Soldiers take part in the air defence training course on January 26. Royal Cambodian Army
The Royal Cambodian Armed Forces’ (RCAF) Air Defence Command has announced the successful conclusion of a refresher course in the use of medium altitude anti-aircraft artillery.
It explained that the course was designed to improve soldier’s abilities to use modern air-defence equipment, in line with the modernisation of the Kingdom’s military to strengthen its capacity to defend the motherland.
The closing ceremony of the “2023 Air Defence Artillery Course” was presided over by Heng Hong, deputy commander of the Royal Cambodian Army, at the Air Defence Command headquarters in Phnom Penh on January 26, according to an army social media post.
The three-month course saw 89 military personnel graduate, with one more than third of them obtaining scores in the highest passing grade bracket.
During the event, Hong described the training course as making a real contribution to increasing the knowledge and skills of the army, in accordance with the evolution of modern technology.
“The excellent results of these soldiers reflect the efforts of the Air Defence Command headquarters, and the total commitment of all military instructors and trainees to ensuring the programme was a success,” he said.
He instructed each of the participants to maintain their patriotic spirits and obey the orders of the Ministry of National Defence.
He also highlighted the need for the Kingdom’s military to continue to review its tactics and training, in order to keep abreast of the latest technology.
Yang Peou, secretary-general of the Royal Academy of Cambodia, said he supported the strengthening of the RCAF and its weapon systems, whether the army, navy or air force.
He noted that the air defence training was a fair response to an evolving world, as it could prevent future aggression by increasing Cambodia’s ability to defend its airspace.
“I believe that we should further improve the rules and regulations of the army. I would also like to see the upgrading of the military’s weapons systems, as this is something that will have to happen in the future anyway.
“Weapons and armaments must be developed, but we must remember that the human resources who will use them need to be developed at the same time,” he said.
He added that no country in the world has stopped increasing its military capabilities, noting that thanks to the peace and stability enjoyed by the Kingdom, now is the right time to boost the military’s capacity in all areas.
