Building national defense potential is an objective requirement, a strategic policy and an important, regular task of the entire political system and the entire people, with the core being the armed forces, carried out in all fields with many synchronous, appropriate and effective solutions.

In the coming time, the world and regional situation will continue to develop in a complex and unpredictable manner. After nearly 40 years of renovation, our country has gathered all the elements to enter a new era - the era of national development; striving to become a developing country with modern industry and high average income by 2030; and to become a developed socialist country with high income by 2045.

Senior Lieutenant General Huynh Chien Thang inspects combat readiness at the Coast Guard Command, March 2024. Photo: HA KHANH

Over the past years, the Central Military Commission and the Ministry of National Defense have focused on leading and directing the entire army to unite, be proactive and creative, overcome difficulties, and comprehensively complete tasks, many tasks were completed excellently, and some contents had new breakthroughs. Entering a new era with the entire nation, the entire army continued to thoroughly grasp and seriously implement the direction of General Secretary To Lam, Secretary of the Central Military Commission at the Central Military Commission meetings and the direction of Party and State leaders at the military-political conferences of the entire army; effectively deploying 16 key tasks for the 2021-2026 period, accelerating, breaking through, creating strong and comprehensive changes; promoting the combined strength to build a solid all-people national defense, a solid "people's heart position", focusing on building and comprehensively developing political, spiritual, economic, cultural, social, scientific, technological and military potentials.

To improve the quality and effectiveness of building national defense potential, it is necessary to effectively implement the following main contents and solutions:

It is necessary to take advantage of favorable conditions in peacetime to take care of building national defense potential, identify leadership and direction for building national defense potential associated with the implementation of political tasks of each department, ministry, branch, locality, agency and unit; lead and direct the building of comprehensive potential along with focusing on key points, in which building political and spiritual potential is the most important, creating a solid "people's hearts and minds position", consolidating the trust of all classes of people in the leadership of the Party, ready to sacrifice for the Fatherland and for the people.

Senior Lieutenant General Huynh Chien Thang inspects training at Division 9, Corps 34. Photo: THI NGAN

To improve the quality of leadership resolutions on building national defense potential, Party committees at all levels need to identify tasks and achievements in building national defense potential in each sector, each field, and each locality. Focus on improving the quality of dissemination and creative application of the Party's guidelines in accordance with the characteristics and situation of each locality; Party committees and authorities at all levels need to specify, issue decisions, regulations, instructions and organize implementation into plans, identify targets and measures to build national defense potential at all levels, departments, ministries, branches, and localities.

In building political and spiritual potential, it is necessary to focus on building truly clean and strong Party committees at all levels, which are the core of leadership and organization in implementing the Party's policies and directives from higher levels in building the KVPT; the authorities at all levels are built to be truly strong in politics, ideology and truly of the people, by the people, for the people; departments, agencies, branches, and socio-political organizations are capable of advising Party committees and authorities according to their professional expertise; military and police agencies do a good job of advising Party committees and People's Committees on national defense and security (NDS) at the same level; the Fatherland Front fulfills its function of gathering the masses, uniting social forces, promoting the strength of the great national unity bloc, caring for, improving and enhancing the material and spiritual life of the people in the KVPT.

Military vehicles practice for the parade at the 80th anniversary of the August Revolution and the National Day of the Socialist Republic of Vietnam. Photo: TUAN HUY

In building economic, cultural, social, scientific and technological potential, it is necessary to improve the efficiency of activities, socio-economic development, science and technology must be associated with the planning of national defense and military posture in each economic zone, especially socio-economic development projects must be associated with the requirements of national defense and military, it is necessary to improve efficiency right from the planning, orientation, planning and implementation stages; gradually form a national defense and military posture associated with the economy in each direction, region, from the center to border communes, islands, remote areas, areas with many ethnic minorities living; planning of economic zones must be associated with the planning of industrial and agricultural development, development of transportation networks, telecommunications, information technology, health care... ensuring combination with national defense and military, meeting the requirements and tasks of defensive operations when there is war.

In building military potential, it is necessary to improve the quality of staff work, propose to the Party Committee at the same level policies and measures to lead, direct and effectively organize the implementation of the task of building local armed forces; advise the People's Committee in organizing, guiding and directing departments, branches and agencies to implement the Party Committee's resolutions and the People's Committee's plans in building combat works and defensive combat works. In particular, it is necessary to focus on gradually building defense works according to planning, plans and defensive combat plans; regularly review and adjust the armed forces under their authority in accordance with combat plans; in peacetime, it is necessary to organize and maintain training, improve professional capacity, combat staff level, and mass mobilization capacity; be ready to meet requirements when situations arise, especially in conditions where the enemy conducts unconventional warfare and uses high-tech weapons.

On the basis of the approved general program and plan, each level and each sector needs to closely follow, gradually implement and continue to research, adjust and perfect to suit the situation, characteristics, requirements and tasks of each locality, in each direction and region. Strengthen investment programs and projects and effectively use resources for socio-economic development activities to create comprehensive resources for investment in infrastructure construction (especially power grid systems, roads, schools, healthcare, telecommunications) to have a basis to promote socio-economic development, strengthen national defense and security. Combine innovation and diversify investment activities, types of production, business, tourism... in key areas, remote areas, border areas, islands to improve people's lives, well implement social security...

Strengthening the effectiveness of state management of national defense and military (in general), and of building national defense potential (in particular) at the local level needs to be given more importance. Local military agencies should actively advise and propose solutions to Party committees and authorities to effectively coordinate, inspect and urge local agencies, levels and sectors to seriously implement programs and plans to build and strengthen national defense potential. At the same time, local military agencies and military regions should advise and propose to the Ministry of National Defense to coordinate with central ministries, sectors and sectors to plan, invest, and build infrastructure... to develop the economy, culture and society to contribute to improving the quality of strategic planning of each sector in each locality, and strategic directions associated with the national defense and security task.

Seriously implement the planning and construction plan, consolidate training facilities, combat readiness, dual-use facilities, combat service; the training plan must be close to the characteristics, nature, capabilities, requirements, and tasks of each force. Do a good job of organizing training for militia and self-defense forces, reserve mobilization, regularly practice to improve combat readiness and combat capacity of the armed forces, agencies, departments, branches and people. Training content is based on the determination and planned combat plans of each level to train closely to the actual situation, especially in forecasting the situation, planning, ensuring work, combat service; focus on drills according to each specialty at all levels. Training, practice, and drill methods need to be innovated in the direction of strengthening command and staff drills, drills according to specialties, professional expertise of agencies, departments, branches, and branches, with the military agency in charge of advising and proposing; Simulated exercises using advanced, modern technology,... associated with combat plans, ensuring and serving combat. During the implementation process, focus on inspection and supervision by Party committees, authorities at all levels and a large number of political and social organizations and people participating; focus on finding breakthrough solutions to new contents, issues, weak links and weak aspects. At the same time, it is necessary to ensure absolute safety and secrecy regarding plans, staffing, weapons, technical equipment and combat works.

Proactively research and propose policies and strategies to meet the requirements and tasks of protecting the Fatherland in both the immediate and long term; advise on the promulgation and synchronous implementation of military and defense projects, tasks, and plans, building a national defense for all people, building defense potential at all levels, creating a solid foundation for building a revolutionary, disciplined, elite, and modern Army to meet the requirements and tasks of protecting the Fatherland. In the context of implementing adjustments to the organization of a lean, compact, and strong force according to Resolution No. 05-NQ/TW of the Politburo and the Central Committee's policy on organizing the apparatus to ensure "lean, compact, strong, effective, efficient, and effective", the Army has merged many units. Therefore, it is necessary to have new regulations on the tasks of agencies and units in strategic directions, regions, and areas; have appropriate policies to ensure the rights of military officers and soldiers, families of policy beneficiaries... to create a combined strength to build and consolidate national defense potential, contribute to concretizing policies and guidelines on building a national defense, gradually perfecting the legal system on national defense, meeting the requirements and tasks of national defense and military in the new situation.

The above contents and solutions require strict and scientific organization and implementation, and flexible application in the specific conditions of each level, locality, and sector, promoting the strength of the entire political system, of all levels, sectors, Party committees, authorities, and people of localities to build a sustainable and comprehensive national defense potential, ready to fight, defeat the enemy, and firmly protect the socialist Vietnamese Fatherland.

HUYNH CHIEN THANG,

    Source: https://www.qdnd.vn/quoc-phong-an-ninh/xay-dung-quan-doi/nang-cao-chat-luong-hieu-qua-xay-dung-tiem-luc-quoc-phong-bao-ve-to-quoc-trong-ky-nguyen-moi-843004