# Vietnam Militia and Self-Defence Force

The Vietnam Militia and Self-Defence Force (VMSF or MASDF; Vietnamese: Dân quân tự vệ Việt Nam, lit. 'Self-defence Militia of Vietnam'), known simply as the Militia (Dân quân) and also inaccurately recognized as the Vietnam Self-Defence Militia (VSDM), is the militia and reserve force of Vietnam. Placed under the political leadership of the Communist Party of Vietnam, the executive administration of the Vietnam Ministry of National Defence, the management from the local and national governments as well as the direct command of the local military headquarters, VMSF is one of the three major components of the Vietnam People's Armed Forces, serving a signigicant role in the Vietnamese national defence strategies and cultures. Defined as the "armed force of the mass" that is organized as local-level units, VMSF's career is not meant to be "separated from production activities and work", making it a part-time, semi-professional territorial defence force.

## Foundation and history

In March 1935, the Indochinese Communist Party (now succeeded by the Communist Party of Vietnam) First National Congress issued the "Resolution on Self-Defence Teams", being the formal establishment of the Vietnamese militia and the initial iteration of the Vietnam Militia and Self-Defence Force. Since then, the Militia had contribution to the Vietnamese resistance against the French and Japanese colonialists and engaged in the August Revolution of Vietnam. Since the Vietnamese independence, VMSF has participated in pretty much every conflict in Vietnam, including wars against France and the United States. In the Vietnam War, VMSF is credited for 10% of the total US planes shot down over North Vietnam.

## Organization

Nationally, VMSF is executively overseen by the Department of Militia and Self-Defense Forces (DMSF; Cục Dân quân tự vệ) under the General Staff of the Vietnam People's Army. Structurally, the militia (dân quân) is organized as local-level defence units under the direct administration of the respective local military commands and governments, meanwhile, self-defence (tự vệ) units are organized in state-associated offices and organization such as state-owned businesses, factories and facilities. Both of them together form up the Militia and Self-Defence Forces, contradicting a popular misunderstanding that "Self-Defence" is the adjective describing the nature of "Militia" in Self-Defence Militia.

## Maritime militia

The Government of Vietnam has legally defined maritime militia for the first time in 2009, marking the formal establishment of the Vietnamese maritime militia force (lực lượng dân quân biển). Officially designated as the standing maritime militia flotilla(s) (Vietnamese: (các) Hải đội Dân quân thường trực) or simplier the maritime militiamen (dân quân biển, DQB), comparable to the casual Vietnamese militia units, they are organized as provincial-level flottillas (hải đội; also translated as platoons or squads) placed under the governments of Vietnamese coastal subdivisions, and are also purposed to do semi-professional defensive roles while "not being detached production businesses".
The General Staff of the Vietnam People's Army has projected to establish maritime militia squads operating steel-hull boats in 14 of its coastal provinces and municipalities, with the first one was officially launched in the Bà Rịa–Vũng Tàu province in April 2021.

### Tasks

Even though not formally mentioned by Vietnamese officials, it is widely recognized that the Vietnamese maritime militia is established to deal with China's grey-zone tactics, directly countering the Chinese Maritime Militia and is designed defensive in nature. It was once accused as "black holes" and "potential risks" by Beijing-backed narratives in the South China Sea disputes, however, such claims were formally refuted by the Vietnamese officials while it was also being challenged by scholars.