Deeply aware of the position and meaning of the Drive entitled “managing and exploiting weapons and technical equipment effectively, sustainably, safely, and economically and traffic safety” (aka the Drive 50), during the past years, Army Corps No.2 Technical branch has promoted its core role in advising, directing, guiding, and organizing the implementation. Thereby, encouraging results have been achieved, directly contributing to improving the quality and efficiency of technical work and ensuring the Corps’ successful completion of all assigned tasks.

In order for the Drive to be carried out seriously, in the right direction, spread widely, and bring about high results, the Corps’ Technical branch has advised the Party committees and commanders all levels to strengthen the leadership and direction for the Drive. From the branch’s advice, the Corps’ Party Committee and High Command have issued a resolution specialized in leading and directing the implementation of the Drive. It was determined as one of the key tasks of technical work. The results of the implementation of the Drive have been determined as one of the KPIs for agencies and units. As a standing agency of the Drive 50 Steering Board, the Department of Techniques advised the Corps to regularly consolidate and strengthen the Drive 50 steering committees at all levels and develop operational regulations to suit with the characteristics and tasks. service. During the implementation, the Department has flexibly attached the fulfillment of the contents and targets of the Drive to the implementation of Resolution No.382/NQ-ĐUQSTW of the Central Military Party Committee (presently the Central Military Commission) on leading technical work in the new situation, Directive No.05-CT/TW of the Politburo (the 12^th Tenure), Directive No.87-CT/QUTW of the Central Military Commission Standing Committee on "Promoting learning and following ideology, morality, and style of Ho Chi Minh", the Drive "promoting tradition, devoting talent, deserving to be Uncle Ho’s soldiers", the Determined-to-Win Emulation movement, and the need to build comprehensively strong units. Therefore, the Party committees and commanders at all levels have been engaged, and the synergy of organizations and unions has been brought into full play, creating a movement of lively action in the implementation of the Corps’ technical work.

Sr Col Le Luat inspecting technical equipment at the 203 tank brigade

As the Corps has managed and used a large number and diversified categories of weapons and technical equipment for several years that result in unstable technical coefficients, unsafe risks, and high demand for maintenance, repair, upgrading, and synchronization, the Technical branch has comprehensively implemented all aspects of technical work with focus and priority. At the same time, the implementation of the objectives, requirements, and contents of the Drive 50 has been attached to the implementation of three breakthroughs of the branch, namely: improving the capacity of technical advisory work for the technical staff at all levels; improving productivity and quality of technical assurance for technical facilities at all levels; and ensuring absolute safety of weapons and technical equipment in performing tasks and ensuring traffic safety. On the basis of thoroughly grasping the superior levels’ resolutions, directives, regulations, and guidance on the management of weapons and technical equipment, the Branch has directed and instructed agencies and units to strictly manage weapons and technical equipment through decentralization, and responsibility of officers and soldiers is attached to weapons and technical equipment assigned. Over the past time, the Branch has actively reviewed and proposed to remove outdated equipment which has no source of spare parts. Besides, the work of receiving, distributing, transferring, and recovering weapons and technical equipment has also been well performed. At the same time, the progress of investment and upgrading of the system of warehouses or technical zones, etc. has been accelerated to improve the capacity of storing and preserving weapons, technical equipment, ammunition, and supplies, especially in the grassroots units. The Branch has directed agencies and units in innovating the management methods towards combining book monitoring and registering statistics with the application of information technology to ensure timely and proper procedures. Therefore, the Corps’ weapons and technical equipment are strictly managed in terms of quantity, quality, and uniformity.

In order to improve the capacity of technical assurance to meet the requirements of the Corps' tasks in the new situation, the Branch has advised the Corps to plan and mobilize resources, especially internal forces, to comprehensively consolidate and upgrade the system of technical stations and workshops at all levels in terms of technology and facilities, ensuring the regularity and uniformity with priority put on repairing and synchronizing remote construction vehicles in order to enhance the mobile assurance capability. Additionally, the Branch has directed technical agencies and units at all levels to step up research, promote initiatives, improve techniques, and apply scientific and technological advances to solve urgent requirements in exploitation and repair of weapons and technical equipment. Since 2014, the Corps has completed 24 valuable research theses and 42 technical innovations that have brought practical effects. This is an important basis for the Branch to well implement programs and plans for maintenance, repair, and synchronization of weapons and technical equipment. Over the past years, the quality of technical assurance of the Corps has been significantly improved.

Mechanics conducting maintainance work

Ensuring the safety of weapons, technical equipment, warehouses, and workshops, work safety, and traffic safety is a goal of the Drive 50. For the Corps, due to the large size and extent of the use of weapons, ammunition, explosives, and technical equipment for training and maneuvers, safety assurance is especially important. To accomplish such goal, the Branch has advised the Corps to strictly enforce safety rules for weapons and technical equip training used in training, combat readiness, and traffic safety assurance. On the basis of thoroughly grasping the above directives and decrees on the work of safety assurance, particularly Decree No. 148/2006/NĐ-CP issued by the Government on planning, construction, management, and protection of the safety belt for storage of ammunition and explosives; Directive 96/CT-BQP issued by the Ministry of Defense on the work of safety assurance for weapon and ammunition warehouse, etc. the Branch has also advised the Corps and the Drive 50 Steering Committees of all levels to develop contents and annual action programs, in which focus is put on well ensure safety in training and traffic safety. Therefore, over the years, the Corps has always ensured the absolute safety of people, weapons, and technical equipment during task performance.

In order to limit and prevent traffic accidents, the Department of Techniques has advised the Corps to direct agencies and units to promote propagation, dissemination, and education of laws on traffic safety and culture such as Road Traffic Law or the Government’s Decrees on traffic safety, etc. to raise awareness and sense of observance of traffic laws for cadres and soldiers; considering the observance of laws and regulations when participating in traffic is the task of each individual and of agencies and units. At the same time, the work of reviewing and strengthen the inspection of the driving team and military vehicles when participating in traffic, especially when performing the task of training and maneuvers has been regularly performed. In particular, the Branch has advised the Corps Commander to issue the Regulations on traffic safety and motorbike use for military men of the Corps. As a result, over the past years, traffic safety violations have plummeted on all criteria, with no serious accident being reported.

The good implementation of the contents and objectives of the Drive 50 has contributed to improving the technical coefficient and limiting the degradation of weapons and technical equipment; meeting the criteria of technical safety assurance of the Corps, timely responding to the task’s requirements. From such achievements, the Technical Branch is continuing to promote its core role in advising, guiding, and organizing the implementation to bring the Drive 50 into life with more effectiveness, creating a solid foundation for the Army Corps 2 to successfully perform its role as a strategically key and mobile force of the Ministry of Defense in the new situation.

Senior Colonel Le Luat, Chief of Techniques of the Army Corps 2