General Department of Defence Intelligence

The General Department of Defence Intelligence (GDDI; Vietnamese: Tổng cục Tình báo quốc phòng – TBQP, lit. 'General Department of Intelligence for national defence', sometimes Tổng cục Tình báo, lit. 'General Department of Intelligence'),^[1] also recognized by its internal designation General Department II (Tổng cục II or less formally Tổng cục 2 – TC2),^[2] is a general department (tổng cục)-level agency under the Vietnam Ministry of Defence and the strategic military intelligence service of the Vietnam People’s Army, which practically being the biggest existing intelligence body under the Vietnamese government. GDDI is intended to directly carry out intelligence activities at the strategic level, meanwhile serving as the advisory organ for the Minister of National Defence and the General Chief of Staff to consult on the force organization and intelligence operations. It is the lead department directly responsible for instructing and guiding the army’s military intelligence and reconnaissance network in terms of professional intelligence in Vietnam.^[3]

General Department of Defence Intelligence
General Department II

Tổng cục Tình báo quốc phòng Tổng cục II
Seal of GDDI
Flag of General Department II as a unit under the Vietnam People's Army
Agency overview
Formed	25 October 1945; 79 years ago (1945-10-25)
Preceding agencies	Military Intelligence Division (1946–1947; 1957–1995) Intelligence Agency (1947–1950) Communication Department (1951–1957)
Jurisdiction	Vietnam People's Army
Headquarters	Bắc Từ Liêm District, Hanoi
Employees	~25.000
Annual budget	Classified
Agency executives	Phạm Ngọc Hùng, director general Lê Quang Minh, Commissar Đặng Vũ Chính, 1st Deputy Director
Parent department	CPV CMC
Parent agency	SRV MoD

Combat formations

GDDI commissions at least three formal combatant brigades, being field reconnaissance formations.^[4] Designated as the special reconnaissance forces (trinh sát đặc nhiệm), they are capable of conducting dedicated frontline military offensive operations as well as infiltration campaigns serving the Vietnamese interests. A majority of GDDI's characteristics and organization is not formally publicized.

• Brigade K3 (Lữ đoàn K3): Northern Vietnam region.^[5]
• Brigade 74 (or 74th Brigade; Lữ đoàn 74): Central Vietnam and Central Highlands.^[6]
• Brigade 94 (or 94th Brigade; Lữ đoàn 94): Southern Vietnam region.