As a strategic reserve surface-to-surface missile unit, Brigade 490 of Artillery Corps manages, exploits, and operates several types of modern weapons and technical equipment for training and combat readiness tasks to meet the requirements of firmly protecting the Fatherland in all situations. In the execution of its tasks, besides the advantages, the Brigade faces many difficulties and challenges due to the degradation of some types of weapons and equipment after many years of operation, the poor conditions of training grounds, the inadequacies in qualifications, capacity, and experience of a number of officers and technical staff, etc. Faced with this situation, to fulfill its responsibilities, it has deployed many solutions synchronously to improve its overall quality and combat power, focusing on implementing "Three breakthroughs" which has brought about practical results.

Conducting military competition

1. Improving the leadership capacity and overall quality of party organisations; promoting the exemplary role of cadres and party members, especially key ones.

This is the primarily important measure, deciding the political strength of the Brigade, and creating a foundation to improve its overall quality and fighting strength. Through the implementation of Resolution 4 of the Central Committee (13^th tenure) on Party building and rectification and through conducting a political drive themed "5 proactiveness, 5 determination" under the direction of the late General Secretary Nguyen Phu Trong at the 10th Central Military Commission Conference in July 2024, the Party Committee and Command of the Brigade realised that the main cause to the low performance of task of some units and individuals was the low leadership capacity and overall quality of the Party Committees and Party organisations in the units. This is coupled with the fact that the role and responsibility of the cadres had not been fully promoted. Learning from the experience, the Brigade’s Party Committee has issued a thematic resolution on improving the leadership capacity and overall quality of grassroots party organisations and the quality of party members in the new period, focusing on building exemplarily clean and strong party organisations, improving the leadership capacity and quality of party committees and party cells, and strengthening the management and training of cadres and party members, etc. To achieve this goal, together with focusing on perfecting party committees and party organisations in conjunction with building a contingent of leading cadres at all levels; maintaining strict implementation of party operational principles and regimes; improving the quality of leadership resolutions and the implementation of resolutions of party organisations, especially those of the party cells, the Brigade Party Committee has strengthened training to improve the capacity to conduct party work and political work for party committees and political cadres at all levels; maintained the "Excellent Party Cell Secretary" contest at the grassroots level; strengthened inspection, supervision, and enforcement of party discipline to promptly detect and correct deviations and prevent violations, etc. At the same time, it attaches importance to promoting the exemplary role of cadres and party members, especially key cadres of agencies and units. In particular, it has implemented and expanded the model of "Being decisive, dare to think, dare to do, dare to take responsibility", thereby making a significantly positive change in the leadership capacity and quality of Party committees and organisations at all levels. The exemplary role of party members has also been heightened. In 2023, 100% of its party organisations and over 90% of its party members were ranked as completing their tasks well and excellently, with no party members being ranked as failing to complete task.

2. Improving the quality of combat training

Thoroughly grasping resolutions, directives and instructions on training and combat readiness, focusing on Resolution No. 1659-NQ/QUTW, dated 20 December 2022 of the Central Military Commission, Resolution No. 368-NQ/DU, dated 22 March 2023 of the Party Committee of the Artillery Corps on "Improving the quality of training in the 2023 – 2030 period and the following years", the Brigade focuses on leading and directing training tasks; innovating the training management and operation mechanism; implements decentralisation in training, clearly defining the responsibilities of agencies and commanders at all levels in coordination, cooperation, consulting, directing and conducting training. It is noteworthy that due to the special nature of its system of weapons and technical equipment, and the lack of specialised training facilities for technical staff, the Brigade pays special attention to developing programmes, plans, and conducting additional training for newly graduated and appointed cadres. Up to now, 100% of the Brigade's staff has been able to conduct training according to their level, ready to perform tasks in all situations.

Conducting drill

As for the units, it requires them to focus on basic training, considering the mastery of weapons and technical equipment, especially new and modern one as the target; closely combine training with disciplining, and formality building. Implementing this policy, its units focus on training their soldiers to master the weapons and equipment in stock, perform well their responsibilities, and ready to replace other positions as required. At the same time, they strengthen joint training to enhance the cross coordination and cooperation between units. In particular, to meet the requirements of modern combat in the Homeland protection war, in recent time, the Brigade focuses training on  shortening the time of deployment and recovery of equipment; moving and displacing battlefields; camouflage, decoys, and deception; prevention and combat against enemy reconnaissance, electronic warfare, and use of high-tech weapons; preventing and combating unmanned aerial vehicles (UAVs) and improving manoeuvrability, especially long-distance movement, night movement, and movement in complex terrain and weather conditions, etc. To achieve high efficiency, the Brigade promotes innovation in the method and conduct of training to make it suitable for each level, each major, content, and subject towards practical and effective direction. Besides, it regularly holds competitions and sport events at all levels and participate in those held by higher echelons; strengthens inspection, check and review of training. This has made the training results and combat readiness of the Brigade be constantly improved; its soldiers are proficient in techniques and tactics and master weapons and equipment, and maintain high operational readiness. Its annual inspection results show that all of the contents meet the requirements, in which nearly 80% are rated good and excellent. In 2021, it participated the in the "Excellent Technical Officer" Competition of the Reverse Artillery and Missile force, and won the First Prize. In 2023, it won the Third Prize in the Military-wide Standards - Measurement - Quality Contest; one First Prize and one Second Prize in the "Political Teacher" Competition held by the Artillery Corps. In the inspection of task performance in the first 6 months of 2024 conducted by the Ministry of National Defence, the Brigade was ranked Excellent.

3. Improving the quality of technical work

As a special combat unit operating many types of modern weapons with high requirements of accuracy in exploitation, preservation, and maintenance. Meanwhile, the materiel, after long time of use, has increased in quality, and spare parts are scarce, etc., hence its combat readiness and combat strength depend greatly on technical work. To solve this problem, it requires strict maintenance of the regime and order of technical work, preservation, maintenance, storage, repair, and extension of lifecycle of weapons and missiles; promotes the implementation of the Campaign "To manage, exploit weapons and technical equipment effectively, durably, safely, economically and Traffic Safety"; strengthens training to improve the skills of technical staff, focusing on troubleshoot and repairing skills. Besides, it regularly maintains the technical coefficient of weapons and equipment according to regulations. To make this work highly effective, the Brigade proactively invites experts from the Military Technological Academy, Factory A31 and highly skilled and experienced officers and workers to take part in the teaching and training of its new staff. In addition, it encourages and motivates its officers and soldiers to actively conduct scientific research and technical improvement. Especially, through two times of participating in extending the lifetime of equipment with Russian experts, the Brigade proactively proposed to superiors to develop a Project on increasing the lifetime of missiles and associated equipment; inspected and reviewed the entire technical status of weapons and equipment; prepared human resources and facilities ready for implementing the project once approved. In 2024, the Brigade basically completed the task of acting as the role model for the entire Military in the implementation of Campaign 50. Its technical work has always been listed among the best ones of the Artillery Corps and the entire artillery force of the Military.

With high determination, scientific and practical solutions in implementing the "three breakthroughs", Missile Brigade 490 has made remarkable progress and yielded positive results in building an all-strong "exemplary and typical" unit, improving overall quality, combat strength, creating a foundation to successfully complete all assigned tasks, further enhancing the tradition of "Brass feet, iron shoulders, excellent fight, accurate fire" of the heroic Artillery troops in the new era.

Colonel PHAM MANH THANG, Brigade Commander