincial defensive exercise of 2021

The new feature of this year's exercise is that, along with promoting the role of the central agency in coordinating forces in advising the Standing Board of the Provincial Party Committee, the People's Council, and the Provincial People's Committee on the contents, the Provincial Military Command also regularly inspected the task performance of the committees, departments, branches, mass organisations and localities according to the requirements and objectives of the exercise. In addition, the province also repaired and built many new projects in combat base and areas of exercise with full equipment and facilities; strengthened the application of information technology in many stages of the exercise in order to improve the efficiency of command, administration and handling of situations. In particular, the province focused on mobilising the people of communes in the rehearsal area to contribute to the construction of military works, roads, etc. to serve the drill, strongly promoting the “people’s heart and mind posture” in the cause of Fatherland protection.

During the exercise, the Party committees and authorities of departments, branches and unions well performed the practice of the leadership and direction mechanism to change the combat readiness state, and change the locality into defence states; prepared and practised defensive operations in the spirit of Resolution No. 28-NQ/TW of the Politburo (10^th tenure), Decree No. 21/2019/NĐ-CP of the Government on defensive areas. Conferences of the Standing Board of the Provincial Party Committee and the Defence Emergencies Command issued resolutions to lead and implement measures to transform localities into defence emergency state; thematic session of the Provincial People's Council issued a Resolution on the transfer of the locality into wartime; The conference of the Provincial People's Committee on defence cooperation, and the conferences of the Military Party Committee, the Public Security, the Border Guard, the Department of Transport, etc., all took place in accordance with principles and procedures and in a serious manner as wartime conditions, thereby affirming that the Party committees, authorities, departments, branches and mass organisations of the province thoroughly grasped and well implemented the mechanism and regulations in handling defence and security situations. The actual-troop phase of the exercise was organised, commanded and operated strictly, flexibly and in accordance with the principles. The actions of the participating forces clearly showed their bravery, professional level, and skills. Despite a short period of time, the Provincial Police, Military, and Border Guard forces have upheld their sense of responsibility, coordinated smoothly, handled flexibly and wisely, and performed well the scenarios of capturing targets and rescuing hostages. In particular, thanks to careful preparation, its main forces, local forces, and border guards coordinated well in fighting the enemy’s seaborne landing; conducted live firing according to the plan, achieving good results with absolute safety.

Under the close leadership and direction of the Steering Committee and the Organising Board of the exercise, and instructions of the superior agencies, together with the effort of all levels and branches, the defensive area exercise of Nam Dinh province in 2021 made a success. The involving forces well complied with regulations on pandemic prevention and control, confidentiality of information and documents; ensured absolute security and safety, with no case of Covid-19 infection. The success of the exercise is an important basis for the province to continue to supplement and complete the plans and systems of combat documents; actively build, consolidate and strengthen potentials and posture in the defensive areas of the province and its districts and city; improve the ability of the local armed forces in command, coordination, and combat readiness, contributing to making the all-people national defence in association with the people's security increasingly strong, ready to respond to all traditional and non-traditional security situations, meeting the requirements and tasks of Fatherland protection “early and from afar”. Some lessons can be drawn from the exercise as follows.

Firstly, from the very beginning, the province regarded the defensive area combat exercise as the key political task of 2021. It is on that basis that the province thoroughly conducted the propaganda, education, and briefing of the task of the exercise, Covid-19 prevention and control for all levels, branches and people in the locality. Simultaneously, it mobilised the participation of Party committees, authorities at all levels, the whole political system, forces and the entire people in the preparation and practice of the exercise.

Second, strengthening the leadership of the Provincial Party Committee, the unified direction, management and administration of the Provincial People's Committee; promoting the advisory role of the Military, Public Security and Border Guard agencies in the implementation and operation of the mechanism, especially in the preparation for the exercise and in handling specific situations. This is an important and core issue that determines the success of the exercise.

Third, attaching importance to closely combining the implementation of the exercise with consolidating forces, building areas, effectively preventing and controlling the Covid-19 pandemic as well as gradually building and completing military posture of the defensive area which is a basis for building defence and security posture, especially building a solid “people's heart and mind posture” in the area, making an important contribution to the realisation of the “dual goal” of strengthening national defence and security, building an increasingly solid defensive area while promoting socio-economic development in the new normality.

Fourth, promoting internal resources, initiative and creativity of all levels, branches, forces and the close coordination of agencies, departments, branches, and the whole political system to create synergy in every phase of the exercise.

Fifth, regularly checking and stimulating forces participating in the exercise; drawing experience and overcoming limitations in a timely manner. Supply work must stick to the tasks, not to be passive; using the budget economically and effectively.

Senior Colonel LUONG VAN KIEM, Member of the Standing Board of the Provincial Party Committee, Commander of the Provincial Military Command