Military parade rehearsal held ahead of Dien Bien Phu Victory anniversary

The rehearsal was organised under the command of Senior Lieutenant General Nguyen Tan Cuong, member of the Party Central Committee, permanent member of the Central Military Commission, Chief of the General Staff of the Vietnam People's Army and also Deputy Minister of National Defence.

The parade will officially take place on the morning of May 7 at the Stadium of Dien Bien province in the northwestern region, featuring 18 cannons, including 15 official and three stand-by units, and 12 helicopters, including nine official, two stand-by, and one for search and rescue.

The parade will be the highlight among a series of activities to mark the anniversary, contributing to affirming the significance, stature, and historical value of the Dien Bien Phu Victory and the continuous development and growth of the Vietnam People's Army, the Militia and Self-Defence Force and the People's Police Force over the past 70 years under the Party's leadership.

On March 13, 1954, the Vietnamese revolutionary army launched the first attack against the French colonialists’ heavily fortified base of Dien Bien Phu, starting a 56-day historic campaign whose victory directly led to the signing of the Geneva Accords on ending the war and restoring peace in Indochina.

During the 56 days of undaunted, brave, and creative fighting, the Vietnamese army and people created the Dien Bien Phu Victory that “resounded across the five continents and shook the globe”.

President Ho Chi Minh affirmed that the Dien Bien Phu Victory was a golden milestone in history that created the foundation and conditions for the Vietnamese people to secure victory in the resistance war against the US, liberate the South, and reunify the country in 1975.