As an operational-level air defence unit of Army Corps 12 tasked with managing and protecting the airspace and key targets in a strategic area, Air Defence Brigade 673 consistently thoroughly grasps the Party’s military and national defence line and implements a range of coordinated and innovative measures to enhance combat power and successfully accomplish its missions in all situations.

Against the rapid development of aerial attack platforms and methods and the requirement to build a “Sustainable Air Defence Dome”, the Brigade faces increasingly demanding requirements, particularly in combat duty, combat readiness, and the management and protection of the Fatherland’s airspace. In response, the Party Committee and commanders of Air Defence Brigade 673 have focused their leadership and direction on implementing coordinated policies and measures to continuously improve overall quality and combat power. In this process, building a “lean, compact and strong” unit serves as the foundation; improving training quality, proficiency and combat readiness is the central task; while standardisation, discipline management and effective support remain fundamental and regular requirements.

Maj. Gen. (now Lt. Gen.) Nguyen Ba Luc, Deputy Chief of the General Staff had an all-round check of the Brigade in 2025

Building a “Lean and compact” organisational structure and a politically strong brigade

Implementing Decision No 6036/QĐ-BQP dated 22 November 2023 of the Minister of National Defence on transferring Air Defence Brigade 673 from Army Corps 2 to Army Corps 12 in its entirety, together with the merger of logistics and technical agencies under Decision No.6504/QĐ-BQP dated 12 December 2023 of the Minister of National Defence and Decision No.6463/QĐ-TM dated 13 December 2023 of the General Staff, the Brigade has focused on consolidating its organisational structure and staffing in accordance with regulations. It regularly reviews, adjusts and strengthens combat and support forces, from command-post combat-readiness crews to individual positions, ensuring readiness for duty and mission execution.

Alongside organisational consolidation, the Brigade identifies political strength as the decisive factor in ensuring that a “lean and compact” unit retains high quality and combat power. Accordingly, on the basis of thoroughly implementing higher-level resolutions and directives, the Brigade Party Committee focuses its leadership on improving political and ideological education, fostering firm political steadfastness among officers and soldiers, strengthening their commitment to the Party’s goals and ideals, and building strong determination and readiness to undertake and successfully accomplish all assigned missions.

Notably, most of the Brigade’s personnel are at Youth Union age, bringing youthful energy, dynamism and sensitivity to new technologies and information. This is an important resource, but it also places high demands on political education and training. The Brigade therefore focuses on educating Youth Union members and young personnel to recognise and remain vigilant against schemes and tactics by hostile forces to promote “colour revolutions” and the “depoliticisation” of the Army. It proactively provides authoritative information, develops their ability to identify and counter harmful and malicious information, and strengthens confidence, political steadfastness and a sense of responsibility, thereby contributing to building a politically strong Brigade.

At the same time, the Brigade Party Committee and Command attach importance to effectively implementing the Regulations on Grassroots Democracy and maintaining democratic dialogue in the spirit of the “Five Proactive Measures” and the “Three Timely Actions”. This enables difficulties and problems arising at grassroots level to be promptly resolved and strengthens solidarity and unity throughout the unit. The Brigade also proactively coordinates with local Party committees and authorities, actively participates in social welfare activities, and assists the People in preventing, responding to and overcoming the consequences of natural disasters, thereby consolidating military-civilian solidarity and strengthening the “people’s heart and mind posture” - an important factor in enhancing the Brigade’s combat power.

Leader of Corps 12 checks combat readiness of the Brigade

Improving training quality, proficiency and combat readiness

The rapid development of modern aerial attack weapons and technical equipment has generated new methods and tactics, creating significant challenges for airspace management and protection. To meet mission requirements, the Brigade places great importance on updating training content in line with developments in military art and the characteristics of modern warfare, particularly training and exercises to counter unmanned aerial vehicles, cruise missiles, and scenarios in which the adversary combines electronic warfare with swarm suicide attacks. Training content and methods are comprehensively renewed in accordance with the principle of being “close to the mission, close to the adversary, close to weapons and equipment, and close to battlefield realities”; the motto “basic, practical and solid” is strictly implemented; and the three viewpoints, eight principles and six combinations are applied flexibly, with specialised technical training as the foundation, tactical training as the centre, and cadre training as the key link.

In particular, implementing the Corps’ direction on the “Sustainable Air Defence Dome” operational plan, the Brigade closely combines specialised training with coordinated combat exercises within the “air defence dome” formation. Emphasis is placed on improving target detection and identification, proficiency in operating technical equipment, and rapid and accurate handling of situations; night training, high-intensity training, and rapid deployment and recovery of guns and equipment are intensified. At the same time, fortifications and positions are regularly reinforced, and the “Determined-to-Win Position” model is effectively maintained.

Alongside training, the Brigade thoroughly grasps and strictly implements the superiors’ directives and regulations on combat readiness. Units are directed to fully maintain the “10 combat-readiness regimes”, the “four knows” in airspace management, and the “four capabilities” in air defence operations. The Brigade fully receives and processes B1 and B2 intelligence sources from the Air Defence-Air Force, effectively operates the VQ-1M system, and synchronously combines early-warning measures with close management and surveillance of aerial targets, ensuring early detection, timely notification and accurate handling of every situation without being caught passive or by surprise.

Through the coordinated and effective implementation of these measures, the Brigade’s training quality and combat readiness have continuously improved, with annual training inspection results for all categories of personnel exceeding assigned targets. The Brigade was honoured by the Ministry of National Defence with the “Excellent Training Unit” Flag for five consecutive years (2019-2023). In 2023, immediately after its transfer to Corps 12, it successfully accomplished its task in Exercise DT-23 and received high recognition from the superiors. In particular, at the 2024 Army-wide Competition for Air Defence Brigade Command-Post Combat Crews of the Ground Force Air Defence, it won First Prize for the second consecutive time.

Strengthening standardisation, discipline management and discipline training

Air defence operations are characterised by rapidly changing and complex aerial situations, requiring forces to continuously cultivate uniformity and precision in every action. On that basis, the Brigade Party Committee and Command identify standardisation and discipline training as key areas that directly enhance combat power.

To effectively fulfil this task, it regularly conducts education and thoroughly implements higher-level documents on standardisation and discipline management. Particular emphasis is placed on Circular No.143/2023/TT-BQP dated 27 December 2023 of the Ministry of National Defence on disciplinary action in the Vietnam People’s Army and Directive No.76/CT-BQP dated 28 April 2026 of the Minister of National Defence on strengthening political education, ideological management, discipline maintenance and safety assurance in the Vietnam People’s Army. At the same time, the content and forms of legal and disciplinary education are continuously renewed, helping soldiers clearly understand their responsibilities and enhance their voluntary compliance with State law, military discipline and unit regulations.

The Brigade attaches particular importance to building a healthy military cultural environment, promoting grassroots democracy, and enhancing the role of mass organisations and the Military Personnel Council in standardisation, discipline maintenance and troop management. It regularly fosters solidarity and unity between cadres and soldiers and between superiors and subordinates, while closely linking troop management with education and training in responsibility and voluntary compliance with State law, military discipline and unit regulations. As a result of these coordinated measures, the quality of standardisation and discipline management has continuously improved; officers and soldiers demonstrate a strong sense of organisation and discipline, solidarity and unity, and determination to successfully accomplish all missions. In 2025, it recorded no disciplinary violations requiring formal action and ensured absolute safety.

Participating in building military-civil village

Ensuring full and timely technical and logistics support for all missions

Given that most of the Brigade’s weapons, vehicles, guns and technical equipment have been used for years in combat, training and exercises and are not highly synchronised, the Brigade closely combines implementation of Campaign 50 with the emulation movement “Maintain Vehicles Well, Drive Safely” and applies the “Model Vehicle Garage” initiative to ensure timely and adequate technical equipment support for all missions with absolute safety. It strictly implements decentralised regimes for management, preservation, maintenance and repair; maintains technical-day and technical-week routines and specialised inspections; and closely combines operation with preservation and use with maintenance. Alongside this, it is progressively applying digital transformation to technical work by digitising weapon and equipment management records and regularly updating data on the operation, repair and service life of each item of equipment. As a result, the technical readiness coefficient of combat-readiness equipment is consistently maintained at Kt = 1, while that of the regular support group remains at Kt = 0.97 or above.

In logistics work, the Brigade proactively procures and sources food supplies in accordance with decentralised regulations, ensuring full standards and prescribed quantities in the spirit of maintaining “stable troop living conditions”. It actively promotes production activities to improve troop welfare and ensures food hygiene and safety; annual inspections show that 100% of kitchens meet the standard of “Excellent Troop Catering Kitchen and Good Quartermaster Management”. At the same time, regular healthcare activities are maintained to improve troop health, with the healthy personnel rate consistently reaching 98.5% or higher. The Brigade also regularly consolidates and renovates barracks and develops a standardised, bright, green, clean and attractive environment; during 2020-2025, it received and put into use 14 new facilities, all of good quality.

Building on its achievements and experience and upholding the tradition of “Speed, Boldness, Determination to Fight, and Total Victory”, the Party Committee and Command of Air Defence Brigade 673 will continue to focus their leadership and direction on implementing coordinated measures to further enhance overall quality and combat power and to firmly manage and protect the assigned airspace.

Senior Colonel PHAN TUAN CUONG, Brigade Commander