Drones have provided us with some entertaining and sometime mind-blowing views of Vietnam. However, few drone operators seem to be aware that they need permission from the Ministry of Defense to operate the devices, according to a long-neglected government decree.
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Decree No. 36, issued back in 2008, states that those seeking to send their drones into the skies above Vietnam must apply for a flying permit, reports Tuoi Tre.
“The Department of Operations under the General Staff of the Vietnam People's Army is in charge of granting permission for the use of drones, according to Decree No. 36,” wrote the paper, adding that, “The decree was amended and supplemented in 2011, and the ministry has recently issued a new dispatch to remind the public of such regulations, which they are required to abide by.”
Lieutenant General Vu Van Hien, chief of the secretariat of the Defense Ministry, told Tuoi Tre that the document is intended to “…increase public understanding of aviation management and national security.”
As drones are often used in Vietnam’s urban areas, the ministry said that they may pose risks to civil and military aviation operations and could be “…taken advantage of by rival forces.”
It’s unclear if those who fail to apply for permission to launch their drones will face fines or other penalties.
