Being imbued with President Ho Chi Minh’s ideology on the key role of science and technology in Fatherland construction and protection, Factory Z111 (General Department of Defence Industry - GDDI) has been taking synchronised measures for science - technology development and devoting efforts to researching and developing new, modern products as a crucial breakthrough.

The Conference on production and business tasks of 2025

When he was alive, President Ho Chi Minh pointed out that: “The tasks of science and technology are of utmost importance; therefore, all sectors and people must take part in science - technology work to increase productivity, produce more materials, and successfully build socialism”. Grasping the President’s teachings and its own functions and assigned tasks, Factory Z111 has always concentrated on science - technology development; in this regard, researching and developing new, modern products have been seen as one of the most crucial goals and breakthroughs for improving its defence production. Over the years, the Factory has grasped and realised resolutions on defence industry, science, and technology development via practical guidelines and measures. Between 2020 and 2025, it has mastered and developed many advanced technologies, researching, completing, and producing 7 new groups of weapons and technical equipment, exceeding the established targets by 40%. At the same time, it has succeeded in pilot production of 2 new weapon systems and finished manufacturing products for the GDDI’s major tasks.

In the upcoming time, the GDDI will continue implementing Resolutions 08-NQ/TW and 57-NQ/TW by the Politburo, the Central Military Commission’s Resolution 3488-NQ/QUTW, dated 29 January 2025, on breakthroughs in science - technology development, innovation, and digital transformation within the Vietnam People’s Army (VPA), the Law on National Defence and Security Industry and Industrial Mobilisation, and business adjustment, which will impose new, higher requirements on the Factory. Hence, the Factory’s Party Committee and Board of Directors have seen the study and following of Ho Chi Minh’s ideology, ethics, and lifestyle as a central mission and incentive for fostering the research, design, and manufacture of new, modern products, meeting the requirements of VPA building and Fatherland protection.

Fully aware of Uncle Ho’s teachings: “every work requires leadership to be successful”, the Factory’s Party Committee and Board of Directors have focused their leadership and direction on researching, designing, and manufacturing new, modern products. Adhering to the VPA’s needs for weaponry, the guidelines on weapon modernisation by the Ministry of National Defence, and the demands for economic products within domestic and global industrial product supply chains, the Factory has adjusted and perfected its development strategies and plans with specific steps relevant to its functions, tasks, and realities. Emphasis has been placed on building synchronised, modern science - technology potentialities, enhancing cooperation, creating a favourable environment, and promoting synergy for developing new, modern products. To that end, the Factory has assigned its Technology Division to collaborate with relevant agencies to give advice on setting targets of science research in accordance with each section’s functions and tasks, integrating those targets into resolutions and work plans, and regularly conducting preliminary and final reviews to draw lessons and make huge changes in researching and developing new products. Besides, it has grasped and executed the Politburo’s Conclusion 01-KL/TW and the Central Military Commission’s Resolution 847-NQ/QUTW in tandem with the Campaign on promoting tradition, devoting talent, deserving to be “Uncle Ho’s Soldiers” in the new era, towards the performance of its assigned tasks. Thanks to those approaches, it has promoted the spirit of daring to think, daring to do, daring to take responsibility among its collectives and individuals as the basis for fulfilling all pre-set targets and plans.

Manufacturing STV 215 rifles

Grasping Uncle Ho’s instructions on utilisation of talents, the Factory has paid due regard to personnel work, particularly the building of a pool of technical cadres. In 2022, the Factory Party Committee issued and effectively executed Resolution 179-NQ/ĐU on “leadership over the building of a pool of key and technical cadres at all levels to meet the requirements of Factory development in the new era”. As a result, the Factory now has a well-structured, sufficient contingent of cadres; 100% of its cadres hold bachelor’s degree; 17.2% of its cadres are masters.

Bringing into play those good results, the Factory has proactively adhered to guidelines on business adjustment to give advice to the GDDI on projects to consolidate its organisational structure and develop criteria for personnel recruitment according to job titles in accordance with its realities. It has continued to implement Resolution 179-NQ/ĐU in line with the Project to “attract and utilise talents for the VPA towards 2030, with a vision towards 2050”. Consideration has been given to developing a corps of top science - technology cadres specialised in mechanics and automation, detecting potential young cadres, and proactively conducting the work of personnel planning and training with a long-term vision. The Factory has carried out job rotations among its offices, boards, and production workshops, ensuring a harmonious combination of short-term, long-term, and specialised training, encouraging its staff members’ self-study to improve their command of specialised knowledge and foreign languages in response to the trends of international integration and technology transfer. By 2030, it will strive to develop a pool of cadres with proper quantity and structure, ensuring inheritance and development between generations; its technical cadres will be capable of mastering technologies for product design and manufacture, receiving or transferring modern technologies for complex technical equipment repair and manufacture, as well as researching, designing, and manufacturing new, modern products.

Fully understanding that “the masses’ knowledge and initiatives are immeasurable”, the Factory has created the most favourable research and working conditions for its cadres and technicians to promote their capability and creativity for developing new, modern products. To do so, it has concentrated on developing its facilities, production lines, and equipment, adjusting, supplementing, and completing mechanisms and policies to step up science - technology activities and develop new products. It has accelerated preparatory work for investment projects in the period of 2026 - 2030 from allocated budget under regulations, while harmoniously combining its in-depth investment in new technologies with improvement in its existing technologies in order to raise its designing and piloting capabilities and remove bottlenecks in manufacture.

Additionally, the Factory has proactively updated itself on relevant guidelines, policies, and legal documents, proposing regulations on defence product management, design, naming, and encryption as well as on the use of weapons of pilot production, creating a favourable legal corridor, settling difficulties and drawbacks, contributing to fostering new product research, testing, and manufacture. It has continued perfecting mechanisms and policies and effectively using Science - Technology Development Fund to step up science research and the movements, namely “Promoting technical initiatives and innovations” and “Creative Youth”, thereby bringing into play all force’s creative potential. As for defence products, it has concentrated on researching and manufacturing automated infantry weapon modules integrated into military vehicles and vessels, alongside machine gun systems and modern sound and light sensors. Regarding economic products, it has developed dual-purpose products for domestic and foreign markets. As a result, it has asserted its pioneering role in defence industry development associated with national economic development in the new era.

In addition to those above-mentioned things, the Factory has promoted cooperation in science research and technology transfer, inheriting the outcomes of domestic and international researches, taking advantage of its partners’ equipment and technology to develop new, modern products. Great value has been attached to expanding and improving cooperation with research centres and universities both at home and abroad, particularly those specialised in precision engineering, new materials, simulation and virtualisation technologies, artificial intelligence, and automation. Due attention has been paid to the transfer of technological materials for new weapon manufacture from partners; besides, the Factory has received materials for producing mechanical parts and machines according to domestic and foreign partners’ orders. As a result of that approach, it has acquired and mastered new technologies, gradually achieving technological self-reliance, improving its capabilities in researching, piloting, and manufacturing new, modern products, meeting the VPA’s needs for weaponry and serving the country’s economic development.

Enhancing research and development of new, modern products constitutes the realisation of President Ho Chi Minh’s ideology on science - technology development for Fatherland construction and protection. That is also a central task of all staff members of Factory Z111 towards the goal of “building the Factory into a modern, highly-automated, sustainable defence manufacturer capable of meeting its task requirements in the new situation”.

Col. DANG DUY THAI

Director of the Factory