President Ho Chi Minh once admonished the Signal troops that “You should constantly improve political and ideological competence; make every effort to learn additional skills and techniques to ensure timely, accurate, confidential, and secure communication work with continuous progress, achieving new accomplishments”. In line with Uncle Ho’s teachings, the Party Committee and the Command of the Signal Corps are currently focusing on leading and directing the construction of a modern Corps with various coordinated and effective contents and solutions”.
Resolutely and earnestly implementing the policy of the Party, the Central Military Commission, and the Ministry of National Defence on the prioritised development of the Signal Corps into modernity, in recent years, the Party Committee and the Command of the Signal Corps have focused on leading and directing its comprehensive strength to proactively conduct research, propose recommendations, and effectively implement communication system development strategies. These strategies have encompassed various approaches and methods to ensure that the Corps stays ahead in accessing advanced technology and modern equipment. To date, there have been significant strides in the development of our military communication system on all three levels: strategical, operational, and tactical with a dynamic posture and enhanced independence and resilience. Our network has reached regional-level technological capability, with some systems that is on par with the equipment of advanced nations in terms of technology, capable of ensuring uninterrupted communication and meeting the demands and tasks in all situations.
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| Mr. Nguyen Trong Nghia, Member of the Party Central Committee, Head of the Central Propagation and Education, visits the Centre for Military Communications Management |
Presently, global, regional, and domestic situations are facing numerous unpredictable changes; both traditional and non-traditional security factors, especially cyber security, natural disasters, and complex health crises, are difficult to forecast. Our potential adversaries are constantly developing their methods of warfare and the use of high-tech weaponry, posing new and higher demands on the task of defending the Motherland, including the task of ensuring military communication. To fulfil this task, the Party Committee and the Command of the Signal Corps continue to vigorously implement the “Development Strategy for the Military Communication Information System for the 2021 - 2030 period, with a vision towards 2045”, building a Signal Corps that is “revolutionary, standardised, elite, and modern”, ensuring timely, accurate, confidential, and secure military communication in the new situation. The combat prowess of the Armed Forces in general and the Signal Corps, in particular, is the result of the combination of many factors, among which political and ideological factors are of decisive importance. Embracing Uncle Ho’s teachings that “military without politics is like a tree without roots, useless and even harmful”, the Party Committee and the Command of the Signal Corps focus on leading and directing the development of a politically strong Signal Corps, creating the foundation and basis for moving towards modernity and enhancing overall quality and combat capability. The emphasis is placed on building strong party committees and party organisations at all levels, with a focus on political, ideological, and ethical qualities, as well as organisation and cadre development. In addition, the effective implementation of the “four-good Party cohort” and “four-good Party cell” models is continued. Furthermore, the Signal Corps practice strict adherence to principles of Party organisation and operation, democratic centralism, self-criticism, and criticism. Regular reviews, amendments, supplements, and strict compliance with working regulations and leadership regulations in key areas are also carried out. Additionally, timely consolidation and perfection of Party committees and Party organisations are practised to ensure proper structure and quality of such institutions. Besides, the Corps prioritises the strengthening of Party member management, education, training, and recruitment. It also pays attention to enhancing Party cells in units and organisations with critical missions and decentralised operations, and ensuring that 100% of company-level Party cells have a Party commissioner. At the same time, the Signal Corps Party Committee and its subordinate Party committees and Party organisations attach importance to building a cadre corps following the “seven dares” spirit, with an appropriate quantity and structure, and high competence to meet the requirements of their positions. Also, the Corps resolutely addresses the issue of insufficient and excessive numbers of cadres in merged and newly established units, ensuring that the excessive ratio of cadres by title does not exceed 08%, and the shortage by title is below 05%. Furthermore, efforts are made to ensure that by 2025, over 98% of cadres have a university degree (postgraduate degrees exceeding 30%). Simultaneously, the Corps effectively participates in the military-wide management of cadres of the Signal branch.
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| A military-wide signal drill held in 2022 |
Agencies, units, and training institutions of the Corps continue to innovate and enhance the quality of political education in a scientific, creative, and modern manner. They also focus on the education of traditions and the code of conduct for the Signal troops. In addition, the Corps attaches importance to the close monitoring and management of the troops’ mental state and morale and the timely resolution of any ideological and psychological issues in combination with the effective implementation of internal political security work to address any signs of political overconfidence, distraction and confusion. Furthermore, the Corps proactively anticipate situations to prevent and fight “peaceful evolution”, and “apoliticisation” trends within the military, as well as signs of “self-evolution” and “self-transformation” within its ranks, among other concerns. In the course of implementing these works, the Signal Corps leadership demands that Party committees and Party organisations at all levels effectively implement Central Resolution No. 4 (13th Tenure) on building and rectifying the Party and the political system in combination with the promotion of learning and following the ideology, ethics, and lifestyle of Ho Chi Minh, Resolution No. 847-NQ/QUTW, dated December 28, 2021, of the Central Military Commission on promoting the qualities of “Uncle Ho’s Soldiers” and resolutely combating individualism in the new situation. Additionally, the Corps continues to innovate and improve the quality and effectiveness of the emulation and commendation work, and the “Determined to Win” emulation movement, as well as cultural and artistic activities, ensuring the cultural and spiritual life for its troops.
Through these efforts, it creates a significant transformation in the sense of awareness and responsibility of the troops, fostering a steadfast ideological stance, unwavering loyalty to the Motherland, the Party, the State, and the People and maintaining a high level of consensus, unity, confidence, and cohesion for the modernisation of the Signal Corps.
Organisational structure and personnel adjustment and reorganisation are critical matters for the Military in general and the Signal Corps in particular, aiming to establish a foundation and impetus to accelerate the process of building a compact, elite, strong and modern Armed Forces. Therefore, one of the breakthroughs led and directed by the Party Committee and the Command of the Signal Corps is the resolute adjustment of the organisational structure and establishment, aiming to enhance the effectiveness of planning and development of the military communication system. Embracing and implementing Central Military Commission’s Resolution No. 230-NQ/QUTW, dated April 2, 2022, on the organisation of the Vietnam People’s Army for the 2021 - 2030 period and the following years, the Party Committee and the Command of the Signal Corps lead and guide the subordinate agencies and units to accurately implement the organisational chart. They review and gradually reduce the redundant personnel according to the prescribed roadmap, striving to achieve a compact, elite and strong force by 2025 and a modern level in terms of organisation, structure, weaponry, and technical equipment by 2030. Simultaneously, the Corps closely coordinates with enterprises within and outside the military to enhance infrastructure exchange. Furthermore, it works in close cooperation with communication operations from national economic sectors to create a dynamic and pre-emptive support system for the military communication system. This ensures a robust signal domain within each area of operation, regional defence, and the entire nation. Additionally, the Corps effectively fulfils the role of Chief Military Signal Manager, proactively providing recommendations to the Central Military Commission and the Ministry of National Defence for the planning and development of a synchronised, modern military communication system, integrated with the implementation of e-government and digital transformation in the Ministry of National Defence. It also enhances the quality and efficiency of organising, managing, operating, and exploiting the military communication system for regular, combat readiness, and emergency tasks. In this regard, priority is given to ensuring communication for forces performing sovereignty protection missions in the sea, islands, border areas, and A2 missions, as well as for pandemic and disaster control, search and rescue operations, newly established and merged units, units with adjusted garrison locations, etc.
Currently, civilian telecommunications companies are exerting significant influence over both mechanisms and policies for attracting the communication workforce, the Signal Corps faces new requirements for building and improving the quality of its human resources, especially high-quality personnel. To address this issue, the Party Committee and the Command of the Signal Corps continue to lead and direct subordinate agencies, units, and educational institutions in actively innovating and enhancing the quality of training and education for their troops. Following the teaching of President Ho Chi Minh, “in training, practicality and attention to details are more important than the number of lessons”, the agencies and units of the Signal Corps wholeheartedly implement Central Military Commission Resolution No. 1659-NQ/TW, dated December 20, 2022, and Resolution No. 482-NQ/ĐU, dated March 30, 2023, of the Signal Corps Party Committee on improving the quality of training for the 2023 - 2030 period and the following years. Training is conducted based on the principles of “Fundamental - Practical – Thorough”. Emphasis is placed on synchronised and in-depth training in the direction of modernity. Political education serves as the foundation, with professional and technical training as the core focus. Efforts are made to nurture and enhance the competence of key personnel. In addition, the Signal Corps demands that its subordinate agencies and units must actively innovate the content and methods of training activities, ensuring that they are rational, practical, and effective. Also, they must promptly update and supplement training programs to align with the general development trends in the region and the world. During the training process, they must effectively apply principles, policies, and interrelationships. While comprehensive training is prioritised, there is also a focus on specific areas, particularly units responsible for regular communication operations and combat readiness. Furthermore, training focuses on mastering the currently-in use technical equipment, especially new and improved technical equipment. And training activities must be closely aligned with relevant tasks, targets, and areas of operation, with a focus on practicality, quality, and effectiveness. Additionally, efforts are made to actively apply science and technology to enhance the level of management, command, and training execution. Mastery of traditional communication, expertise in mobile communication, and proficiency in high-tech communication are the ultimate aims. As a result, annually, one to two Signal brigades are awarded the “Unit with Training Excellency” banner by the Ministry of National Defence. Simultaneously, the Signal Corps concentrates resources on leadership and guidance to build elite, compact, robust, specialised and modern training institutions and actively reform its training activities to aim for standardisation, modernity, alignment with Vietnam military arts, organisational structure and the development of our military communication system, and practicality. In addition, it pays attention to the development of signal cadets’ morale and their leadership skills. Also, the Corps enhances leadership and guidance to create a rapid transformation in standardisation building, discipline compliance and safety assurance. Furthermore, it regularly makes efforts to ensure technical, logistical, and financial support for missions and take good care of the material and spiritual lives of the troops, creating a comprehensive strength to build a modern Signal Corps.
Major General TRAN MINH TAM, Former Political Commissar of the Signal Corps