The rapid development of the 4^th industrial revolution has led to the emergence of many modern types of weapons, as well as new forms of warfare. These changes have had a significant impact on our military and defence tasks in general, the task of safeguarding our maritime sovereignty in particular.

The Navy’s Command inspects a project of the Institute

In response to that reality, and based on the objective of modernising the Navy, in recent years, the Naval Engineering Institute has been entrusted with numerous important tasks. It has participated in major, key projects assigned by the Ministry of National Defence and the Navy, focusing on research and development of new-generation naval weapons and technical equipment with high levels of integration, scientific know-how, and advanced technical and tactical capabilities. At the same time, it has been responsible for receiving technology transfer and conducting training related to new technical equipment to support the Navy’s training and combat readiness. These are demanding, complex, highly specialised tasks. However, the Institute still faces limitations in several areas essential for research, design, and production of new weapons and equipment. Its resources have yet to keep pace with the rapid advancement of science and technology, particularly in terms of human resources, infrastructure, and research and prototype production facilities.

To effectively accomplish the assigned tasks, the Institute’s Party Committee and Command have focused on leading and directing the development of high-quality human resources, considering this a breakthrough step in enhancing research, design, and production capabilities for new-generation weapons and equipment. In line with its functions and assigned tasks, the Institute has directed its departments and units to review and assess the current status of their technical staff. It has also developed and refined a competency framework and professional standards for each position and title. It has formulated plans for talent identification, training, professional development, and utilisation, giving priority to building a team of leading experts, young scientists, and specialists in emerging research fields.

Particularly, to strengthen its capacity for research and mastery of design and production technologies of specialised naval equipment, the Institute has placed emphasis on selecting engineers and officers with great professional expertise and foreign language proficiency to form strong research teams. These teams are tasked with conducting in-depth studies on the development of modern weapons and technical materials. The Institute has also provided opportunities for young technical officers to take part in major research projects and gain hands-on experience at operational units, thus improving their professional competence, developing independent and innovative research thinking, and meeting their task requirements.

The Institute leadership inspects a workshop

At the same time, the Institute has proactively appointed capable young officers with sound research skills to key positions, while fostering a friendly, equitable working environment. It has also created a favourable condition for its staff members to strive for professional excellence. To date, 100% of the Institute’s researchers hold a university degree or higher, with over 20% having been trained abroad. Many are fluent in Russian, English, Chinese, and Czech, and are fully capable of working directly with foreign experts to acquire and master new technologies. This workforce truly represents the core driving force behind the Institute’s advancement in scientific research to a new level.

Alongside personnel, facilities and technology provide the foundation for turning research ideas into real products. Therefore, the Institute has been actively mobilising resources to upgrade its infrastructures and measurement and testing equipment in a modern, integrated manner, creating the technical basis for improving the quality of research, design and development of new weapons and technical equipment.

In line with the Navy’s science and technology development direction and its assigned tasks, the Institute has instructed its departments, offices, and workshops to review the current state of facilities and equipment for research and testing, and identify needs for supplementary acquisitions and upgrades. It has designed and proposed technological infrastructure development projects with appropriate roadmaps. Notably, under the project “Equipment acquisition for the enhancement of the Institute’s research and experimental production capacity”, in recent years, the Institute has, alongside constructing and modernising specialised laboratories, built mini test tanks, semi-natural test tanks, an underwater acoustics technology centre, and a centre for ship magnetic measurement and degaussing, among others. It has also underlined the role of its technical staff and engineers in inventing and improving equipment to serve the design and production of new weapons. As a result, it now has become fully self-sufficient in designing and manufacturing technologies across all stages, from technical parameter calculations and 3D modelling to single-piece hull casting and shipboard combat systems, achieving a breakthrough in the quality of research and prototype production, contributing to the timely resolution of urgent issues in the Navy’s technical support and equipment programmes.

In the context of today’s intensive and extensive international integration and the whirlwind advancement of the 4^th industrial revolution, the Institute has been stepping up coordination and cooperation with reputable domestic and international research institutions to keep pace with the rapid development of military science and technology. These efforts include technology transfer, translation and compilation of technical materials to support the Navy’s utilisation and mastery of new equipment. The Institute has proactively selected officers to participate in delegations responsible for surveying and negotiating foreign technology transfer. It has actively collaborated with domestic research centres and factories to exchange and learn from experience in the design, manufacture, improvement, and upgrading of technical equipment, as well as to carry out important projects and research programmes. Notably, it has effectively cooperated with experts from Russia, Poland, and India, as well as with the Military Technical Academy, the Institute of Mechanics, and the Institute of Materials under the General Department of Defence Industry in successfully conducting numerous major research projects and programmes. Through such scientific collaboration, it has successfully acquired and mastered new technologies, such as 3D design, Field Programmable Gate Arrays (FPGAs), Ship Constructor 21 Suite Ultimate, Maxsurf Ultimate, new material technologies, microprocessing techniques, digital and ultra-high frequency signal processing techniques, as well as modern digital measurement and control technologies. These form a vital foundation for the Institute to enhance the quality of scientific research and apply advanced technology in the design and manufacture of modern naval equipment.

Repair work at Brigade 954

A part from those efforts, the Institute has implemented several innovations in scientific management, emphasising the roles and responsibilities of its Military Science Council and project management boards in overseeing, monitoring, and evaluating research outcomes and transferring them into practical use. It has also established a Science and Technology Development Fund to provide sustainable financial resources for medium- and long-term research projects. Furthermore, it has developed sound regulations and policies to foster a healthy, democratic scientific research environment, facilitating research activities and maximising potential creativity of its technical workforce.

Through comprehensive, appropriate, and innovative measures, over the past five years, the Institute has successfully implemented 348 scientific projects and tasks at various levels, many of which have won top prizes at Nguyen Phan Vinh Awards and Military Innovative Youth Awards. Remarkably, it has successfully researched, designed, and built small-sized military submarines and various types of surface vessels, actively participating in the repair, upgrading, and modernisation of naval equipment, producing a number of spare parts for technical maintenance at operational units, translating key technical materials to support the Navy’s mastery of newly introduced systems.

Achievements in weaponry and equipment improvement, and the construction of specialised vessels and boats, alongside combat and simulation systems clearly demonstrate the relentless dedication of the Naval Engineering Institute’s officers, engineers, technicians, and workers, as well as its sound strategic direction, directly contributing to enhancing the Navy’s overall quality and combat strength.

To remain worthy of its role as the leading centre of the Navy and the Military for scientific and technological research in the field of maritime weapons and technical equipment, the Naval Engineering Institute will continue to thoroughly implement the directives and resolutions of the Party, the State, the Central Military Commission, and the Ministry of National Defence on scientific and technological development, innovation, and digital transformation. Specifically, it will devote efforts to realise Decision 83/QĐ-HQ, dated 2 January 2025, issued by Commander of the Navy, which outlines the Institute’s development orientation up to 2030 and beyond. In this regard, it will focus on effectively implementing its Development Strategy, giving priority to attracting and fostering talented and high-quality human resources to meet the demands of scientific and technological research, innovation, and digital transformation in the period of 2025 - 2030. It will also actively mobilise investment resources to perfect its infrastructures for science, technology, and innovation, striving to achieve a uniformed and advanced network of laboratories and testing facilities by 2030, capable of meeting the Navy’s technical support requirements.

Furthermore, the Institute will accelerate the implementation of research projects with high scientific content, particularly in key technologies, such as integrated combat systems, underwater acoustics, and ship degaussing. It will strengthen research cooperation, technology transfer, and training with reputable institutions both at home and abroad, creating an open, innovative research environment, leveraging collective strength in the design and manufacture of new and modern weapons and equipment. These efforts will contribute to enhancing the overall quality, combat strength, and combat readiness capacity of the Vietnam People’s Navy, ensuring the firm defence of the nation’s sacred maritime sovereignty in all circumstances.

Sr. Col. NGUYEN QUANG TRUNG, PhD

Director of the Institute