“Researching and producing advanced, modern weapons and equipment” represent a strategic policy, an objective requirement, and a major breakthrough in the building of a revolutionary, regular, elite, modern Vietnam People’s Army (VPA). To realise that strategy, the entire Military should heighten a strong sense of responsibility and adopt various measures in accordance with the requirements of VPA building, national defence consolidation, and Fatherland protection.
Vietnam’s thousand-year-long history of national construction and protection proves that apart from sound political lines, unique military art, the strength of great national unity, and the determination to fight and to win, self-reliance and self-strengthening in researching, upgrading, and producing weapons and equipment have always been a key factor in our country’s military power and great victories.
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| Sr. Lt. Gen. Pham Hoai Nam chairs a meeting with several agencies about mass-producing defence products (photo: qdnd.vn) |
Inheriting and promoting that tradition, in the process of leadership over the Vietnamese revolution, our Party has always paid special attention to building military potential and bringing into play the spirit of innovation, self-reliance, and self-strengthening in the provision of weapons and equipment for the armed forces. Immediately after the success of the August Revolution, in spite of numerous difficulties and challenges, our Party and President Ho Chi Minh decided to establish the Ordnance Division, while directing the mobilisation, recruitment, and utilisation of scientists, engineers, and skilled technical workers to research and manufacture weapons for the resistance war. From rudimentary ordnance workshops deep in forests and mountainous areas to the defence factories and enterprises established later, numerous types of firearms, grenades, and mines were successfully researched, improved, and manufactured to meet the requirements of building the armed forces, developing the people's war, and conducting operations across various battlefields, thus greatly contributing to the cause of national liberation and protection.
In recent years, under the leadership and direction of the Party and State, particularly the Central Military Commission (CMC) and the Ministry of National Defence (MND), the development of military science and technology and defence industry has been vigorously promoted. Scientific and technological capabilities serving defence industry have made many breakthroughs. The provision of weapons and technical equipment for the VPA has shifted significantly from primarily relying on imports and assembly to domestic research and production. Vietnam has mastered numerous foundational, core, and strategic technologies; it has successfully researched, designed, and produced a wide variety of high-tech weapons and equipment for the VPA. To date, we have basically met the need for infantry weapons and equipment, mastering the design and manufacture of various military systems, automated command and control systems, modern vessels, and specialised high-tech materials. Notably, many strategic new weapon systems have been successfully mass-produced and introduced into service, thereby affirming the growing self-reliance of Vietnam's defence industry in researching and producing advanced, modern weaponry. This is an important precondition for accelerating the modernisation of the VPA, developing military and defence capabilities, and safeguarding the Fatherland.
Today, our country is entering a new era of development amid an increasingly complex global and regional environment. The 4th industrial revolution, particularly artificial intelligence (AI), digital technology, and new material technology, is driving rapid advances in military science and technology, giving rise to new forms of warfare and new methods and tactics of combat in both traditional and non-traditional domains. This leads to increasingly demanding requirements for the tasks of VPA building and Fatherland protection, especially for mastering science and technology and developing advanced, modern weapons and technical equipment.
Implementing the Resolution of the 14th National Party Congress on building a revolutionary, regular, elite, modern VPA as the core force in protecting the Socialist Vietnamese Fatherland, alongside organisational adjustments, the building of a politically strong VPA, and the development of military art, the CMC and MND have identified the need to promote innovation and determination to “research and produce advanced, modern weapons and equipment”. This is a political task of strategic significance in achieving the objective of building a modern VPA, developing strong, modern all-people national defence, and defending the Fatherland early and from afar. To that end, it is necessary to focus on synchronously implementing several key tasks and solutions as follows.
First, strengthening leadership and direction to raise public awareness, build strong political determination, and inspire the spirit of innovation in researching and producing advanced, modern weapons and equipment. The entire Military, first and foremost party committees and commands at all levels, should continue to thoroughly grasp the viewpoints and lines of the Party, State, and CMC regarding the building of a modern VPA, science and technology development, innovation, digital transformation, and the development of an autonomous, self-reliant, dual-use, modern defence industry. Emphasis should be placed on the viewpoints set by the Resolution of the 14th National Party Congress, the Resolution of the 12th Military Party Congress, the 13th Politburo’s Resolution 08-NQ/TW, dated 26 January 2022, on stepping up defence industry development towards 2030 and beyond, the CMC’s Resolution 1652-NQ/QUTW, dated 20 December 2022, on military science work towards 2030 and beyond, and the CMC’s Resolution 3488-NQ/QUTW, dated 29 January 2025, on breakthroughs in science and technology development, innovation, and digital transformation within the VPA. These efforts should be aimed at rendering every cadre and party member, especially senior leaders at all levels, fully aware that researching and producing advanced, modern weapons and equipment is not merely about mastering technology but also about the process of "Vietnamising" weapons and equipment to suit the VPA’s operational conditions. All research and development activities relating to weapons and technical equipment must originate from the requirements of Fatherland protection and remain closely aligned with Vietnam's military art, geographical characteristics, combat environment, and resources. Weapons and equipment must be developed towards modernity, suitable for Vietnam's operational doctrine, easy to master and operate, and capable of maximising advantages in the people's war for Fatherland protection.
Research institutes and defence enterprises should continue to translate these orientations into resolutions and action programmes/plans consistent with their own functions and tasks, and turn the development of military science and technology, defence industry, and weaponry into a regular leadership priority of party committees, party organisations, and commands at all levels. The spirit of daring to think, daring to do, daring to innovate, daring to take responsibility for the common good should be fostered, while scientific research achievements, innovation, technological mastery, and improvements in the quality of equipment research, design, and manufacture should be seen as a key criterion for assessing the leadership capacity and task performance of agencies and units.
Besides, efforts should be devoted to promoting initiative and technical innovation and linking research, design, and production with realities of training, combat readiness, and technical support under conditions of modern warfare. Due regard should be paid to creating a favourable environment that inspires aspirations for dedication, self-reliance, self-strengthening, and the determination to obtain new achievements in military science and technology.
Second, continuing to improve and refine specialised institutions, mechanisms, and policies to make breakthroughs in the legal environment and resource mobilisation for the research, development, and production of advanced, modern weapons and technical equipment. Research and production of high-tech weaponry constitute a highly specialised, interdisciplinary field requiring substantial scientific input, involving high levels of risk, and demanding stringent security and confidentiality. Therefore, it is essential to continue fundamentally renewing management, leadership, and administration thinking, improving institutional frameworks, mechanisms, and policies to unlock resources, promote initiative and creativity, and create favourable conditions for research centres, defence enterprises, and scientists to perform this strategic mission.
Competent agencies of the MND, with the Military Science Department and the General Department of Defence Industry playing the leading role, should proactively conduct research and assist the CMC and MND in giving advice to the Party and State on comprehensively improving legal systems, mechanisms, and policies relating to military science and technology and defence industry in accordance with the Law on Science, Technology, and Innovation and other relevant legal documents.
The Law on Defence and Security Industry and Industrial Mobilisation should be implemented effectively in conjunction with amendments to outdated regulations. Priority should be given to improving mechanisms for managing key research programmes and projects by granting greater autonomy, strengthening accountability, and evaluating outcomes based on final products, practical effectiveness, and the degree of technological mastery. Appropriate mechanisms and policies should be established to attract and utilise talents; there should be specialised financial mechanisms capable of accommodating controlled risks in the research, design, and manufacture of defence products; resources should be mobilised to establish scientific research and innovation funds, particularly for breakthrough research tasks and projects on foundational, core, and strategic technologies. Doing so will create a favourable condition for maximising intellectual capacity, professional expertise, and creative ideas, and accelerating research, experimentation, and application.
Third, making more investments in defence industry development towards greater autonomy, self-reliance, dual-use capability, and modernisation. Realities from recent military conflicts demonstrate that technology controls, sanctions, and disruptions to defence supply chains have become an instrument of strategic competition among nations. This necessitates us developing a defence industry capable of independently researching, designing, and producing advanced, modern weapons and equipment as well as providing technical support for these systems.
To that end, the CMC and MND will focus their leadership and direction on developing an autonomous, self-reliant, dual-use, modern defence industry, prioritising resources for the research programmes and projects that are decisive to the development of next-generation weapons and equipment. The Military Science Department shall coordinate with relevant agencies and units to review and refine the catalogue of strategic technologies and strategic technological products serving military and defence purposes; it shall give advice on establishing an appropriate system of criteria, standards, and evaluation mechanisms; it shall propose timely solutions to remove bottlenecks, obstacles, and difficulties arising during the implementation of research, development, and production programmes for advanced, modern weapons and technical equipment. Efforts should be intensified to modernise research institutes, military science and technology centres, testing facilities, and key defence industry establishments, thereby laying a solid material, technical, and technological foundation for researching, designing, producing, and upgrading weapons and equipment and providing technical support for these systems.
Key research institutions and defence enterprises should play a pioneering role in researching and applying the world's latest scientific and technological advances. Emphasis should be placed on mastering foundational, core, advanced, and dual-use technologies capable of bringing about major leaps in weapon and equipment quality, including AI, big data analytics, automation, unmanned technology, new materials, quantum technology, space technology, cyber technology, and cybersecurity. These technologies should be applied to research, design, and manufacture strategic weapons and equipment, gradually increase localisation rates, master the design and production of the five key product groups identified by the CMC and MND, and fulfil the principal defence industry targets under the Criteria for Building a Modern VPA according to the established road map.
Fourth, harnessing combined strength, integrating defence industry with civilian industry, and expanding international cooperation. Practice shows that many technologies capable of bringing about leaps in military potential are dual-use in nature and are developed within the broader national innovation ecosystem. Therefore, the development of military science and technology cannot be separated from the development of the country's industry, science, technology, and high-quality human resources. Accordingly, competent agencies of the MND should closely coordinate with ministries, sectors, and localities to realise programmes and projects for technological development and the production of defence-related products. The leading role of military research centres, educational institutions, and defence enterprises in connecting, guiding, and disseminating scientific and technological capabilities should be promoted. Cooperation should be enhanced between military research and production establishments and the country’s economic groups, high-tech enterprises, and top research centres in order to make the best use of the country's scientific, technological, and industrial potential in support of national defence tasks.
It is necessary to proactively renew ways of thinking and methods of operation, strengthen cooperation in research, technology transfer, and the training of high-quality human resources, and promote the application of scientific and technological advances to the research, design, and manufacture of weapons and technical equipment. Attention should be paid to developing dual-use products, raising the efficiency of investment, enhancing production capacity, and strengthening the close integration between defence industry and national industry.
International cooperation in scientific research, human resource training, technology transfer, and defence industry should be expanded in line with the Party’s foreign and defence lines. In the process, independence and self-reliance must always be ensured to safeguard national interests, protect defence secrets, enhance internal strength, master technology, and receive advanced management experience. Any mindset of waiting for or depending upon foreign technology must be resolutely overcome. Efforts should be devoted to exporting defence and dual-use products researched, designed, and produced by Vietnam, proactively participating in safe and efficient global supply chains. Doing so will help establish close linkages between defence and economy, between military science and technology and national science and technology, and between domestic strength and international resources, and form a modern defence industry ecosystem.
Fifth, developing high-quality human resources and strongly inspiring the spirit of innovation and the aspiration for devotion. To that end, importance should be attached to adopting measures for building and developing a corps of scientific cadres with political steadfastness, good moral qualities, deep professional expertise, innovative thinking, international integration capabilities, and mastery of modern technologies. Priority should be given to developing high-quality human resources in cutting-edge, core, and strategic technologies, building a contingent of top experts and chief designers capable of leading the research and development of high-tech defence products and directly participating in the design and production of modern weapons and equipment.
Education and training, scientific research, and technological development should be closely integrated with realities of military and defence tasks. Talented researchers should be proactively detected, nurtured, and effectively employed to maximise their capabilities. Policies on attracting and utilising talents should be effectively implemented, with priority given to recruiting top experts and scientists in fundamental research and in specialised, advanced, strategic technologies. Training programmes for high-quality human resources serving strategic technology development should be reviewed and improved, while strong research groups and leading expert teams should be established. Education and scientific research should be closely combined with production, testing, technology transfer, and key scientific and technological tasks. International cooperation should be expanded to acquire new knowledge and enhance the capability to master strategic technologies. Through these efforts, a defence science and technology workforce that is sufficient in number, high in quality, and capable of mastering and developing strategic technologies will be built to achieve breakthroughs in the research, design, and production of advanced, modern weapons and equipment.
Researching, developing, and producing advanced, modern weapons and equipment constitute an inevitable requirement for building a modern VPA and strong, modern all-people national defence in the country's new era of development. More than ever before, the entire Military should continue to uphold the highest levels of self-reliance, self-strengthening, innovation, and political determination and focus on building robust defence science and technology capabilities, mastering foundational, core, strategic technologies, creating advanced, modern defence products, and enhancing defence self-reliance to firmly protect the Socialist Vietnamese Fatherland.
Sr. Lt. Gen. PHAM HOAI NAM
Member of the Party Central Committee
Member of the CMC Standing Board
Deputy Minister of National Defence