For its outstanding feats-of-arms and achievements, the service has been honored with various noble titles and orders of the Party and State, including the title of “Hero of the People’s Armed Forces.” That glorious tradition is the great source of encouragement for generations of naval troops to continue enhancing synergy and combat capabilities, deserving to be a core force in safeguarding national maritime sovereignty.

Fifty-five years ago, on August 2, 1964, despite its fledgling forces and outdated weapons, the service bravely drove away the US Maddox, which infringed upon the Northern waters of Vietnam. On August 5, 1964, the naval and the air defense forces and the people of the coastal localities from Quang Ninh to Quang Binh provinces foiled the Operation “Pierce Arrow” of the US, firmly safeguarding the waters and skies of the North. The victory was praised by Uncle Ho as saying that “The service has recently made great achievements in the struggle against US imperialists. You fought bravely and brought down eight US aircraft and damaged three others... You also captured US pilots and drove US warships away from our waters. That is very good of you.”

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President Ho Chi Minh visited naval unit in 1959. Source: File photo

Promoting the tradition and the unyielding spirit of the first victory, the Naval Service has recorded more outstanding victories. During the resistance war against the US imperialists, the service fought hundreds of battles. Naval troops sank or destroyed hundreds of US and Saigon Government’s warships and aircraft, wiped out a large number of enemy troops, broke the blockade at sea, opened the Ho Chi Minh Sea Trail to support the Southern theater, and liberated the Spratly Islands, greatly contributing to the glorious victory of the nation. The service has also actively undertaken international service and best served as the core force in managing and firmly protecting national maritime sovereignty, maintaining a stable and peaceful environment at sea for development.

The first victory of the service is still resounding as time goes by and the lessons learnt from that victory still have their own values to the current cause of protecting national maritime sovereignty. Combat strength of the service comes from various different factors, including personnel, weapons and equipment, and the art of fighting, in which the human factor plays a decisive role. Therefore, it is especially important to hone troops’ political stance, serving as the foundations for enhancing their combat capabilities and synergy, meeting the requirements of protecting maritime sovereignty in the new context. The service should also reform and increase the quality of political education for troops so that they would be absolutely loyal to the Party, the Fatherland and the people while holding a strong combat spirit, ready to take and fulfill any assigned missions.

In addition, to build a politically-strong naval service, it is necessary to well implement policies for its servicemen and their families. At the same time, the service must continue to thoroughly grasp and implement the Resolution of the Fourth Plenary Session of the 12th Party Central Committee on Party building and revamping and Directive 05 of the Politburo on promoting the movement “Learning and following Ho Chi Minh’s thought, morals and lifestyle” and the campaign “Promoting tradition, devoting talent, deserving to be Uncle Ho’s naval soldiers.” The entire service must strongly maintain and enhance the Party’s absolute and direct leadership in all aspects, always stay loyal and reliable to the Party, State and people, and complete excellently all assigned tasks.

To better meet the requirements of the mission of safeguarding national maritime sovereignty, the service must be well-prepared right in peacetime. In the coming time, the service will submit the Party, State, Central Military Commission and Ministry of National Defense a plan to develop a revolutionary, regular, elite and modern naval force in close combination with the whole people’s defense posture and people’s security disposition at sea, to be ready to conduct the whole people’s warfare at sea when necessary.

The power of the Naval Service depends greatly on the high techno-tactical level, organizational and command capabilities and discipline observance of officers and soldiers, which can only be sharpened when training is conducted regularly and seriously. The Naval Service should continue to innovate and improve the quality of training in line with Resolution 765 of the Central Military Commission and Resolution 1050 of the service’s Party Committee on improving the quality of training in the 2013-2020 period and the coming years. Along with training, it is necessary for the service to enhance regularity building and discipline observance, creating positive changes in the sense of observing the State law and military discipline among all troops, ensuring the whole service to be united in both will and action.

The Naval Service must attach special importance to military scientific research and development, including military arts and technologies. Based on the Party’s military-defense guidelines and strategies, the service should study and draw lessons learnt from combat operations in the river and at sea through campaigns and battles of the service in wartime and in the country’s protection of national maritime sovereignty. By so doing, the service can perfect its theoretical basis for combat of naval forces and naval combat art.

In the context of the emerging Industry 4.0, the Naval Service should proactively enhance research to master modern platforms, equipment and weapons. It must also master the service and maintenance of modern weaponry so as to reduce dependence on foreign partners. More attention should be paid to enhancing international cooperation in scientific research, technology transfer and reception of modern weapons to narrow the gap between the Vietnam People’s Navy and other navies of developed countries.

In the face of complicated maritime situations in the region, the Naval Service must closely follow the developments and make forecasts to proactively devise response plans and enhance vigilance, and make good logistic and technical preparations for emerging issues at sea. In urgent cases, the service is to propose solutions to the Party, State, Central Military Commission and Ministry of National Defense. The service is also to closely direct forces to resolutely, persistently, and wisely protect the sovereignty and maintain a peaceful and stable maritime environment at sea. Relevant units must improve their logistic and technical assurance capabilities and methods, ready to undertake and complete any tasks in any conditions and circumstances.

The Naval Service should promote the tradition of the first victory and improve its combat capabilities. This is also one of the contents in the road-map to build a “revolutionary, regular, elite and modern” naval force. With the direction and concern from the higher-level authorities and the support and love from the people, the Vietnam People’s Navy will strive to fulfill all assigned tasks, deserving the tradition and the unyielding spirit of the first victory 55 years ago.

Translated by Huu Duong