Thoroughly grasping strategic directives of the Party and State on building defensive zones, the 3rd Military Region continues to comprehensively adopt various solutions to fulfill this vital task, meeting demands of protecting the Fatherland in the new situation.

The 3rd Military Region holds a strategically significant position in multiple aspects in the cause of national construction and defence. Being aware of this importance, in recent years, based on a profound understanding of the Party’s military and defence guidelines and the resolutions and directives of higher echelons, particularly Conclusion No. 64-KL/TW dated 30 October 2019, of the Politburo (12th tenure) on accelerating the implementation of the Resolution No. 28-NQ/TW dated 22 September 2008, of the Politburo (10th tenure) on continuing to build centrally-governed provinces and cities into firm defensive zones in the new situation, and Decree No. 21/2019/ND-CP dated 22 February 2019, of the Government on defensive zones, the 3rd Military Region Party Committee and Command have proactively studied, thoroughly understood, and accurately forecasted the situation. They have timely advised the Central Military Commission (CMC) and the Ministry of National Defence (MND) on many strategic issues regarding national defence and security and facilitated implementation in alignment with local realities.

Accordingly, the leadership and direction of building defensive zones have been carried out seriously and closely. The 3rd Military Region Party Committee has closely coordinated with provincial and municipal party committees in leading and directing the implementation of military and defence tasks, and in building increasingly solid provincial, municipal, and regional defensive zones. Military agencies, particularly provincial and municipal military commands, have effectively performed their advisory roles for local party committees and authorities in implementing the Party’s guidelines and the State’s laws regarding military and national defence. The steering committees for defensive zones at all levels have been regularly consolidated and maintained effective operations. Localities have paid great attention to closely integrating socio-economic development with strengthening defence and security. The defence posture and potential of the 3rd Military Region, as well as of the provincial and municipal defensive zones, particularly in terms of economic, political, spiritual potential, military posture, and people’s heart and mind posture, have been reinforced. The overall quality, qualifications, and combat readiness of the armed forces have steadily improved, capable of responding successfully to any defence or security situations.

Leader of MR3 checks training aids

Despite the positive results, the process of building defensive zones still faces several limitations in leadership, direction, coordination, and implementation. These shortcomings have been seriously reviewed by the 3rd Military Region in the five-year preliminary review of the implementation of Decree No. 21/2019/ND-CP and require timely remedies from localities and units.

In the coming time, the international and regional situation is forecast to continue develop in a rapid, complex manner with increasingly significant traditional and non-traditional security challenges. In our country, hostile forces continue to intensify sabotage activities through peaceful evolution strategy, internal subversion, and efforts to depoliticise the military. The 3rd Military Region and localities are also implementing Party resolutions on streamlining the political system and reorganising administrative boundaries. These developments pose new and demanding requirements for building defensive zones. To firmly build provincial, municipal, and regional defensive zones that meet the requirements of national defence in the new era, the 3rd Military Region is determined to continue mobilising the comprehensive strength of the entire political system, with the people’s armed forces playing the core role through synchronised and practical solutions. 

First, it is necessary to continue thoroughly grasping resolutions, directives, laws, and decrees of the Party, State, CMC, and MND on building defensive zones, especially the Resolution of the 8th Plenum of the 13th Party Central Committee on the strategy for protecting the Fatherland in the new situation, Conclusion No. 64-KL/TW of the Politburo, and Decree No. 21/2019/ND-CP of the Government. The 3rd Military Region is to review and supplement plans and construction schemes for each locality’s defensive zone to align with practical conditions. To ensure effectiveness, the Defensive Zone Steering Committee of the Military Region and military agencies at all levels must closely monitor the situation, particularly administrative boundary adjustments and the restructuring of provinces and localities, to provide timely advice to local party committees and authorities on leadership and direction for building and organising activities in the defensive zones. There must be constant reinforcement and promotion of the roles and effectiveness of all organisations within the defensive zone. At the same time, emphasis should be placed on summarising practical experiences and developing theoretical foundation for the organisation, building, and operation of defensive zones in the new context.

Additionally, agencies, units, and localities must enhance propaganda, education, and training in national defence and security knowledge for various groups and the general population. They are to effectively implement mass mobilisation, take part in strengthening the local political system, support people in economic development, hunger eradication, poverty reduction, and preventional and response to natural disasters, calamities, and epidemics. There is a need to promote gratitude movements, particularly programmes such as elimination of dilapidated housing, building of gratitude houses and comradeship houses, etc., thereby contributing to ensuring social security and building solid people’s heart and mind posture.

Second, efforts must be made to combine socio-economic development with strengthening national defence and security, ensuring that each step of economic progress corresponds to an increase in defence and security potential. Fully understanding the Party’s guidelines and State’s policies on combining the economy with national defence and security, and vice versa, the 3rd Military Region continues to closely coordinate with provinces and cities in implementing Resolution No. 30-NQ/TW dated 23 November 2022, of the Politburo on “Socio-economic development and strengthening of national defence and security in the Red River Delta by 2030 with a vision to 2045” and reviewing and adjusting the military posture in line with regional socio-economic development planning. Priority is given to construction of critical, dual-use infrastructure that serves both economic development and national defence and security and can be mobilised when necessary.

Leader of MR3 briefs the task of changing combat readiness status

In the future, the organisation of provinces and cities in the 3rd Military Region will undergo changes in population size, area, and political system which shifts from a three-tier to a two-tier government model. These changes pose significant challenges to defence and military work in general and to building defensive zones in particular. To meet these requirements, the Military Region’s Defensive Zone Steering Committee will continue close coordination with merged provinces and cities to review, supplement, and develop new comprehensive defence planning in conjunction with socio-economic development, undertake planning of defence land use and defensive works for the 2026–2030 period and beyond. It will focus leadership and direction on effectively implementing socio-economic development projects linked to defence and security, prioritising development of key industries, sectors with great potential and strength, and infrastructure modernisation with dual-use functionality. Economic development must not come at the expense of national defence and security. Moreover, the Military Region is to invest in building core defensive works in combat bases, rear bases, logistics-technical bases, command headquarters, and militia combat outposts along land borders. It will integrate civil defence measures to establish a wide, interconnected, and solid posture among provincial, municipal, and regional defensive zones, ready to handle any situations.

Third, the Military Region is to focus on building an elite, compact, strong, and modern armed forces with high overall quality, capability, and combat readiness, capable of serving as the core force in performing military and defence tasks. Building on previous results and experience, the Military Region will continue to seriously implement the guidance of the CMC and MND on adjusting the organisation of local military agencies and continue to build a compact, strong, and modern standing force, a robust and high-quality reserve force, and a widespread and strong militia and self-defence force. The leadership and direction must ensure that force restructuring does not disrupt military and defence tasks, particularly combat readiness. The Political Department must study, advise, and guide the organisation and strengthening of party committees, cadre work, and policy work. It is to effectively carry out propagation, internal political protection, and struggle against hostile forces exploiting organisational restructuring for sabotage purposes. The Logistics–Technical Department must study and propose plans for using warehouses, depots, and logistical-technical facilities suited to each unit’s deployment and the region’s defence posture.

Furthermore, agencies, units, and localities must continue to make break throughs in improving training quality and combat readiness. Emphasis is placed on innovating training practices according to the Party’s new defence-military thinking and requirements of national protection in the new era. Training must follow the fundamental, practical, solid motto, emphasise integrated and specialised training, and align closely with reality, tasks, plans, adversaries, and terrain, particularly in defensive operations and protecting borders, seas, and islands. It is necessary to improve mobility and situational response of each force, including training in flood and storm response, forest fire prevention, and search and rescue operations. Agencies, units, and localities must regularly review, adjust, and complete operational documents and coordination plans with police force as prescribed by Government Decree No. 03/2019/ND-CP. They are to successfully conduct all combat and civil defence exercises for the term and regional defence exercises under the MND’s direction. There is a need to further enhance leadership capacity of party committees, management and execution ability of authorities, advisory role of local military agencies, and combat readiness of the Military Region’s armed forces.

Building increasingly firm defensive zones in provinces and cities is a major issue of strategic importance to the cause of national construction and defence. It is also a long-term task that requires significant resources and demands the Military Region, together with party committees and authorities of provinces and cities in the region, to continue upholding their responsibilities, further promoting the experience and results achieved, and making efforts to overcome all difficulties to successfully fulfill this vital mission, thereby meeting requirements of building and protecting the Fatherland in the new era.

Major General LUONG VAN KIEM, Military Region Commander