Submarine 183 is named after Ho Chi Minh City, the key economic center in the south of the country. The officers and sailors of Submarine 183 were selected from different regions.

The beginning 

On September 12, 2011, in Vinh Yen City in Vinh Phuc province, a training course in Russian was opened for officers and sailors of Submarine 183. The major tasks of the training course were practicing physical exercises and providing professional knowledge in Russian for the staff in the first phase of the process of training submarine sailors in Russia later.

Six months later, the trainees of Team 2 could recognize Russian letters and communicate.

On April 18, 2012, the team left Vietnam for Russia, where they underwent training and faced daily difficulties because of cultural, food and language differences, and severe weather conditions. 

After six months of studying in Russia, the officers and sailors of Submarine 183 passed the tests on Russian language skills and entered the professional training phase.

Tough pressure

The worst pressure on officers and crew was that they had to master specialized submarine knowledge. The Kilo submarine was new modern equipment, which the Vietnamese crew had accessed for the first time.

The materials instructing the use of the submarine had not been translated into Vietnamese and specialized terms were very difficult. To have a thorough grasp of professional knowledge, each sailor had to concentrate on their work, stay determined, and take advantage of every minute to learn about submarine technique.

Major Nguyen Manh Chinh, head of the ship's hold, said in addition to professional training hours, to qualify for internships, sailors had to learn how to protect the ship and escape and practice light diving. This was a dangerous exercise which required each officer and sailor to be mentally strong, highly focused, and calm.

“One wrong operation was enough to endanger our lives,” Chinh recalled. 

During the internship, the crew conducted training trips in the Baltic Sea on their own ship. Just after a short time, the crew completed the specialized training lessons.

During the first deep dive in the Baltic Sea, a submarine sailor initiation ceremony was organized. All of the officers and sailors received the "Submarine Sailor Certificate" and officially became submarine sailors of the Vietnam People's Navy, 18 months earlier than initially planned.

Strong determination

However, the certificate did not mean that the sailors overcame all difficulties.  After returning to Vietnam, the submarine and its crew continued to face challenges, especially a lack of experience. But the leaders and crew vowed to master the equipment and technology within the shortest possible time.

During the training process, Russian experts praised the sense of responsibility, strong determination and the eagerness to learn, as well as the endurance of Vietnamese soldiers.

After another six months of training, the team was recognized as meeting requirements to operate the submarine independently. Submarine 183 and its crew were approved to be included in the army's battle squad six months earlier than planned.

Since then, Submarine 183 has completed many trips to the ocean, with thousands of hours of diving, tens of thousands of miles of travel on the sea, including long trips, and diving for many days and nights at different depth levels amid complex meteorological and hydrographic conditions.

The submarine has successfully completed many important tasks such as firing torpedoes, dropping torpedoes and conducting resistance exercises at the highest level. The results affirm the independence, autonomy, and creativity of the officers and sailors in protecting the national seabed sovereignty.

Lieutenant Colonel Le Ba Tinh, Captain of Submarine 183 – HCM City, said the submarine sailors are always ready to go to sea, and ready to perform their duties when commanded. Preparing for a sea trip is preparing for a real combat mission, and mistakes, including minor ones, must not occur.

The preparation time for each sea trip is short, while the time on the sea is long, and soldiers have to work in narrow spaces, and must be independent, self-controlled and decisive. 

Submarine 183 has been awarded the Third Class Fatherland Defense Medal by the President.

Dac Thang - Van Thuan