The Institute of Armament Technology, under the General Department of Defence Industry, is a leading unit tasked with researching, designing, and manufacturing weapons and equipment for the armed forces; ensuring technical support for defence production; testing and evaluating the quality of weapons and equipment; providing investment advice and accrediting projects on investing and developing weapons and equipment, etc. After 75 years of construction and development, the Institute has conducted research, designed, tested, and manufactured hundreds of weapons and equipment with increasing quality, and technical and tactical features to satisfy the demand of armed forces. This contributes to the victory of the revolutions for national liberation, the cause of constructing and safeguarding the Fatherland as well as the development of the Defence Industry through historical periods.

Recent years have witnessed the rapid development of the Fourth Industrial Revolution, which leads to the inception of multiple new and modern weapons and methods of warfare that have considerable influence on military-defence tasks and the requirements of safeguarding the Fatherland in the new situation. Therefore, on the basis of the Documents of the 13th National Party Congress, which concern the building of a revolutionary, regular, elite, and gradually modern Army with several services, corps, and forces moving straight to modernity, etc., the Institute is tasked with numerous imperative tasks including the implementation of multiple key projects of the Ministry of Defence and the General Department on developing types of next-gen weapons and equipment with significant technical and tactical features. Meanwhile, factors that support the Institute in researching, designing, and manufacturing weapons have not been ensured, especially the lack of human resources, low-level facilities and equipment, etc.

Head of the Institute directs the research of a gun system

To accomplish all assigned tasks, the Institute has concentrated on leading and directing the building of highly qualified human resources. This is the breakthrough in enhancing the research, design, and manufacture of next-gen weapons. Closely adhering to the resolutions, directives, and instructions of higher echelons, the Institute’s Party Committees, and command should direct their functional agencies to map out and complete the framework of professional expertise for each position and title; check and evaluate contingent of cadres and technical personnel. This lays a foundation for the plan to train, use, and develop the contingent of cadres, especially young scientists, specialists, and cadres in new areas of study. Noticeably, since a majority of researchers in the Institute are accustomed to designed patterns of weapons and ordinary weapons, they are short of in-depth specialist knowledge and experience in researching high-tech weapons. To surmount those weaknesses, over the past time, in line with assigning tasks and scientific topics to train cadres and technical staff in researching and testing weapons, the Institute has paid much attention to selecting and sending high-level cadres to train at institutes in developed countries with the aim of researching and manufacturing weapons and equipment to broaden their knowledge and experience, as well as build a contingent of leading specialists and cadres specialising in researching, designing, and manufacturing next-gen weapons and equipment. The training and employment of scientific and technical staff for new areas of study such as rocket engines, guidance systems, etc. have been implemented.

Constituting one of the essential factors creating strength and military status, in some countries, weapons are treated with complete confidentiality. Meanwhile, material technology in our country is underdeveloped; equipment for researching and testing, and manufacturing next-gen weapons are inadequate, etc. Therefore, to meet the task requirements, the Institute has proactively proposed the investment in upgrading infrastructure and equipment for measurement and testing to lay a foundation for improving the competence in researching, designing, inventing, and renovating weapons. Thoroughly grasping and fully implementing Resolution No. 08-NQ/TW issued on January 26th, 2022 by the Politburo (13th tenure) on accelerating the development of the defence industry until 2030 and beyond as well as other directives, plans of the Central Military Commission, the Ministry of Defence (the MoD) on leading and directing the development of the defence industry in the new situation, the Institute has actively recommended the General Department to ask for the permission of the MoD to initiate several important projects on building and modernising technical facilities, especially laboratories for testing weapons. This aims to create a breakthrough in technical facilities and equipment for scientific research, testing weapons, and ensuring defence production and other tasks.

The Institute has actively built plans to research and orient the development of next-gen weapons in each period and accelerated scientific research and application of global scientific and technological achievements to develop next-gen weapons and equipment to satisfy the demand for building a modern Army. To keep the scientific research on the right track and make maximal use of the collective intelligence of engineers, cadres, and technical personnel, the Institute has issued Regulations on managing scientific and technological research, which aim at remuneration policies and special attention to scientific research and application of technology, initiatives, and technical advances in manufacturing process. It is necessary to renew regimes for managing and administering and approaches for organising scientific and technological activities. In the 2013-2021 period, the Institute received 3 prizes at the Vietnam Science and Technology Innovation Award, 17 prizes at Military Creative Youth Award, and numerous Certificates of Merit from the MoD and the General Department of Defence Industry on science, technology, and environment. Projects awarded have been put into practice to satisfy the requirements of modernising and enhancing the Army’s combat strength.

Additionally, the Institute has actively coordinated and associated with military and civilian agencies and units to fully exploit and effectively use the scientific and technological capabilities of key laboratories, major science centres, and hi-tech parks. Importance has been placed on sending cadres to international exhibitions and negotiations to receive and transfer technologies from other countries. At the same time, international cooperation has been stepped up to exchange experience in designing and manufacturing next-gen weapons and equipment. Over the past time, closely adhering to its functions and tasks, the Institute has proactively coordinated with Institute of Materials Science of the Vietnam Academy of Science and Technology, Institute of Mechanical Engineering, Polymer Materials Research Centre of Hanoi University of Science and Technology, Military Technical Academy, and Institute of Materials Chemistry of Military Institute of Science and Technology to successfully research and manufacture numerous products. Furthermore, the Institute has also cooperated with Sloboda factory in the Republic of Serbia to study the technology of increasing the range of artillery projectiles; and with Hensoldt Company to study the model of an air defence system with machine guns; etc. 

Along with the above-mentioned measures, the Institute has paid attention to ensuring technical support for defence production at factories; promptly supplying design documents for the process of manufacture, testing, acceptance of defence products, and examination of repaired weapons and equipment. Besides, it is necessary to supervise the design process and offer advice for the projects of the General Department and the Institute.

Through drastic and synchronous measures, the capability in researching, designing, and manufacturing next-gen weapons has made great strides. Since 2011, the Institute has conducted hundreds of scientific topics on designing and manufacturing weapons and equipment for the Army. So far, over 88% of the topics and tasks have been accepted; 90% of which have been applied in production or eligible for mass production. Notably, the Institute has completed all of the topics and tasks and been assigned to implement Project KC.NQ.06 by the MoD, in which the research products are next-gen weapons and equipment. With those contributions and achievements, in 2021, the Institute of Armament Technology was honoured to be awarded the First-Class Fatherland Protection Medal.

Bringing into play its tradition, zeal, and scientific intelligence, in the forthcoming time, the Institute of Armament Technology will strive to accomplish the Resolution of its 12th Party Congress which aims at enhancing competence in scientific research, associating scientific research with practice, developing next-gen weapons with longer range, more damage, accuracy, and maneuverability, ... to meet the requirements of modernisation and improve the combat strength of the Army to firmly Safeguard the Socialist Republic of Vietnam in all situations.

Senior Colonel, Dr. NGUYEN PHUC LINH, Head of the Institute of Armament Technology