Da Nang holds a strategically important position in socio-economic and defence and security aspects of the Central and Central Highlands region in particular and of the whole country in general. It is for this reason that together with the central task of socio-economic development, the city has always mobilised the combined strength to build a strong all-people national defence. In particular, the City’s Military Command has always actively promoted its core role in implementing this important task by a number of synchronous and effective measures.

Thoroughly grasping the Party’s views and lines, the State’s laws and policies, and the resolutions of superior levels on defence and military work, the City’s Military Command has coordinated with other departments, sectors and branches to successfully make recommendations to the city on measures to strengthen leadership, direction and effectively implement the resolutions, directives, action plans, projects regarding the building of the all-people national defence. Notably: the Plan No. 57/KH-UBND dated 11 September 2009 of the Municipal People’s Committee on implementing the Resolution No. 28-NQ/TW dated 22 September 2008 of the Politburo on continuing to build steady provincial defensive zones in the new situation; the Plan No. 513/KHQH-QS dated 13 March 2012 of the City’s People’s Committee on military posture in the defensive zone of the City; the Plan on building the project on maintaining defence in the City in the 2015 – 2020 period with orientation to 2030, etc. Basing on these plans, the agencies and units of the city have concretized their programs and plans for implementation with several realistic and effective contents and measures. Annually, they all conduct reviews to make adjustments to ceaselessly improve the quality of strengthening potentials, meeting the requirements of homeland protection and creating favorable conditions for socio-economic development.

Sr. Col. Doan Duy Tan chairs a meeting of Da Nang Military Command's Party Committee

 In order that the all-people national  defence truly be the foundation of national defence and central point of the great national unity, it is necessary to have uniformity in the awareness and responsibility in implementation. Therefore, the City’s Military Command has paid attention to advising, coordinating and well implementing the communication  and education of the Party’s lines and viewpoints, the State’s laws and policies on defence and building the all-people national  defence. This is done on a regular basis by a number of creative, effective measures, hence drawing the active participation of the whole political system. First, it focuses on communication to improve the awareness and responsibility in each party committee, branch, and union as a premise for enhancing the quality of communication to the mass about this work. Focal contents of communication are about the Resolution No. 28-NQ/TW dated 22 September 2008 of the Politburo (X tenure), the Defence and Military Strategy, the Decree No. 02/2009/NĐ-CP dated 02 January 2019 on civil defence, the Decree No. 152/2007/NĐ-CP, the Decree No. 02/2016/NĐ-CP, the Decree No.21/2019/NĐ-CP dated 22^nd February 2019 of the Government on defensive zones, as well as laws and legal documents regarding defence and military fields with various models of propagation suitable with each objects. Thereby, the patriotism and vigilance and sense of responsibility for building the all-people national defence of the city’s citizens have been enhanced, contributing to consolidating the great national unity and building the increasingly steady “people’s heart and mind posture”.

The basic content of building the all-people national defence is the development of potentials and posture. Fully aware of this, the City’s Military Command has advised to the City’s People Committee measures to promote the synergy from the whole political system and the entire people in building the all-people national  defence posture associated with the people’s security posture, especially building the steady provincial defensive zone. The City’s Military Command has directed its junior military commands to advise the localities to build socio-economic development plans and projects in a way that ensure the combination between socio-economic development and defence and security consolidation. Basing on these recommendations, the city’s departments, sectors and branches have carried out several realistic and synchronous measures for bringing into play the local potentials and strengths for the work. The developments of the industrial zones, communication and transportation systems, infrastructure, and tourism, etc. have all been connected with defence and security consolidation from the planning stage. The agricultural, forestry, fishery sectors have been developed towards dual-use direction which can be easily mobilised for defence purpose in the event of war.

In addition, the City’s Military Command has promoted its core role in advising, building, consolidating and enhancing the effectiveness of organizations and forces; strictly maintained the leadership mechanism and regulations on the building and operations of defensive zones; strengthened the development of potentials meeting the requirements of the local defence and military tasks both in the short and long term. At the same time, it has successfully implemented the state management role over the local defence work; strengthened its inspection and supervisory role over the implementation of defence tasks in accordance with the Decree No. 168/2018/NĐ-CP dated 28 December 2018 of the Prime Minister in the departments, sectors and branches. Besides, it has actively coordinated, reviewed and evaluated the socio-economic projects in defence aspect as assigned, especially the key ones; coordinated with the Public Security and Border Guards to promote its core role in grasping and anticipating the situation to timely recommend to the city measures for dealing with defence and security situations to protect the area, the sovereignty over seas and islands; opportunely consolidated and upheld the core and permanent role of the councils, steering committees, especially the Steering Committee on building the defensive zone, the Steering Committee on people’s air defence, the Council for Military Service, the Council for Defence and Security Education, etc.

Having reviewed and accurately evaluated the situation, the City’s Military Command have assisted the City’s authority to build and perfect the documents and plans on combat, defence mobilisation, people’s air defence, disaster prevention and control, search and rescue, development of urban infrastructure, etc. Thereby, the potentials and posture of the all-people national  defence have been strengthened; the leading and directing capability of party committees, authorities at all levels and the advising, coordinating and collaborating level in the settlement of situations of forces in the defensive zone have been enhanced.

In the establishment of the all-people national defence, the City’s armed forces represent the subject, object and the key factor deciding the military strength of this process. Therefore, the City’s Military Command has advised to the City’s authority to pay attention to making the City’s armed forces strong in politics, ideology and organisation towards the lean, compact and strong directions with appropriate structure suitable with the functions and missions of each force. Build the party cells and party committees of the Military, Border Guards, and Public Security pure and strong; focus on improving the overall quality and combat strength to make them truly be the sharp violent tool and the reliable force of the City’s Party committee, authority and people.

Moreover, the City’s Military Party Committee and Command have always attached importance to leading, directing the enhancement of training quality, combat readiness and exercise, particularly the level of drills, tactics, expertise, coordination and collaboration of forces in managing and maintaining social order, protecting the sovereignty over seas and islands and settling defence and security situations. Furthermore, it has regularly paid attention to building the Militia, Self-Defence and Reserve Forces with appropriate structures and components, high quality and suitable with each locality. Up to now, the Reserve has fulfilled 95% of the required strength; 100% of the commune-level military cadres has secondary military education and above. The mobile Militia platoons, Marine Militia and Self-Defence platoons, and permanent Militia squads in the City’s districts, wards and communes are operating routinely.

In the new situation, building a strong all-people national defence is both an urgent and long term requirement. With its functions and responsibilities, Da Nang Military Command will promote its core role in this work, contributing to generating favourable conditions for the City’s all-round development.

Senior Colonel Doan Duy Tan, Political Commissar of the City’s Military Command