Over the years, the situation worldwide and regionally has witnessed rapid, complex, unpredictable developments. The hostile force have been enhancing acts of sabotage against our country’s revolution via the “peaceful evolution” strategy and their plots to encourage “self-evolution” and “self-transformation” from within. Meanwhile, there have been new complex developments in the East Sea, which has imposed new requirements on the whole Military for its Homeland protection task. Under the leadership and direction by the Central Military Commission (CMC) and the Ministry of National Defence (MND), the entire Military has been synchronously taking drastic measures for raising the quality of combat readiness, opportunely dealing with national defence-related situations effectively, and defending the national independence, sovereignty, unification, and territorial integrity.

It is worth noting that advisory offices at the strategic level have proactively studied, assessed, and correctly anticipated the situation to help the CMC and the MND give advice to the Party and the State on flexible, proper strategies for opportunely, effectively handling defence-military situations, preventing the risks of war and conflict from afar, and avoiding falling into passivity. The entire Military has strictly maintained the order for combat readiness duty and closely managed airspace, seas, islands, border, inland areas, key regions, and cyberspace. Notably, against the complex developments in the East Sea, the forces, namely the Navy, the Coast Guard and the Border Guard have maintained the order for combat readiness regularly, resolutely, persistently fought against acts of violation, and made contributions to safeguarding the country’s sovereignty, territory, peace, and stability to construct and develop the country, which has been highly appreciated by the Party, the State, and the people.

Offices and units within the Military have frequently reviewed, adjusted, supplemented, and completed the system of combat plans and projects as well as their plans for changing the state of the armed forces and localities from peacetime to wartime. They have renewed and made training and campaign-level, strategic, and defensive zone exercises relevant to each group of troops, area, and combat project. It should be noted that the MND has directed its affiliates to successfully organise large-scale defensive combat and joint combat exercises as planned. Doing so has enabled forces to draw lessons, complete combat projects, and increase their combat capacity. Besides, offices, units, and localities have well carried out the work of registering, managing, and consolidating the militia and self-defence and the reserve force. They have organised training courses and exercises for these forces in a close, serious manner, improved the task performance of these forces, particularly the emergency reserve, coastal reserve, and militia and self-defence units in the key areas, and frequently grasped vessels and manpower to make them ready for the defence of national sea and island sovereignty in the event.

To raise the combat readiness capability of the armed forces, competent offices of the MND and the General Staff have petitioned the CMC and the MND to give advice to the Party, the State, and the National Assembly to promulgate normative legal documents on managing airspace, seas, and islands and combining socio-economic development with national defence, security, and diplomacy consolidation, while helping the MND to direct the construction of economic-defence zones in the key directions and regions. Emphasis has been placed on adjusting and supplementing a number of normative legal documents on the defence-military task and combination of national defence and economic development, and making a master plan on national defence disposition associated with socio-economic development, with a view to well carrying out the work of strategic zoning and consolidating the national defence and security posture, particularly in the border, sea, island strategic areas. By adopting measures synchronously, up to now, localities have completed their master plan for national defence disposition in line with socio-economic development towards 2030 across the country, built border patrol roads, defensive works in the border, island, key areas, and ensured close connection between provincial and municipal defensive zones and the military regions’ defensive posture.

Offices and units across the Military have frequently closely cooperated with the Public Security Force in developing and well implementing the combat readiness plans to protect the areas and the national and international major political events held in Vietnam¹, and maintain political security and social order and safety. They have cooperated with relevant parties in settling violations of the Agreements on land border management and avoiding letting complex issues from happening, thereby building the border areas of peace, friendship, stability, and development.

However, several cadres and soldiers’ awareness of the importance of combat readiness has been insufficient; they have even shown the signs of subjectivity. The cooperation between offices and units in grasping, studying, and anticipating the situation has yet to be timely. There have been some weaknesses in formulating and adjusting combat documents and plans and projects for dealing with non-traditional security challenges.

In the upcoming time, it is anticipated that the situation worldwide, regionally, and domestically will continue to witness complex, unpredictable developments, particularly territorial disputes, armed conflicts, and terrorist and cyber attacks. To meet the requirements set by the Homeland defence in the new situation, party committees and commanders of offices and units within the Military should drastically, synchronously take measures for maintaining vigilance and combat readiness. First of all, it is vital to continue grasping and strictly executing higher echelons’ resolutions and directives on combat readiness, particularly the 11^th Party Central Committee’s Resolution No.8 on the strategy for the Homeland defence in the new situation, the Politburo’s Directive 46-CT/TW, dated June 22^nd 2015, on enhancing the Party’s leadership over security and order assurance in the new situation, and the Directive 12/CT-TM, dated July 14^th 2018, by the Chief of General Staff on maintaining combat readiness and cooperation to ensure political security and social order and safety in the new situation. At the same time, it is important to step up political and ideological education to raise cadres and soldiers’ awareness and responsibility for the combat readiness task, proactively detect and resolutely fight against the sign of undermined morale and the lack of vigilance.

Offices and units across the Military should closely cooperate with competent forces in frequently exchanging information and managing the situation worldwide, regionally, and domestically as well as the country’s airspace, seas, islands, border, inland areas, and cyberspace. Doing so will enable them to correctly assess and anticipate the hostile forces’ sabotage plots and artifices, forecast possible situations, and advise their party committees and commands on remedial projects and measures properly and opportunely so as to avoid passivity. Due regard should be paid to stringently maintaining the order for combat readiness duty under the Directive 14/CL-BQP, dated March 28^th 2017, by the Minister of National Defence, and the regulations on reserving weapons, equipment, means, and materials for combat readiness. Consideration should be given to frequently adjusting, supplementing, and completing combat readiness documents, practising combat projects, and organising exercises in accordance with each group of troops and operational area. Moreover, it is necessary to further conduct patrols and control the country’s airspace, seas, border, inland areas, key regions, and cyberspace. Units tasked with protecting major political events and performing combat readiness duty on national holidays must develop their own combat readiness plan with greater importance attached to maintaining coordination between forces for each mission. Units tasked with combat readiness must leave all troops on duty and frequently inspect and sufficiently supplement materiel and means to readily perform a mission when being ordered. In addition, it is essential to conduct patrols and keep guard to protect units’ central targets, closely manage their strength, weapons, and technical equipment, and ensure the absolute safety of their depots and barracks.

The all-level military offices should closely cooperate with the Public Security Force, departments and sectors in advising local party committees and authorities on promoting the synergy of all forces to maintain political security and social order and safety and opportunely, effectively deal with situations right at the grass-roots level in order to avoid flashpoints. Due regard should be paid to further inspecting and re-examining offices, units, and localities’ performance of the combat readiness task so as to detect and rectify their weaknesses, increase troops’ combat readiness quality and capacity, and make all troops capable of undertaking and successfully fulfiling the assigned mission.

Maj. Gen. Thai Dai Ngoc, Director of the Department of Operations
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1. In 2019, the Military closely cooperated with the Public Security Force in ensuring the absolute safety of the 2^nd US-North Korea Summit held in Hanoi and the visits by North Korean Leader Kim Jong Un and US President Donald Trump to Vietnam, which was highly appreciated by the international community and contributed to raising Vietnam’s status in the international arena.