Every flight is a fight

It was only 6am but Tho Xuan military airport was already bustling. The loudspeaker blared from the command room, the pilots quickly checked their mission sheets, and made pre-flight preparations. Technicians diligently checked each fuel pipe, each flap, each joint... No detail was left out.

Su-30MK2 aircraft of Regiment 923, Division 371, Air Defense - Air Force during a training session. Photo provided by the unit

In the simulation training room, the team of navigators and staff analyze satellite images, target maps and weather data. Each flight crew undergoes dozens of hours of orientation, navigation, and combat coordination training before entering the practice with the Su-30MK2 - a modern multi-role fighter aircraft.

Colonel, pilot Tran Thanh Hai, Commander of Regiment 923, Division 371, Air Defense - Air Force, shared: "The Party Committee and Command of the Regiment always determine that each flight is a battle. Therefore, the leadership and training direction must be scientific , accurate, closely following the reality of the battlefield and constantly updating modern combat methods."

Also at this training ground, young pilots like Senior Lieutenant Le Hai Cuong, who have been upgraded to Su-30 for nearly a year, are practicing complex flying exercises according to high-tech war simulation scenarios. Speaking to us, young officer Le Hai Cuong humbly said: “Fortunately inheriting the legacy of our fathers and brothers, but to be worthy of the heroic tradition of the Yen The Air Force, we must constantly learn and practice to meet the requirements and tasks facing the increasingly high demands of training and combat readiness in the new era.”

Attending the flight training session, witnessing the steadfast and confident attitude of the pilots of Regiment 923, we understood that each of their flights was built on the foundation of practical combat knowledge from the victories and famous battles in history. They not only mastered air combat operations but also clearly determined that each decision made was directly related to the survival of the mission, of their teammates and of their beloved Fatherland.

Preserving the ancient spirit of Yen The

60 years ago, on August 4, 1965, Regiment 923 was born in the context of the North entering the fierce phase of the US imperialists' air war of destruction. With the name Yen The Air Force, the Regiment soon affirmed its role as the spearhead in the Northeastern sky of the Fatherland.

Colonel Do Hong Quang, Party Secretary and Political Commissar of Regiment 923, mentioned the tradition of the unit with a hearty voice: “Right from the first sortie (March 4, 1966), the Regiment's squadron of 4 MiG-17s shot down an F-4 aircraft of the US imperialists, opening the way for glorious victories in the skies of Van Yen-Moc Chau. Since then, names such as Pham Thanh Chung, Ngo Duc Mai, Le Hai, Nguyen Van Bay... have entered the history of the Vietnam People's Air Force as brave and courageous heroes.”

Joy after each successful flight. Photo provided by the unit

Gently turning the pages of the book History of the Yen The Air Force published before the 60th anniversary of the unit's tradition, Colonel Do Hong Quang continued the story: "In the period 1965-1975, the Regiment shot down 107 aircraft, damaged 2 US Navy destroyers and destroyed 24 aircraft of the Saigon puppet government. In particular, the raid on Tan Son Nhat airport on April 28, 1975 by the Quyet Thang Squadron contributed significantly to the victory of the Ho Chi Minh Campaign, completely liberating the South and reunifying the country."

With its outstanding achievements, Regiment 923 was honored to receive the title of Hero of the People's Armed Forces on September 3, 1973; 29 pilots of the Regiment were awarded or posthumously awarded the title of Hero of the People's Armed Forces, many of whom became immortal monuments of the Vietnam People's Air Force, such as: Nguyen Van Bay "A", Le Hai, Luu Huy Chao, Vo Van Man, Nguyen Phi Hung, Le Quang Trung...

The greatest reward for pilots of Regiment 923 is safe flights with teammates.

After 1975, the Yen The Air Force continued to extend its list of achievements when it was the first unit equipped with Su-22 aircraft. According to Colonel Nguyen Duc Manh, Deputy Regiment Commander, Chief of Staff of Regiment 923, during the period 1987-1989, the Regiment's pilots successfully conducted many flights to Truong Sa archipelago, affirming the sea and island combat capability of our air force. In recent years, the Regiment continued to invest in modernization, receiving and mastering the Su-30MK2 multi-role fighter. Not only mastering new equipment, the unit's officers and soldiers also achieved many high achievements in competitions and sports events at the army level.

60 years have passed, a persistent journey, from the rustic MiG-17 to the modern Su-30MK2, Regiment 923 has demonstrated the strength of loyalty, the will to rise and the spirit of never retreating. In this heroic unit, tradition is not only something to be proud of, but also a flame that lights up the journey ahead. Lieutenant Colonel Tran Trinh To Nguyen, Political Commissar of Regiment 923, affirmed: "Promoting the tradition of our predecessors and to be worthy of the title of Heroic Unit of the People's Armed Forces, we are striving to build Regiment 923 to be revolutionary, disciplined, elite, modern, ready to fight, ready to win in any circumstances".

Over the past 10 years, Regiment 923 has been awarded many noble prizes: Certificate of Merit from the Prime Minister in 2015; 5 Emulation Flags from the Ministry of National Defense; 4 Emulation Flags from the Air Defense - Air Force. First prize in 2023 at the Air Force Guidance Sports Festival and live-fire drills for the air force organized by the Air Defense - Air Force. Notably, on the occasion of the 60th anniversary of its traditional day, the Regiment was honored to receive the Third Class Fatherland Protection Medal from the President.

Article and photos: MINH SANG

    Source: https://www.qdnd.vn/quoc-phong-an-ninh/xay-dung-quan-doi/trung-doan-923-su-doan-371-quan-chung-phong-khong-khong-quan-viet-tiep-truyen-thong-doan-khong-quan-yen-the-anh-hung-839319