In order to meet the requirements of exploitation and ensure that measuring devices are synchronised with the missiles, radars, and aircraft, and to conduct inspection, calibrate, and repair the measuring devices, promptly serving the combat tasks of the air defence and air force in the resistance war against the US to save the country, on 25 December 1965, the A20 Metrology Station - the predecessor of the now Centre for Standards - Metrology – Quality under the Department of Logistics and Engineering of the Air Defence and Air Force was established.

Born in the storm of war, generations of officers and soldiers of the Centre have overcome countless difficulties and hardships, maintained the standards of sample measuring devices, inspected the measuring devices of all types, and gradually repaired and restored the measuring devices, translated documents, conducted training for the measuring staff of the Service, etc. In particular, the Centre has researched and improved many types of measuring devices, oscilloscopes, and ultra-high frequency signal generators and deployed officers to missile, radars, anti-aircraft artillery grounds, and field airports to inspect, calibrate, and repair the measuring devices, ensuring the best condition for weapons and technical equipment, making significant contributions to our victory against the air raids of the enemy, especially in the Hanoi - Hai Phong Air Defence Campaign in late 1972, making a “Dien Bien Phu in the air”, forcing the US to sign the Paris Peace Accords, creating a new position and strength for the resistance war against the US.

Leader of the Centre checks measuring work

Entering the period of national construction and defence, through many separations and mergers with different names, the Centre has always managed to gradually master science and technology, successfully performed the assigned functions and tasks, ensuring accurate equipment parameters for units of the Service, contributing to the successful implementation of training and combat readiness tasks. For its outstanding achievements in technical assurance, combat service, labour and production, it has been presented many noble awards by the Party, the State, the Military and the Service.

In recent years, many types of weapons and technical equipment of different generations have been put into use in the Service, including modern ones with very high accuracy and synchronisation. Therefore, maintaining standards and transmitting standards requires a huge amount of work. This is the core foundation for effectively maintaining the technical and tactical features of weapons and technical equipment. Meanwhile, the existing measuring devices are basically old, overuse, and lack uniformity and spare parts; the new and modern ones face the absence of technical documents, inspection and repair procedures. Moreover, its troops are scattered as they are based in all three regions of the country and conduct mobile inspection and repair at units throughout the Military. This has significantly affected its task performance.

Fully aware of the situation, the Party Committee and the Board of Directors of the Centre have led and directed its departments, offices, workshops to proactively overcome all difficulties, strictly maintain the metrology regulations, perform well the tasks of keeping standards, transmitting standards, repairing measuring instruments and producing some technical equipment for missiles, aircraft, radars, anti-aircraft artillery, vehicle, etc., contributing to building the Service straight to modernity, firmly protecting the Fatherland's airspace in all situations.

To successfully complete the assigned tasks, first of all, it strengthens the leadership and direction of Party committees and commanders at all levels in the implementation of the political tasks. Thoroughly grasping the resolutions, directives and orders of higher echelons on the work of standards, metrology and quality, the Party Committee and the Board of Directors of the Centre develop resolutions and scientific action plans, suitable to the reality of the unit and the assigned tasks. At the same time, it directs the Party committees and commanders of departments, offices, workshops to concretise them into detailed programmes and plans, in which the purpose, requirements, content and time for carrying out the work of maintaining and  transmitting standards, observing metrology laws,...are clearly defined according to legal targets and assigned tasks.

In addition, it regularly promotes the responsibility and role model of the presiding cadres at all levels; pays attention to leadership, direction and strengthen inspection and supervision of taskforces operating out of barrack on long days to ensure absolute safety in all aspects. Moreover, it also takes the results of maintaining and transmitting standards as a KPI to evaluate cadres, party members, and employees, for annual commendation as well as for promotion. As a result, Party Committees and commanders at all levels, and cadres, party members, and staff of the Centre have enhanced their responsibility. They have always been eager to receive and managed to complete all assigned tasks well.

Research and improve measuring device

As a specialised technical unit, the human factor plays a decisive role in the quality of work, operational efficiency and innovation capacity. For this reason, the Centre attaches special importance to building high-quality human resources to meet the requirements of tasks in the new situation. To effectively implement this solution, the Centre directs its departments, divisions, and workshops to conduct regular review and check of the qualifications and status of their cadres, and technical staff; proactively propose to the Party Committee and the Board of Directors of the Centre to develop plans for professional training. Along with that,  on the job training and experience sharing are  enhanced to improve the levels and skills to exploit and repair the available measuring instruments, especially modern and high-tech ones. At the same time, it researches, proposes and implements a number of policies to attract and “retain” good technical staff and employees; make it easy for staff and employees to conduct self-study and research to improve their professional expertise and foreign language capability to meet the increasingly high requirements of ensuring technical standards, metrology and quality of the Service.

Besides human resources, the Centre has proactively focused on its facilities and digital transformation. In recent years, in order to improve the quality of task performance, meet the requirements of the modernisation trend of the Service, it has advised and proposed to the superiors to effectively implement many investment projects to modernise its facilities. In particular, as one of the leading units of the Service in digital transformation, it has promoted the application of information technology, automation, and digitalisation in management and metrology. All resources are focused on building an online meeting room, a production management system connecting the operational room to all positions on the production and repair line, making it easy for command, operation, inspection and supervision of task performance in departments. What’s more, the Centre has also built an internal network system connecting the Board of Directors with departments, divisions, and workshops to send, receive and store administrative documents, manage technical work, as well as quality and production work; a CCTV camera system, a fingerprint check-in system, contributing to ensuring transparent and accurate management of task performance each day.

In order to promptly grasp the needs and resolve problems in ensuring technical standards, metrology and quality, the Centre closely coordinates with military and civilian units to promote scientific research, innovation of technical procedures. Accordingly, it strengthens professional exchanges, inter-departmental comparisons,... with the Department of Standards - Metrology - Quality of the General Staff, the Vietnam Metrology Institute and technical centres of ministries and branches to ensure the connection and consistency of the standard system. Besides, it actively compiles and translates technological documents, conducts research on solutions to extend the lifecycle and improve the reliability of the existing standard system. At the same time, it receives and transfers technology, fully masters the exploitation, maintenance and repair of standard systems; builds and perfects the calibration and inspection processes, especially for new technical equipment and weapons, and promotes technical innovation and initiatives.

Fully aware of the honour, responsibility and importance of their assigned tasks, officers and soldiers of the Centre for Standards - Metrology - Quality of the Air Defence and Air Force continue to stay united, overcome difficulties, and excellently complete the task of maintaining and transmitting standards, contributing to building the Service revolutionary, regular, elite, and modern, firmly protecting the Fatherland's airspace in the new situation.

Senior Colonel VU TRUNG THANH, Director of the Centre