Deeply aware of the new goals, requirements and challenges posed on the air-to-air battlefield, over the years, the Party Committee and commanders of Division 367, under the Air Defence - Air Force have led and directed the implementation of all aspects of work in order to raise vigilance, enhance its combat level, and fulfill the task of managing and firmly protecting the southern airspace of the country.

In order to meet the requirements of building the Air Defense - Air Force directly to modernity, in recent years, the Division has been invested and equipped with new and modern weapons and equipment, enabling it to raise its combat level. However, during its task performance, the Division encounters many difficulties and challenges due to the increasingly demanding requirements of the tasks. Meanwhile, its units are scattered, with many independent and isolated stations; most of its strength are non-commissioned officers and professional technical staff; the requirement for guard, duty and combat readiness is serious; working intensity is high. Some officers and soldiers still face difficulties in family life, etc. This has a significant impact on the troops’ ideology and the result of its task performance.

A show of initiatives in technical improvement and training tools of the Division

To complete its task, the Division implements many contents and solutions, in which building political bravery and raising vigilance for cadres and soldiers are identified as the most important and decisive solution to improving the combat strength of the division. The Division focuses on political education and ideological management and orientation; improving the effectiveness and efficiency of party and political work in each agency and unit. The units strengthen the dissemination and briefing to make the soldiers grasp the Party's viewpoints and policies on military and defence, and the tasks of the Service and the Division in the new situation. Faced with the current complicated situation, especially in the East Sea and some border areas, the Division focuses on ideological orientation and task briefing for its officers and soldiers; analysing and clarifying the nature and plots of hostile forces and the policies and countermeasures of our Party and State. At the same time, it educates for its officers and soldiers about the position and meaning of the targets of protection; the directives, orders, regulations of the above echelons and the new plots and tricks of the enemy's air combat, in order to create a unity of perception in thought and action in the whole unit. In addition, the Division attaches importance to traditional education of the Military, the Service, and the division itself, especially the notable battles and combat experience on aerial theatre in the resistance wars so that officers and soldiers become self-confident in the existing weapons, equipment and  aerial combat art of our Military and people. At the same time, it attaches importance to the building of clean and strong party organisations by many synchronous measures. The focus is the effective implementation of the 4^th Resolution of the Party Central Committee (11^th and 12^th tenure) on Party building and rectification in association with the implementation of Directive No. 05-CT/TW of the Politburo (12^th tenure) on promoting the learning and following of Ho Chi Minh's thought, morality and style, and other campaigns, especially the Campaign of Promoting tradition, dedicating talents, deserving "Uncle Ho's soldier" in the new period in order to create motivation, raising the will, determination and responsibility of the troops for the task of combat readiness, management and protection of the homeland's airspace.

The airspace under its control is characterised by busy air routes with high density of domestic and international flights. Therefore, the Division requires its units to strictly abide by the regime of combat readiness duty, strictly maintain the watch order duty at the command posts at all levels. Besides, it conducts research, forecast, and grasping of the objects of air defence combat, the situation in the air, at sea, in border areas; promptly build and complete the system of combat documents. Basing on the division's combat plan, the units actively research and develop plans for training combat crews; develop plans for fighting the enemy in each direction; identify key targets, forecast flight routes and tricks of the enemy's activities as a basis for training to improve combat skills, and not to be let passive or surprised when situations arise. Moreover, it has always paid attention is to the close coordination and cooperation with units in the southern region to deploy combat-ready forces, manage the airspace, and handle situations of air defence to protect the sovereignty of the sea and islands. The units increase combat readiness alarms with the crews and detachments on duty to promptly detect and correct the errors.  As a result, 100% of the squads on combat readiness duty successfully complete their tasks; the technical coefficients of its weapons and equipment always exceed 0.2% and above; the communication, command, announcement, and alarm means always meet the requirements. In airspace management, its troops always firmly grasps "04-know" principle, ensures timely and accurate detection, identification, and notification of the targets, and properly handles air defence combat situations according to Order 27/CL-BTTM, December 3^rd, 2002 of the Chief of General Staff.

Along with strictly maintaining the combat readiness regime, the Division determines that improving the quality of training is a central and regular political task which raises the combat readiness level for its officers and soldiers. Accordingly, the Division directs units to develop plans, determine goals, requirements and contents of training for the subjects; at the same time, make careful preparation in lesson plans, lectures, models of learning tools, weapons, technical equipment for combat training; build wartime training areas, consolidate training grounds, and fields, etc. As the division conducts training in different majors while conducting combat readiness and duty at the same time, it attaches great importance to the motto of "basic, practical, solid, safe, economical” training; focuses on training combat crews in the direction of synchronous, intensive, task-based, and relevant to the existing organisation, staffing, weapons and technical equipment, especially training in mastering new and renovated weapons and equipment.

In order to help its troops adapt to new combat conditions, the Division directs its agencies and units to intensify training of state transitions, night training, and maneuver training close to actual combat; develop specific training programs for radar, anti-aircraft artillery and missile detachments; attach importance to holding general round tactical drills, especially new and complicated contents. The units focus on training of missile and anti-aircraft artillery detachments with high mobility and maneuverability in all terrains and weather conditions; promptly prevent and counter the enemy's high-tech warfare.

Strictly maintaining discipline and regularity, performing well logistics and technical supply is the content that the Division attaches great importance to, first of all, maintaining discipline and regularity in training and combat readiness. Along with training the self-disciplining awareness for cadres and soldiers, the Division steps up the responsibility-based working and regulation-base acting; upholds the exemplary role of superiors and cadres beyond their juniors and soldiers. At the same time, it strictly maintains the daily and weekly regimes; strengthens inspection and management over the number of troops, maintain discipline, especially during holidays; resolutely fight, prevent and strictly handle cases of disciplinary violations and violations of traffic safety regulations. On the basis of the criteria and requirements of the technical work, the Division directs its technical agencies and the Engineering branch to well implement the plan of regular and periodic maintenance, repair and storage of various types of weapons and equipment. Technical training and re-training are maintained seriously and have achieved good results, with a focus on specialised technical training for staff and technicians to master new weapons. In addition, the Division always maintains the technical day order and regime, and the regularity in technical zones, stations and workshops at all levels to ensure their smooth operations. Moreover, the Division always pays attention to ensuring adequate and timely logistics and financial needs for missions, giving priority to forces that are conducting combat readiness, maneuver, exercises and sudden tasks. Step up the work of farming and husbandry, nurturing and taking good care of soldiers' health, and disease prevention and control, especially the current covid-19 pandemic.

Thanks to the close leadership and direction and the participation of organisations and forces, up to now, the division’s combat readiness level has been significantly improved, making a positive contribution to the firm control and protection of the southern airspace of the country in all situations.

Senior Colonel TA MINH HUNG, Division Commander