The project comes as non-refundable aid funded by the Office of Defence Cooperation (ODC) of the US Embassy in Vietnam to support the Vietnam National Mine Action Centre (VNMAC).
The handover ceremony was attended by Senior Lieutenant General Phung Si Tan, Deputy Chief of the General Staff of the Vietnam People's Army; leaders of Vietnam’s Ministry of Defence; Major General Lance Okamura, Deputy Commanding General for the US Army Pacific; and US Ambassador to Vietnam Marc E. Knapper; among others.
Covering a total area of 2 hectares, the 700,000-USD project aims to enhance Vietnam’s capacity to remove unexploded ordnance (UXO).
Construction began in 2024. The training range complies with International Mine Action Standards (IMAS) and serves in training and enhancing Vietnam’s mine action capacity. It will contribute to the national mine action programme for the 2010–2025 period.
The inauguration of training range marks a significant milestone in the US commitment to addressing the legacies of war and to the USARPAC-Vietnam Humanitarian Mine Action (HMA) programme, while the two countries celebrate 30th anniversary of diplomatic relations.
The US is the largest single donor to the survey and clearance of UXO in Vietnam, contributing more than 250 million USD since 1993. The two countries signed a memorandum of understanding on continued unexploded ordnance cooperation in December 2013 and an in-depth cooperation plan in 2023.
Since 1994, US assistance to remove UXO, as well as risk education programming and community development projects, has significantly improved livelihoods and saved the lives of residents of Central Vietnam.
