As a think tank and a  strategic consultative organ in military and defence issues, the Institute for Defence Strategy (IDS) has been focusing its effort on conducting research and consultation for the Central Military Commission (CMC) and the Ministry of National Defence (MND) to recommend to the Party, State the defence and military lines and policies, which is an important contribution to the cause of Fatherland protection.

Stemming from the requirements of building the Military, consolidating the national defence and Fatherland protection, on 11^th January 1990, the MND established the Institute for Military Strategy (now IDS). Under the leadership and direction of the CMC, and the MND, directly the Party Committee of the General Staff, since its inception, the institute has surmounted difficulties to successfully accomplished its assigned tasks and affirm its roles and position of a strategic think tank and consultative organ in military and defence issues. It has conducted several strategic studies on global , regional and domestic situations and made recommendations and proposals on plans and solutions to safeguard the Fatherland. Notably, it has participated in the making of the two Strategies for Socio-Economic Development  for the 2001 – 2010,  and 2010 - 2020 periods; reviewed the 1991 Political Program, and supplemented and developed the 2011 Political Program; conducted review of 30 years of renewal cause (defence and security aspects; coordinated with the central commissions, ministries and sectors to give proposals to the making of the Party’s National Congress Political Reports and its resolutions from the 9^th tenure in defence and military fields. In addition, it was tasked with preparing the review of 10 years implementing the Central Resolution 8 (IX tenure); drafting the central resolution on “Strategy for Fatherland protection in the new situation” for the approval of the Party Central Committee (XI tenure); commenting the review of 10 years implementing the Resolution on Vietnam Sea Strategy (X tenure), and the draft of the Resolution No.36-NQ/TW on “Strategy for the sustainable development of Vietnam marine economy until 2030, with a vision to 2045” for the 8^th Party Central Plenary (October 2018). Particularly, in 2018 and 2019 period, it was the chief office responsible for composing the National Defence Strategy and Military Strategy, and coordinating with other related offices to compose the Strategy for Fatherland Protection on Cyberspace, the Strategy for National Border Protection, and drafting the plans for implementing the National Defence Strategy and Military Strategy, etc.

General Ngo Xuan Lich, Minister of National Defence, signs Vietnam Military Strategy 2018

In the field of defence external affairs, the IDS was tasked with both advising, anticipating defence external issues, and conducting some defence external activities, such as: defence consultation and dialogue; information sharing; training cooperation; participation in regional and international forums. Besides, it is also tasked with chairing the establishment of the Working Group for the publication of the “Vietnam National Defence White Paper” which has been published 4 times in 1998, 2004, 2009, 2019, and highly appreciated domestically and internationally, etc. With its rich tradition and outstanding contributions during the past 30 years, IDS has been awarded with 1 First Class Feats and Arms Order, 02 First Class Fatherland Defence Orders by the State, and many other noble awards by the MND and the Ministry of Science and Technology.

Promoting the achievements gained, with its strategic vision, in the coming time, IDS will focus its resources on conducting strategic research, prediction and consultation on  defence and military issues to meet the requirements and mission of Military building, national defence consolidation and Fatherland protection in the new situation.

First, it will focus on strategic studies on building the all people national defence, and the people’s war in the new circumstance to help the CMC and the MND make recommendations to the Party and the State about issues relating to military, defence and Fatherland protection in the new situation. Basing on the contents of Vietnam National Defence Strategy, the Strategy for Fatherland Defence on Cyberspace, the Strategy for National Border Protection, IDS will continue its studies of the regional and new-type wars (high-tech war, cyber war, etc.); the development of the all people’s national defence; guidelines of the people’s war; the contents of the Strategy for Fatherland Defence; the models of war, and the issues on protecting the sovereignty over the country’s territory, border, seas and islands; the combination between socio-economic development associated with defence, security and external affairs strengthening; solutions for maintaining defence, security and external affairs regarding Vietnam’s accession to free trade agreements and international integration. At present, it is being tasked with preparing the strategic prediction and the strategy for military development for the Political Reports of the 11^th Congress of the Military Party, and the 13^th National Congress of the Party, while making contribution to the Strategy for Socio-Economic Development for the 2021 – 2030 period with a vision to 2045 and the Plan for Socio-Economic Development for the 2121 – 2025 period, etc.

The release of the Vietnam National Defence White Paper 2019

Moreover, IDS will actively propose and thoroughly conduct scientific research through the State-level and MND-level projects; settle the theoretical and practical issues relating to the cause of Fatherland protection in the new situation; the operations of the armed forces and the  art of fighting of the people’s war in the new situation. In the face of the fast-pace growth of the science and technology, IDS will study to apply Ho Chi Minh thoughts on military, defence and defence diplomacy; defensive combat, and operations to defend the sovereignty over seas and islands; forms of strategic and comprehensive operations as well as cyberspace operation and the development of defence industry, etc.

To make it worthy of a strategic think tank, IDS focuses on building a high quality staff who are politically steadfast, absolutely loyal to the Fatherland, the Party, the State and the People. Besides, to meet the requirements of the mission, IDS cadres are also required to have strategic vision, creative thinking, scientific working method, high sense of self-discipline, and broad knowledge. They are supposed to be ready to get and accomplish all assigned tasks. The most important and difficult thing in strategic study is to give out the right prediction. For this reason, in the coming years, IDS will actively stick to and grasp the military, political, defence and security events of the country, region and the world to enhance the capability of strategic prediction to propose the right evaluation and prediction to the CMC and MND for successfully dealing with defence and security situation.

Bearing in mind that “strategic study must stick to the reality, start from reality, stem from the requirements of the practice and serve the requirements of the practice”, in the coming time, IDS will broaden cooperation and exchanges with its partners  in China, Korea, India, Japan, the U.S., France, Australia, Laos, Cambodia, Indonesia, Singapore, etc. to broaden and improve the quality of its strategic study, analysis, advice, prediction and recommendation, and make international friends understand more about Vietnam’s defence policy, hence building and strengthening trust and friendship relations between the Vietnam People's Army and foreign militaries. At the same time, it will coordinate closely with functional bodies of the MND, the General Staff and other military and civilian think tanks, such as: the Military Technical Institute, the Military Institute of Social Sciences and Humanities, the Institute for Science and Strategy (the Ministry of Public Security), the Institute for Development Strategies (the Ministry of Planning and Investment), the schools and academies to foster cooperation in scientific study, post-graduate education, and defence and security training. Besides sending its cadres on field trips to military zones, corps, services, provincial military commands, IDS will deploy its cadres to strategic, remote, far-flung, border and island regions, etc.

Inheriting and promoting the tradition of “Loyalty, mastermind, activeness, creativeness, unity, intellect, and renewal”, the entire staff of the IDS will continue their effort to successfully accomplish their assigned tasks, making worthy contributions to the cause of military development, defence consolidation and Fatherland protection.

Major General, Doctor Dang Quang Minh, Acting Director of IDS