With over half a century of construction and development, the Z111 Factory (General Department of Defence Industry) has always been at the forefront of precision mechanical processing technology in the Military. In particular, after Resolution No. 06-NQ/TW dated July 16, 2011, issued by the Politburo (11th tenure) on “Building and Developing the Defence Industry until 2020 and the following years”, the Factory has been invested to establish automated production lines for manufacturing mechanical components, new generation weapons, and modern infantry firearms that are on par with the region, creating potential and advantages in producing defence products to meet the construction and combat requirements of the Military as well as the cause of industrialisation and modernisation of the country.

Besides favourable conditions, the factory has encountered numerous difficulties in the process of transitioning its operating model in accordance with the development of market mechanisms. These include ensuring employment, the livelihoods of cadres and employees, organisational restructuring, fostering innovative thinking, and improving the skills of cadres and employees in production and business. It also involves establishing mechanisms for production cooperation, exporting specialised products, and so on. With a clear understanding of these challenges, in recent years, the Party Committee and the Board of Directors of the Factory have implemented many measures to overcome difficulties, seize opportunities, address challenges, focus on scientific research, improve the quality of human resources, promote production and business, and successfully accomplish assigned tasks. From 2015 to the present, the average annual revenue growth has reached nearly 18%. In 2022, the revenue reached over 788 billion VND, with exports exceeding 60 billion VND, post-tax profits exceeding 32 billion VND, and contributions to the budget nearly 30 billion VND. The average monthly income per person is 16 million VND.

To achieve these results, first and foremost, the factory has strengthened leadership and guidance in scientific and technological activities. Strictly adhering to and implementing Resolution No. 791-NQ/QUTW dated December 30, 2012, of the Central Military Commission on “Leadership for Scientific, Technological, and Environmental Work in the Military until 2020 and the following years”, the Party Committee of the Factory has formulated numerous resolutions, plans, and action programs to step up the research, design, and manufacture of new and modern weapons and equipment. This includes focusing on comprehensive consultation for the system of legislation and regulations on research and manufacturing, organising and building human resources for scientific work, and policies to attract talents, encouraging the participation of cadres in scientific research, and establishing cooperation mechanisms to mobilise technological resources within and outside the unit. The Factory also develops implementation programs, plans, and projects and directs relevant agencies and units to rigorously implement them. In addition, it actively mobilises funding sources, strengthens the budget allocation for scientific and technological development, and prioritises the use of financial resources for research, design, and experimentation. The factory focuses on innovating production technologies, improving product quality, and applying new achievements of the Fourth Industrial Revolution, especially in designing and manufacturing new and high-technology weapons. At the same time, it directs the Technical Department to coordinate with relevant agencies to provide specific guidance on research targets to ensure that they align with the functions and tasks of each department, incorporating them into regular resolutions and work plans, conducting periodic reviews, summaries, experience gathering, and creating rapid transformations in the scientific and technological activities of the factory.

Enhancing the effectiveness of scientific and technological management and strengthening implementation will create significant motivation for production. With this understanding, the factory focuses on fully implementing the regulations of the Ministry of National Defence concerning the management, design, designation, and codification of defence products, as well as the use of weapons, equipment, and ammunition for the “O” series production. Based on this, regulations and provisions are issued as a basis for delegated management responsibilities and coordination among departments. Every year, the Factory’s Scientific Committee makes plans and conducts organisation for individuals and departments to register research topics and initiatives, carries out assessments, assigns official tasks, and regularly inspects, supervises, supports, and implements the research of new topics that emerge during the implementation process. Simultaneously, research groups are established for topics with the same speciality and production chains to enable coordinated implementation, save time and resources, and facilitate knowledge support. To achieve efficiency and progress, the Factory concentrates resources to accelerate the implementation of assigned scientific tasks, especially in the production of Group I defence products. Additionally, it directs departments and individuals to focus on researching and applying innovative ideas aimed at improving techniques and technologies, optimising production lines and equipment, and enhancing product quality to meet mission requirements and market demands. Also, Z111 factory strengthens coordination with research institutions, product-consuming units such as the Weapons Institute, Technology Institute, Military Technical Academy, and other factories to exchange research results and seek optimal solutions for equipment and production design and manufacturing, effectively completing tasks and projects. In addition, it also promotes movements such as “Work Excellently, Work Creatively” “Mechanisation, Automation”, and “Military Enterprises in Integration and Development”, to drive scientific activities and production while improving the living standards of the workforce. As a result, the factory has fully mastered the manufacturing technology of new-generation infantry weapons, producing all types of rifled infantry weapons and traditional products to meet the overall weapon and equipment needs of the armed forces, efficiently utilising the invested equipment capacity for the “O” series production, and manufacturing complex and high-precision components for equipment projects, as well as mechanical components and finished weapons for export. From 2011 to the present, the factory has completed 12 projects at the General Department level, 52 projects at the factory level, and applied 654 technical improvement initiatives in production, resulting in the creation of exemplary products such as PKT machine guns, 12.7mm gun mounts, STV022 carbine, 7.62mm and 12.7mm sniper rifles, 9mm submachine guns, K12, and various finished weapon components for export.

Besides, the Factory pays attention to building and effectively utilising its scientific and technological workforce based on the efficient use of the existing teams of technical cadres and staff. In doing so, the Factory assigns personnel in each field and production stage according to their competence, expertise, specialisation, and professional ethics. It prioritises high-quality personnel for research and development and product testing and acceptance departments. Also, it employs qualifications, abilities, skills, and ethics as criteria for personnel recruitment and appointment, ensuring a balance between production and business development and stability. In addition to dispatching cadres and technicians to other institutions for training, the Factory regularly organises visits, research, and studies at establishments with strong technical and technological capabilities, especially those from foreign partners in high-tech and precision engineering fields. Furthermore, it collaborates with research units to exchange experiences, absorb and inherit technological achievements. As a result, capable research groups are established to transform acquired technologies into distinctive technologies that can be quickly implemented in production, particularly in the creation of new products with high intellectual content that are independent of foreign materials and technologies. Additionally, the Factory attaches importance to organising internal training on new technologies, improving production processes, labour protection, occupational safety, environmental sanitation, CNC programming, etc., to enable technical workers to effectively operate technological lines, ensure production schedules, and reduce the rate of defective products. In training activities, the Factory adheres to the principles of "practicality, timeliness, uniformity, and effectiveness", providing training based on and production tasks. Also, it promptly learns from mistakes and provides additional training when there are technical errors. For technicians, training is conducted according to the assigned operation steps, combining learning with equipment operation to ensure that each person excels in one operation step while having knowledge of other steps and being ready to replace other workers to prevent work disruption due to personnel changes. For cadres, self-study of materials, absorption of new technologies, and cooperation with technical workers in rigorously practising complex tasks that demand high analytical thinking are encouraged. Furthermore, training is combined with regular competitions and contests to assess independent operating capabilities in utilising technological equipment and to issue professional certificates as required. From 2015 to 2020, the Factory recruited nearly 300 people, dispatched 160 individuals for training abroad, and provided advanced skills training for over 900 technical workers, ensuring an adequate quantity and quality of human resources in all positions in accordance with the production and business development roadmap.

To facilitate technological research and application, the Factory intensifies the construction of physical infrastructure for production and scientific and technological research. Firstly, Z111 focuses on building a quality management system according to the international standard ISO 9001:2018, the environmental standard ISO 14001:2015, and the occupational health and safety standard ISO 45001:2018. It has also established various technological processes, technical regulations, and base standards. Information and experience from production activities are collected to adjust, standardise, and archive technical and technological documentation related to the production of various types of infantry rifles and their components, as well as for supporting the operations of production lines such as stone quarrying, plastics manufacturing, industrial textile, consumer product manufacturing, and the exploitation, preservation and maintenance of machinery systems. There is also a strong emphasis on technological documentation transfer for new and sophisticated weapons and equipment, manufacturing from foreign partners, as well as documentation serving the production of mechanical components and machinery based on orders from economic partners. In addition, the Factory simultaneously implements production, research and discussion to perfect technological schedules and compile documents regarding production technology and the use of tools, mounts and equipment and product usage instructions in accordance with Vietnamese standards. Furthermore, the Factory focuses on renovating and upgrading workshops, as well as purchasing equipment to enhance design and testing capabilities and address production bottlenecks. Since 2011, the factory has renovated, upgraded, and installed a complete air conditioning system in all production workshops, acquired 307 pieces of equipment to enhance the production capacity, and obtained 55 measuring and calibration devices. In addition, it took the lead in developing documentation for repairing RPD rifles, manufacturing flare guns, and designing AKN assault rifles. Z111 also collaborated in developing design documentation for firearms such as K14VN, K54M, STV215, STV380, and modifying design documentation for PKMS, 12.7VN, etc.

Upholding its traditions and achievements, in the coming time, the Factory will continue to enhance scientific and technological research and application, improve production capacity, and prioritise the development of high-quality new products. The focus will be on the production of a series of weapons and equipment that have been researched, designed, and tested. Z111 will also conduct research and testing of new-generation infantry firearms, weapon systems for military vehicles and warships, advanced technology weapons, and guided weapons, and manufacture high-quality defence and commercial products to meet the requirements of assigned tasks and orders from partners, ensuring the livelihood of its workers and contributing to the building of an elite, compact, powerful and gradually modernised Military.

Lieutenant Colonel DANG DUY THAI, Director of Z111 Factory