Building and developing security and national defence industry is our Party’s strategic policy, "... the fundamental, immediate and long-term strategic task. It is the responsibility of the entire political system, the Party, the people, and the whole army ... "(*)

Security and national defence industry serves as an important part of national industry, defence and security strength and potential. It has always drawn our Party’s and State’s attention and has developed on a par with its position, role and mission requirements.

In recent years, adhering to our Party and Government’s resolutions and directives on building and developing security and national defense industry, centerpiece of which is the Politburo's Directive 06- NQ/TW (11th tenure) and the 12th National Party Congress Resolution, a lot of important achievements have been accomplished, creating a new development for this typically important industry. Particularly, mechanisms, policies and plans for building and developing security and national defence industry have been paid attention to and completed step by step.  Its organization is strengthened and tightly integrated into national industry. Moreover, spearhead industries are increasingly invested. The mobilization of national scientific potential and industry in building and developing security and national defence industry has positively changed. International cooperation in this field has been expanding. Investment on security and national defence industry, especially key hi-tech projects are drastically implemented in the right direction. Many core projects and products have been finished and effectively applied in reality. The capacity of studying, designing, manufacturing, repairing weapons and technical equipment in security and national defence industry has made breakthroughs. By gradually mastering the technology of manufacturing, repairing and improving various types of weapons, it has continuously met the demand for weapons, technical equipment, as well as professional tools for the people’s armed forces. National defence products’ quality is increasingly improved, creating more reliability for the consumers. Besides, the national defence and security industry has studied and produced many high-quality economic goods with prestige and competitiveness for both domestic and exporting markets, contributing to socio- economic development, national industrialization and modernization as well as international integration.

Sr. Lt. Gen. Be Xuan Truong visits the Factory Z756 (photo: qdnd.vn)

The mentioned results are encouraging. However, a lot of difficulties and shortcomings are revealed during the implementation. The institutions and policies on the national defence industry and security have been renewed, yet remaining slow and inconsistent. Its organizational structure, management mechanism and human resources haven’t been on a par with its developing requirements. The budget investment and resources mobilization for the development of defence industry and security haven’t made breakthroughs, etc.

In the coming years, the world and regional situations show more unpredictably complicated developments. The cause of building and defending the Motherland by the Party, entire people and the whole army has set new higher requirements with not only basic advantages but also extreme difficulties and challenges. In that context, building and developing national defence industry and security to meet the requirements of fostering national defence and security potential and the people’s armed forces’ combat power as a  spearhead of the national industry, meeting the task of building and defending the country in the new situation becomes increasingly important and urgent. To this end, more efforts and determination need to be made to bring into play the combined strength of all levels, branches, localities and people, focusing on implementing the tasks and solutions drastically, synchronously and effectively. Particularly, attention should be paid to the following key issues.

1. To enhance the Party leadership, the State management effectiveness as well as all levels, branches, localities and people’s responsibilities for building and developing security and national defence industry. Ministries, branches and localities should continue to thoroughly grasp Party resolutions and Government directives on building and developing security and national defence industry with a focus on the 12th Party Congress Resolution, the Politburo’s Resolution 06 and   Conclusion 25/TB-TW, dated April 11th, 2017 (12th tenure) on "Promoting security and national defence industry development to meet the requirements of building and defending the Motherland in the new situation", etc. On such basis, new thoughts and organizational measures should be encouraged while responsibility for carrying out this important task should be raised. 

In addition to raising awareness, it is necessary to concretize the Party views and guidelines on building and developing security and national defence industry into resolutions, objectives, programs and plans for implementation. According to its assigned functions, the Ministry of National Defence continues to cooperate with concerned ministries and branches in studying and advising the Party and the State, specifically the State Steering Board on building and developing security and national defence industry on directions, contents and targets suitable for each period, especially medium and long-term programs and projects. Particularly, it is important to advise and propose solutions to building and perfecting the institutions of security and national defence industry, developing human resources, plans and strategies, mobilizing national potential, integrating internal power with external strengths in this field to meet the requirements in the new situation, etc. First of all, focuses should be placed on advising the Government to ratify the plan for implementing the Project "Promoting security and national defence industry development to meet the requirements of building and defending the Motherland in the new situation"; and on proposing guidelines and measures to implement other approved projects and plans, especially the Program on building and developing the national defence industry in the period from 2016 to 2020.

2. To consolidate forces and perfect mechanisms and policies on security and national defence industry in conformity with development requirements and national reality. The organization and structure of security and national defence industry beforehand have been consolidated; however, inadequacies still remain. The scale of the core national defence industry facilities is small and scattered with duplicated and overlapped production areas, etc. Above all, the consolidation of its forces and performing models are to be strengthened in a concentrated and efficient way. Reorganizing the core national defence industry establishments under the Project "Adjusting the organizational structure of the Army in the period from 2016 to 2021 and beyond" and implementing the Project "Restructuring, renewing and improving military enterprises’ effectiveness in the period of 2016 - 2020" approved by the Prime Minister are absolute musts. In particular, it is to equitize, merge and restructure the national defence industry facilities by groups of products and industries in order to set up capable and competitive general corporations. 

Besides, the Ministry of Public Security actively improves its apparatus and industrial establishments with moderate scale and structure. In the coming time, the two Ministries cooperate with each other in perfecting the Plan to build and develop branch industry, and then submit them it the Prime Minister for approval. This process should be thoroughly reviewed to ensure consistency, close linkage as well as moderation and to avoid isolation in operation. At the same time, it is a policy that the civilian industrial products shouldn’t be manufactured by national defence industry. Moreover, the Ministry of Public Security does not invest into national defence products and vice versa. 

Based on the country's reality, security and national defence’s characteristics and the Politburo’s Resolution 23-NQ/ TW, dated March 22nd, 2018 (12th tenure) on “guidelines on national industrial development policy until 2030 with a vision to 2045", the Ministry of National Defence and the Ministry of Public Security continue to cooperate with other concerned ministries and sectors in formulating and perfecting mechanisms and policies on security and national defence industry, ensuring unity, consistency in line with national renovation and international integration. Thus, it helps create legal corridors, favorable conditions and breakthroughs for security and national defence industry in the coming years.

3. To actively mobilize and diversify development resources for security and national defence industry in combination with the improved quality and effectiveness of investment, especially in key programs and projects. 

It is the fact that high demand be required for investment in building and developing security and national defence industry is high; however, the budget for this field is limited. Therefore, in addition to the State investment, we need to expand the method of mobilizing and bringing into full play the resources of the country for this task. Accordingly, it is necessary to effectively mobilize scientific and technological potentials, making full use of the national achievements and various resources, combining internal strength with external resources, turning external forces into internal ones through integration and international cooperation to build and develop security and national defence industry, etc. Based on the results of the Politburo's Resolution 06, there should be mechanisms and policies to attract, encourage and support branches, organizations and individuals to take part in security and national defence industry, especially in high technology; to encourage civilian industry to invest in the dual-use technology, etc. Ministries, branches and localities should clearly define their responsibilities in this field; closely attach civilian industry and their socio-economic development with building and developing security and national defence industry, etc. For security and national defence facilities, it is important to combine national defence production with the economy, boost export and create financial resources for reinvestment in overall development. The Ministry of National Defence directs the concerned units to intensify international cooperation on national defence industry, encouraging military enterprises with strong potential to invest in national defence industry and security, etc. At the same time, the functional agencies should pay special attention to investment management, inspection and supervision, to raising resources usage effectiveness and resolutely avoiding spread, overlapping and wasteful investment. Currently, investment must be selective and focalized, with importance attached to renovating technology, "taking a short cut", investing in multi-purpose and dual-use technologies, and combining technical infrastructure with human resource development, etc. In the time to come, it is necessary to focus on key programs and projects, especially the core national defence industry modernization as the foundation for security and national defence industry to actively integrate, rapidly and sustainably develop.

4. To focus on building and developing human resources, especially high-quality ones for security and national defence industry. 

This is the decisive content to build and develop security and national defence industry both in immediate and long term, especially against the challenges of the 4th industrial revolution. Therefore, relevant ministries and agencies, first and foremost the Ministry of National Defence and the Ministry of Public Security should pay more attention to building and developing human resources, especially high quality ones for this area. Priority should be given to the development of a contingent of highly-qualified managers, scientists, specialized research teams, excellent engineers, leading specialists and constructors in key and spearhead fields. To this end, it is necessary to effectively conduct the plans on training, upgrading, arranging and using human resources in line with the objectives and roadmap of building and developing security and national defence industry. Other focal points are increasingly renewing programs and contents, diversifying forms and expanding training environment, combining self-training with mobilizing other trained human resources, actively sending staff to overseas training, and strengthening international cooperation in this field, etc. Moreover, it is necessary to review and supplement existing policies and develop specific ones to attract and retain talents, and encourage them to participate in security and national defence industry. It helps ensure its development on a par with the requirements, making a worthy contribution to the cause of national construction and defence in the new situation.

Senior Lieutenant General Be Xuan Truong, Member of Central Executive Committee, Member of Central Military Commission, Vice Minister of National Defence

_________________

(*) The 11th Politburo’s Resolution 06-NQ/TW, dated July 16th, 2011 on “Building and developing national defence industry until 2020 and beyond”.