Ensuring reliable, timely, smooth communication for forces is one of the important aspects that directly determines the operational results in general and those in defence of military region in particular. To achieve this goal requires implementation of various measures to establish posture, build forces, provide communication support, and so forth. Among these, building an elite, mobile signal force is a matter that deserves further research.

Operations in defence of the military region is a highly integrated combat activity conducted by the military force and people in the military region. It may involve forces of the Ministry of National Defence and take the armed forces of the military region as the core. Operational activities to defend the military region take place in various fields such as economy, politics, military, encouragement of enemy defection and surrender, etc., of which military struggle is the main area. Military struggle is the combination of defence, offence, and counteroffensive at the strategic and operational levels, conducted from the beginning and throughout the war in multiple directions and areas with rapid developments and complex situations. Therefore, the task of ensuring communication is diverse and demanding, simultaneously supporting many components, forces, tasks, combat activities over a wide range. This requires comprehensive implementation of many measures to build strong signal capabilities, forces, and posture from peacetime. Among these, building an elite, mobile signal force is one of the important factors, providing a basis for ensuring on-site communication within an area in a robust manner.

The mobile signal force of the military region is organised into a signal brigade, equipped with a mobile central communication vehicle, some specialised communication vehicles, and personal communication equipment. It performs various forms of communication such as voice, data transmission, television, fax, and so on. The mobile communication centre serves as the hub that connects and coordinates various communication equipment and is the starting and ending point of signal transmission. It also relays signal or distributes communication channels for different directions and units. The mobile central communication vehicle is a technical, organisational complex of the signal force, equipment and automated command and control system, deployed to provide communication support for moving headquarters  or strengthening command in directions, combat areas, and handling situations.

Brigade 132 of the Signal Corps practise mobile signal operations

In operations in defence of the military region (if it occurs), the enemy has superiority in firepower, high-tech weapons, modern reconnaissance, and strong electronic warfare. Therefore, our communication, especially the communication centres, vehicles, etc., will be the main targets for fierce attacks. Therefore, building an elite, mobile signal force capable of meeting mission requirements is an urgent demand. This article seeks to raise some key solutions for building this force for further research and discussion.

First, building a politically elite, mobile signal force. This is the most important aspect for building this force because the task of the mobile signal force in operations in defence of the military region is to ensure communication for headquarters at all levels to respond to urgent, difficult, and complex situations. Therefore, this force must have political steadfastness, determination, and readiness to undertake and complete tasks under any conditions. Without these qualities, the signal force will not only fail to complete their tasks but also engender unforeseeable consequences when they confront hardship and sacrifice. To cultivate these qualities requires commanders of signal departments and units to promote education aimed at strengthening soldiers’ political steadfastness, revolutionary ethics, and deep understanding of the goals, ideals, and interests of the class and the nation. To achieve the level of elite political spirit, the party committees and commanders of departments and units need to constantly renew educational content and methods to increase the quality of political education and ideological orientation for cadres and soldiers of the mobile signal force. Emphasis should be placed on improving the quality of studying Marxism-Leninism, Ho Chi Minh’s thought, and the Party’s military and defence viewpoints, and strengthening education of patriotism and good traditions of the Party, the nation, the military, and the Signal troops. It is essential to implement measures to enhance the quality of political, ideological work in the new situation, building a mobile signal force with political steadfastness, absolute loyalty to the Fatherland, the Party, the State, and the people, a clear understanding of the task of building and protecting the socialist Fatherland, the tasks of the military and units, and the determination to overcome all difficulties and hardships to be ready to sacrifice their lives for successful fulfillment of all assigned tasks.

Additionally, it is necessary to work out scenarios and plans to provide communication support in difficult and complex conditions across various terrains in extreme weather conditions in both daytime and night-time at short notice and under the influence of enemy reconnaissance and electronic warfare. These scenarios and plans must be incorporated into training and exercises to train the signal force’s steadfastness, ideology, and spirit.

Second, building a mobile signal force with a compact organisation and staffing and modernity in terms of communication equipment and vehicles. During peacetime, the military region’s signal department and brigade need to propose the building of an “elite, compact, and strong” signal force with high quality and modern equipment, capable of ensuring communication in conditions where the enemy has an advantage in electronic warfare and the use of high-tech weapons. Accordingly, the mobile signal battalion of the military region’s signal brigade need to continue to adjust its organisation and staffing in a compact, light, versatile direction, where a soldier can undertake multiple positions and effectively utilise the communication equipment equipped in communication centres and mobile communication vehicles. For other units of the military region, in addition to building of the signal force in general, there is a need to organise the reserve force properly to provide mobile communication support for units’ headquarters in combat when fixed communication systems are suppressed by the enemy and cannot be effectively employed.

It is also important to focus on proposing plans to purchase mobile central communication vehicles, terminal communication vehicles, and modern, versatile radio vehicles with high mobility to meet the requirements of continuous and timely movement in urgent, difficult conditions such as divided terrain, complex weather, and intense enemy attacks without compromising the quality of communication vehicles. As for the communication equipment on vehicles and carried by soldiers, it is necessary to ensure compactness, durability, multiple functions, and communication methods as well as the ability to resist electronic warfare to maintain reliable, secure communication in all conditions, especially when the enemy conducts strong interference. Furthermore, it is essential to promote research and application of scientific and technological achievements to modernise communication vehicles and equipment and integrate various communication means such as satellites, radios, and vehicles to create versatile communication vehicles capable of providing multiple communication methods and connecting to the military and civilian communication networks. The integration process of communication means needs to ensure reasonable capacity, compatibility with on-site communication systems, easy deployment and relocation, rapid movement, and static and mobile communication in a robust, secure manner in all terrain and weather conditions, effectively serving the task of providing communication support for operations in defence of military region.

Third, increased training to enhance technical, tactical skills for the mobile signal force in an elite, versatile direction. Operations in defence of the military region in the war to protect the Fatherland (if it occurs) will be conducted in modern conditions, where the enemy uses high-tech weapons and extensive electronic warfare. The signal force will have to provide communication support for multiple forces and tasks, simultaneously taking place in various directions and areas with a large and urgent need for communication for command and control. To fulfill this task requires the military region’s signal department to direct units to enhance the quality of training for the mobile signal force in terms of communication command and control as well as coordination with other forces to respond to situations. It is also important to enhance the ability to operate modern communication vehicles and effectively use various equipment and communication means such as switchboards, satellites, microwaves, trunking, radios, and computers. To meet the requirements of providing mobile communication support for the headquarters at all levels to handle situations in operations in defence of military region, right from the peacetime, the military region’s signal brigade needs to focus on training the mobile signal battalion in the ability and skills to supplement some communication lines and establish headquarters’ communication centres in operations, with a focus on setting up the main, reserve, front, rear, and support ones. Additionally, advanced training is needed to raise the ability to deploy and establish intermediate relay stations for shortwave radio transmission, military postal services, trunking radio stations, and transmission lines connecting the battlefield’s communication centre with lower-level units, creating a complete information system suitable for the operational plan, meeting the requirements and tasks of providing communication support for the military region to command and control all forces across the area. For other signal units in the military region, it is essential to focus on training plans to provide communication support for the headquarters, estimate maneuver routes, deployment positions, and coordination plans with other signal forces in each direction, area, and so on. Moreover, there is a need to intensify training and exercises in providing communication support for maneuver in each operational form and hypothetical situation across different terrains in difficult, harsh conditions, closely related to the actual conditions in peacetime and wartime to continuously improve skills and capabilities of the mobile signal force to meet requirements of the assigned tasks.

Building an elite, mobile signal force in defence combat of the military region is an important issue that deserves further research. This initial study serves as a basis for determining the direction of building an elite, mobile signal force, capable of meeting the requirements of leadership, command, and control in urgent situations in peacetime and in the war to protect the Fatherland (if it occurs).

Senior Colonel, Master DO DUC CUONG, National Defence Academy