Ensuring unity in the organization of air defense forces at the commune level
Continuing the program, on June 14, the National Assembly discussed in the hall the draft Law amending and supplementing a number of articles of the Law on National Defense; Law on People's Army Officers; Law on Professional Soldiers, Workers and National Defense Officials; Law on Military Service; Law on Vietnam Border Guard; Law on People's Air Defense; Law on Reserve Forces; Law on Civil Defense; Law on Management and Protection of National Defense Works and Military Zones; Law on Militia and Self-Defense Forces; Law on National Defense and Security Education.
Giving opinions to perfect the above-mentioned draft law on military and defense, delegate Trang A Duong ( Ha Giang ) expressed his agreement with the draft on organizing the people's air defense command system, including commanders and regional defense commanders instead of commanders and district-level military commanders.
Delegates analyzed and implemented the Politburo's conclusion on continuing to organize the local government in a streamlined, strong, and compact manner to meet the requirements of tasks in the new situation. When the District Military Command is abolished, a Regional Defense Command will be established. The Regional Defense Command is defined as a unit directly under the Provincial Military Command, not an intermediate administrative level, with specific positions, functions, tasks, and powers, including some tasks transferred from the District Military Command.
The draft regulation on transferring responsibility from the District Command Chief to the Regional Defense Command Chief in directing the implementation of people's air defense tasks, adding the tasks of the Regional Defense Command Chief and the Commune Military Command Chief in suppressing and temporarily detaining drones and other flying vehicles in the management area is appropriate, Mr. Duong affirmed.
Delegates assessed that the determination of the title of Chief Military Commander of the region in the draft law institutionalizes the Party's policy and is consistent with the organization and staffing of the unit, ensuring timely, concentrated, and unified command of the people's air defense force from the provincial military command to the commune-level military command.
In addition, the draft amendment to the law supplements Clause 2, Article 15 of the Law on Militia and Self-Defense Forces, stipulating that "based on requirements and national defense and military tasks at the commune level, organize mortar batteries, teams, squads, militia, reconnaissance, information, engineering, chemical defense, medical, air defense militia platoons, artillery at key commune levels for national defense, typical organizations or standing troops.
However, at point b, clause 2, Article 13 of the Law on People's Air Defense, it is stipulated that "the air defense force at the commune level, managed by the militia, is organized into teams to shoot down low-flying targets and teams to suppress unmanned aircraft and other vehicles".
To ensure unity in the organization of the air defense force at the commune level, the delegate proposed that the drafting agency study and supplement Clause 3, Article 6 of the draft law amending and supplementing Point b, Clause 2, Article 13 of the Law on People's Air Defense in the direction that "the air defense force at the commune level, undertaken by the militia, is organized into anti-aircraft machine gun platoons, low-flying target shooting teams, and teams to suppress unmanned aircraft and other flying vehicles".
Expressing his agreement with the Government's draft law, delegate Nguyen Tao (Lam Dong) emphasized that this is a timely and necessary step, in line with practical requirements, as well as the movement trend of regional and world defense, especially in the context that localities are adjusting administrative boundaries and restructuring armed forces according to the law from July 1, 2025, ensuring a lean, compact, strong and modern direction.
However, the delegate also expressed some concerns and recommendations. According to him, the time from when the organization of the two-level government was completed until the law took effect was relatively short. Therefore, without timely guidance documents from the Government and the Ministry of National Defense, the organization and implementation at the grassroots level would face difficulties.
Therefore, he requested competent authorities and departments to coordinate in issuing detailed and specific documents to promptly guide implementation, ensuring consistency and unity in the implementation process.
“Thus, when implementing a two-level government according to the provisions of law from July 1, 2015, the functions and tasks of the previous district-level Military Command will be transferred to the provincial-level Military Command and decentralized to the commune-level Military Command and the regional defense command,” delegate Nguyen Tao emphasized.
In addition, the delegates also recommended that the Drafting Committee study and complete the contents on local defense zones, the position, functions, tasks, and powers of the Regional Defense Command in accordance with Conclusion No. 159 of the Central Committee, and at the same time, link with the content of defense zones stipulated in Article 9 of the Law on National Defense.
The organization of defense zones in large provincial areas with more than 100 communes and diverse areas including mountainous, midland and coastal areas and dispersed populations needs to be approached flexibly to ensure more effective defense zones with higher feasibility, delegate Nguyen Tao suggested.
The country is expected to have 145 Regional Defense Commands.
Speaking to receive and explain some opinions of delegates, Minister of National Defense Phan Van Giang affirmed that organizing air defense forces at the commune level plays an important role in the national defense posture.
“Widespread air defense is absolutely necessary, because it is impossible to determine which areas are important and which are not. Currently, we are completely proactive in low-altitude air defense weapons and air defense weapons for the commune level, so organizing on-site training is completely feasible. The reality of war and conflict in some regions of the world in recent times has also affirmed the role of on-site air defense in detecting, intercepting, and handling threats from the air,” Minister Phan Van Giang stated.
"We have currently identified 34 new provinces and cities nationwide with 145 Regional Defense Commands, some provinces have only 3 but some have up to 6, based on area, mission requirements, population and other military and defense factors to arrange," the Minister stated.
The Minister also affirmed the policy of not sending regular army officers to the communes, emphasizing that the army still determines to "stay in the countryside", "the army is elite, not large" to carry out the tasks assigned by the Party, State and people.
The Ministry of National Defense has determined that it will train commune team leaders, deputy commune team leaders, and assistants with military qualifications towards university degrees, and at the same time provide additional training in advanced political theory for this team.
The Minister also said that in some areas, the Regional Defense Command will send 5 to 7 officers to guide and help the local authorities complete their tasks. After completing their tasks, they will be withdrawn to support other communes. With 3,321 communes after the merger/145 defense areas, each Regional Defense Command has about 40 communes, some areas have 50 communes.
According to Trung Hung (NDO)
Source: https://baogialai.com.vn/34-tinh-thanh-pho-moi-tren-toan-quoc-co-145-ban-chi-huy-phong-thu-khu-vuc-post328204.html
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