Over 40 years of construction, growth, and development, the Department of Ground Air Defense has always successfully completed the assigned tasks. Promoting such glorious tradition, the Party Commission and the commanders of the Department have been synchronously implementing several solutions to build a comprehensively strong Department to meet the requirements and tasks in the new situation.

Facing complicated situation of the Southwest and Northern borders, on July 10^th, 1979, the Field Air Defense Bureau (later changed into the Department of Ground Air Defense) was founded on the basis of the Field  Anti-aircraft Gun Division under the Air Defense High Command, aiming to assist the Air Defense - Air Force Commander to perform the function of the Chief of military-wide Air Defense, advising the Ministry of Defense and the Central People’s Steering Committee of Air Defense in combating, and building of the Ground Air Defense Force and the People's Air Defense Force. After the establishment, despite the small number of troops, inadequate facilities, and heavy and scattered tasks due to advising and directing the development of forces and management and protection of the Fatherland airspace while having a front-line force to help Cambodia, officers, staff, and soldiers of the Department actively overcame difficulties and raised the sense of vigilance and responsibility to successfully completed all tasks assigned.

Maj Gen Nguyen Manh Khai (standing) in a briefing

Entering the Doi Moi period, thoroughly grasping the Party's military and defense views and lines, especially the 8^th Central Resolution (the 11^th Tenure) on the National Defense Strategy in the new situation, the Department has actively advised the Service, the Ministry of Defense, and the Central People’s Steering Committee of Air Defense to carry out all aspects of the work and achieved many important results. The state management on people's air defense activities has been increasingly tight and effective. The people's air defense posture in the defensive zone the all-people defense posture has been built firmly. The combined quality and combat power of three-service Air Defense force have been gradually improved, contributing to the management and protection of the Fatherland's airspace in every situation. At the same time, the force continues to affirm an important part of the people's war posture on the air defense front. Thanks to its achievements in construction and development of the force and defense of the Fatherland, the Department has been awarded with many valuable titles by the State, the Army, and the Air Defense - Air Force².

In the coming time, the tasks of flight management and operation and protection the airspace has  new requirements as the number of air routes, the operation of flying vehicles, especially ultra-light airplanes, unmanned aircraft  and the number of illegal flights increase. Concurrently, weapons and technical equipment of the Ground Air Defense and People's Air Defense forces have not been synchronized, while its targets of protection are various; its area of operation is wide, etc. In order to successfully complete the assigned tasks, the Party Commission and the commanders of the Department have been implementing synchronously and drastically several solutions to build the Department on pair with requirements and tasks, in which, focus is put on a number of the basic contents as follows.

Firstly, focus is put on building a strong Department in terms of politics, ideology, and organization to create a firm premise to successfully complete the assigned tasks. The Party Commission and commanders of the Department have focused on implementing several measures of political education and ideological orientation to build a contingent of cadres at all levels with strong political ideology and proper political motive and attitude, capable of distinguishing opponents and partners, especially undermining tactics in the political and ideological areas of the enemy, in order to raise the sense of vigilance, responsibility, and determination to well fulfill the assigned tasks. In particular, the Department has attached special importance to education for objects to firmly grasp the laws, directives, and legal documents on construction and operation of the Ground Air Defense and the People’s Air Defense Force; tasks and traditions of the Department to enhance the honor, pride, and sense of building the image and good nature of "the elite Air Defense - Air Force soldiers ". At the same time, the Department has regularly consolidated, completed, and enhanced the leadership capacity and combat power of the subordinate Party commissions and committees in association with the implementation of the 4^th Central Resolution (the 12^th Tenure) on building and regulating the Party; focusing on reviewing and developing the plan to complete the programs, objectives, targets, and key tasks in the Resolution of the 2015-2020 Party Commission in association with the effective implementation of the Determined-to-Win Emulation movement and other movements and campaigns. Along with that, the Department has also actively adjusted and strictly implemented the working and leadership regulations of the Party commissions at all levels; strengthened the management, education, training, inspection, and supervision of Party organizations and Party members; and promoted exemplary role of the contingent of cadres following Ho Chi Minh's ideology, morality, and style.

A live - fire exercise of the ground air - defence force

Secondly, the quality and effectiveness of advising and directing the Ground Air Defense and Air Defense Force are improved. This is the most important central political task of the Department. The Party Commission and commanders of the Department, therefore, have focused on leading and directing the implementation with various scientific measures, focusing on thoroughly grasping and implementing effectively the instructions and resolutions of the Party, State, Central Military Commission, and Ministry of Defense on the work of ground air defense and people's air defense. Meanwhile, the Department has also assisted the Service Commander in advising the Ministry of Defense and the Central Steering Committee for Air Defense to issue directives, guidelines, and legal documents to improve the effectiveness and efficiency of the state management on the work of ground air defense and people's air defense. To implement this work synchronously, closely, and effectively, the Department has regularly coordinated with the functional agencies of the Ministry of Defense, the Service, and localities in developing, issuing, adjusting, supplementing, and deploying the implementation of documents on organization of military personnel, weapons, facilities, and ground air defense and people's air defense equipment at all levels. The regimes of aerial combat readiness duty, training, and maneuvers have been specified. In particular, importance has been attached to advising on the issuance of documents specifying functions, tasks, powers, working relationships, and direction, management, and administration mechanisms of the all-army Chief of Air Defense Forces, steering committees for people’s air defense at all levels, and the Department of Air Defense for three-service Air Defense force.

Along with the advisory work, the Department has directed the ground air defense and people’s air defense units to actively innovate the training, maneuvers, competitions, contests, inspection, review, and improvement of capabilities of mastering weapons, technical equipment, and combat skills of combat crews of command headquarters and commanding positions of all levels. Special importance has been attached to training to improve the ability of combat coordination between the Ground Air Defense force and other arms and local air defense and militia forces in the defensive zones and the National Air Defense Force.

Besides, the Department has regularly inspected, guided, and directed units and localities to implement the plan for people's air defense work, focusing on reviewing, supplementing, consolidating, and promoting the role of the steering committees and the members of the steering committees for the People's Air Defense at all levels with sufficient numbers, proper structures and components, and organization to effectively operate. Particularly, focus has been put on examining the organization of exercises and maneuvers of protection plans for assigned airspaces and the construction of forces and the operation results of the air defense reserves, militia of provinces and cities, and air defense force at border posts, aiming to improve the quality and effectiveness of the people's air defense.

Finally, focus has been put on discipline training, construction of regular rules, and implementation of the work of assurance. In order to build a strong Department, capable of fulfilling the task of assisting the Service commanders to advise the Ministry of Defense and the Central Steering Committee for People’s Air Defense to direct the effective implementation of ground air defense and people’s air defense. The Party Commission and commanders of the Department have focused on serious, strict, and effective maintenance of daily and weekly regimes. Working style and method of officials has been actively innovated, and measures of discipline and ideological management have been strengthened. In particular, importance has been attached to promoting the spirit of self-disciplining of cadres, staff, and soldiers; promote the construction of "partial examples" and "Comprehensive examples", creating a premise to promote the Unit’s development, building a safe and strong unit according to the criteria specified in Directive No.917 issued by the Ministry of Defense.

Promoting the tradition of 40 years of construction, growth, and development, generations of cadres, staff, and soldiers of the Ground Air Defense Department are striving, training, and successfully completing the task of advising and directing the ground air defense force and people’s air defense force to firmly protect the assigned airspace.

Major General Nguyen Manh Khai, Director