Firmly safeguarding the Nation’s southern airspace

On September 20, 2005, Missile Unit 93 - the predecessor of Regiment 93, Division 367 under the Air Defense - Air Force Service - was officially established in Dong Nai province.

Over the past 20 years, the Regiment’s officers and soldiers have remained united and overcome countless hardships to fulfill their assigned missions excellently, making significant contributions to the management of national airspace, the protection of strategic targets, and sovereignty over the southern sea, islands, and continental shelf of the Fatherland.

Meeting new requirements

Lieutenant Colonel Do Trung Hieu, Secretary of the Party Committee and Political Commissar of Regiment 93, said that in response to the new development requirements, Missile Unit 93 was established with the primary mission of protecting the southern airspace of the Fatherland. The unit is equipped with the S-300PMU1, a multi-channel, highly mobile air defense missile system featuring advanced technology.

Major General Vu Hong Son (far right), Commander of the Vietnam Air Defence-Air Force Service and delegates observe a model during the launching  ceremony of training course in 2025. Photo: Nguyet Ha

In the early days of its establishment, officers and soldiers were reassigned from various units; while the regiment faced shortages in facilities and challenging living conditions, weapons and equipment were new, especially the S-300PMU1 missile system. This is a weapon that requires officers and soldiers to have high professional qualifications, as well as the ability to access and master technical equipment quickly.

With a spirit of determination and creativity, the first generations of officers in the unit constantly learned and familiarized themselves with new equipment; focused on research, studied all night, and endured tireless training hours on launch vehicles and radar stations, with the determination to master weapons in the shortest time. Generations of officers and soldiers quickly mastered weapons and equipment, clearly affirming their position and role with the Party Committee, the Command of Division 367, and the Air Defense - Air Force Service.

According to Lieutenant Colonel Do Trung Hieu, over the past 20 years, especially in recent years, Regiment 93 has consistently been praised by superiors for well and excellently completing its tasks. It has been chosen to host many competitions and sports events at the division and service levels, earning high praise from leaders at all levels. Notably, it was chosen by the Air Defense - Air Force to host major missions such as the S-300PMY1 Missile Combat Crew Training Competition, which was successful and ensured absolute safety. In addition, the comprehensive round exercise was also held successfully, completing the mission by quickly capturing and handling targets, earning high appreciation from the Ministry of National Defense.

Notably on December 17, 2022, the combat crew was ordered to launch a missile that successfully destroyed a target at a distance of 70.4 km and an altitude of 3.97 km. This was the first S-300 missile to be launched in Vietnamese airspace. The Regiment completed its mission excellently with absolute safety, marking a significant milestone of its remarkable advancement in training and equipment mastery, meeting the requirements for national defense and earning commendation and praise from commanders at all levels.

Moving toward regularity and modernization

Lieutenant Colonel Pham Van Khuong, Deputy Secretary of the Party Committee and Commander of Regiment 93, emphasized that, alongside completing assigned missions, the unit’s officers and soldiers have actively pursued research and innovation. Many initiatives have been effectively implemented to enhance training quality, especially in modern units like Battalion 300 (Regiment 93).

Officers such as Captain Ho Minh Khiet, Commander of Company 2, and Captain Nguyen Nhu Hung, the Political Officer of the same unit, serve as shining examples for the unit’s officers and soldiers to follow. These individuals not only lead by example but are also pioneers in researching, innovating, and applying improvements to enhance the overall quality of training.

“At present, all key officers in the unit have fundamentally mastered modern weapons and equipment. Training exercises have been effectively organized to ensure that all personnel meet the required standards. The unit was selected to conduct live-fire testing of the ZSU-300 missile system at the TB5 Range, successfully hitting the target with absolute safety, an achievement recognized by the Air Defense – Air Force Service. In addition, the Regiment has participated in several exercises involving live ammunition with various modern weapons systems. All targets were neutralized with complete safety. These accomplishments have earned the unit a commendation flag from the Ministry of National Defense and high praise from the Air Defense – Air Force Command.”

Lieutenant Colonel Pham Van Khuong, Commander of Regiment 93

Captain Ho Minh Khiet, Commander of Company 2, Battalion 300, shared: “Despite facing many challenges, our unit places strong emphasis on research and innovation, especially as we are tasked with operating, managing, and mastering modern weapon systems to safeguard the nation. All of our innovations are geared toward enhancing training quality, achieving full mastery of weaponry and technical equipment, and ensuring the effective operation of advanced systems. These efforts contribute to the firm defense of the Fatherland under any circumstances.”

Regiment 93 possesses many innovations approved that have significantly improved training quality. Notable examples include: a system for functional testing and assessment of the 32E missile launcher cabinet; a simulation tool for evaluating the 3E control cabinet; a launcher orientation training model for the RVN control station; these practical innovations have contributed to more effective training, reduced fuel consumption, and extended the operational lifespan of the equipment, all the more vital given the ongoing resource constraints.

Lieutenant Colonel Pham Van Khuong noted that, in addition to enhancing training quality and mastering weapon systems to ensure the firm defense of the nation’s airspace, Regiment 93 also places strong emphasis on training leadership styles and improving the ability to organize coordinated combat operations. Training is tailored to closely align with mission requirements, targets, and operational areas. The Regiment focuses on providing our personnel with fundamental training in tactics and technical skills, especially in mastering modern and advanced weapons and equipment. This is carried out in accordance with the guiding principle of being basic, practical, solid, safe, and cost-effective. We consider the mastery of new, modern weapon systems a breakthrough that is key to improving the overall quality of training.

In recognition of its achievements over 20 years of development, the unit has received numerous prestigious awards. Notably, on December 16, 2014, Regiment 93 was awarded the title Hero of the People’s Armed Forces by the State President for its outstanding achievements during the resistance war against the American imperialists. This serves as a source of pride and motivation for every officer and soldier of Regiment 93 to remain united and strive to fulfill new missions and objectives with excellence.

By Nguyet Ha - Translated by Hong Van, Thu Ha