Operational- and strategic-level cadres are key leaders of the military, who are in charge of commanding and controlling units; developing and coordinating implementation of the Party’s military and defence guidelines; deciding outcomes of military missions. This corps of cadres, therefore, should be equipped with the system of scientific knowledge about military art, especially the operational art, to enable them to be qualified for requirements of safeguarding the Fatherland in the new situation.

The military art of Viet Nam comprises three elements, namely military strategy, operational art, and tactics. These elements have an interaction with another, in which the operational art is guided by the military strategy and directly guides tactics. On clearly understanding the vital roles of the operational art in the development of military art of Viet Nam to meet requirements of modern warfare, over the past few years, the National Defence Academy (NDA) has attached constant importance to both theoretical and practical training at the operational level of war as well as new developments in operational art in the war to defend the Fatherland. It has also actively reformed training contents and methodologies in the direction of openness, development of military thinking, and practical training. Thus, the corps of operational- and strategic-level cadres gradually grasp contents and methodologies to prepare and conduct operations at the operational level of war and apply these contents and methodologies to practice in a creative, effective manner, successfully completing their assigned tasks.

Nevertheless, the operational- and strategic-level cadres’ independent research and thinking on the operational art still show limitations during the training process. The application of theory to resolution of practical issues has been not flexible and creative yet. They have failed to highlight new developments in assessing and remedying situations. The command and control of military operations are still confusing and fail to fully meet training objectives. Meanwhile, in the context of the Fourth Industrial Revolution, types and ways of conducting warfare change continually. Elements that form military operations evolve and develop constantly, particularly changes and developments of the enemies. Consequently, increased quality of training for operational- and strategic-level cadres needs to be discussed thoroughly to find scientific solutions.

First, training at the operational level of war must connect with strategic operations, military region defensive operations, and operations of provincial, municipal defensive zones. Strategic operations is carried out at the highest scope, directed by the strategic level to achieve strategic goals, and closely combined with other forms of struggle, in which military struggle is key. However, to reach the goals requires the strategic level to direct successful conduct of battles and campaigns, most notably campaigns of strategic importance. In other words, success of strategic operations must be built on victory of campaigns and vice versa. Should the war to safeguard the Fatherland occur, strategic operations is likely to witness new developments. Many types of strategic operations will come into being to satisfy demand of modern warfare. Thus, training at the operational level of war must be associated with strategic operations, especially the context, force, posture, coordination, support, etc., of strategic operations and aims to fulfil the goals and tasks assigned by the strategic levels.

Additionally, training at the operational level of war needs to align with military region defensive operations, which is a comprehensive type of operations occurring right from the onset and during the war to safeguard the Fatherland. Should the war occur, small-scale military operations will be conducted by military regions while the medium- and large-scale ones will be launched by the higher echelon. Regardless of the scale, any campaigns will take place in military regions’ area of responsibility. Consequently, operations at the operational level of war must effectively exploit forces and posture of the military region defensive operations.

Operations of provincial, municipal defensive zones is a new development of Viet Nam’s military art. Forces of provincial, municipal defensive zones are not only armed forces but also those of departments, industries, unions, and people. These forces are built in peacetime and ready to be employed in wartime to shape local people’s warfare posture to firmly protect their areas. Therefore, any campaigns must closely connect with the provincial, municipal defensive zones. This is a huge advantage when executing operations at the operational level of war in the war to safeguard the Fatherland. The operational- and strategic-level cadres need to deeply grasp and effectively apply these issues to the organisation and execution of operations at the operational level of war.

Second, importance should be attached to training in combined arms operations to raise the operational- and strategic-level cadres’ command and control of campaigns. To develop a corps of operational- and strategic-level cadres who have required knowledge and standard, are skilled at combined arms operation, and are capable of successfully responding to the enemy’s new types of operations, there needs to focus on training in command and control of campaigns; closely combine operations of the Army and those of the Navy as well as surprise attacks of the Air Force to create comprehensive power in order to annihilate large part of enemy strength and bring about sudden changes of operational and strategic importance. Training in traditional operational methodologies is associated with training in improving command and control of combined arms operations in modern warfare. Training in the conduct of large-scale operations relates to training in the conduct of medium- and small-scale operations and destroy of the enemy strength. Priorities are given to studies about integrated operations, maritime operations, methodologies of commanding modern operations in favour of automation against the backdrop of dramatic developments in force, weapon, equipment, and combat level of the Navy and Air Defence-Air Force. There needs to do research into the ways of organising the campaign command and system of campaign headquarters and applying flexible command methodologies to command campaigns. Campaign organisation is connected with campaign preparation and control. It is necessary to make sufficient, careful, comprehensive preparations with focuses; control flexibly, creatively, and determinedly and win critical battles of a campaign; improve ability to respond to situations; closely combine force build-up, establishment of postures, exploitation of opportunities, and use of stratagems in war to defeat the enemy.

Third, training operational- and strategic-level cadres in the conduct of campaigns in the new conditions. In the war to safeguard the Fatherland, the enemy has got new developments in many aspects. Their goals are different from those in the past. They can combine internal riots, acts of subversion, separatism with military attacks from outside the country. They are likely to employ various types of warfare, including irregular warfare, border warfare, maritime warfare, information warfare, cyber warfare, wars of aggression, or nuclear, biological, and chemical warfare. They can combine the use of high-tech weapons with development of new types of operations, implementation of the strategy of rapid attack and speedy victory with the involvement of multiple forces in all fronts. Consequently, educating operational- and strategic-level cadres about operations at the operational level of war involves not only military aspect but also others, such as politics, diplomacy, economy, psychological warfare, and so on. To do so requires further reform of training programmes, contents, and methodologies; development of the overall programme suitable for learners, especially those taking long courses. Apart from improving quality of lecturers, there needs to invite experts to deliver lessons and conduct tours and exercises in each field to enhance learners’ level of competence.

In operations at the operational level in the war to safeguard the Fatherland, we can prepare part of the posture since peacetime. This posture will be supplemented and perfected should the war occur. Accordingly, the selection of battlefield is based on a predicted strategic concept and the enemy’s predicted directions of attack.  This creates favourable conditions for operations at the operational level to accomplish missions laid out by the strategic level. However, armed riots, acts of subversion, or separatism may erupt as a result of different causes. These are new issues in the war to safeguard the Fatherland. Thus, operational- and strategic-level cadres must be trained to firmly grasp principles and methodologies to assess and conclude situations; effectively deal with contingencies to defeat the enemy’s scheme to combine insurgency and intervention.

Fourth, further reform of training methodologies for operational- and strategic-level cadres. Training for the operational- and strategic level cadres must be renewed comprehensively, most notably the methodology of theoretical training, conducting operations, and evaluating training outcomes. In theoretical training, it is necessary to combine many methodologies, both the traditional approach and the active learning method. Efforts should be focused on the latter, which aims to bring into play the operational- and strategic-level cadres’ thinking skills and turn the training process into a self-training one. During the training process, lecturers are requested to associate lessons learnt with realities of defence, military mission and raise predictive issues about military art to foster learners’ predictive thinking skills. There needs to overcome passive training, promote interaction with learners, stimulate their thinking skills, and urge them to study and choose the most suitable solution to the problem.

Practical training in operations in the operational level of war is the application of theory to settlement of emerging issues. The conduct of a campaign includes campaign practice and exercises.  There needs to focus on changing learners’ approaches to operational art in each training item, which serves to enable learners to not only understand and follow what has been identified by theory, but also improve their thinking skills and application of theory to settlement of problems raised in each lesson. The lecturers should attach importance to raising problems in order to guide learners’ perception and leverage their wisdom to solve emerging problems; be well aware of situations in order to proactively broaden or narrow discussion and conclusion and propose the optimal solution at an appropriate time; watch and direct learners according to intention and make use of situations to steer them towards key issues of the exercise.

Besides, there needs to further renew appraisal of training outcomes, training in operations at the operational level of war in particular, ensuring honesty, impartiality, goal orientation, etc., contributing to increased quality of training operational- and strategic-level cadres in the new situation.

Senior Colonel, Doctor TRAN HUNG CUONG, National Defence Academy