Building an elite, compact and strong army as a solid premise for the construction of a modern Army by 2030 is a major policy, carefully calculated, and highly feasible at the time that the renewal cause initiated and led by our Party for more than 35 years has achieved great achievements of historical significance. At the same time, it is in line with the development of the world, the region, the Fourth Industrial Revolution and the results and experiences of the process of prioritising the modernisation of a number of services and corps under Resolution of the 12^th National Party Congress. This policy represents the strategic vision, thinking and new awareness of the Party on the task of building the army, strengthening national defence and defending the country in the new development phase of the country. Therefore, it is necessary to fully, objectively and comprehensively grasp the basic and core contents of this policy in order to create unity and high consensus in each level of party committees, organisations, commanding organisations, etc. officers and soldiers of the whole Army to thoroughly understand and implement seriously, drastically, synchronously and effectively. Emphasis should be placed on the following contents:

First, maintaining and strengthening the Party's absolute and direct leadership in all aspects over the Army. Building an elite, compact and strong Army must be placed under the absolute and direct leadership of the Party in all aspects, and the centralised and unified management of the State. Therefore, the first important issue is to build a strong army in politics, ideology, morality, organisation and personnel according to President Ho Chi Minh's point of view that: "Military without politics is like a tree without root, useless and harmful”. At the same time, it is necessary to continue to effectively implement Resolution No. 51-NQ/TW of the Politburo (9^th tenure) on "Continuing to perfect the Party's leadership mechanism, implementing the commander associated with commissar regime in the Vietnam People's Army". Regularly take care of building the Army's Party Committee, building celite and strong party organisations in the Army which are capable of leading the whole army to fulfill its assigned functions and tasks; resolutely fight against all negative manifestations, deterioration in political ideology, morality and lifestyle; combine the building of the Party Committee with building a contingent of leading cadres, building elite and strong party organisations with the building of comprehensively strong, “exemplary and typical” units. Continue to renovate contents and methods, improve the quality and effectiveness of party and political work in tasks; intensify the struggle in the ideological and theoretical fields. Promote studying and following Ho Chi Minh's thought, morality and style in association with the implementation of the Campaign of Promoting tradition, dedicating talents, deserving the title "Uncle Ho's Soldier" in the new period.

PM Pham Minh Chinh speaks at the 1st-half military and political conference of the Army (An illustrative photo)

Second, breakthrough in organisation and equipment. To effectively implement this issue, first of all, it is necessary to thoroughly grasp the Party's policy on adjusting the organisation of the Army, especially the 8^th Central Resolution (11^th tenure) on the Strategy to defend the Fatherland in the new situation. Continue to restructure the Army to have a balanced structure among forces”; Resolution of the 11^th Congress of the Military Party Committee: “By 2025, basically complete the restructuring of the Army in the direction of streamlining, compact and powerful; develop some services and forces to modernity by 2030, and the entire Army to modernity beyond 2030”. Effectively implement the project on the organisation of the Vietnam People's Army in the new situation; the Strategic project to secure weapons and equipment for the Vietnam People's Army until 2030 and beyond. On that basis, the whole army is to step up the review and assessment of the number, organisation and equipment of each agency and unit, serving as a basis for adjusting and consolidating the organisation, staffing to suit the existing functions, tasks, weapons, technical equipment and Vietnam military art in the new conditions. Along with streamlining, it is necessary to continue to invest in the forces designated towards modernity; study, adjust, transfer and establish a number of strategic reserve units; build a strong, well-organised, and increasingly high-quality reserve force; rearrange defence production plants according to product and technology groups; adjust the functions and tasks of the defence economic corps in accordance with the requirements and tasks in the new period.

Third, building and developing defence industry to an advanced and modern level. This is an important issue that is directly related to building an elite, compact and strong Army. The 13^th National Party Congress determined that: Developing a modern and dual-use defence industry and security industry, both meeting the requirements and tasks of Fatherland protection and making an important contribution to socio-economic development.  To do this, first of all, it is necessary to focus on building and developing the defence industry with an appropriate scale, structure and managerial mechanism, ensuring centralised and unified State management while promoting the autonomy of the defence industrial establishments. Consolidate the organisation of the technical branch in the direction of "smooth, compact, strong and unified" in accordance with the technological features of weapons, technical equipment and tasks of each level, ensuring that the management and command are smooth without overlap. Renovate the method of ensuring technical security for weapons and technical equipment of new generation and high technology in the direction of concentration and unity; renewing the thinking on the production of technical materials in the direction of expanding joint venture, association, socialisation, etc.

Along with that, it is necessary to continue to perfect the system of legal documents, mechanisms and policies, strategies, master plans and plans on long-term and medium-term development of defence industry suitable to the new conditions. Gradually integrate the defence industry into the national industry to promote the development of the national industry. Prioritise the development of basic industries and industrial products with high dual-use. Build a number of defence industrial establishments with advanced and modern technologies as the basis for the construction of corporations, towards the formation of dual-use and high-tech defence industrial groups and complexes; focus on the systems: missile, command automation, cyber warfare; nuclear war prevention and combat, meeting the requirements of national defence in the new situation.

Fourth, building high-quality human resources. This is one of the strategic breakthroughs with decisive significance, ensuring that the Army is elite, compact, strong, and successfully completes all tasks in the new conditions. The quantity of high-quality human resources must be strongly developed corresponding to military modernisation roadmap. However, the development in quantity should be consistent with the operational structure, organisation and staffing of the Army; at the same time, reflecting the level of military employment and corresponding to the level of weapons, military science and technology. Focus on developing the contingent of military scientists, leading experts, and lecturers in the school system, and researchers at military institutes and scientific centers. Developing a contingent of high-quality commanding, military, and political officers at all levels; building a contingent of logistics, technical and economic staff capable of successfully completing tasks. Focusing on increasing the number of experts and highly specialised and technical staff in technical units, ensuring sufficient high-quality human resources according to the requirements of the Army construction payroll, first of all giving priority to key units.

Along with that, it is necessary to promote innovation and improve the quality of training and drills close to the requirements, tasks, terrain, location, and combat environment. In education and training, ensure the system, synchronisation and interconnection between educational levels. Strongly and comprehensively renovating both teaching and learning contents, programs and methods in order to improve long-term quality right from the beginning in academies and schools, meeting the requirements of building the Army elite, compact, strong, creating a solid premise to build the People's Army "revolutionary, regular, elite and modern" by 2030.

Major General, Assoc Prof, PhD., VU CUONG QUYET, Director of the Institute for Defence Strategic Studies

Building an elite, compact and strong army as a solid premise for the construction of a modern Army by 2030 is a major policy, carefully calculated, and highly feasible at the time that the renewal cause initiated and led by our Party for more than 35 years has achieved great achievements of historical significance. At the same time, it is in line with the development of the world, the region, the Fourth Industrial Revolution and the results and experiences of the process of prioritising the modernisation of a number of services and corps under Resolution of the 12^th National Party Congress. This policy represents the strategic vision, thinking and new awareness of the Party on the task of building the army, strengthening national defence and defending the country in the new development phase of the country. Therefore, it is necessary to fully, objectively and comprehensively grasp the basic and core contents of this policy in order to create unity and high consensus in each level of party committees, organisations, commanding organisations, etc. officers and soldiers of the whole Army to thoroughly understand and implement seriously, drastically, synchronously and effectively. Emphasis should be placed on the following contents:

First, maintaining and strengthening the Party's absolute and direct leadership in all aspects over the Army. Building an elite, compact and strong Army must be placed under the absolute and direct leadership of the Party in all aspects, and the centralised and unified management of the State. Therefore, the first important issue is to build a strong army in politics, ideology, morality, organisation and personnel according to President Ho Chi Minh's point of view that: "Military without politics is like a tree without root, useless and harmful”. At the same time, it is necessary to continue to effectively implement Resolution No. 51-NQ/TW of the Politburo (9^th tenure) on "Continuing to perfect the Party's leadership mechanism, implementing the commander associated with commissar regime in the Vietnam People's Army". Regularly take care of building the Army's Party Committee, building celite and strong party organisations in the Army which are capable of leading the whole army to fulfill its assigned functions and tasks; resolutely fight against all negative manifestations, deterioration in political ideology, morality and lifestyle; combine the building of the Party Committee with building a contingent of leading cadres, building elite and strong party organisations with the building of comprehensively strong, “exemplary and typical” units. Continue to renovate contents and methods, improve the quality and effectiveness of party and political work in tasks; intensify the struggle in the ideological and theoretical fields. Promote studying and following Ho Chi Minh's thought, morality and style in association with the implementation of the Campaign of Promoting tradition, dedicating talents, deserving the title "Uncle Ho's Soldier" in the new period.

PM Pham Minh Chinh speaks at the 1st-half military and political conference of the Army (An illustrative photo)

Second, breakthrough in organisation and equipment. To effectively implement this issue, first of all, it is necessary to thoroughly grasp the Party's policy on adjusting the organisation of the Army, especially the 8^th Central Resolution (11^th tenure) on the Strategy to defend the Fatherland in the new situation. Continue to restructure the Army to have a balanced structure among forces”; Resolution of the 11^th Congress of the Military Party Committee: “By 2025, basically complete the restructuring of the Army in the direction of streamlining, compact and powerful; develop some services and forces to modernity by 2030, and the entire Army to modernity beyond 2030”. Effectively implement the project on the organisation of the Vietnam People's Army in the new situation; the Strategic project to secure weapons and equipment for the Vietnam People's Army until 2030 and beyond. On that basis, the whole army is to step up the review and assessment of the number, organisation and equipment of each agency and unit, serving as a basis for adjusting and consolidating the organisation, staffing to suit the existing functions, tasks, weapons, technical equipment and Vietnam military art in the new conditions. Along with streamlining, it is necessary to continue to invest in the forces designated towards modernity; study, adjust, transfer and establish a number of strategic reserve units; build a strong, well-organised, and increasingly high-quality reserve force; rearrange defence production plants according to product and technology groups; adjust the functions and tasks of the defence economic corps in accordance with the requirements and tasks in the new period.

Third, building and developing defence industry to an advanced and modern level. This is an important issue that is directly related to building an elite, compact and strong Army. The 13^th National Party Congress determined that: Developing a modern and dual-use defence industry and security industry, both meeting the requirements and tasks of Fatherland protection and making an important contribution to socio-economic development.  To do this, first of all, it is necessary to focus on building and developing the defence industry with an appropriate scale, structure and managerial mechanism, ensuring centralised and unified State management while promoting the autonomy of the defence industrial establishments. Consolidate the organisation of the technical branch in the direction of "smooth, compact, strong and unified" in accordance with the technological features of weapons, technical equipment and tasks of each level, ensuring that the management and command are smooth without overlap. Renovate the method of ensuring technical security for weapons and technical equipment of new generation and high technology in the direction of concentration and unity; renewing the thinking on the production of technical materials in the direction of expanding joint venture, association, socialisation, etc.

Along with that, it is necessary to continue to perfect the system of legal documents, mechanisms and policies, strategies, master plans and plans on long-term and medium-term development of defence industry suitable to the new conditions. Gradually integrate the defence industry into the national industry to promote the development of the national industry. Prioritise the development of basic industries and industrial products with high dual-use. Build a number of defence industrial establishments with advanced and modern technologies as the basis for the construction of corporations, towards the formation of dual-use and high-tech defence industrial groups and complexes; focus on the systems: missile, command automation, cyber warfare; nuclear war prevention and combat, meeting the requirements of national defence in the new situation.

Fourth, building high-quality human resources. This is one of the strategic breakthroughs with decisive significance, ensuring that the Army is elite, compact, strong, and successfully completes all tasks in the new conditions. The quantity of high-quality human resources must be strongly developed corresponding to military modernisation roadmap. However, the development in quantity should be consistent with the operational structure, organisation and staffing of the Army; at the same time, reflecting the level of military employment and corresponding to the level of weapons, military science and technology. Focus on developing the contingent of military scientists, leading experts, and lecturers in the school system, and researchers at military institutes and scientific centers. Developing a contingent of high-quality commanding, military, and political officers at all levels; building a contingent of logistics, technical and economic staff capable of successfully completing tasks. Focusing on increasing the number of experts and highly specialised and technical staff in technical units, ensuring sufficient high-quality human resources according to the requirements of the Army construction payroll, first of all giving priority to key units.

Along with that, it is necessary to promote innovation and improve the quality of training and drills close to the requirements, tasks, terrain, location, and combat environment. In education and training, ensure the system, synchronisation and interconnection between educational levels. Strongly and comprehensively renovating both teaching and learning contents, programs and methods in order to improve long-term quality right from the beginning in academies and schools, meeting the requirements of building the Army elite, compact, strong, creating a solid premise to build the People's Army "revolutionary, regular, elite and modern" by 2030.

Major General, Assoc Prof, PhD., VU CUONG QUYET, Director of the Institute for Defence Strategic Studies