Attending the conference were Lieutenant General Nguyen Van Gau, member of the Party Central Committee, Deputy Director of the General Department of Politics of the Vietnam People's Army; Major General Pham Truong Son, Deputy Chief of the General Staff of the Vietnam People's Army; leaders and commanders of a number of agencies and units under the Ministry of National Defense and comrades in the Party Committee and Command of the Air Defense - Air Force Service.

General Phan Van Giang chaired the conference to hand over the responsibilities and tasks of Commander of the Air Defense - Air Force.

Previously, the Prime Minister signed Decision No. 485/QD-TTg on the retirement of Lieutenant General Vu Van Kha, Acting Commander of the Air Defense - Air Force Service. In Decision No. 529/QD-TTg, the Prime Minister appointed Lieutenant General Nguyen Van Hien, Deputy Commander and Chief of Staff of the Air Defense - Air Force Service, to hold the position of Commander of the Air Defense - Air Force Service.

Speaking at the conference, General Phan Van Giang affirmed that with more than 40 years of service in the military, in many positions, from fighter pilot to Deputy Secretary of the Party Committee, Acting Commander of the Air Defense - Air Force Service, comrade Vu Van Kha has made many outstanding contributions, together with the Party Committee and the Air Defense - Air Force Service Command, proactively overcoming difficulties, being flexible and creative in leadership, direction, building a revolutionary, disciplined, elite, modern Air Defense - Air Force Service, meeting the requirements of tasks in the new situation.

Conference scene.

Delegates attending the Conference.

Agreeing with the opinions and handover content, the Minister of National Defense said that in recent years, the task of protecting the Fatherland's sky has become increasingly demanding, but the Air Defense - Air Force Service has successfully completed the assigned tasks. Notably, the comprehensive and focused implementation of the action program to implement the Resolution of the 13th National Party Congress, the Resolution of the 11th National Party Congress of the Army; Leading and directing the successful completion of training and combat readiness tasks; the work of discipline training and regularization has had many progressive changes; actively participating in search, rescue, and disaster relief, helping people overcome the consequences of natural disasters, and eliminating hunger and reducing poverty. In particular, the successful participation in the 2022 International Defense Exhibition has left many good impressions on the leaders of the Party, State, Ministry of National Defense, the people of the whole country and international friends.

According to Senior General Phan Van Giang, the Air Defense - Air Force Service continues to receive attention from the Party, the State, the Central Military Commission, and the Ministry of National Defense, accelerating the modernization process and rectifying the force organization; the task of building and defending the Fatherland in general, and protecting the sovereignty of the sky, sea, and islands in particular, is posing very heavy tasks. Therefore, the Party Committee and the Air Defense - Air Force Service Command must proactively study, grasp, and accurately forecast the situation; promptly advise and propose to the Central Military Commission and the Ministry of National Defense on plans, countermeasures, and use of the Air Defense - Air Force to participate in protecting national sovereignty, especially in the air and towards the sea and islands.

General Phan Van Giang witnessed the signing of the minutes of handover of duties and responsibilities as Commander of the Air Defense - Air Force.

General Phan Van Giang presented flowers to congratulate Lieutenant General Nguyen Van Hien.
General Phan Van Giang highly appreciated the contributions of Lieutenant General Vu Van Kha to the cause of protecting the Fatherland's sky.

Implement strict airspace management, maintain high combat readiness; innovate and improve the quality of training, education and training; focus on training to master new and improved weapons and equipment; attach importance to flight training, ensure flight safety, organize drills and live-fire exercises for forces to ensure absolute safety; promote scientific and technological research, apply achievements of the Fourth Industrial Revolution to training activities, research and production of weapons and technical equipment suitable to the tasks, forms of combat and fighting methods of the Air Defense - Air Force.

Along with that, regularly take care of building a strong Party Committee of the Army, building a comprehensively strong, "exemplary, typical" agency and unit; propose measures to substantially and firmly change the work of building discipline, training discipline and ensuring safety in all activities...

At the conference, witnessed by General Phan Van Giang, Lieutenant General Vu Van Kha and Lieutenant General Nguyen Van Hien signed the minutes of handover of the duties of Commander of the Air Defense - Air Force Service. The Minister of National Defense requested Lieutenant General Nguyen Van Hien to continue promoting the achieved results, quickly grasp the situation and tasks, and together with the Party Committee and the Service Command, lead and direct the successful completion of all assigned tasks.

News and photos: SON BINH