Building and developing the defence industry is a strategic task, having a specially important role in improving the defence and security potentials of the country, the combat strength of the people’s armed forces. Especially, with the demands for building the Army towards modernity, firmly protecting the Socialist Republic of Vietnam in the new situation, it is a must to further develop the defence industry on a par with the task requirements.
On grasping and implementing resolutions and directions of the Party and State on building and developing the defence industry, especially Resolution No. 08-NQ/TW, dated 26/01/2022 by the Politburo (13th tenure) on further developing the defence industry to 2030 and the following years, the General Department of Defence Industry has synchronously implemented many policies and methods, attentively carried out its function of state management, proactively built and advised the Ministry of National Defence to submit to the Government for approval the projects, plans of development in each period; at the same time, brought into play its key roles in the leadership and implementation, which has made active changes. So far, together with strengthening the organisation and investing into the infrastructure, the defence industry has basically built its staffs with appropriate skills and knowledge to gradually master new technology. Their abilities of researching, designing, manufacturing, repairing and modifying weapons and technical equipment have been improved. Especially, the Industry has manufactured many types of next-gen infantry weapons, controlled powerful weapons, high-tech weapons and newly built modern ships. Besides, it has researched and manufactured many types of technical supplies and materials for the defence, industrialisation and modernisation of the country, and limited the exports. International cooperation in the defence industry has been widened, becoming an important factor in the international integration and defence diplomacy, making contribution to heightening the prestige and status of our country and Army in the international arena.
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| Prime Minister Pham Minh Chinh visit Vietnam International Defence Exhibition 2022 (Photo credit: baochinhphu.vn) |
Currently and in the coming years, though peace, cooperation and development are the main trends, the situations in the world and regions continue to happen in a complex and unpredictable way. The vigorous development of the 4th Industrial Revolution has made fundamental changes in the military thought, national defence, organisation and equipment of the armies, and the conduct of wars. The cause of building the Army, strengthening the national defence and protecting the Homeland by our people under the Party’s leadership has had new development, etc. In this context, in order to build and develop the defence industry on a par with the tasks, it is vital for all levels, industries, localities, offices, units, the defence industry particularly to grasp and proactively coordinate to carry out the main solutions as follows:
Firstly, speeding up the construction and completion of the legal documents on the defence industry, the formation and organisation of the defence industry. This is the key content and solution, making the fast, rightly-directed and sustainable development of the defence industry. Basing on the grasp and implementation of resolutions, directions and conclusions of the Party and State on building and developing the defence industry, directly Resolution No. 08-NQ/TW, dated 26/01/2022 by the Politburo (13th tenure) on further developing the defence industry to 2030 and the following years, the functional offices of the Defence Ministry, with the General Department of Defence Industry as the core, continue to coordinate with relevant ministries and industries to check and complete the systems of legal documents on the defence industry in the way of reforming, integrating and improving the efficiency, effectiveness of the state menagement and administrative reform. At first, it is necessary to research, compose and submit the Law on Defence Industry, security and industry mobilisation, and other guiding documents in order to create firm legal corridors for the long-term development; attentively institutionalise the Party’s new views, guidelines and policies on developing the defence industry, making them synchronous and united with other regulations in the legal system; check, complement and complete the structure and policies to overcome difficulties and shortcomings of the defence industry organisation, develop science, technology and the international integration and cooperation, specific features of researching and manufacturing weapons and techical equipment, targets and conditions for the non-military businesses to take part in military research and production, policies on encouraging and prioritising the key industries to join in the production chains of the defence industry, mobilising financial sources, other economic components and businesses to take part in investing into the defence industry, etc.
Regarding organisation and staff, basing on the implementation of resolutions by the Politburo and the Central Military Commission, plans by the Defence Ministry on organising the Vietnam People’s Army in the period of 2021-2030 and the following years, it is a must to attentively propose the model of state-governed organs of defence industry which is suitable with the Army’s organisation in the new situation; build the models of defence industry enterprises adjusted to the requirements of specialisation, integration of national and international industries towards the establishment of defence industry groups which are elite, compact, effective, advanced and modern, both producing and repairing weapons and equipment to meet the demands for the people’s war safeguarding the Homeland; at the same time, check the projects and adjust the locations of the defence industry institutions to be suitable with the strategic orientation, military and defence duties, making sure the close connection between the defence and the economy.
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| Signing agreement on ensuring materiel for the Vietnam Coast Guard |
Secondly, building and developing the high-quality human resources for the defence industry. Presently, before the requirements of reality and the status of human resources in the defence industry, it is highly demanded to strengthen the human resources for the defence industry, especially the high-qualified scientific cadres and leading specialists working in key, particular fields and new technology. On grasping and implementing resolutions, directions on personnel work, directly the Resolution No. 1024-NQ/ĐU, dated 15/11/2019 by the General Department of Defence Industry’s Party Committee on leading the construction of cadres, especially the presiding ones in offices, units, and the leading technological-technical cadres to meet the task requirements in the new situation, all levels, agencies, offices and units need to proactively build and carry out the training plans and programmes in order to build the human resources for the defence industry with high quality and suitable quantity and structure; build the structures, policies and plans on attracting and recruiting high-quality personnel in the society to serve in the defence industry. Besides, it is necessary to complement and complete regulations and policies on ensuring the material and spiritual interests for cadres and workers in the defence industry institutions; have regulations on treating and better using excellent managers, highly-skilled scientists and leading specialists, chief engineers, master builders, good technical specialists and forces participating projects, buildings and special tasks. At the same time, it is necessary to pay attention to and make the best environment and favourable conditions of means and researching facilities for them to prove their intelligence and talents to maximally devote to the cause of building and developing the defence industry. Also, it needs to make research and propose the specific mechanism allowing offices and units which have been assigned the tasks of managing and implementing projects on defence industry investment and production to hire and pay salary and extra fees for specific participants according to detailed criteria, etc.
Thirdly, promoting the research, designs, production, manufactures, modifications, repairs and modernisation of weapons and technical equipment. In the current situation of the region and the world, and the limited economic conditions, it appears to be vital to handle the research, designs, production, manufactures and repairs of new, advanced and modern weapons and technical equipment in order to develop the defence industry in the active, self-reliant, resilient and dual-used way. Accordingly, the defence industry, on the one hand, needs to focus on carrying out their key tasks and projects in order to approach and master new technology related to weapons and equipment production for the towards-the-modernity arms, services and forces; give priority to research, designs, production, manufactures and repairs of modern and strategic weapons and equipment; develop and integrate smart weapons and groups of weapons to strengthen the mobility, automation and day-and-night operation in all terrains, on the other hand, attentively renovate and modernise the technology, speed up the digital transformation and effectively apply fundamental technologies and achievements of the 4th Industrial Revolution, gain a head start by taking a shortcut in some specific military fields to create turning points and improve the ability of designing and manufacturing weapons and equipment which contain breaking tactic features. It is necessary to speed up the progress of applying new, advanced and modern technologies to master the background technology and core technology in researching, designing, trialling and producing high-tech strategic weapons and equipment. In order to gain high effectiveness, it is necessary to continuously research and complete the specific mechanism and policies to mobilise the sources of national science and technology, personnel and finance for researching and developing new weapons and technical equipment; promote the cooperation, association and coordination among organisations inside and outside the Army, domestic and international ones in training, researching and transferring technologies for the defence industry; closely connect researching units with the ones doing the production, repairs and exploitation. At the same time, it needs to mobilise all investment sources to modernise the present technological lines in factories and research institutes; upgrade and newly install laboratories, the infrastructure and technical facilities for researching, designing, trialling, producing and testing types of new, advanced and modern weapons and equipment.
Fourthly, enhancing the investment sources for building and developing the defence industry. Building and developing the defence industry require a huge investment of finance, science and technology. Presently, in order to meet the task requirements, prioritise the private budget and make sure the stability and long term for the investment into the defence industry, it is necessary to diversify the resources, enhance the mobilisation of capital sources from enterprises and other legal sources in accordance with the law to invest into these important tasks. Functional offices need to continuously advise the Central Military Commission, the Ministry of National Defence to propose to the Government to combine the contents of developing the defence industry with the national programs and targets, projects on developing the socio-economy of the country; take full advantage of the achievements of the national industry, encourage the civilian industrial institutions to invest into the development of the defence industry; at the same time, enhance the investment in defence industry institutions, gradually master the background technology, core technology and dual-used technology in order to develop the defence industry into the key component of the national industry. Especially, there is a need to focus on combining the internal forces and external ones through international cooperation on the defence industry. In the process of implementation, it is a must to well execute the investment management, making sure the selectivity, focuses and key points, firmly remedy the spreading or fragmented investments; enhance the checks, inspection and audits in order to use the resources economically and effectively, and avoid the losses, negativeness and wastes.
Thoroughly grasping the strategic targets, viewpoints and policies by the Party and State on building and developing the defence industry, the whole army continue to closely coordinate with all levels, agencies and localities in order to overcome difficulties, be determined to build and develop the defence industry on a par with the tasks, meeting the demands for building a modern Army, strengthening the national defence and safeguarding the Homeland from afar.
Lieutenant General, Dr. HO QUANG TUAN, Chief of the General Department of Defence Industry