Prime Minister Nguyen Xuan Phuc and air force officers
The function is attended by Prime Minister Nguyen Xuan Phuc, Minister of Defence General Ngo Xuan Lich and Secretary of the Hanoi Party Committee Hoang Trung Hai.
In a celebratory speech, Lt General Le Huy Vinh, commander of the air force, recalled the force’s resounding triumphs during the war against the US, notably the victory against US Operation Linebacker II in December of 1972.
During the 12-day operation, Vietnamese soldiers and people fought heroically and shot down 34 B-52 aircraft and other strategic bombers, forcing the US to return to the negotiation table and sign the Paris agreement on ending the war and restoring peace in Vietnam.
The victory provided a significant momentum for Vietnam to step up its southern liberation campaign and reunify the country less than two years later.
Speaking at the ceremony, PM Phuc emphasised that the Dien Bien Phu Victory in the air has become a shining milestone in the Vietnamese history of resistance against foreign aggressors, alongside the victories of Chi Lang, Bach Dang, Van Kiep and Dong Da.
He stated that today the air force must strengthen its combat readiness to meet the ever increasing requirements to defend the country’s air space, islands and territorial waters.
The government leader noted that training soldiers is the key factor to every victory in the cause of national defence while also underlining the need to develop defence technologies to deal with hi-tech warfare.
