The exercise aims to improve the leadership and command capacity of Party committees and authorities at all levels; the level of staff, coordination and cooperation between forces in the defense area when the locality is put into a state of national defense emergency and wartime.

The exercise content is divided into 3 phases, including: Moving armed forces into combat readiness states, moving localities into defense states; organizing defensive combat preparations and practicing defensive combat.

Opening scene of the Sa Pa town defense area exercise in 2023.
Delegates attending the opening ceremony of the rehearsal.
Conducting the conference in rehearsal.

Thanks to good preparation in all aspects, the exercise has completed all the contents and programs set out, according to the plan, scenario and ensured absolute safety. In particular, the methods of operation, solving problems in organization and practicing defensive operations were carried out closely to actual combat.

The highlight of the exercise was the combination of building a complete and solid simulated combat base to serve the long-term mission of training, practicing and being ready to respond to situations that may arise; the exercise was conducted both day and night; moving Party and government agencies into the simulated combat base to ensure strict security, as intended; practicing firepower, combining the use of technical means to suppress unmanned aerial vehicles (UAVs) close to combat situations.

Delegates practice live firing at the exercise.
Forces practice drill content.

Colonel Pham Hung Hung, Commander of Lao Cai Provincial Military Command, said: “The 2023 Sa Pa town defense area exercise was closely led and directed by the Party Committee and the Provincial Military Command. The Party Committee, authorities, departments, branches, and organizations of Sa Pa town and participating forces thoroughly grasped and strictly implemented the plan of the Steering Committee and the Organizing Committee of the exercise; grasped the content and program, creatively applied it to the actual conditions of the locality and the functions and tasks of departments, branches, and organizations. The defense area exercise with many new contents, mobilizing many participating forces, using many types of materials, equipment, technical means, etc. showed the thorough and thoughtful preparation and close operation of the exercise by the locality”.

News and photos: SON BINH