Logistic and technical supply for tasks is overarching to each agency, unit, and the whole Army. Artillery Corps’ Party Committee and Command have been leading and directing the implementation of this content with multiple drastic, synchronous, and effective measures so that it can keep on growing to meet all task requirements in the new situation.

Artillery Corps, a combat and technical corps, constitutes the major firepower of Infantry Service as well as the major ground firepower of the Army. Over the years, together with a vast quantity of weapons and equipment received from foreign aid, booty, and domestic sources, Artillery Corps has been equipped with modern weapons and equipment, which creates a diversity of types, sizes, and technical and tactical functions. This results in not only the improvement in the Corps’ combat capability but also an increasing demand for logistic and technical supply. To satisfy the task requirements, in parallel with accelerating a breakthrough in organising forces, enhancing combat capability, and constructing all-powerful, “exemplary and typical” units, the Corps’ Party Committee and Command have attached tremendous importance to leading and directing the quality of logistic and technical supply.

Thoroughly grasping and implementing higher echelons’ resolutions, directives, and instructions, especially Resolution No. 382-NQ/ĐUQSTW issued on November 29^th, 2007 on leading technical work in the new situation and Resolution No.  623-NQ/QUTW issued on October 29^th, 2012 by the Central Military Commission on Military logistic work toward 2022 and the following years, the Corps’ Party Committee has promulgated Action Programme No. 166-CTr/ĐU issued on March 26^th, 2008 on implementing Resolution 382 and Plan No. 357-KH/ĐU issued on December 27^th, 2012 on implementing Resolution 623; directed its agencies and units to design programmes and plans with detailed and practical content and goal. During the implementation process, the Corps has paid attention to devolving responsibility to commanders, and commissars at all levels; well performing the work of education and propagation to create a widespread consensus on ideology and actions; intensifying inspection and supervision; conducting review and summary, promptly rewarding examples of good people, good deeds, and duplicating typical models to gain far-reaching influence on all levels. Closely adhering to resolutions, programmes, and plans, the Corps’ Logistic and Technical Branches have developed and enacted documents on regulating and adjusting the organisation of forces. Simultaneously, the Branches have made a breakthrough in building regularity; appropriately distributing materials, weapons, and equipment; standardising the system of documents, templated, and panels from agencies to grass-roots levels; applying information technology to management; maintaining the regimes and operating principles, organising competitions, etc. so that commanders can keep track of the state of weapons, equipment, technical and logistic materials.

The Corps has regularly directed its agencies and units to check and adjust plans for logistic and technical supply for combat readiness; inspect, rotate, and maintain the technical coefficients of weapons, and equipment for combat readiness, and reserve logistic materials. The Corps has strengthened its capability of on-site repair and mobile repair and coordinated with specialising units. The Corps has also coordinated with the functional agencies of the General Department of Techniques for special and rare weapons and the maintenance of technical coefficients. The Logistic Branch has accelerated the exploitation of food and gas; food production and animal husbandry with numerous approaches, the VAC model; the management of food hygiene and safety to prevent diseases and improve soldiers’ lives so that the Corps can accomplish tasks in all situations.

In the forthcoming years, in addition to advantages, the Corps will encounter numerous difficulties and challenges due to the changes in structure, degradation of weapons and equipment, lack of materials and spare parts of missiles and special equipment, limited petrol and budget, considerable fluctuation of prices, etc. Therefore, to enhance logistic and technical supply to satisfy the task requirements in the new situation, the Party Committee and Command of Artillery Corps must concentrate on leading and directing the drastic and synchronous implementation with the following measures.

Firstly, accelerating the organisation and building “compact, lean, and strong” logistic and technical forces. Thoroughly grasping and implementing Resolution No. 05-NQ/TW issued on January 17^th, 2022 by the Politburo, Resolution No. 230-NQ/QUTW issued on April 2^nd, 2022 by the Central Military Commission on leading the implementation of the project of restructuring the Vietnam People’s Army in the 2021-2030 period and the following years, the Corps’ Party Committee and Command must concentrate on leading and directing the adjustment of the organisation of the Corps in general and logistic and technical forces in particular with appropriate structure and strength; increasing the number of advisory and assistant forces; prioritising highly qualified and ethical human resources, especially specialised personnel. Additionally, the Corps should attach importance to enhancing the quality of human resources, training qualifications, and competence for combat readiness; proficiency in using modern weapons in accordance with exploiting artillery equipment until 2025 and the following years and Project on building modern Artillery Corps. Cadres who are capable of coordinating with functional agencies and institutes and enterprises in the Army should be trained to exploit new equipment, manufacture logistic and technical materials and equipment, keep the digital transformation on the right track, and manage weapons, equipment, and materials. Simultaneously, weapons and equipment should be researched and ameliorated to increase automation, maneuverability, projectile velocity, accuracy, and lethality.

Secondly, continuing to check, develop, and supplement the system of documents and plans to ensure logistic and technical work for artillery combat; ameliorate methods for combat readiness. Based on the organisation, structure, and plans to develop weapons and equipment, logistic and technical agencies should actively check and supplement plans, and anticipate situations that match combat plans to cater for long-term combat in extreme environments and modern warfare. In the immediate future, the focus should be placed on the planning of weapons, equipment, and depots to match the forces and operational areas; well implementing the assurance and assembling logistic and technical materials. In the long run, it is necessary to concentrate on researching, renewing, and completing methods for logistic and technical supply to fit forms of operation, especially the assurance of food, materials, weapons, and ammunition in combat; investigating the tasks of the localities and friendly units to map out situation and plans for coordination and repair of weapons and equipment at technical units in the Army and the localities.

Thirdly, actively renovating and regularly enhancing the quality of logistic and technical supply. The Department of Logistics and the Department of Techniques should proactively check Programme No. 166 and Plan No. 357 of the Corps to supplement targets, tasks, and measures that match the situation. The focus should be put on the assurance of weapons, equipment, petrol, and logistic materials for combat readiness and training; the planning of depots, reserve materials, available weapons and equipment associated with making a new purchase in accordance with the modernisation programme. The Corps’ agencies and units should stringently maintain the logistic and technical work; intensify the management of weapons, equipment, and material in accordance with levels; enhance the quality of preservation and storage; prioritise the assurance of weapons, equipment, special military hardware, and other equipment ensured by the Corps. Importance should be placed on bringing into play the skills of professional personnel, organising the implementation to exceed the annual targets of logistics and technical supply; rotating and using weapon groups in accordance with the task requirements to maintain technical coefficients. Coordination with functional agencies and units is required to extend the service life of special military hardware; research and test spare parts; accelerate several improvement and modernisation programmes. Initiatives on ameliorating and applying new technology to rationalise the logistic and technical assurance. Besides, it is necessary to promptly finalise the modality for ensuring logistic materials in accordance with the market mechanism, the new financial management regulations, and the situations of localities; flexibly combine both Eastern and Western medicine in health care; bring into play the spirit of self -reliance, etc. to strive for self-sufficiency of food and 100% of vigorous strength.

Fourthly, intensifying investment in improving the quality of equipment for logistic and technical supply in combination with enhancing the support for forces. Closely adhering to the targets, plans, and practice, the Corps should actively mobilise investments in upgrading facilities and equipment to enhance support for all combat situations. In particular, priority should be given to upgrading the system of modern depots; purchasing equipment for the mechanisation of depots. It is necessary to complete technological processes, standards, regulations on inspection, and quality classification; improve on-site and mobile repair to master technology for technical work. To make the maximal use of technology and equipment for logistic and technical assurance, the Corps should continue to renovate the logistic and technical contents, programme, and training methods to suit the tasks, weapons, and equipment; enhancing intensive and professional training, sense of responsibility, and teamworking. Focus should be placed on the exploitation and assurance of new equipment for several combat situations; intensifying on-the-spot training to build a contingent of professional personnel with qualifications, work commitment, and good political qualities.

Together with the aforementioned measures, the Corps’ Party Committee and Command should accelerate Campaign 50 and the emulation movement titled “Military Logistic Branch follows Uncle Ho’s teachings” in combination with implementing Conclusion No. 01-KL/TW of the Politburo on continuing to boost the implementation of Directive No. 05-CT/TW to enhance the quality of logistic and technical supply to satisfy the task requirements in the new situation.

Senior Colonel PHAM MINH TRUNG, Deputy Commander of Artillery Corps