Ministry of Defence

**Agency overview**

**Formed**
20 Febuary 1957

**Preceding agency**
The Imperial Council (1914-1956)

**Headquarters**
National Defence Building

**Jurisdiction**
Vietnam

**Agency executives**
Huỳnh Diệu Sơn, Minister of Defence

**Parent agency**
Cabinet of Vietnam

**Meeting place**

**National Defence Building**

The Vietnam **Ministry of Defence** (**MoD**, **VMOD** or **MOD**) is an executive branch department of the federal government charged with coordinating and supervising all agencies and functions of the government directly related to national security and Republic of Vietnam Military Forces (RVNMF). The MoD is the largest employer in the Vietnam, with over a million active-duty service members (soldiers, marines, sailors, and airmen) as of June 2022. The MoD also maintains an undisclosed number of reservists—although independent analysts have estimated around 400,000 reserves—and over 500,000 civilians bringing the total to over 1.9 million employees. Headquartered at the National Defence Building in Saigon, the MoD's stated mission is to provide "the military forces needed to deter war and ensure the Fatherland's peace, security, and prosperity".

The Ministry of Defence is headed by the minister of defence, a cabinet-level head who reports directly to the president of Vietnam. Due to the rapid modernisation of the RVNMF in the latter half of the 20th century following the Vietnamese Civil War, the Ministry of Defence is by far the largest cabinet departments by expenditure and size as well as influence. As such an appointment to the post of minister of defence is considered highly prestigious as the MoD is consider one of the Great Ministries of State.

## Organisational structure

### Sub-agencies and departments

* **Vietnamese Military Intelligence** — Military intelligence analysis for the Ministry
	+ Homeland Defence Intelligence Agency
	+ National Intelligence Agency
	+ National Surveillance and Analysis, Section 1 (NSAS-1)
	+ National Surveillance and Analysis, Section 2 (NSAS-2)
	+ National Surveillance and Analysis, Section 3 (NSAS-3)
* Civil Security Investigation Department
* Air Defence Service
* Land and Sea Defence Service
* Ballistic Enforcement Agency
* Counter-terrorism Bureau
* Military Research Development Institute
* Defence Accounting and Procurement Office
* Veteran's Affairs Agency
* Office of the Inspector General

### Military Departments and Services

There are three Military Departments within the Ministry of Defence:

1. the Department of the Army, within which Army of the Republic of Vietnam is organized.
2. the Department of the Navy, within which Republic of Vietnam Navy and Republic of Vietnam Marines are organized.
3. the Department of the Air Force, within which Republic of Vietnam Air Force is organized.

### Vietnamese Combatant Command

A unified combatant command (CCMD), also referred to as a combatant command, is a joint military command of the Vietnamese Ministry of Defence that is composed of units from two or more service branches of the Republic of Vietnam Military Forces, and conducts broad and continuing missions. There are currently eight unified combatant commands and each are established as the highest echelons of military commands, in order to provide effective command and control of all Vietnamese military forces, regardless of branch of service, during peace or during war time. Unified combatant commands are organized either on a geographical basis (known as an "area of responsibility", AOR) or on a functional basis, e.g. special operations, force projection, transport, and cybersecurity. Currently, five combatant commands are designated as geographical, and three are designated as functional. Unified combatant commands are "joint" commands and have specific badges denoting their affiliation.

The Unified Command Strategy (UCS) establishes the missions, command responsibilities, and geographic areas of responsibility of the combatant commands. Each time the Unified Command Strategy is updated, the organisation of the combatant commands is reviewed for military efficiency and efficacy, as well as alignment with national policy. Each strategy is reviewed and approved by the Joint General Staff.

Each unified combatant command is led by a combatant commander (CCDR), who is a four-star general or admiral. The combatant commanders are entrusted with a specific type of nontransferable operational command authority over assigned forces, regardless of branch of service. The chain of command for operational purposes (per the War Edicts Act) goes from the president of Vietnam through the minister of defence to the combatant commanders.

#### AOR (as of June 2022)

* Northern Command (BACCOM)
* Southern Command (NAMCOM)
* Western Command (TAYCOM)
* Eastern Command (DONGCOM)
* Vietnam Special Forces Command (VNSPECCOM)
* Vietnam Cyber Command (VNCYCOM)
* Vietnam Strategic Command (VNSTRATCOM)
* Vietnam Logistics Command (LOGCOM)