Prime Minister visits air defence missile battalion

Prime Minister Nguyen Tan Dung visited air defence missile battalion 64 of the Airforce Service's division 361 yesterday, calling on officers and soldiers to stay prepared for combat in any situation.

Prime Minister Nguyen Tan Dung visited air defence missile battalion 64 of the Airforce Service's division 361 yesterday, calling on officers and soldiers to stay prepared for combat in any situation.

Prime Minister Nguyen Tan Dung tours missile facility in Hanoi.

Division 361 is responsible for protecting the airspace of Hanoi and the northern region.

It was a key force in the 12-day battle against the US B52 bombing of Hanoi, which resulted in a victory dubbed "Dien Bien Phu in the air" in December 1972.

The division was involved in over 1,800 battles between 1965 and 1970 and shot down 591 enemy airplanes, including 35 B52s.

Today's battalion has been equipped with an S-300 PMU 1 system, which can detect targets at a distance of 300km and raze targets from a distance of 5km to 150km at a height between 10m and 27,000m.

PM Dung lauded both the division and the battalion's efforts to acquire modern weapons and be ready for action, saying this helped maintain the peace, independence and sovereignty of the nation.

He also asked the officers and soldiers to improve their professional skills, utilise advanced technology and create skillful combat plans when situations required them to do so.

The Party and State would strive to equip the army with modern equipment, the PM said.