At around 8.30 pm, heavy rain hit as convoys of tanks, artillery, and military trucks moved into central Hanoi under tarps and escort vehicles.
By 12.30 am on August 6, training began under the direction of the organising committee. The rehearsal involved tracked vehicles and armoured tanks, wheeled artillery systems, and special police equipment.
Exercises focused on logistics, coordination, and command operations. Crews also practised responses to potential technical failures or traffic congestion, including vehicle repair and towing procedures.
The overnight drill helped drivers and commanders familiarise themselves with parade routes from their barracks to Ba Dinh Square, test vehicle readiness, and review the entire transportation system.
By 4 am, all equipment had safely returned to the Mieu Mon National Training Centre.
The official parade on September 2 will mark 80 years since the August Revolution and the founding of the Democratic Republic of Vietnam in 1945, when President Ho Chi Minh declared independence at Ba Dinh Square.
The celebration will include a full-scale parade of nearly 16,000 participants representing ground, mechanised, air, and naval forces. It will feature 43 marching blocks, 18 standing formations, and 14 blocks of military and police vehicles.
For the first time, a naval parade will be held in Khanh Hoa Province, showcasing Kilo-class submarines, surface vessels, and units from the Navy, Coast Guard, Border Guard, and Military Region 5.