Creating and establishing military posture is a fundamental aspect of combat methods aimed at maximising the strengths of various forces and capabilities of localities within the operational area. This process generates comprehensive power to accomplish assigned tasks. In military region defence operations, the posture is prearranged in peacetime and subsequently adjusted and supplemented throughout the course of war. Therefore, research into the creation and establishment of a solid, interconnected, strategic, flexible, and deep military posture is an urgent issue today.

In a war to safeguard the Fatherland (if it occurs), the enemy’s offensive into the military region serves the purpose of destroying military and defence potential, annihilating and disbanding armed forces, seizing critical targets, and establishing a foothold for further strategic operations. Depending on the position and terrain characteristics of each military region, the enemy may deploy varying levels of forces and means of attack, but they will mainly rely on elite, battle-hardened troops with modern weapons and equipment to conduct a full-scale offensive. Their goal is to execute a “rapid attack, swift resolution” strategy to conclude the war in a short time. The enemy’s forces typically comprise a joint combat task force, with core units including infantry and mechanised infantry brigades, operating under the command of one to two divisional army headquarters. Additional forces may include a marine division, one to two airborne assault brigades, and fire support from air forces, artillery, and naval units. Regarding tactics, the enemy may employ a combination of phased or simultaneous measures such as border and island encroachment, firepower attacks, electronic warfare, psychological warfare, amphibious landings, ground assaults, airborne insertions, and internal uprisings.

In a people’s war to defend the Fatherland, military region defence is a highly integrated form of combat, executed by the military and civilians within the military region, potentially with the participation of the Ministry of National Defence’s forces. The core component consists of the military region’s armed forces, operating within a defence framework established and prepared at the provincial and municipal levels during peacetime. Through the wars against foreign invaders, especially the wars for national liberation, Vietnam has accumulated considerable experience in defence operations. Currently, the armed forces of military regions are being developed to be “elite, compact, and strong,” with increasingly modern weaponry and equipment. These forces undergo basic training and conduct exercises at various levels, scales, and operational types, including military region defence operations. However, this type of operation remains relatively new, encompassing military, political, economic, cultural, and social aspects, and military regions still lack extensive practical experience. Therefore, to secure victory in defence operations, military region commanders and headquarters must address multiple challenges regarding force organisation, posture, theoretical and practical aspects of preparation, and execution of combat operations. In particular, mastering the art of creating and establishing military, political, and economic posture is crucial. This article seeks to discuss some key aspects of creating and establishing military posture in military region defence operations in the war to safeguard the Fatherland.

A regional defence exercise conducted by Hanoi Capital Command

As we may know that creating and establishing military posture involves organising, positioning, and deploying forces and means in a way that both builds our posture and disrupts the enemy’s, forming a robust, interconnected, and deep defensive posture. This posture must provide the capability for both offensive and defensive actions while withstanding the pressure of the enemy’s firepower. At the same time, it must leverage the combined power of all forces to defeat enemy offensives, protect strategic targets, key defence areas, and critical defensive strongpoints. The process of establishing such posture begins in peacetime and is continuously adjusted and supplemented during combat operations. Therefore, when creating and establishing military posture, commanders and staff must organise and deploy forces and means in a way that forms a solid, interconnected defence posture capable of launching sudden and effective counterattacks. Successful implementation of this key measure lays the foundation for bringing into play the overall combat power of forces, weapons, and battlefield equipment. To achieve this, the deployment of forces and means must strictly adhere to the operational defence plan of the military region commander, align with the defence posture of provinces and cities, and make the most of the strengths and combat methods of the military region’s armed forces.

For defensive units and forces positioned along the primary direction and critical defensive points of the military region, force deployment should be centred around infantry companies, which serve as the basic units for constructing defensive strongpoints and clusters of defensive positions. These should be integrated with villages, combat bases, and rear bases to form regimental- and divisional-level defensive zones along key operational directions. The arrangement must ensure a strong, interconnected, deep, flexible posture capable of slowing, disrupting, or halting enemy offensives. This posture should also maximise the enemy’s attrition at critical points. As for military regions deployed in midland and mountainous terrain, defensive positions must take full advantage of the natural landscape, combined with fortified structures within the defence zones, to form a complete posture capable of withstanding the enemy’s heavy bombardments and high-tech weapons. In flatland areas, defensive arrangements should utilise solid architectural structures, dikes, and key transportation routes the enemy must traverse. In riverine and delta regions, the military posture should take full advantage of provincial and municipal defence areas, combat bases, and village defence networks for deployment.

For mobile offensive forces, deployment should be in secret and well-concealed locations with quick access to different directions for launching attacks, engaging in battles, and participating in campaigns organised by the military region. These forces should also be prepared to conduct independent key battles, counter enemy amphibious and airborne landings, execute flanking maneuvers, or penetrate primary defence zones. Depending on the characteristics of the battlefield and our defensive conditions, infantry battalions and regiments may serve as the core units for deployment. However, the forces must be initially dispersed while maintaining the ability to rapidly concentrate at critical moments and locations. For units in charge of conducting deep strikes, interdiction, and harassment operations, deployment should be in hidden, unexpected locations that facilitate rapid movement to engage and destroy key targets, disrupt enemy operations, and cause significant attrition, creating favourable conditions for other forces’ operations. These forces should be positioned within tactical formations at the village level, inside district and provincial defence areas, and near key enemy objectives.

For the combat arms and combat support forces, their deployment must cover multiple areas, including both primary and reserve positions, while maintaining secrecy and security. These forces must be capable of rapid movement, allowing them to maneuver flexibly across various directions, maximising the effectiveness of both ground and aerial firepower. This strategic positioning should create a favourable posture, enabling engagements with the enemy from long range to close combat while effectively supporting friendly forces in key defensive zones, particularly in primary defence areas. More importantly, command posts at all levels must be situated in locations that facilitate effective command and control of combat operations, ensuring stable and continuous communication and the ability to respond swiftly to evolving battlefield situations. Only with such an arrangement can a complete, strong, interconnected, and deep defensive posture be established. The posture allows flexible transformation, secures key areas and strategic objectives, and ultimately defeats enemy offensives within the military region.

In addition to force organisation and utilisation, it is essential to develop a comprehensive system of fortifications, defensive positions, obstacles, and movement routes both before and during combat operations. These elements serve as fundamental factors that directly contribute to the overall power of defensive operations. Moreover, the integration of these components forms the foundation for creating a strong, interconnected, and deeply structured posture in military region defence operations, enabling flexible transformation during combat. Therefore, the commanders and staff must direct units and forces involved in defence operations to construct a complete, solid, and interconnected system of fortifications, defensive positions, obstacles, and movement routes tailored to the specific nature, characteristics, and operational requirements of the battlefield. This system should facilitate mutual support among forces throughout combat operations and provide adaptability for various tactical scenarios.

For the system of fortifications and battle positions of defensive forces, its construction must include well-structured defensive strongpoints and clusters, along with dedicated positions for defensive combat, firepower deployment, and offensive actions. These positions must be adequate in number and meet strict quality standards, particularly in the construction of combat bunkers, concealment shelters, observation posts, storage bunkers for logistical supplies, and medical treatment shelters for wounded personnel. Furthermore, the layout must allow for effective engagement of enemy offensives from multiple directions and accommodate reinforcements when necessary.

If scientifically arranged, obstacles significantly contribute to the effectiveness of defensive operations by creating a complex and formidable posture. Properly positioned obstacles enhance the resilience of the defence, slow down enemy advances, and provide substantial support for combat forces by maximising firepower efficiency and attrition of enemy troops. Therefore, the deployment of obstacles must fully exploit natural terrain features and artificial structures while integrating seamlessly with obstacles established by various units and forces. This approach ensures the formation of an interconnected and strategically advantageous obstacle system that does not hinder friendly forces but instead imposes severe mobility restrictions on the enemy. It forces the opposing forces into a disadvantageous position, ultimately aiding in their containment, attrition, and destruction.

For mobile offensive forces and the deployment of technical weaponry in support of defensive operations, the movement routes play a crucial role as the vital arteries linking various forces to generate collective combat strength. Therefore, early planning for movement routes is essential, ensuring secrecy and the element of surprise. Route planning must leverage favourable terrain conditions while preparing contingency pathways (reserve routes) to counter potential enemy disruptions to primary roads. This approach ensures a continuous and adaptable posture while effectively utilising local support capabilities and resources.

In the event of a war to safeguard the Fatherland, securing victory over enemy offensives within the military region depends significantly on establishing a strategically advantageous posture, especially the military posture. Achieving this requires the commanders and staff to leverage the defensive posture of provinces and cities, organise and deploy forces effectively, and integrate key battlefield components, including fortifications, firepower, obstacles, and movement routes, into a cohesive and resilient defence system. The establishment of the military posture in military region defence operations embodies a distinctive feature of military art in the war to safeguard the Fatherland. This issue requires further research, improvement, and development to align with modern combat conditions and evolving strategic environments.

Senior Colonel, Doctor NGUYEN QUOC THANH, National Defence Academy