The Technology Centre for bomb and mine disposal, under the Engineering Corps, is a leading unit in the whole army which is tasked with advising, consulting, assessing and monitoring techniques, researching and applying technology of detecting and disposing bombs, mines and unexploded ordnance (UXO); directly making investigation and surveys, clearing bombs, mines, UXO and the 5^th-level ammunition; detecting bombs, mines and UXO against terrorism. This is a heavy task because although the wars have passed by and after many years of clearance effort, the quantity of remained bombs, mines and UXO is still huge, requiring the whole army in general and the Technology Centre for bomb and mine disposal in particular to make more effort and determination. Clearly understanding the consequences of these UXO to people’s life and the socio-economic development, in recent years, the Centre’s Party Committee and Director Board have implemented comprehensively all work and made many solutions to well perform the assigned functions and tasks; notably, the breakthrough to improve the quality of scientific research, apply technology into detecting and clearing bombs, mines and UXO. This thinking and policy have proved to be correct and suitable with the scientific and technological development in the 4.0 era i.e. taking sciences and technology as the motives for development. As the Centre is assigned with tasks which are specific, dangerous, hazardous and potentially unsafe, the enhancement of scientific research and technological application to improve the detection and clearance, increase the safety and reduce the working pressure for cadres and workers in doing their tasks seems to be more meaningful.

Conduct training

To make breakthrough, at first, the Centre pays attention to its leadership and direction on building the plans to orient the scientific research, assuring the feasibility. Based on the thorough grasp of resolutions and directives on the scientific research, especially Resolution No. 1652-NQ/QUTW, dated 20 December 2022 by the Central Military Commission on leading the military science to 2030 and the following years, the Centre has proactively advised the Corps and coordinated with other bodies and units in the whole army and country to evaluate and grasp the situation of the bomb, mine and UXO pollution, especially the requirements of technical and equipment support for detecting and clearing bombs, mines, UXO and the 5^th-level ammunition in order to build the plans of scientific research on 5-year and annual basis suitably with the reality and in high feasibility. Presently, the Centre has built and completed the oriented plans for scientific research to 2030 and the following years, focusing on researching to solve urgent problems from reality such as researching, designing and manufacturing equipment to improve the effectiveness of detecting and clearing bombs, mines and UXO; manufacturing the remotely-controlled electronic jamming devices for training the anti-terrorist bombs and mines groups; researching and manufacturing the portable containers of bombs, mines and UXO; researching and simulating the process of removing the explosives to assist the training of ammunition handling, etc. This is the foundation for the Centre’s Party Committee and Director Board to make resolutions and programmes on leading and directing the common implementation in the whole centre, at the same time, also the basis to evaluate and assess the completion of the task of scientific research among different departments in the Centre.

Intensely renovating the mechanism of management and operation, and research methods, bringing into play the technical initiatives in a focused way have been greatly appreciated by the Centre. Accordingly, the Centre has gradually enhanced the devolving and handing over the authority to collectives and individuals, bringing into play the roles of research groups and subject leaders; at the same time, actively renovated the methods of choosing topics, taking the final products as the targets and criteria to evaluate the research quality. For the research of technical initiatives and improvement, the Centre has paid attention to supporting the specific, special and professional tasks of clearing the post-war and terrorist bombs, mines and UXO; made renovations in the way of increasing experiments, intensely focusing on improving the mastery of new and modern equipment, etc. For composing and proposing the issue of the legal documents related to detecting and clearing bombs, mines and UXO, the Centre has deployed the professional forces in order to collect information, evaluate the implementation of related legal documents and the situation of state management in inspecting, surveying, detecting and clearing bombs, mines and UXO to build suitable documents; held conferences, seminars, consultations of specialists and functional offices to complete the documents before submitting to the authorities for promulgation, at the same time, intensely reformed the methods of contesting, competing and evaluating the results of technical research, initiatives and improvement, assuring the objectivity and actuality. As a result, the Centre has mastered the new and modern technology of detecting and clearing bombs, mines and UXO; contributing to improving the effectiveness of the specific but important work. Since 2020, the Centre has completed 14 Defence Ministry-level and Engineering Corps-level research topics, 21 grassroots-level research topics and tasks; built and advised for promulgation of 03 circulars, dozens of documents related to the clearance of bombs, mines, UXO and 5^th-level ammunition. Of which, the works of “Researching to design and manufacture the equipment for removing the explosives for the mobile disposal of bombs, mines and UXO” has been excellently evaluated by the Acceptance Council of the Defence Ministry, and awarded with the Vietnam Science and Technology Innovation Awards 2022 (VIFOTEC Awards).

A bomb and mine action drill

In order to improve the quality of scientific research, the Centre has paid attention to building the high-quality human resources, considering this as an important solution and foundation to develop the research task correctly and effectively. Accordingly, together with well carrying out the work of educating and improving the awareness, building the high motives, responsibility and determination in doing the task of scientific research for forces, the Centre has intensely built the high-quality human resources, creating a balance among subjects and ages, of which, given more priorities for the development of young scientific staff, new research fields, and technical staff who have professional qualifications and skills. On implementing this guideline, the Centre has advised the Engineering Corps to select cadres and technical staff who have good qualifications, skills and experience in detecting and clearing bombs, mines and UXO to work for the Centre, at the same time, send cadres and personnel to attend training in military and civilian educational institutions; enhanced the self-study and self-research for cadres and staff in order to improve their knowledge and skills, meeting the task requirements. Notably, to improve the quality and effectiveness of the scientific research, the Centre has paid attention to discovering and selecting cadres who are able to do research and specialised staff in each department to be in charge of important and professional topics, and do difficult and crucial tasks so as to both bring into play their strength, and help them accumulate experience and get more development through reality. Besides, the Centre has deployed young cadres and technical staff to some research topics, and appointed experienced ones to train and help them to improve their knowledge, develop their competence and thought of research, professionalism to meet the immediate and long-term demands; frequently taken good care of their living standards, encouraged cadres and staff to make contribution and develop themselves. Until now, the Centre has developed an adequate contingent of cadres and technical staffs, who are in suitable structure and high quality, have ability of researching and conducting the complicated scientific and technological topics and tasks in the work of detecting and clearing bombs, mines and UXO.

To better improve the quality and effectiveness of scientific research in the context of fast development of science and technology, the Centre has intensely enhanced the association and cooperation of scientific and technological research with prestigious institutions inside and outside the Army in order to take advantage of equipment and technological knowledge, creating the overall power in research and application. Accordingly, together with deploying the survey teams and receiving the technological transference from foreign countries under the policies of the Ministry of National Defence, the Centre has enhanced the cooperation and exchange of experience on improving, upgrading and designing, manufacturing new technical equipment; actively cooperated with other centres, research institutes in the country to promote scientific research. Recently, the Centre has cooperated with specialists from Russia, Institute of Applied Technology (Ministry of Science and Technology), Military Technical Academy, Institute of Engineering Techniques (Engineering Corps), etc. to successfully conduct many works and projects, making important contribution to modernising vehicles and technical equipment for detecting and clearing bombs and mines.

Together with the above solutions, the Centre has frequently paid attention to support work for the task of scientific research. Besides the effective spending of the budget from the seniors as scheduled, annually, the Centre also gave additional funding to the research work, prioritised allocation for the key and new research projects. In recent years, the Centre has effectively implemented many investment projects on modernising laboratories; consolidated and improved the quality of processing stations and freezing cabinets; built the database storage of bombs and mines, by this, to create a new appearance and breakthrough of technical infrastructure and equipment, clearly improve the working conditions for cadres and staff, making a foundation for improving the capacity of the Centre regarding the scientific research and doing the task of detecting and clearing bombs, mines and UXO.

The results of science and technology research and development, technical initiative promotion and improvement of cadres and staff of the Centre in recent years have been applied into reality, creating an active effectiveness and directly making contribution to improving the capacity of detecting and clearing bombs, mines and UXO, assuring safety for the working forces and protecting the environment. Since 2020, the Centre has safely disposed thousands tonnes of the 5^th-level ammunition, bombs and mines; cleared thousands of hectares of land contaminated with bombs and mines in areas related to the defence, security and economic tasks in the entire country. Especially, the Centre has effectively taken part in projects of the “National Action Programme for the settlement of post-war bomb and mine consequences”, contributing to hastening the progress of settling the post-war bomb and mine consequences, quickly leading Vietnam to a country without any effects of bombs and mines.

Though the tasks of the Centre are still heavy, it is believed that with its skill and spirit, intelligence, renovated and creative thinking, and potentials in all aspects especially including the scientific research and the application of modern technology in all professional activities, it will surely make stable development and successfully accomplish the assigned tasks.

Senior Colonel NGUYEN THE LUONG, Director of the Centre