Vice Admiral Tran Thanh Nghiem, Member of the Party Central Committee,
Commander of the Viet Nam People’s Navy.

The integrated development of the marine economy and the protection of national maritime sovereignty is a consistent strategic policy of our Party. It is the responsibility of the entire political system, including the Viet Nam People’s Navy. In the era of nation’s  rise, the Viet Nam People’s Navy, together with other forces across the military, must continue to effectively perform its functions as “a fighting force, a working force, and a labour production force”; serve as the core in firmly protecting sovereignty and maintaining a peaceful and stable maritime environment; and actively participate in economic development and sea-based defence activities in sectors and industries with potential and strengths, such that the country can develop in a rapid and sustainable manner.

The Viet Nam People's Navy was established on May 7, 1955. Over 70 years of building, combat and development, the naval service has recorded numerous outstanding military feats, notably including: winning its first battles on August 2 and 5, 1964; joining forces with the people of North Viet Nam to twice defeat the US imperialists in their destructive war; taking the lead in fighting against the US imperialists' blockade of the northern rivers and seas; opening the Ho Chi Minh Trail at sea to transport supplies to the south; forming and deploying special naval commando units in Cua Viet and Dong Ha; participating in the General Offensive and Uprising in the Spring of 1975 to liberate the south and the Truong Sa (Spratly) Archipelago; fulfilling international missions in Laos and Cambodia; and building a “revolutionary, regular, elite, and modern” naval service. The Navy has been the core force in firmly protecting sovereignty over seas and islands, while maintaining peace and stability at sea to facilitate national development.

Alongside fulfilling military and defence duties, the naval service has always actively participated in production and economic development. This has served as a vital lesson enabling its continuous growth and maturity, successfully fulfilling the dual role of “a combat force, a working force, and a production force.”

Specifically, as the core force in defending maritime sovereignty, naval troops regularly operate at sea, possess extensive maritime knowledge, are equipped with specialised technology and equipment, and are adept at harnessing potential and strengths to implement the strategy of combining economic development with defence, integrating marine economic development with the safeguarding of national sovereignty over the seas.

Even during wartime, naval troops upheld the spirit of self-reliance, building while fighting, engaging in production and cultivation to improve their living conditions, repairing weapons and equipment, and supplementing their resources. Following national reunification and peace, the Navy gained favourable conditions to more effectively contribute to the development of the maritime economy and defence.

In line with the Party and state’s policies on combining economic development with defence, as early as 1976, the Standing Committee of the Naval Party Committee issued Resolution 431/DU on participating in production and economic development. The resolution stated that “The Navy’s main direction in participating in production and economic development is towards the sea, with a focus on developing fisheries and exploiting marine resources; with the exploration and extraction of oil and gas and maritime transport as important priorities; while also enhancing the industrial capacity of its enterprises, actively engaging in infrastructure development, and making full use of conditions and available capabilities to boost production and animal husbandry.”

Simultaneously, based on the economic development tasks assigned by the government to the armed forces, the Naval Service established the Department of Economic Development to advise, direct, and implement marine economic development efforts. The establishment of this department marked a new phase in the development of the Navy’s organisational structure, concretising the Party’s comprehensive reform agenda, beginning with the transformation in economic thinking initiated and led by the Party.

Since it was assigned economic development duties by the government and the armed forces in 1976, the Naval Service has always viewed participation in labour and production as one of its core political tasks, inseparable from its military and defence responsibilities. The Naval Service regularly thoroughly grasps and rigorously implements the Party’s guidelines and policies and the State’s laws.

It has directed defence-related enterprises and economic units to harness internal resources, overcome challenges, foster innovation, and tap into all available resources, potential and advantages to conduct quality and effective production and business operations, closely linked with military and national defence duties, the protection of the country’s sea and island sovereignty and resources. Efforts have been made to actively develop several efficient, pioneering, dual-purpose production and economic models associated with building an all-people defence posture at sea and on islands.

The Naval Service has established several strong defence-economic enterprises and units operating in key sectors such as: seaport exploitation and logistics services; shipbuilding and ship repair; protection service for oil and gas exploration and exploitation; construction and maintenance of marine and offshore facilities; fishing and aquaculture; provision of fishery logistics services; and marine and island tourism.

These industries have generated substantial revenue, contributing to the national economy while also providing resources to improve soldiers’ livelihoods and support the investment in equipment and vehicles for military and defence tasks. A prime example is Saigon Newport Corporation – Viet Nam’s largest seaport and logistics service provider, ranked among the world’s top 16 container port clusters by throughput, and one of the country’s leading maritime economic brands. Alongside are shipbuilding and repair plants, and defence-economic flotillas operating public-benefit fishing fleets, service vessels, and fisheries logistics and technical service centres.

To support the development of marine and island infrastructure, the Naval Service has advised the Central Military Commission and the Ministry of National Defence on the implementation of major projects and strategic, dual-use facilities such as ports, airstrips, harbours, fishing villages, marine and island defence-economic zones, and defensive structures.

These initiatives have played a key role in boosting socio-economic development while strengthening defence capabilities at sea. Concurrently, naval units, in the course of fulfilling their maritime missions, regularly provide support and ensure the safety of maritime economic activities; they are actively involved in search and rescue operations, particularly in remote sea areas, guided by the spirit that “helping the people is a peacetime combat mission, a command from the heart.” They also supply fuel, freshwater, food, and provisions to fishing vessels, enabling fishermen to venture further offshore and maintain a constant presence at sea, especially in distant waters.

Viet Nam is now entering a new era – an era of national resurgence. To contribute to the shared efforts of the entire Party, people and armed forces in successfully carrying out the cause of developing the marine economy and protecting national maritime sovereignty, the Viet Nam People's Navy must continue to effectively fulfil its functions and duties as a “fighting force, a working force, and a production force” under new conditions and in new circumstances.

In performing its function and role as a “fighting force”, amid increasingly complex and unpredictable developments in the global, regional and East Sea (South China Sea) context, and growing demands in defending the nation’s sea and islands sovereignty, the Naval Service continues to thoroughly grasp and strictly implement the Party’s guidelines and policies and the State’s laws, particularly Resolution No. 8 of the 13th Party Central Committee on the “Strategy for Safeguarding the Fatherland in the New Situation” and Resolution No. 36-NQ/TW on the “Strategy for Sustainable Development of Viet Nam's Marine Economy to 2030, with a Vision to 2045”.

It also regularly raises vigilance, conducts in-depth analysis and accurate forecast of developments; proactively advises the Central Military Commission and the Ministry of National Defence on fundamental, strategic, long-term sea and islands policies and solutions, ensuring timely and appropriate responses to any situation. These efforts aim to firmly protect sovereignty over seas and islands, marine economic activities, national rights and interests, and to maintain a peaceful and stable environment at sea for the country to develop and prosper in the new era.

The Navy will continue researching, providing consultation and proposing to the Central Military Commission and the Ministry of National Defence for the development of a strong, in-depth, and interconnected all-people national defence posture at sea, linking land, sea and islands, with the Navy playing a core role. The Navy must be truly “lean, compact and strong,” and “revolutionary, standardised, skilled and modern,” with an ever-increasing level of combat readiness.

In fulfilling its function and role as a “working army,” the Navy must place emphasis on effective mass mobilisation work in the new context, particularly in strategically vital areas such as borders, seas and islands.

The key priority is close and regular coordination with relevant committees, ministries, sectors, units and localities to intensify communication efforts concerning maritime and island issues, raising awareness and responsibility among all levels, sectors, officials, Party members and the people regarding the position, role and significance of Viet Nam’s seas and islands in the cause of national construction and defence; as well as the Party’s and State’s viewpoints, stances, guidelines, policies and laws on sustainable marine economic development in conjunction with the defence of national maritime sovereignty.

Communication on maritime and island matters must be linked with campaigns to mobilise resources for building a modernised Navy. Determined efforts are needed to counter the plots and tactics of hostile forces who exploit complex and sensitive maritime issues to undermine the Party and State.

The effective implementation of programmes such as “The Viet Nam People’s Navy as a Pillar for Fishermen Venturing Offshore” and activities such as “The Navy Sponsoring Fishermen’s Children” must be maintained. The Navy must also support communities in disaster prevention and response, as well as in search and rescue operations, thereby contributing to building a “people’s defence posture at sea” and consolidating the comprehensive strength required to firmly safeguard maritime sovereignty and ensure sustainable marine economic development.

Simultaneously, the Navy must thoroughly grasp and effectively implement the Party’s and State’s foreign policy and international integration strategy; promote substantive and in-depth defence diplomacy with the armed forces and navies of other countries, on both multilateral and bilateral levels, especially with the navies of ASEAN countries, major powers, and traditional friends and partners; work with countries’ navies to strengthen mutual understanding and trust, build peaceful, stable maritime zones; enhance the status and reputation of the Viet Nam People’s Navy, create a favourable international environment for the early and long-range defence of national maritime sovereignty.

In carrying out its function and role as a “production army,” the Navy must fully grasp and implement the Party’s, State’s, Central Military Commission’s, and Ministry of National Defence’s guidelines, policies and laws on combining economic development with national defence.

It is necessary to continue restructuring, reorganising and innovating the operations of naval enterprises to improve production and business efficiency, as well as capacity to perform defence and military tasks.

Efforts must be made to build a strong contingent of naval entrepreneurs; utilise high-quality human resources; and streamline enterprise organisational structures to ensure they are compact, efficient and effective. The Navy should maximise its strengths in various sectors, including shipbuilding and repair, port operations, logistics services, and the protection of maritime oil and gas activities.

It is essential to organise effective fisheries logistics services to provide a firm support base for fishermen working offshore. Greater effort must be made to implement projects that develop dual-use infrastructure in maritime and island areas.

Naval enterprises must actively engage in scientific research, adopt advanced technologies, embrace digital management, develop digital infrastructure, and make effective use of digital resources; train and recruit highly skilled personnel; prevent waste, unlock potential and resources; and expand production and business scale.

A key initiative is the implementation of the plan to transform Saigon Newport Corporation into a Marine Economic Corps, based on three traditional pillars (port operations, logistics services, and maritime transport and economic sectors) and two newly added pillars (industrial park investment and business; marine and island tourism services and offshore renewable energy development); create an integrated ecosystem connecting production and logistics, optimising costs and making a crucial contribution to enhancing the competitiveness of Vietnamese goods in international markets, supporting the country’s goal of achieving 8% economic growth by 2025 and reaching double-digit growth in the era of national rise.

The integrated development of the marine economy and the protection of national maritime sovereignty is a critically strategic mission for the entire Party, people, and armed forces. In the time ahead, the Viet Nam People’s Navy will continue building a force that is “lean, compact and strong,” “revolutionary, standardised, skilled and modern,” with ever-greater overall quality and combat strength, truly serving as the core in firmly safeguarding national maritime sovereignty, while actively contributing to the development of the marine defence economy, helping the country confidently stride forward into a new era of wealth and prosperity.

Design: NDO
Photos: NDO, Viet Nam Navy Newspaper, VNA