Lesson 1: Steadfast DK1 Platform

Editor's Note: Every Lunar New Year, naval vessels set sail to transport goods and gifts from the military and civilians nationwide to the islands of Truong Sa and the DK1 offshore platforms. Participating in this journey to bring Tet to Truong Sa, a reporter from Nghe An Newspaper was fortunate enough to be on a trip to the DK1 platforms, witnessing the difficulties and hardships in transporting and delivering Tet gifts to the platforms, as well as the happiness of the naval soldiers receiving these sacred feelings and warmth from the mainland during the Tet holiday.

Lesson 1: Steadfast DK1 Platform

(Baonghean)Throughout the year, many ships transport supplies to the offshore platforms, but this year-end trip holds special significance. Besides the standard provisions, it also includes meaningful gifts from agencies, organizations, and people across the country. These are sacred and profound expressions of affection from the home front to the front lines, carrying admiration, longing, and immense encouragement to all the officers and soldiers on the DK1 offshore platforms who are guarding the nation's seas and skies day and night.

These were the heartfelt words of Colonel Nguyen Cong The, Deputy Political Commissar of the Naval Command Region 2, before the naval ships began their journey to bring Tet (Lunar New Year) to the DK1 offshore platforms.

Towards the end of the year, the port of Naval Squadron 812 suddenly became unusually bustling. Tet gifts from all over, from Quang Ninh, Dong Nai, Ben Tre, Tra Vinh, Ba Ria - Vung Tau... to even readers of Tuoi Tre Newspaper, were urgently loaded onto the ships. The total amount of Tet gifts distributed according to regulations and gifts sent from the mainland was about 20 tons, including all the necessary supplies to help the officers and soldiers on the offshore platforms have a warm and joyful Tet holiday.

This year's voyages to the offshore platforms are even more significant because of the presence of representatives from provincial and city leaders across the country. In particular, the presence of mothers and sisters is a tremendous source of encouragement for the soldiers serving on the platforms. Captain Tran Quang Dong of ship HQ624 shared: “We are carrying an extremely important responsibility: to bridge the gap between the mainland and the offshore platforms. Therefore, the entire delegation is striving to successfully complete the assigned mission.”

At exactly 11:30 AM on January 13th, the two ships HQ624 and HQ636 sounded their horns three times and set sail. According to the schedule, HQ624 was to visit and extend New Year greetings to 14 DK1 offshore platforms in the Phuc Tan, Huyen Tran, Ba Ke, Que Duong, Phuc Nguyen, and Tu Chinh clusters. At the same time, HQ636 was to visit and extend New Year greetings to the DK1/10 platform in the Ca Mau cluster and the Con Dao radar station. The farewell group, choked with emotion, waved goodbye, wishing the ships good health and asking them to convey their regards to the officers and soldiers. Then, the mainland faded into the distance behind the waves. The HQ624, like a whale riding the waves, sped forward, knowing that out there, the officers and soldiers were waiting anxiously day and night.



The ship HQ624 carried the solidarity between the military and civilians out to the open sea to reach the DK1 offshore platform.



The New Year's gifts were carefully packaged.

When mentioning the DK1 platform, not everyone fully understands its origins and current mission. In 1988, Admiral Giap Van Cuong, Commander of the Navy, recognized the importance of protecting the homeland from the sea, especially ensuring the safety of oil and gas platforms operating and exploiting resources to serve the future marine economic development strategy. He boldly proposed to the Ministry of National Defense and the Chairman of the Council of Ministers (now the Government) to urgently survey and build floating structures on submerged coral reefs, forming an outer ring from Ba Ke Shoal (bordering the Spratly Islands) to Ca Mau Shoal (the area bordering the seas of Malaysia and the Philippines).

Previously, on November 6, 1988, Lieutenant Colonel Pham Xuan Hoa, Commander of the 171st Naval Brigade, led a team to survey the continental shelf. Equipped with depth-measuring equipment, the ships HQ-713 and HQ-668 surveyed and measured an area of ​​60,000 square kilometers, identifying shoals and reefs such as Ba Ke, Phuc Tan, Phuc Nguyen, Que Duong, Tu Chinh, and Huyen Tran. It was from this data that the DK1 platform system was built. In June 1989, the first platform at Phuc Tan reef was completed and put into operation under the name DK1/3. From then until 1998, an additional 20 DK1 platforms were built. Currently, there are a total of 15 offshore platforms in operation across 7 clusters, including 8 platforms with helicopter landing pads on their roofs, 4 platforms with lighthouses, and 1 platform with a meteorological observation station.

DK1 is an Economic-Scientific-Service Complex built in the form of offshore platforms on the southern continental shelf of Vietnam. While named an economic-scientific-service station, these platforms actually serve as support for fishermen, navigational aids for passing ships, hydrological data collection points, and combat readiness units for defending the country's maritime and airspace. These platforms are "living sovereignty markers" at sea, affirming the sacred and inviolable territorial sovereignty of the southern continental shelf. For the past 23 years, the DK1 platforms have stood proudly in the open sea, a testament to the silent dedication and sacrifice of the officers and soldiers who are working day and night on these platforms.

Over the years, the Party, the State, as well as agencies, units, and people nationwide have recognized the importance and the difficulties and shortages faced by those stationed on the offshore platforms, leading to increased attention and investment in their development. Currently, 100% of the platforms have electricity powered by solar energy, and living conditions are gradually improving. On Saturday afternoons, the soldiers can call home to check on their families, and information is updated via the internet… Despite the remoteness, hardships, and difficult conditions, their greatest aspiration is to resolutely protect the sovereignty of the nation's seas, islands, and continental shelf.

Pham Bang (Email from DK1 Platform)