General Secretary: The army develops modern combat capabilities

On the occasion of the 12th Congress of the Party Committee of the Army, term 2025-2030, General Secretary To Lam, Secretary of the Central Military Commission, wrote an article: "Forever worthy of the name of Uncle Ho's soldiers".

Under the wise leadership of the Party and the education and training of President Ho Chi Minh, the Vietnam People's Army has grown remarkably, is absolutely loyal to the Party, is loyal to the people, and has become a force of the people, by the people, and for the people. After 80 years of building, fighting, and growing, the Army has always excellently fulfilled its tasks, in all circumstances it has been the shock force on the front line against foreign invaders, a pioneer in mobilization work, building political bases, and leading in labor production.

In any period, the image of Uncle Ho's soldiers always shines, worthy of President Ho Chi Minh 's praise: "Our army is loyal to the Party, filial to the people, ready to fight and sacrifice for the independence and freedom of the Fatherland, for socialism. Every task is completed, every difficulty is overcome, every enemy is defeated."

FORGET YOURSELF FOR THE PEOPLE, SACRIFICE FOR THE PEOPLE

The 11th Party Congress of the Army for the 2020-2025 term is a challenging period but also rich in historical imprints for the country in general and the Army in particular. In the context of the rapidly changing and complicated world and regional situation; the country is heavily affected by the COVID-19 pandemic, natural disasters, and climate change; strongly continuing to carry out the revolution in restructuring and streamlining the apparatus, implementing the two-level local government model; restructuring the socio -economic development space; and increasingly high requirements for building and defending the Fatherland, the Army Party Committee and the entire Army always adhere to the principle of absolute and direct Party leadership in all aspects over the Army, promoting the heroic tradition, while clearly demonstrating the mettle, intelligence, and noble qualities of "Uncle Ho's Soldiers" in the new period.

General Secretary To Lam at a working session with the General Department of Politics of the Vietnam People's Army in July. Photo: VNA

Adhering closely to and seriously and effectively implementing the Party's military and defense guidelines, the Army has made strong adjustments to the organization of its forces. The Party Committee of the Army and the entire Army have resolutely reorganized the apparatus in the direction of being lean, compact, strong, mobile, and flexible, closely combining the building of a standing force with the building of a strong, widespread militia and self-defense force, and a large reserve force. Many agencies and units have been consolidated, improving the quality, effectiveness, and efficiency of their operations; the staffing has been adjusted in accordance with the defense and military strategies and modern combat art. It is this timely, drastic, and methodical adjustment that has created a solid foundation for the Army to move forward in building a revolutionary, disciplined, elite, and modern force capable of successfully completing all tasks.

The Army continues to affirm itself as a loyal and trustworthy fighting force of the Party, State and People. Under the leadership of the Party Committee of the Army, the entire army has strictly maintained combat readiness and improved the quality of training according to the motto "Basic, practical, solid". Large-scale exercises with live ammunition, civil defense exercises, and defense zones have been deployed synchronously, creating a clear development in the level of organization, command, and coordination of operations. The capacity to grasp the situation, forecast strategies, and advise the Party and State on handling defense and security situations has become increasingly proactive and flexible, contributing to maintaining independence and sovereignty, avoiding passivity and surprise in all circumstances.

Army rescue, relief, and overcoming the consequences of natural disasters in Lang Nu (Lao Cai) in September 2024. Photo: Thach Thao

Not only fulfilling its role as a fighting army, the Army also strongly promotes its role as a working army. During the years of fierce epidemics and natural disasters, the image of soldiers rushing to the front lines to fight the epidemic, staying in flood-prone areas, rescuing people from floodwaters, extinguishing fires, fighting forest fires or helping people overcome the consequences of landslides... has left a special impression in the hearts of the people. The Army has truly become a solid support, a place of trust for the people in the most dangerous moments. The spirit of "forgetting oneself for the people, sacrificing for the people" not only spreads in the Army, but also permeates deeply into social life.

Along with that, the Army also performed well the function of a production labor force. Units actively participated in economic construction, infrastructure development in remote, border and island areas; effectively exploited defense and economic projects; contributed to hunger eradication and poverty reduction, improved people's lives, and consolidated the "people's hearts and minds position".

Many production models associated with national defense bring about dual effects: both increasing economic potential and strengthening the national defense strength. Along with that, the defense industry has undergone a strong transformation, gradually mastering technology, manufacturing, and successfully producing many types of new, modern weapons and technical equipment, meeting the training and combat readiness requirements of the entire army in the new situation. Not only stopping at manufacturing specific military products, many dual-use products serving both national defense and civilian life have been researched and produced, bringing dual value in terms of socio-economics and national defense and security.

General Phan Van Giang, Minister of National Defense, inspected the Ministry of National Defense's display booths at the exhibition "80 Years of the Journey of Independence - Freedom - Happiness". Photo: Pham Hai

Defense foreign affairs activities have been expanded, the Army has proactively expanded bilateral and multilateral cooperation, actively participated in regional and international forums and cooperation mechanisms. Vietnam's UN peacekeeping units have successfully completed their tasks, leaving a beautiful image of the country, people and the Vietnam People's Army in the eyes of international friends.

In particular, political and ideological work has been deployed synchronously and extensively. Studying and following Ho Chi Minh's ideology, morality and style, the emulation movement "Determined to Win", the campaign "Promoting tradition, dedicating talent, worthy of the title "Uncle Ho's Soldiers" in the new period" have aroused the sense of responsibility, determination, and strengthened the trust and absolute loyalty of cadres and soldiers. Thanks to that, the qualities of Uncle Ho's Soldiers have not only been maintained, but also cultivated and shone.

TURN "THE BATTLE OF PEOPLE'S HEARTS" INTO A SOLID FOUNDATION TO PROTECT THE FATHERLAND

During the 2020-2025 term, the Party Committee of the Army and the entire Army have achieved many great, comprehensive, and outstanding achievements, excellently fulfilling all three basic functions, worthy of the trust and love of the Party, the State, and the people. Each achievement and each feat is a powerful testament to the absolute, direct leadership in all aspects of the Party over the Army, while affirming the position, prestige, and especially important role of the Army in the cause of building and firmly defending the Socialist Republic of Vietnam.

In the coming years, the international and regional situation will continue to evolve rapidly, complexly and unpredictably. Strategic competition among major countries will become increasingly fierce, strongly influencing the global political, security and economic landscape. The multipolar and multi-centered trend has both opened up opportunities for cooperation and hidden deeper and deeper contradictions and conflicts of national and ethnic interests. The risk of local war and instability still exists; traditional and non-traditional security challenges are intertwined, having a comprehensive impact on international life. In particular, the Asia-Pacific region, including the East Sea, continues to harbor many complex and unpredictable factors.

Continuing the thousand-year-old cultural tradition of the nation, nearly 100 years under the leadership of the Party, 80 years of the People's State and nearly 40 years of renovation, our country has achieved great achievements of historical significance. The revolution to reorganize the apparatus and build a two-level local government has initially achieved important results. However, the country still faces many difficulties and challenges; the requirements for military and defense tasks are increasingly high. From the characteristics of that situation, the tasks set for the Army in the 2025-2030 term are extremely heavy but also full of glory.

Cyberspace Operations Unit at the parade celebrating the 80th anniversary of National Day. Photo: Duc Anh

To successfully complete the tasks in the new situation, the Party Committee of the Army and the entire Army must constantly improve their leadership capacity and fighting strength, firmly and strictly implement the principle of the Party's absolute and direct leadership in all aspects of the Army. It is necessary to proactively grasp the situation, make accurate forecasts, and advise the Party and State on strategic decisions correctly and accurately, maintaining the initiative in all situations. At the same time, step up the construction and completion of the military and defense institutional system; mobilize and effectively use all resources to build a revolutionary, disciplined, elite, modern Army with steadfast political will, high scientific and technological level, ready to receive and excellently complete all tasks.

The Party Committee of the Army needs to continue to lead and direct the entire army to do well in building discipline, managing discipline, promoting military cultural identity and the qualities of Uncle Ho's soldiers in the new period. Continue to perform well the three functions: combat army, working army, and production labor army . At the same time, promote the core role in building the all-people national defense associated with the people's security posture; consolidate the defense zone system; closely combine national defense with economy, culture, society, and foreign affairs to create a comprehensive strength, turning the "people's hearts posture" into a solid foundation to protect the Fatherland.

In the context of the strong development of the Fourth Industrial Revolution, the Army must take the lead in research, application and mastery of military science and technology, comprehensive digital transformation, and development of modern combat capabilities, especially in cyberspace, electronic warfare, and space.

The defense industry needs to be invested in depth, building modern facilities, research institutes, and factories capable of manufacturing high-tech weapons and equipment, developing dual-use products, closely combining defense with the economy to ensure independence and autonomy, and contribute to national development.

Along with the above tasks, it is necessary to continue to pay attention to building a clean, strong, comprehensive, truly exemplary and representative Army Party organization; improving the capacity to concretize and organize the implementation of the Party's resolutions and guidelines; strongly innovating ideological work, inspection and supervision; building a contingent of cadres and Party members with qualities, capacity, prestige, equal to the task; maintaining solidarity, unity, discipline and order in the entire army.

The Army needs to focus on attracting, discovering, nurturing and using talents and high-quality human resources. The entire Army must have a long-term strategy in selecting young officers and soldiers with qualities, abilities and aspirations to contribute to shoulder the responsibility of building a revolutionary, disciplined, elite and modern Army.

Officers and soldiers of Level 2 Field Hospital No. 7 and Engineering Team No. 4 set off for a UN peacekeeping mission in South Sudan and the Abyei region. Photo: Nguyen Hue

Promoting the tradition of the heroic Army of a heroic nation, in the coming term, the Party Committee of the Army and the entire army need to continue to affirm its particularly important role in the revolutionary cause of the Party and the nation; always be a loyal and trustworthy political and fighting force of the Party, State and People; well implement the goal of building a revolutionary, disciplined, elite and modern People's Army, ready to receive and excellently complete all tasks assigned by the Party and people, contributing to building and firmly protecting the Socialist Republic of Vietnam in the new era of development.

Source: https://vietnamnet.vn/tong-bi-thu-quan-doi-phat-trien-nang-luc-tac-chien-hien-dai-2445358.html