Military technical work is a collection of activities that "feed" weapons to make an important contribution to improving soldiers’ combat capability and the armed forces’ combat power. Therefore, the work should be led, directed, and renovated to improve quality and efficiency and ensure weapons for the whole Army.

Facing the urgent requirements for weapons and equipment and preparing for the army and people of the whole country when entering the new phase in the resistance war against the French colonialists, on September 16^th, 1951, the Department of Military Weaponry, General Department of Techniques (GDT), was established. Over 70 years of construction and growth, generations of cadres, employees, and soldiers of the Department have always been dedicated, devoted, proactive, creative, and determined to produce, repair, supply, recover, reserve weapons and ammunition to improve the combat power for the Army in particular and the armed forces in general and contribute to the cause of national liberation, Army construction, Fatherland protection, and accretion of the tradition of "Dedication, courage, weapon preservation, and victory support".

In response to the requirements and task of building a gradually modern Army, the Department of Military Weaponry has well performed its function of giving strategic advice for the Central Military Commission, the Ministry of National Defence, and directly the GDT in implementing: the Plan for weapon and technical equipment depots of the whole Army; Plan for weapon and technical equipment repair facilities of the whole Army by 2020, with a  vision to 2030; Plan for infantry weapons and army equipment to 2025 and beyond; plans for procurement, improvement, and modernisation of weapons and equipment, and the construction of a neat, compact, and strong military weaponry branch, etc. At the same time, the Deportment has also instructed and directed the promotion of training and application of science - technology, technical improvement initiatives; built potentials, renewed and improved the quality of military technical work; participated in the allocation, recovery, liquidation, improvement, and modernisation of weapons and equipment; taken the initiative in sourcing supplies and conducting timely weaponry technical supply for training and combat readiness; and consolidated depots and managed and exploited weapons and ammunition in a good, durable, economical, and safe manner... to contribute to improving the overall quality and combat power of the armed forces.

Leader of the Department checks the maintenance work of K812 Depot

In the coming years, the regional situation continues being complicated, especially in disputes in relation to sovereignty over sea and islands. Meanwhile, the Fourth Industrial Revolution has had profound impacts on military techniques and drastically changed the staffing of weapons and equipment in the militaries of the countries. Although our country's economy has seen new developments, the allocated budget for weapon modernisation is basically inadequate, coupled with scarce technical materials, and increasingly degraded quality of weapons. In addition, high training and drill intensity, and requirements increase the need for maintenance, repair, synchronisation, improvement and modernisation, while the technical equipment and facilities of the sector have yet to meet the requirements in a number of aspects. All of these require that the weaponry technical work be developed to keep pace with the Army construction and Fatherland protection in the new situation.

First of all, the Sector improves its capacity to advise, instruct, direct, and manage the military technical work. Deeply grasping the  11^th Military Party Congress’ Resolution and Conclusion No.763-KL/QUTW issued on December 19^th, 2012 by the Central Military Commission's Standing Committee on strengthening the leadership over the technical work in the new situation and closely following the orientations of military and defence tasks, the Department has concentrated on researching and advising the GDT, the MND to build and perfect the Sector structure towards "elite, compactness, and unification"; step up innovation and perfect methods and mechanisms for technical assurance of existing equipment, weapons, and ammunition; implement KA-10 and 324-KT projects; propose the construction and formulation of a scheme to ensure safety in the planning under KA-10 Project; and procure, produce, improve, and modernise a number of weapons, equipment, and ammunition to meet the requirements of training, combat readiness, national reserve, and defence both in the immediate and long term.

Along with that, the Sector has actively managed and maintained the technical assurance regime; strictly implemented the planning, storage, and arrangement of equipment, weapons, and ammunition as prescribed; applied new fire prevention and fighting technology, etc., to ensure the safety of depots and equipment under Directive No.96/CT-BQP of the Ministry of National Defence; supplemented and completed the Sector’s operation charter, documents on regular implementation of military technical work and perfected the mechanism for technical supply under the program of weapons and technical equipment modernisation and new technical assurance mechanisms of the Army; and reviewed, adjusted, and issued additional norms of preservation, maintenance, repair, exploitation documents, technical standards, and national regulations in the military field, etc. to meet the requirements of technical assurance for new military equipment. Military weaponry agencies at all levels have regularly inspected, corrected, and maintained orders and regimes and developed plans for registration, inventory, preservation, and maintenance as prescribed and firmly grasped the actual situation of quantity, quality, synchronisation of weapons and equipment for weaponry technical assurance, and technical staff, etc. to reduce damages or losses due to users’  errors.

The Sector promotes weaponry technical provision for training and combat readiness in line with the Army's modernisation process with priority given to weapons with high technology contents and large integration and specialised post-improvement weapons to gradually learn from experience and perfect processes and procedures. At the same time, it has well implemented the program on repair and synchronisation of weapons and equipment for fully-staffed units on duty of combat readiness, especially at the borders areas, seas, and islands. To take the initiative in assurance, the Department has continued expanding the campaign-level mobile weapon repair model; promoted research and ordered for supplies, spare parts, alternatives, especially weapons synchronisation; renovated the technological ground, supplemented and modernised facilities of stations and workshops at all levels, particularly tactical level, and applied new technologies storage and preservation of weapons and equipment suitable to the climate of Vietnam; developed and completed standards and supplemented equipment to expand the capacity of testing and inspection of weapons, equipment, and ammunition under ISO/IEC 17025:2017; upgraded and renovated shelters for weapons, equipment, and ammunition, particularly strategic depots  and new schemes under KA-10 Project, etc.

In addition, the Sector makes a breakthrough in improving the quality of training and fostering of military weaponry cadres and technicians. Thoroughly grasping and implementing Conclusion No.60-KL/QUTW issued on January 18^th, 2019 by the Central Military Party Commission on improving the quality of training, the Sector has focused on training to raise the qualifications for technical cadres and staff about management, exploitation, and mastery of weapons and technical equipment, especially new and modern types. Agencies and units have well implemented the motto of "basics, practice, and firmness” to ensure the soldiers’ proficiency in the preservation and maintenance of weapons and equipment in hand; strictly maintained the annual training and technical fostering routine with importance attached to planning, training, fostering, and developing a contingent of skilled cadres and technicians at all levels to act as the core in weaponry technical provision, especially for new and modern weapons and equipment; and fundamentally renovated contests, competitions, training examination and reexamination at all levels in a practical and efficient manner, contributing to promoting the spirit of self-study and research, and, thereby increasing the number of regional-level skilled workers towards practicing and participating in the international "Excellent Weaponsman" military competitions and serving the Army games 2021 with good results.

Besides the above contents, the Sector  continues developing self-made weapons, technological processes for the production of supplies and spare parts and perfecting the plan for production and repair coordination with mechanical enterprises by regions to be ready for mobilisation when needed; implementing scientific research projects, promoting initiatives, and improving techniques to serve the need for military weaponry and enhance the working environment for employees; and extensively and effectively implementing the Drive 50 in association with Conclusion No.01-KL/TW issued on May 18^th, 2021 by the Politburo (the 13^th Tenure) on continuing implementing Directive No.05-CT/TW and the Determination-to-Win emulation movement to create motivation to build the Department and the Sector strong, successfully accomplishing all assigned tasks.

Major General HOANG DAO NHAT YEN, Director of the Department of Military Weaponry