People's Army of Vietnam - Wikipedia, The Free Encyclopedia

Vietnam People's Army

Qun i Nhn dn Vit Nam

Flag of Vietnam People's Army. Slogan translates as

"Determined to win."

Founded December 22, 1944

Service

branches

Ground Forces[N 1]

Navy

Air Force

Border Defense Force

Coast Guard

Headquarters Hanoi, Vietnam

Leadership

Commander-

in-chief

President Trng Tn Sang

Minister of

Defence

General Phng Quang Thanh

Chief of Staff Colonel General B T

Manpower

Military age 1825 years old

Conscription 18 months for all able-bodied men

Active

personnel

Ground Forces: 412,000[1]

Air Forces, Navy, Border Defence

Force, Marine Police: unknown

Deployed

personnel

Paramilitary: 40,000

Expenditures

Budget US $7.8 billion (Military Balance

2013)

Percent of

GDP

5% (2013 est.)

Industry

People's Army of VietnamFrom Wikipedia, the free encyclopedia

The Vietnam People's Army (VPA; Vietnamese: Qun i Nhn DnVit Nam), also known as the Vietnamese People's Army and thePeople's Army of Vietnam, is the armed forces of the Socialist Republicof Vietnam. The VPA includes: Ground Force (including Strategic RearForces), Navy, Air Force, Border Defense Force, and Coast Guard.However, Vietnam does not have a specific separate Ground Forces orArmy branch. All of the ground troops, army corps, military districts, andspecialized arms belong to the Ministry of Defence (Vietnam), directlyunder command of the Central Military Commission, Minister of Defence,and General Staff (Vietnam People's Army).

The military flag of the Vietnam People's Army is the flag of the SocialistRepublic of Vietnam with the words Quyt thng (Determination to Win)added in yellow at the top left.

During the French Indochina War (19461954), the VPA was oftenreferred to as the Vit Minh. In the context of the Vietnam War(19591975), the army was referred to as the North Vietnamese Army(NVA). This allowed writers, the U.S. military, and the general public, todistinguish northern communists from the southern communists, or VietCong. However, both groups ultimately worked under the same commandstructure. According to Hanoi's official history, the Vietcong was a branch

of the VPA.[3] In 2010 the Vietnam People's Army undertook the role ofleading the 1,000th Anniversary Parade in Hanoi by performing theirbiggest parade in Vietnam's history.

Contents

1 History

1.1 Establishment1.2 French Indochina War

1.3 Vietnam War

1.4 Military activities (19751990)

1.5 Peacetime

1.6 International presence

2 Front Corporations & Illegal Logging in Laos

3 Organization

4 Service branches

4.1 Vietnam People's Ground Forces

4.1.1 Structure

4.1.2 Military regions

4.1.3 Main force

4.1.4 Local forces

4.2 Vietnam People's Navy

4.3 Vietnam People's Air Force

4.4 Vietnam Border Defense Force

4.5 Vietnam Coast Guard

5 Ranks and insignia

6 Equipment

People's Army of Vietnam - Wikipedia, the free encyclopedia https://en.wikipedia.org/wiki/People's_Army_of_Vietnam

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Domestic

suppliersViettel MobileHong Ha shipbuilding company(Z173) (http://www.ckt.gov.vn/modules.php?name=Story&td=view_article&id=68)

189 Shipbuilding Company (Z189)

(http://www.189shipbuilding.com.vn/)

Song Thu Shipbuilding Company

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Service Flight Corporation

(http://www.vnh.com.vn/en/front-

end/index.asp)

Group 559

15 company

Precision Engineering 17 company

(Z117)

Ba Son trust-company

(http://basonshipyard.vn/)

Foreign

suppliers

Russia

India

Czech Republic

France

Israel

Ukraine

Romania

Sweden

Turkey

Bulgaria

Former:

Soviet Union

Related articles

HistoryMilitary history of Vietnam

World War II (Anti-Japanese

Campaign 19441945)

First Indochina War (Against

France and French-sponsored

local forces, 19461954)

Second Indochina War

(Vietnam War) (Against the

United States and South

Vietnamese forces,

19541975)

CambodianVietnamese War

(Against the Khmer Rouge,

19771989)

Sino-Vietnamese War (Against

China, 1979)

Sino-Vietnamese border

General V Nguyn Gip in the

establishment date of VPA in

1944

Vietnam General Staff in First

Indochina War and Vietnam War,

from left: Prime Minister Phm

Vn ng, President Ho Chi

Minh, General Secretary Trng

Chinh and General V Nguyn

Gip

7 Notes

8 References

9 Notes

10 External links

History

Establishment

The Vietnam People's Army was firstconceived in September 1944 at thefirst Revolutionary Party MilitaryConference as "armed propagandabrigades" to educate, recruit andmobilize the Vietnamese in order tocreate a main force to drive the Frenchcolonial and Japanese occupiers from

Vietnam.[4] Under the guidelines ofH Ch Minh, V Nguyn Gip wasgiven the task of establishing thebrigades and the Armed PropagandaUnit for National Liberation came intoexistence on December 22, 1944. Thefirst formation was made up of thirtyone men and three women, armed withtwo revolvers, seventeen rifles, onelight machine gun, and fourteen

breech-loading flintlocks.[5]

The group was renamed the "Vietnam

Liberation Army" in May 1945.[6] InSeptember, the army was againrenamed the "Vietnam National

Defence Army."[6] At this point, it had

about 1,000 soldiers.[6] In 1950, itofficially became the People's Army ofVietnam.

V Nguyn Gip went on to become the first full General of the VPA onMay 28, 1948, and famous for leading the VPA in victory over Frenchforces at the Battle of Dien Bien Phu in 1954 and being in overallcommand against US backed South Vietnam at the Fall of Saigon on April30, 1975.

French Indochina War

On January 7, 1947, its first regiment, the 102nd 'Capital' Regiment, was

created for operations around Hanoi.[7] Over the next two years, the firstdivision, the 308th Division, later well known as the Pioneer Divisionformed by the 88th Tu Vu Regiment and the 102nd Capital Regiment. Bylate 1950 the 308th Division had a full three infantry regiments, when itwas supplemented by the 36th Regiment. At that time, the 308th Divisionwas also backed by the 11th Battalion that later became the main force of


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conflicts (border clashes with

China, 19791990)

Vietnamese border raids in

Thailand (Against the Khmer

Rouge insurgents and

Thailand, 19791989)

ThaiLaotian Border War

(Against Thailand to defend its

ally, Laos, 19871988)

Clashes in Cambodia (Against

the co-premier Norodom

Ranariddh and the Khmer

Rouge, 1997)

Insurgency in Laos (secret war

in Laos against Hmong

separatists, 1975present)[2]

War against rebellions

19751992 (against FULRO

and several insurgent groups)

Ranks Vietnamese military ranks and

insignia

Victory in Battle of Dien Bien

Phu

Vietnamese troops in Vietnam

War, 1967

the 312th Division. In late 1951, after launching three campaigns againstthree French strongpoints in the Red River Delta, the VPA refocused onbuilding up its ground forces further, with five new divisions, each of1015,000 men, created: the 304th Glory Division at Thanh Ha, the 312thVictory Division in Vinh Phuc, the 316th Bong Lau Division in thenorthwest border region, the 320th Delta Division in the north Red RiverDelta, the 325th Binh Tri Thien Division in Binh Tri Thien province. Alsoin 1951, the first artillery Division, the 351st Division was formed, andlater, before Battle of Dien Bien Phu in 1954, for the first time in history, itwas equipped by 24 captured 105mm US howitzers supplied by theChinese People's Liberation Army. The first six divisions (308th, 304th,312nd, 316th, 320th, 325th) became known as the original VPA 'Steel andIron' divisions. In 1954 four of these divisions (the 308th, 304th, 312nd,316th, supported by the 351st Division's captured U.S. howitzers) defeatedthe French Union forces at the Battle of Dien Bien Phu, ending 83 years ofFrench rule in Indochina.

Vietnam War

Soon after the 1954 Geneva Accords,the 330th and 338th Divisions wereformed by southern Vietminhmembers who had moved north inconformity with that agreement, andby 1955, six more divisions wereformed: the 328th, 332nd, and 350th in the north of the DRV, the 305th and the 324th nearthe DMZ, and the 335 Division of soldiers repatriated from Laos. In 1957, the theaters ofthe war with the French were reorganized as the first five military regions, and in the nexttwo years, several divisions were reduced to brigade size to meet the manpowerrequirements of collective farms.

By 1958 it was becoming increasingly clear that the South Vietnamese government wassolidifying its position as an independent republic under Ng nh Dim who staunchlyopposed the terms of the Geneva Accord that required a national referendum onunification of north and south Vietnam under a single national government, and NorthVietnam prepared to settle the issue of unification by force.

In May 1959 the first major steps to prepare infiltration routes into South Vietnam weretaken; Group 559 was established, a logistical unit charged with establishing routes intothe south via Laos and Cambodia, which later became famous as the Ho Chi Minh trail. Atabout the same time, Group 579 was created as its maritime counterpart to transportsupplies into the South by sea. Most of the early infiltrators were members of the 338thDivision, former southerners who had been settled at Xuan Mai from 1954 onwards.

Regular formations were sent to Southern Vietnam from 1965 onwards; the 325thDivision's 101B Regiment and the 66th Regiment of the 304th Division met U.S. forces

on a large scale, a first for the VPA, at the Battle of Ia Drang Valley in November 1965. The 308th Division's 88A Regiment,the 312th Division's 141A, 141B, 165A, 209A, the 316th Division's 174A, the 325th Division's 95A, 95B, the 320A Divisionalso faced the US forces which included the 1st Cavalry Division, the 101st Airborne Division, the 173d Airborne Brigade, the4th Infantry Division, the 1st Infantry Division, and the 25th Infantry Division. Those VPA formations were seen as extremelybrave forces by the US forces. Many of those formations later became main forces of the 3rd Division (Yellow Star Division)in Binh Dinh (1965), the 5th Division (1966) of 7th Military Zone (Capital Tactical Area of ARVN), the 7th (created by 141stand 209th Regiments originated in the 312th Division in 1966) and 9th Divisions (first Division of National Liberation Frontof Vietnam in 1965 in Mekong Delta), the 10th Dakto Division in Dakto Highland in 1972 south of Vietnam.

General Trn Vn Tr one-time commander of the B2 Front (Saigon) HQ confirms that even though the VPA and the NLFVwere confident in their ability to defeat the regular ARVN forces, US intervention in Vietnam forced them to reconsider their


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VPA-led forces defeat Khmer

Rouge forces and take Phnom

Penh in 1979

operations. The decision was made to continue to pursue "main force" engagements even though "there were others in theSouth they were not military people who wanted to go back to guerrilla war," but the strategic aims were adjusted to meetthe new reality.

"We had to change our plan and make it different from when we fought the Saigon regime, because we now had to fight twoadversaries the United States and South Vietnam. We understood that the U.S. Army was superior to our own logistically,in weapons and in all things. So strategically we did not hope to defeat the U.S. Army completely. Our intentions were to fighta long time and cause heavy casualties to the United States, so the United States would see that the war was unwinnable and

would leave."[8]

During the Vietnamese Lunar New Year Tt holiday]] starting on January 30, 1968, the VPA launched a general offensive inmore than 60 cities and towns throughout south of Vietnam against the US Army and Army of the Republic of Vietnam-(ARVN), beginning with operations in the border region to try and draw US forces and ARVN troops out of the major cities.In sequential coordinated attacks, the US Embassy in Saigon, Presidential Palace, Headquarters of ARVN and ARVN's Navy,TV and Radio Stations, Tan Son Nhat International Airport in Saigon were attacked and invaded by commando forces knownas "Dac Cong".

This offensive became known as the "Tet Offensive."

The offensives caught the world's attention day-by-day and demoralized the US public and military, both at home and abroad.The VPA sustained heavy losses of its main forces in southern military zones. Some of its regular forces and commandstructure had to escape to Laos and Cambodia to avoid counterattacks from US forces and ARVN, while local guerrillas forcesand political organizations in South Vietnam were exposed and had a hard time remaining within the Mekong Delta area dueto the extensive use of the Phoenix Program and were never restored.

Although the VPA lost militarily to the US forces and ARVN in the south, the political impact of the war in the United States

was strong.[9] Public demonstrations increased in ferocity and quantity after the Tet Offensive. Onwards from 1970, the 5th,7th, and 9th divisions had fought in Cambodia against US forces, ARVN, and Cambodian Prime Minister Lon Nol's troops butthey had gained new allies: the Khmer Rouge and guerrilla fighters supporting deposed Prime Minister Sihanouk. In 1975 theVPA were successful in aiding the Khmer Rouge in toppling the Lon Nol's US-backed regime, despite heavy US bombing.

Nearly two years after the United States' withdrawal from Indochina in accord with the terms of the 1973 Paris Peace Accords,the VPA launched a Spring Offensive aimed at uniting Vietnam. Without direct support of its US ally, and suffering fromstresses caused by dwindling aid, the ARVN was ill prepared to confront the highly motivated VPA, and despite numericalsuperiority of the ARVN in tactical aircraft, armored vehicles and overwhelming three to one odds in regular troops, the VPAquickly secured victory within two months and captured Saigon on April 30, 1975, effectively ending the 70 years of conflictstemming from French colonial invasion of the 19th century and unifying Vietnam.

Military activities (19751990)

Towards the second half of the 20th century the armed forces of Vietnam wouldparticipate in organized incursions to protect its citizens and allies against aggressivemilitary factions in the neighboring Indochinese countries of Laos and Cambodia, and thedefensive border wars with China.

The VPA had forces in Laos in order to secure the Hochiminh Trail and to militarily

support the Pathet Lao. In 1975 the Pathet Lao and NVA forces succeeded in toppling the

Royal Laotian regime and installing a new, and pro-Hanoi government, the Lao People's

Democratic Republic,[10] that rules Laos to this day.

Parts of Sihanouk's neutral Cambodia were occupied by troops as well. A pro US coup led

by Lon Nol in 1970 led to the foundation pro-US Khmer Republic state. This marked the

beginning of the Cambodian Civil War. The VPA aided Khmer Rouge forces in toppling

Lon Nol's government in 1975. In 1978, along with the FUNSK Cambodian Salvation Front, the Vietnamese and

Ex-Khmer Rouge forces succeeded in toppling Pol Pot's Democratic Kampuchea regime and installing a new

government, the People's Republic of Kampuchea.[11]

During the Sino-Vietnamese War and the Sino-Vietnamese conflicts 197990, Vietnamese forces would conduct cross-


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border raids into Chinese territory in order to destroy artillery ammunition. This greatly contributed to the outcome of

the Sino-Vietnamese War, as the Chinese forces ran out of ammunition already at an early stage and had to call in

reinforcements.

While occupying Cambodia, Vietnam launched several armed incursions into Thailand in pursuit of Cambodianguerillas that had taken refuge on the Thai side of the border.

Both in Cambodia and in Laos, the heavily armed and battle-hardened Vietnam People's Army were a valuable ally to thePathet Lao and the Khmer Rouge forces, providing economic and military aid, also with new weapons, technologies andintelligence. Some claimed that just like the US Army's relationship with the ARVN, Kingdom of Laos and the KhmerRepublic, the VPA was the real power standing behind them and played key roles in bringing both the Khmer Rouge andPathet Lao to power.

Peacetime

During peaceful periods, the VPA has actively been involved in Vietnam's workforce to develop the economy of Vietnam, tocoordinate national defense and the economy. The VPA has regularly sent troops to aid with natural disasters such as flooding,landslides etc. The VPA is also involved in such areas as industry, agriculture, forestry, fishery and telecommunications. TheVPA has numerous small firms which have become quite profitable in recent years. However, recent decrees have effectivelyprohibited the commercialisation of the military. A conscription is in place for every male, age 18 to 25 years old, thoughfemales can volunteer to join.

International presence

The Foreign Relations Department of the Ministry of National Defense organizes international operations of the VPA.

Apart from its occupation of half of the disputed Spratly Islands, which have been claimed as Vietnamese territory since the17th century, Vietnam has not officially had forces stationed internationally since its withdrawal from Cambodia and Laos inearly 1990.

The Center for Public Policy Analysis and non-governmental organizations (NGOs) as well as Laotian and Hmong humanrights organizations, including the Lao Human Rights Council, Inc. and the United League for Democracy in Laos, Inc., haveprovided evidence that since the end of the Vietnam War, significant numbers of Vietnamese military and security forcescontinue to be sent to Laos, on a repeated basis, to quell and suppress Laotian political and religious dissident and opposition

groups including the peaceful 1999 Lao Students for Democracy protest in Vientiane in 1999 and the Hmong rebellion.[12][13]

[14][15][16][17][18][19][20][21][22] Rudolph Rummel has estimated that 100,000 Hmong perished in genocide between 1975 and

1980 in collaboration with Vietnam People's Army.[23] For example, in late November 2009, shortly before the start of the2009 Southeast Asian Games in Vientiane, the Vietnamese army undertook a major troop surge in key rural and mountainous

provinces in Laos where Lao and Hmong civilians and religious believers, including Christians, have sought sanctuary.[24][25]

Front Corporations & Illegal Logging in Laos

According to The Center for Public Policy Analysis (CPPA), the Environmental Investigation Agency (EIA), otherenvironmental and human rights organizations and independent journalists, Vietnam People's Army-owned corporationscontinue to engage in illegal and clandestine logging in Laos with troops and military equipment, which often results in

military attacks on indigenous Hmong and Laotian highland peoples to remove them by force from the land.[26][27][28][29]

According to the CPPA, lhe lucrative trade in illegal logs and timber in Laos, including teak wood, is likely used to

supplement the military's budget, and that of key officers and corrupt Communist party officials in Hanoi and Vientiane.[30]

Organization


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Insignia of the General

Staff

VPA's structure

The Commander-in-Chief of the Armed Forces is the President of Vietnam, though this position is nominal and real power isassumed by the Central Military Commission of the ruling Communist Party of Vietnam. The secretary of Central MilitaryCommission (usually the General Secretary of the Communist Party of Vietnam) is the de facto Commander and now isNguyn Ph Trng.

The Minister of National Defense oversees operations of the Ministry of Defence, and the VPA. He also oversees suchagencies as the General Staff and the General Logistics Department. However, military policy is ultimately directed by theCentral Military Commission of the ruling Communist Party of Vietnam.

Ministry of Defence: is the lead organization, highest command and management of the

Vietnam People's Army.

General Staff Department: is leading agency all levels of the Vietnam People's Army,command all of the armed forces, which functions to ensure combat readiness of the armed

forces and manage all military activities in peace and war.

General Political Department: is the agency in charge of Communist Party affairs

political work in the People's Army, which operates under the direct leadership of the

Secretariat of the Communist Party of Vietnam and the Central Military Party Committee.

General Military Intelligence Department: is an intelligence agency of the Vietnamese

government and military.

General Logistical Department: is the agency in charge to ensure the full logistical and military unit.

General Technical Department: is the agency in charge to ensure equipped technical means of war for the army and

each unit.

General Military Industry Department: is the agency in charge guide task to defense perform and production.

Service branches

The Vietnamese People's Army is subdivided into the following service branches:

Vietnam People's Ground Forces (Lc qun Nhn dn Vit Nam)


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Signal of Vietnam

People's Army

Vietnam People's Navy (Hi qun Nhn dn Vit Nam)

Vietnam People's Air Force (Khng qun Nhn dn Vit Nam)

Vietnam Border Defense Force (Bin phng Vit Nam)

Vietnam Coast Guard (Cnh st bin Vit Nam)

The Vietnamese People's Army is a "triple armed force" composed of the Main Force, the LocalForce and the Border Force. As with most countries' armed forces, the VPA consists of standing,or regular, forces as well as reserve forces. During peacetime, the standing forces are minimized innumber, and kept combat-ready by regular physical and weapons training, and stock maintenance.

Vietnam People's Ground Forces

In the Vietnam People's Army, Ground Forces haven't been established as a full Command, thus all of the ground troops,army corps, military districts, specialized arms belong to the Ministry of Defence (Vietnam), under directly command of theGeneral Staff (Vietnam People's Army). The Vietnam Strategic Rear Forces (Lc lng d b chin lc) is also a part of theGround Forces.

Structure

InfantryTank &

ArmoredArtillery Commando

Armored

InfantrySapper

Medical

CorpsInformation

Transport Technology Chemical OrdnanceMilitary

CourtEnsemble

Military

Sports

Military

Bands

Military regions

1st Military Region: command the North East of Vietnam. Headquarters: Thi Nguyn

2nd Military Region: command the North West of Vietnam. Headquarters: Vit Tr, Ph Th

3rd Military Region: command the Red River Delta. Headquarters: Hai Phong

4th Military Region: command the North Central of Vietnam. Headquarters: Vinh, Ngh An

5th Military Region: command the South Central Vietnam include the Central Highlands and Southern Central coastal

provinces. Headquarters: Da Nang7th Military Region: command the South East Vietnam. Headquarters: Ho Chi Minh City

9th Military Region: command the Mekong Delta. Headquarters: Cn Th

High Command of Capital Hanoi: command the capital of the state. Headquarters: Ha Noi

Main force

The main force of the VPA consists of combat ready troops, as well as support units such as educational institutions forlogistics, officer training, and technical training. In 1991, Conboy et al. stated that the VPA Ground Force had four 'Strategic

Army Corps' in the early 1990s, numbering 14, from north to south.[32] 1st Corps (Vietnam People's Army), located in theRed River Delta region, consisted of the 308th (one of the six original 'Steel and Iron' divisions) and 312th Divisions, and the309th Infantry Regiment. The other three corps, 2 SAC, 3 SAC, and 4 SAC, were further south, with 4th Corps (VietnamPeople's Army), in what was South Vietnam, consisting of two former PLAF divisions, the 7th and 9th.


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Vietnam Map with eight Military Districts and four

Corps

Vietnamese troops on Spratly Island

Vietnam self-produced Scud-B tactical

ballistic missiles[31]

The IISS Military Balance 2008 attributes the Vietnamese ground forces

with an estimated 412,000 personnel.[1] Formations, according to the IISS,include nine military districts, 14 corps headquarters (10 being military'seconomic corps), 10 armoured brigades, three mechanised infantrydivisions, and 67 infantry divisions whose strengths range from 5,000 to12,500. The 2008 IISS estimate of 14 corps headquarters appears to be toohigh. Vietnamese Wikipedia entries suggest that a number of other corpsheadquarters, including the 5th, 14th, and 68th, have indeed existed in thepast, but now have been disbanded.

Smaller formations include 17 independent infantry regiments, oneairborne brigade, various c cng brigades and battalions of both of landcombat c cng b, urban combat c cng bit ng andwater-based combat c cng nc (special task force units with uniquehigh-level guerrilla offensive combat tactics, sometimes incorrectlyidentified as "Sappers"; previously there had been a commando huntingforce of this branch during Vietnam war, which has now evolved into ananti-terrorist force), more than 10 brigades of field artillery, eight divisionsand more than 20 independent brigades of engineers, and 1016 economicconstruction divisions.

1st Corps Binh on Quyt thng (Corps with Determination to

Win):

First organized on October 24, 1973 during the Vietnam War, 1st Corps had amajor role in the Ho Chi Minh Campaign that ended the war. Stationed in Tamip District, Ninh Bnh. The combat forces of the corps include:

308th Division

312th Infantry Division

390th Division

367th Air Defence Division

202nd Tank Brigade

45th Artillery Brigade

299th Engineers Brigade

2nd Corps Binh on Hng Giang (Corps of the Perfume River):

First organized on May 17, 1974 during the Vietnam War, 2nd Corps had a majorrole in the Ho Chi Minh Campaign that ended the war. Stationed in Lng GiangDistrict, Bc Giang. The combat forces of the corps include:

304th Division


325th Division

673rd Air Defence Division

203rd Tank Brigade

164th Artillery Brigade

219th Engineers Brigade

3rd Corps Binh on Ty Nguyn (Corps of Ty Nguyn)(Corps of the

Western Plateau (Central Highlands)):


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Ministry of Defence

Command

General Staff

Services

Ground Force

Air Force

Navy

Border Guard

Coast Guard

Ranks of the Vietnamese Military

Ground Force ranks and insignia

Air Force ranks and insignia

Navy ranks and insignia

Border Guard ranks and insignia

Coast Guard ranks and insignia

History of the Vietnamese Military

History of Vietnamese military ranks

Military history of Vietnam

Vietnam People's ArmyFirst organized on March 26, 1975 during the Vietnam War, 3rd Corps had a major rolein the Ho Chi Minh Campaign and the CambodianVietnamese War. Stationed inPleiku, Gia Lai. The combat forces of the corps include:


31st Infantry Division


312th Air Defence Regiment

273rd Tank Regiment

675th Artillery Regiment

198th Special Force Regiment

29th Signal Regiment

545th Engineers Regiment

4th Corps Binh on Cu Long (Corps of Cuu Long (Mekong)):

First organized July 20, 1974 during the Vietnam War, 4th Corps had a major role inthe Ho Chi Minh Campaign and the CambodianVietnamese War. Stationed in D An,Bnh Dng. The combat forces of the corps include:




71st Air Defence Regiment

24th Artillery Regiment

429th Special Force Regiment

550th Engineers Regiment

Local forces

Local forces are an entity of the VPA that, together with the militia and "self-defenseforces," act on the local level in protection of people and local authorities. While thelocal forces are regular VPA forces, the militia consists of rural civilians, and theself-defense forces consist of civilians who live in urban areas and/or work in largegroups, such as at construction sites or farms. The current number stands at 34million part-time soldiers.

Vietnam People's Navy

Vietnam People's Air Force

Vietnam Border Defense Force

Vietnam Coast Guard

As mentioned above, reserves exist in all branches and are organized in the same way as the standing forces, with the samechain of command, and with officers and non-commissioned officers.

Ranks and insignia

The Highest ranks General Officers:


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BM-21 launch vehicle (Russian:

-21 ""), (Grad) a Soviet

truck-mounted 122 mm multiple

rocket launcher

Ranks Translation

Ground

ForcesAir Force Navy

Border

Defense

Vietnam

Coast Guard

i tng General

Thng tng/

c

Colonel General/

Admiral (Navy)

Trung tng/

Ph c

Lieutenant General/

Vice Admiral (Navy)

Thiu tng/

Chun c

Major General/

Rear Admiral (Navy)

Equipment

From the 1960s to 1975, the Soviet Union was the main supplier of military hardwareto North Vietnam. After the latter's victory in the war, it remained the main supplier ofequipment to Vietnam. The United States had been the primary supplier of equipmentto South Vietnam; some of the equipment abandoned by the United States Army andArmy of the Republic of Vietnam came under control of the re-unified Viet Nam'sgovernment. The PAVN captured large numbers of South Vietnamese Army (ARVN)weapons on April 30, 1975 after Saigon was merged (integrated).

3,000+ tanks: 990 T-54/55, 220 T-62, 360 Type 59, and an unknown number of

PT-76B light tanks.

4,000+ APC: details below, ex Soviet and ex US origin

24300 Artillery200 Helicopters

Notes

IISS Military Balance 2008, Routledge for the IISS, London, 2008, p.4081. "HISTORY The Hmong" (http://www.cal.org/CO/hmong/hhist.html). Cal.org. Retrieved November 13, 2011.2. Military History Institute of Vietnam,(2002) Victory in Vietnam: The Official History of the People's Army of Vietnam, 19541975,translated by Merle L. Pribbenow. University Press of Kansas. p. 68. ISBN 0-7006-1175-4.

3.

[1] (http://indochine54.free.fr/vm/vietminh.html#top)4. Macdonald, Peter (1993). Giap: The Victor in Vietnam, pp. 325. Early Day: The Development of the Viet Minh Military Machine (http://indochine54.free.fr/vm/early.html)"6. Conboy, Bowra, and McCouaig, 'The NVA and Vietcong', Osprey Publishing, 1991, p.57. "Interview with NVA General Tran Van Tra" (http://www.historynet.com/interview-with-nva-general-tran-van-tra.htm).8. "Political lessons The Vietnam War and Its Impact" (http://www.americanforeignrelations.com/O-W/The-Vietnam-War-and-Its-Impact-Political-lessons.html). Americanforeignrelations.com. Retrieved November 13, 2011.

9.

Christopher Robbins, The Ravens: Pilots of the Secret War in Laos. Asia Books 2000.10. David P. Chandler, A history of Cambodia, Westview Press; Allen & Unwin, Boulder, Sydney, 199211. Centre for Public Policy Analysis, (CPPA),(30 August 2013), Washington, D.C.,http://www.centerforpublicpolicyanalysis.org12. THE HMONG REBELLION IN LAOS: Victims of Totalitarianism or terrorists? (http://members.ozemail.com.au/~yeulee/Topical13.


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/Hmong%20rebellion%20in%20Laos.html), by Gary Yia Lee, PhD"Vietnamese soldiers attack Hmong in Laos" (http://www.factfinding.org/Past_News_Releases/page95.html). Factfinding.org.Retrieved November 13, 2011.

14.

"Joint-Military Co-operation continues between Laos and Vietnam" (http://www.factfinding.org/News_Release_2006/page4.html).Factfinding.org. Retrieved November 13, 2011.

15.

"Combine Military Effort of Laos and Vietnam" (http://www.factfinding.org/News_Release_2006/page6.html). Factfinding.org.Retrieved November 13, 2011.

16.

"Vietnam, Laos: Military Offensive Launched At Hmong" (http://www.rushprnews.com/2008/03/31/vietnam-laos-military-offensive-launched-at-hmong). Rushprnews.com. Retrieved November 13, 2011.

17.

2008May20: Laos, Vietnam: Attacks Against Hmong Civilians Mount (http://www.cppa-dc.org/id41.html)18. "Laos, Vietnam: New Campaign to Exterminate Hmong" (http://www.prlog.org/10060813-laos-vietnam-new-campaign-to-exterminate-hmong.html). Prlog.org. Retrieved November 13, 2011.

19.

"President Obama Urged To Address Laos, Hmong Crisis During Asia Trip, Student Protests in Vientiane" (http://www.pr-inside.com/president-obama-urged-to-address-laos-r1583086.htm). Pr-inside.com. Retrieved November 13, 2011.

20.

"Hmong: Vietnam VPA, LPA Troops Attack Christians Villagers in Laos" (http://www.unpo.org/content/view/10627/236/). Unpo.org.January 26, 2010. Retrieved November 13, 2011.

21.

"Laos, Vietnam Peoples Army Unleashes Helicopter Gunship Attacks on Laotian and Hmong Civilians, Christian Believers"(http://nickihawj.blogspot.com/2010/02/laos-vietnam-peoples-army-unleashes.html). Nickihawj.blogspot.com. February 11, 2010.Retrieved November 13, 2011.

22.

Statistics of Democide (http://www.hawaii.edu/powerkills/SOD.TAB15.1D.GIF) Rudolph Rummel23. "Vietnam, Laos Crackdown: SEA Games Avoided By Overseas Lao, Hmong in Protest" (http://www.onlineprnews.com/news/13786-1260203762-vietnam-laos-crackdown-sea-games-avoided-by-overseas-lao-hmong-in-protest.html). Onlineprnews.com.December 7, 2009. Retrieved November 13, 2011.

24.

Media-Newswire.com Press Release Distribution (November 26, 2009). "SEA Game Attacks: Vietnam, Laos Military Kill 23 LaoHmong Christians on Thanksgiving" (http://media-newswire.com/release_1106723.html). Media-newswire.com. RetrievedNovember 13, 2011.

25.

Harvey, Rachel, British Broadcasting Corporation, BBC,(28 July 2011) "Vietnam: Army 'colluding' in Laos deforestation"http://www.bbc.co.uk/news/world-asia-pacific-14328213

26.

Environmental Investigation Agency (EIA), (16 December 2011), "Timber smuggling from Laos to Vietnam, in a military style"http://eia-international.org/timber-smuggling-from-laos-to-vietnam-in-a-military-style

27.

Smith, Philip,The Nation,Bangkok, Thailand, (Editorial) (18 March 2011) "Lao govt must release political prisonershttp://www.nationmultimedia.com/opinion/Lao-govt-must-release-political-prisoners-30151179.html

28.

Politics and Government Week (31 March 2011), "Laos, Hmong Crisis: Rights Groups Make International Appeal."http://www.highbeam.com/doc/1G1-253125241.html

29.

Smith, Beaumont, Asia Times,Hong Kong, (5 October 2010) "A Tree Falls in Laos" http://www.atimes.com/atimes/Southeast_Asia/LJ05Ae01.html

30.

http://www.armscontrol.org/factsheets/missiles#331. See also http://www.defencetalk.com/forums/showthread.php?t=636732.

References

Conboy, Bowra, and McCouaig, 'The NVA and Vietcong', Osprey Publishing, 1991.

Military History Institute of Vietnam,(2002) Victory in Vietnam: The Official History of the People's Army of Vietnam,19541975, translated by Merle L. Pribbenow. University Press of Kansas. ISBN 0-7006-1175-4.

Tran, Doan Lam (2012). How the Vietnamese People's Army was Founded. Hanoi: World Publishers.

ISBN 978-604-7705-13-9.

Notes

In the Vietnam People's Army, the Ground Force hasn't been established the Command, all of the ground forces, army corps,specialized arms belong to the Ministry of Defence (Vietnam), under directly command of General Staff (Vietnam People's Army).

1.

External links

Ministry of Defence Vietnam (http://bqp.gov.vn)

Vietnamese People's Army English Edition (http://www.qdnd.vn/QDNDSite/en-US/72/72/Default.aspx)

Center for Public Policy Analysis, Washington, D.C. (http://www.centerforpublicpolicyanalysis.org)


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