In his keynote address at the 80th anniversary ceremony of Vietnam’s Engineering Corps in Hanoi on March 22, the leader stressed that the force must continue upholding its tradition of “paving the way to victory,” while thoroughly grasping the Party’s military and defence strategies, as well as new approaches to safeguarding the nation.

Effective implementation of key resolutions of the Party Central Committee, the 14th National Party Congress, and the Military Party Committee was highlighted as essential to strengthening political resolve and strategic direction.

The Party chief requested building a “streamlined, strong, and modern” Engineering Corps, emphasising a people-centred approach, strict discipline, and high-quality training to enhance combat readiness and overall performance. Officers and soldiers were urged to maintain firm political will and a strong sense of responsibility in fulfilling assigned missions.

The Engineering Corps was also tasked with taking the lead in developing modern, integrated, and secure defence infrastructure, while proactively providing engineering support across all forms of military operations. Ensuring absolute safety for critical national targets and major political events remains a top priority.

Beyond defence duties, General Secretary To Lam highlighted the importance of expanding mine clearance and post-war remediation efforts to restore safe land for civilian use and support socio-economic development. The Corps is expected to make fundamental progress in addressing unexploded ordnance contamination by 2045 or earlier.

On this occasion, the top leader awarded the Ho Chi Minh Order, recognising the Engineering Corps’ outstanding contributions to national defence and development. He noted that the honour not only recognises the Corps’ outstanding achievements but also serves as a motivation for continued innovation and excellence in the years ahead.

The Engineering Corps is a key technical branch of the Vietnam People’s Army, established on March 25, 1946. The force is primarily responsible for ensuring engineering works and infrastructure that support military operations and national defence construction in peacetime.

In combat, the Engineering Corps performs critical tasks including building fortifications and battle positions, constructing roads and bridges, establishing crossing points, and conducting mine clearance and explosive ordnance disposal, thereby enabling troop mobility and operational effectiveness.

In peacetime, the Corps continues to contribute to national defence infrastructure, post-war recovery, and unexploded ordnance clearance, while also playing an active role in disaster response and search and rescue operations.

Party chief pushes Military Technical Academy toward world-class research

Party General Secretary To Lam on March 17 called on the Military Technical Academy (MTA) to strongly promote the spirit of “unity, resilience; innovation, creativity; intelligence, development” as it advances toward becoming a leading research university in science and technology.