The first joint rehearsal for the grand military parade marking the 80th anniversary of the August Revolution and National Day (September 2), coded mission A80, took place at 8:00pm on August 21 at Ba Dinh Square in Hanoi.
Attending and inspecting the rehearsal were Politburo members: Nguyen Trong Nghia, Secretary of the Party Central Committee, head of the Party Central Committee’s Commissions for Information, Education, and Mass Mobilisation; and General Phan Van Giang, Deputy Secretary of the Central Military Commission, Minister of National Defence.
Also present were General Nguyen Tan Cuong, member of the Party Central Committee, standing member of the Central Military Commission, Chief of the General Staff of the Vietnam People’s Army, and Deputy Minister of National Defence; along with representatives of the Ministry of Public Security and other agencies.
The forces participating in the first rehearsal received a warm welcome from tens of thousands of people of Hanoi as they marched through the streets.
For the first time since the grand parade in celebration of 40th National Day in 1985, heavy military equipment – including armored tanks and artillery vehicles – reappeared on the historic Ba Dinh Square.
Previously, following a long period of training and sectional rehearsals, Army and Public Security formations, together with military vehicles, artillery and specialised vehicles, had undergone four combined rehearsals at National Military Training Centre No.4 in Hanoi.
The combined rehearsal at Ba Dinh Square comprised two parts: State and Party ceremonial activities, and the military parade and march-past.
The parade and march-past of the Army and Public Security forces involved nearly 16,000 officers and soldiers, accompanied by the Army’s weapons and equipment, such as armoured vehicles; self-propelled artillery, rocket artillery, and surface-to-surface missiles; anti-aircraft artillery and surface-to-air missile systems; and electronic warfare vehicles. Of note were many modern products researched and manufactured by Vietnam’s defence industry, including the Truong Son missile system, the XCB-01 infantry fighting vehicle, unmanned aerial vehicles (UAVs), and radar systems. All formations advanced in synchrony, showcasing the mobility and high combat readiness of the Vietnam People’s Army.
To prepare for this rehearsal, on the night of August 18 and early morning of August 19, military vehicles and artillery were redeployed from their barracks to the assembly area.
The parade also featured specialised vehicles of the Public Security forces, including: traffic command and escort vehicles; convoy protection and escort vehicles for Party, State leaders and international delegations; mobile operational command vehicles; bulletproof armoured vehicles; riot control vehicles; multi-purpose tactical support vehicles; and firefighting, rescue and relief vehicles. These assets have been gradually modernised in terms of appearance, types, and technical-tactical features to meet mission requirements in the new context.
During the first combined rehearsal at Ba Dinh Square, Army and Public Security formations made great efforts to perform with precision. Marching formations displayed well-coordinated individual movements and cohesive horizontal and vertical alignments.
The Vietnam People’s Army formations included: Command vehicle and Army Colours; Tri-Service Honour Guard; Women’s Military Band; Army, Navy, Air Defence–Air Force, Border Guard, and Coast Guard officers; Logistics, Technical, and Defence Industry officers; women medical officers; cadets of military academies; electronic warfare troops; airborne special operations troops; cyber operations forces; women peacekeepers; armour troops; artillery troops; commando troops; women commando troops; engineer troops; women signal troops; and chemical defence troops.
The Militia and Guerrilla formations included: male self-defence militia; female militia representing Vietnam’s ethnic groups; and female southern guerrillas.
The Public Security forces included: Command and Police Colours; male People’s Security and People’s Police officers; security guards; Public Security airmen; women traffic police officers; male fire and rescue officers; cyber and high-tech crime prevention officers; mobile police officers; women special police officers; UN peacekeeping police officers; special task force troops; logistics and technical forces; cadets of Public Security academies; reserve combat mobile police officers; grassroots security and order forces; mounted mobile police; and the Red Flag contingent.
After passing the grandstand at Ba Dinh Square, the parade formations divided into multiple routes through central Hanoi.
For the grand celebration, the Ministry of National Defence invited several countries to send contingents to take part in the parade. This rehearsal featured three foreign military contingents: the Armed Forces of the Russian Federation, the Lao People’s Army, and the Royal Cambodian Armed Forces.
On August 20, the Russian contingent arrived at Noi Bai International Airport in Hanoi to prepare for the event. On August 15 and 16, delegations of 120 officers and soldiers each from the Royal Cambodian Armed Forces and the Lao People’s Army also arrived in Vietnam. Both contingents have been training at National Military Training Centre No.4.
The A80 parade and march-past will feature all components: marching contingents, mechanised, airborne and naval forces. Nearly 16,000 participants will take part, including walking and standing formations, as well as military vehicles, artillery and specialised vehicles of the Army and Public Security.
Mass contingents will represent: great national unity; the 54 ethnic groups of Vietnam; war veterans; retired public security officers; workers; farmers; revolutionary journalists; intellectuals; entrepreneurs; women; overseas Vietnamese; youth; and culture and sports. Since August 20, these groups have begun their second training phase at My Dinh Stadium before sectional rehearsals and the final full-dress rehearsal with the armed forces./.
