Signal posture during military operations in general, military regions’ defensive combat in particular acts as an important element and lays a decisive material foundation that ensures communication for military regions’ commands to direct and command operations. Preparing this type of posture right in peacetime represents a matter of importance and urgency; therefore, there should be further researches into this work so that we will be able to satisfy requirements of the  war to safeguard  the Fatherland  (if war is to occur).

To prepare signal postures within military regions’ defence, overall measures are implemented to deploy forces and signal equipment connected via fibre optic networks and microwave transmission lines under a uniform intention, with the aim of building inter-connected, extensive, in-depth, solid signal postures right in peacetime to facilitate military regions’ training and combat readiness and localities’ socio-economic development. At the same time, doing so will provide a basis for shifting signal postures from peacetime to wartime to win victories during military regions’ operations. Hence, researching and developing theories on building and completing signal postures for both short-term task requirements and defensive combat in the event of a war serve as a matter of importance and urgency. This article puts forward some measures to prepare signal postures during military regions’ operations in peacetime to meet requirements of the war to safeguard the  Fatherland in the new condition.

First, building compatible signal postures of military regions’ defence in accordance with signal postures of strategic defence to satisfy requirements set by defensive combat. Currently, grounded on Fatherland protection determination and plans in each region, each area, and nationwide, first steps have been taken towards the organisation of the military signal system at all strategic, operational, and tactical levels. However, the development of objects of combat, our organisational structure and combat art, science and technology as well as the modernisation of the military signal system necessitate military regions adjusting and supplementing plans to develop signal postures for their defensive combat. Based on strategic-level fibre optic lines, military regions should make plans on developing fibre optic lines within their areas under a connection between signal stations and general stations, while building backup microwave transmission lines. Great value should be attached to signal networks in key areas, border areas, and isolated, remote, sea, island areas under military regions’ management and protection. Due attention should be paid to formulating road maps for gradually building components of signal systems at headquarters. Consideration should be given to maintaining signal readiness in key defensive areas, defensive targets, and campaign-level positions as well as within zones for important offensives, counter-attacks, and battles so as to ensure smooth communication for defensive combat. Significance should be attached to building both stationary and mobile signal forces. In this regard, the stationary signal force should lay a foundation for the mobile signal force’s development and exploitation in order to ensure communication in all combat situations; due attention should be paid to building a high-quality, modern mobile signal force capable of ensuring communication against enemies’ superiority in electronic warfare, cyber warfare, and hi-tech weapons.

Additionally, great weight should be added to disposing signal forces in defensive zones and directions to guarantee sufficient on-the-spot personnel and means and quickly supplement components of a signal posture in all situations. Projects on deploying forces and means should be formulated to restore sections of a fixed signal system destroyed by enemies. Moreover, there should be projects to closely cooperate with signal forces of the Ministry of National Defence stationed in strategic regions and directions to ensure timely communication in any situation.

Second, building signal postures in tandem with socio-economic development plans made by military regions’ provinces and municipalities. Right in peacetime, grounded on military regions’ defensive combat determination and each locality’s particularities, signal forces should proactively advise military regions to make proposals on adjusting and supplementing socio-economic development plans in each area and locality in association with consolidating, developing, and perfecting signal postures. It is essential to properly allocate human and material resources and well implement plans on developing signal systems of the Military and telecom businesses in a uniform way, with emphasis placed on closely combining socio-economic development with defence and security tasks. Due attention should be paid to making a master plan on the military signal system for both peacetime and wartime. There should be projects on organising parallel transmission lines and building a number of underground transmission lines across places vulnerable to enemies’ attacks in the initial stage of a war and during that war. Doing so will help improve the solidity of communication and create a favourable condition for military regions’ commands to command defensive combat against enemies’ attacks on areas.

Besides, importance should be attached to building telecom enterprises’ signal networks with a close connection between businesses’ economic development and defence and security tasks in peacetime and also for wartime within military regions’ areas. Emphasis should be placed on organising extensive, inter-connected, solid signal networks with a connection and mutual support between military and civilian signal systems within provinces and municipalities in main defensive zones and directions, headquarters, combat bases, rear bases, logistics and technical bases, economic-defence zones, and border, coastal, island areas. Due regard should be paid to developing a dual-purpose telecom network capable of fostering socio-economic development and supporting military signal forces in peacetime, ensuring that telecom infrastructures could be utilised for defensive combat in the event of a war.

Third, well preparing signal postures within local defensive zones. Preparing signal postures within local defensive zones represents the building of signal systems according to military regions’ administrative boundaries, with the unification of sectors’ signal systems under provincial-level defensive plans, in which the military signal force plays a core role. During military regions’ defensive combat, signal forces within local defensive zones act as an integral part of military regions’ signal forces that helps create on-the-spot signal postures for main regiments and divisions’ exploitation, thereby enhancing the solidity of communication. Besides, signal systems within local defensive zones serve as the basis for military regions’ mobile signal forces to develop extensive signal postures for both planned and contingency campaigns and battles, while creating a favourable condition for military regions’ commands to command combat forces stationed far from headquarters or in places without signal systems from military regions’ signal stations and general stations to units so as to keep secrets and raise the timeliness and solidity of defensive combat.

Moreover, preparing signal postures within local defensive zones must be based on the organisation of signal systems during military regions’ defensive combat and relevant to the particularities of each province and municipality. Therefore, there should be researches into areas favourable for launching campaigns and battles against enemies’ ground, amphibious, and airborne offensives in order to make necessary preparations for communication. When a war occurs, grounded on the fixed signal network, the mobile signal force will develop more microwave transmission or field cable lines towards forces’ operational areas; at the same time, local signal forces will cooperate with the telecom sector in organising field signal networks to connect to original signal networks for leadership and command over defensive combat of military regions and provincial-level defensive zones. In addition, military regions’ mobile signal forces could collaborate with signal forces within local defensive zones in holding simulated signal stations, general stations, and lines in tandem with other types of diversionary tactics to maintain the secrecy of intentions of defensive combat and the safety of communication.

Furthermore, essential military signal works, such as signal stations and general stations, depots, logistics and technical facilities, and signal workshops should be prepared in peacetime. The organisation and position of those works must be associated with master plans on signal postures during defensive combat. Signal stations and general stations could deploy transmission infrastructures, signal equipment, signal means, and a number of transmission lines to stationed areas of mobile forces, key campaign-level positions, and key local defensive zones in main defensive directions to maintain communication when necessary. It is important that depots should prepare sufficient food and signal equipment. Meanwhile, due attention should be paid to closely organising workshops to opportunely carry out repairs for signal forces of military regions and defensive zones during combat.

Preparing signal postures during military regions’ defensive combat to satisfy requirements of the war to safeguard the Fatherland is an enormous task associated with the building of the all-people national defence, relevant to many sectors and localities. Thus, when preparing signal postures, military regions’ signal offices should grasp the development of signal systems of the Military and sectors in each area and defensive zone, the development of military signal equipment, and the development of objects of combat to proactively give advice to all-level party committees and commands on this work. Last but not least, signal offices and units should well organise exercises on connecting, coordinating, and mobilising signal systems to opportunely draw lessons, improve the effectiveness of maintaining communication, and meet the requirements of military regions’ defensive combat in the war to safeguard the Fatherland .

Sr. Col., Dr. LE XUAN HUNG, Commandant of Signal College