Air Defense - Vietnam Air Force is not afraid of any enemy

Photo caption — Prime Minister Pham Minh Chinh and delegates perform the flag-saluting ceremony. Photo: Duong Giang/VNA

Also attending were Politburo member, Party Central Committee Secretary, Head of the Party Central Committee's Propaganda and Education Commission Nguyen Trong Nghia; Party Central Committee members, Vice Chairman of the National Assembly Tran Quang Phuong; Chief of the General Staff of the Vietnam People's Army, Deputy Minister of National Defense , General Nguyen Tan Cuong; leaders and former leaders of the Ministry of National Defense; central ministries, departments and branches.

General Secretary To Lam, President Luong Cuong, and Prime Minister Pham Minh Chinh sent congratulatory flower baskets.

Unparalleled feat of Air Defense - Air Force troops

In the early 60s of the 20th century, along with promoting the "special war" strategy in the South, the US imperialists began a secret campaign of harassment and sabotage and actively prepared for an air and naval war against the North of our country. In response to the requirements of the resistance war to save the country, on October 22, 1963, President Ho Chi Minh signed a Decree and the Ministry of National Defense issued Decision No. 50/QD to establish the Air Defense - Air Force Service, on the basis of merging the Air Defense Command and the Air Force Department.

Less than a year after its founding, the Vietnamese Air Force followed President Ho Chi Minh's instructions to "open a victorious air front", winning its first battle and shooting down four American planes on April 3-4, 1965. The Missile Force, just over six months after its founding, on July 24, 1965, Regiment 236 won its first battle, destroying an entire group of American planes.

Not only fighting to protect the great rear of the North and protect strategic transportation, the Air Defense - Air Force also participated in many major campaigns and achieved outstanding achievements such as: Khe Sanh Campaign, Route 9 - Southern Laos Campaign, Quang Tri Campaign and along the historic Truong Son route...

In 1972, the US imperialists frantically launched the second destructive war in the North, with an extremely fierce scale and nature, especially the strategic air raid, mainly by B.52 strategic aircraft on Hanoi, Hai Phong and some neighboring provinces at the end of December 1972. With the spirit of revolutionary offensive, proactive, creative, combining the combined strength of the whole nation, the Air Defense - Air Force together with the army and people of the North overcame all hardships and sacrifices, fought bravely and resiliently, shot down 81 planes, contributing to the victory of "Hanoi - Dien Bien Phu in the air".

This is an unparalleled feat, a shining symbol of revolutionary heroism, representing the spirit, intellectual height and mettle of Vietnam in the Ho Chi Minh era, forever the pride of our people, our Army, and the heroic Air Defense - Air Force. This is also the first time in history that the "B.52 super fortress" lost a battle and the US Air Force suffered the heaviest losses, fundamentally changing the situation of the resistance war against the US to save the country.

During the 1975 Spring Strategic Offensive, culminating in the historic Ho Chi Minh Campaign, anti-aircraft artillery, missile, and radar units marched at lightning speed, present in campaign formations, fighting both the enemy in the air and on the ground, shooting down many planes and destroying many enemy forces.

At the successful end of the resistance war against the US imperialists to save the country, the Air Defense - Air Force forces shot down 2,635 out of a total of 4,181 US aircraft shot down by our army and people, including all the most modern types of the US Air Force, including 64 B.52s; 13 F.111s, destroying and capturing hundreds of enemy pilots.

After the victory in the spring of 1975, once again, the Air Defense - Air Force and other forces participated in the battle and successfully completed their missions, effectively supporting the infantry in sweeping away the remnants of the Fulro army and the reactionary Khmer Rouge forces, contributing together with the armed forces of the two countries to save the Cambodian people from genocide.

With its outstanding achievements and feats of arms, the Air Defense - Air Force has been awarded many noble prizes by the Party and the State: 147 groups and 150 individuals were awarded the title of Hero of the People's Armed Forces, Hero of Labor; thousands of groups and individuals were awarded various orders and medals. The Air Defense - Air Force was honored to be visited and encouraged by Uncle Ho 17 times.

In recent years, promoting the glorious tradition of the Service, officers and soldiers of the Service have risen to achieve many outstanding achievements, demonstrating the revolutionary spirit of attack, taking decisive action, and excellently completing all assigned tasks. The Service always maintains a high state of combat readiness, organizes close coordination training between forces, manages airspace, manages national flight operations; promptly and effectively handles situations in the air, avoiding being passive or surprised.

With the spirit of "All for the cause of protecting the Fatherland's sky", each battlefield and each pilot is a fortress guarding the Fatherland's sky. The Air Defense - Air Force proactively and promptly detects and handles all situations early and from afar, creating a solid, interconnected air defense and air force posture, contributing to keeping the sky peaceful, protecting the peace of the Fatherland and affirming the strategic stature of the Army in peacetime.

Prime Minister Pham Minh Chinh, on behalf of the Party and State leaders, presented the title of Hero of the People's Armed Forces - a noble award of the Party and State to the Air Defense - Air Force Service. Speaking at the ceremony, on behalf of General Secretary To Lam, Secretary of the Central Military Commission and leaders of the Party and State, the Prime Minister sent respectful greetings, sincere greetings and best wishes to the delegates attending the ceremony.

Expressing deep gratitude and appreciation to President Ho Chi Minh, heroic martyrs, generations of officers and soldiers of the People's Army, including the Air Defense - Air Force, for the independence and freedom of the nation, for the peaceful, prosperous and happy life of the people, the Prime Minister affirmed that, throughout the 81-year history since President Ho Chi Minh founded the Vietnam Propaganda Liberation Army - the predecessor of the Vietnam People's Army, our Army has developed and matured remarkably, is an army that "once in battle, it is victory", writing heroic and glorious pages in the history of building and defending the country of the nation.

“The heroic tradition and great achievements of great significance to the revolutionary cause, the cause of building and defending the Fatherland of the Army have the contribution of the Air Defense - Air Force - one of the three main military branches of the heroic Vietnam People's Army,” the Prime Minister emphasized.

Must develop forces according to the motto "3 no"

Prime Minister Pham Minh Chinh said that our Party and President Ho Chi Minh paid special attention to building air defense and air force forces, demonstrating the mindset of early preparation, proactively, and not being surprised by the enemy's strategic air attacks.

After 62 years of building, fighting and growing, the Air Defense - Air Force Service has written golden pages of Vietnamese courage, intelligence and mettle, with feats of historical and strategic significance, contributing to changing the revolutionary situation of our country. Reviewing the process of building, fighting and growing of the Service, with historical milestones, especially the victory of "Hanoi - Dien Bien Phu in the air", which changed the situation of the war, forcing the US imperialists to return to the negotiating table, sign the Paris Agreement and withdraw from Vietnam, the Prime Minister said that the context posed increasingly difficult, challenging and heavier tasks for the cause of building and defending the Fatherland, in which firmly protecting the airspace and sea is essential.

“The Air Defense - Air Force must always be loyal to the Party, filial to the people, effectively serve the cause of building and defending the socialist Fatherland of Vietnam; firmly grasp the situation, not be passive or surprised; be exemplary, pioneer in science and technology, innovation, digital transformation, and force modernization; develop the force according to the motto "3 no's": No negligence, subjectivity, loss of vigilance; No arrogance, complacency with past achievements; No fear of any enemy, once in battle, victory", the Prime Minister especially emphasized.

The Prime Minister requested the Air Defense - Air Force Service to focus on building a revolutionary, disciplined, elite, modern unit that can meet its tasks in all situations. In particular, the Service must constantly innovate its strategic thinking, improve its combat readiness, and firmly protect the Fatherland "early and from afar" in the spirit of Resolution No. 44 dated November 24, 2023 of the 13th Central Executive Committee on "Strategy for protecting the Fatherland in the new situation" and the Resolutions on the National Defense Strategy and Military Strategy.

The Army must build a clean, strong, and exemplary Party organization; enhance the leadership capacity and fighting strength of the Party organization and Party members; maintain solidarity and unity within the Party organization and the Army; focus on building a truly strong human force; promote traditional values of building a revolutionary, disciplined, elite, and modern Army.

The Prime Minister emphasized the need to continue to do a good job of grasping the situation, providing strategic advice on military, national defense and combat missions to protect the Fatherland. The Prime Minister pointed out that the Service must continue to advise the Central Military Commission and the Ministry of National Defense on strategies to build people's air defense forces and the entire army's air force, creating a strong and widespread position. The unit promotes its role as a core force on the air front, always ready to fight and fight victoriously against any enemy invasion.

The military service needs to continue to study and summarize lessons learned from practical wars to protect the Fatherland and experiences in recent wars around the world; research and summarize military theory, military art, practical combat experience, develop fighting and combat methods, especially in protecting sovereignty over seas and islands; and respond to high-tech warfare.

Prime Minister Pham Minh Chinh requested the Air Defense - Air Force to make breakthroughs in development, application of science and technology, digital transformation, improvement of combat and management capacity; consolidation and breakthrough in defense industry. In particular, the unit promotes modernization, enhances technological autonomy; research, production, manufacture, equip and master high-tech, modern weapons; promote the application of science and technology, artificial intelligence, digitalization in management and operations; synchronously integrate weapons and equipment systems throughout the army.

Paying attention to the management, control and protection of national airspace, the Prime Minister requested the Air Force to closely monitor and control all flight activities of civil and military aircraft, domestic and foreign; to ensure the safety of political, economic and defense centers. The unit focuses on researching and developing the "Sustainable Air Defense Dome" project; to help maintain security and order in the air, operate flights safely, and create conditions for economic activities, tourism and international trade to take place safely and smoothly.

The Prime Minister directed the Air Defense - Air Force Service to continue to focus on and perform well the functions of the working army and the production labor army. The Service must actively participate and contribute to building a self-reliant and modern national aviation industry; develop civil aviation infrastructure and services, participate in the aviation engineering supply chain; promote research, application and technology transfer; train high-quality human resources in the aviation sector. The unit should improve the operational efficiency of defense enterprises; continue to do well in overcoming the consequences of natural disasters, search and rescue, hunger eradication and poverty reduction, which are among the important, regular and humanitarian tasks of the Service; continue to innovate and promote foreign affairs and international exchanges, contributing to raising the position and prestige of the Service and the Vietnam People's Army.

The Prime Minister stated that the 62-year heroic and glorious history is a great spiritual value, an unparalleled source of strength for the Air Defense - Air Force to continue to be the "Steel Shield" protecting the Fatherland's sky in the national strategic defense posture; demonstrating the will, mettle and intelligence of Vietnam in the new era. Prime Minister Pham Minh Chinh expects and believes that the cadres, generals, officers and soldiers of the Air Defense - Air Force will continue to write the glorious history of the heroic Vietnam People's Army: "Loyal to the Party, filial to the people, ready to fight and sacrifice for the independence and freedom of the Fatherland, for socialism; completing every task, overcoming every difficulty, defeating every enemy".

Source: https://baotintuc.vn/thoi-su/phong-khong-khong-quan-viet-nam-khong-so-bat-cu-ke-thu-nao-20251021115708375.htm