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This article is aboutcombined military forceof Vietnam. For "armed forces" of theSocialist Republic of Vietnamwhich consist of the Military (Army),Public Security (Police),and the Self-Defence Militia, seeVietnam People's Armed Forces.For similarly-named newspaper of this military force, seePeople's Army Newspaper.

Vietnam People's Army
Quân đội nhân dân Việt Nam
Emblem
"Determined to win" military flag
MottoQuyết thắng( "Determined to win" )
Founded22 December 1944;79 years ago(1944-12-22)
Current formJuly 7, 1976;48 years ago(1976-07-07)(formal unification of the NVA and theLASV)[1]
Service branches
HeadquartersMinistry of National Defence,Number 7 Nguyễn Tri Phương road, Điện BiênBa Đình,Hà Nội
WebsiteOfficial website
Leadership
Secretary of the Central Military CommissionGeneral SecretaryNguyễn Phú Trọng
Commander-in-ChiefPresidentTô Lâm
Minister of National DefenceGeneralPhan Văn Giang
Chief of the General StaffSr. Lt. Gen.Nguyễn Tân Cương
Director of the General Department of Political AffairsSr. Lt. Gen.Trịnh Văn Quyết
Personnel
Military age18–25 years old (18–27 for those who attend colleges or universities)
Conscription2 year 7 month
Active personnel600,000[3](ranked 7th)
Reserve personnel5,000,000[3]
Expenditure
BudgetUS$7.8 billion (2023)[4]
Percent of GDP~1.6% (2023;projected)[4]
Industry
Domestic suppliers
Foreign suppliers
Historical:
Modern:
Related articles
HistoryMilitary history of Vietnam
List of engagements
RanksMilitary ranks of Vietnam

ThePeople's Army of Vietnam(PAVN), officially theVietnam People's Army(VPA;[11]Vietnamese:Quân đội nhân dân Việt Nam,lit. 'Military of and for thepeopleof Vietnam'[12]), also recognized as theVietnamese Army(Vietnamese:Quân đội Việt Nam,lit. 'Military of Vietnam') or thePeople's Army(Vietnamese:Quân đội Nhân dân), is the nationalmilitary forceof theSocialist Republic of Vietnamand the armed wing of the rulingCommunist Party of Vietnam (CPV).The PAVN is a part of theVietnam People's Armed Forcesand includes: Ground Force,Navy,Air Force,Border GuardandCoast Guard.Vietnam does not have a separate Ground Force orArmyservice. All ground troops, army corps, military districts andspecial forcesare designated under the umbrella termcombined arms(Vietnamese:binh chủng hợp thành) and are belonged to theMinistry of National Defence,directly under the command of theCPV Central Military Commission,theMinister of National Defence,and theGeneral Staff of the Vietnam People's Army.The military flag of the PAVN is theNational flag of the Socialist Republic of Vietnamdefaced with the mottoQuyết thắng (Determination to win)added in yellow at the top left (or by the side of theflagpole).

During theFrench Indochina War(1946–1954), the PAVN was often referred to as theViệt Minh.In the context of theVietnam War(1955–1975), the army was referred to by its opposition forces as theNorth Vietnamese Army(NVA;Vietnamese:Quân đội Bắc Việt), serving as the military force of theDemocratic Republic of Vietnam.This allowed writers, the U.S. military, and the general public, to distinguish northern communists from the southern communists, calledViet Cong(VC), or more formally the National Liberation Front. However, both groups ultimately worked under the same command structure. The Viet Cong had its own military forces called theLiberation Army of South Vietnam(LASV). It was practically considered a branch of the PAVN by the North Vietnamese.[13]In 1976, following the political reunification of Vietnam, LASV was officially disbanded and merged into the so-called NVA to form the existing incarnation of PAVN, serving as the national military of the unified state of Socialist Republic of Vietnam.[14]

History

Before 1945

See also:Military history of Vietnam

The first historical record of Vietnamese military history dates back to the era ofHồng Bàng,the first recorded state in ancient Vietnam to have assembled military force. Since then, military plays a crucial role in developing Vietnamese history due to its turbulent history of wars against China,Champa,Cambodia, Laos and Thailand.

TheSouthern expansionof Vietnam resulted in the destruction of Champa as an independent nation to a level that it did not exist anymore; total destruction ofLuang Prabang;the decline of Cambodia which resulted in Vietnam's annexation ofMekong Deltaand wars against Siam. In most of its history, the Royal Vietnamese Armed Forces was often regarded to be one of the most professional, battle-hardened and heavily trained armies inSoutheast Asiaas well asAsiain a large extent.

Establishment

GeneralVõ Nguyên Giápon the date of the PAVN's establishment in 1944. Chief of General StaffHoàng Văn Tháiwearing a pith helmet and holding the flag.

The PAVN was first conceived in September 1944 at the first Revolutionary Party Military Conference as thePropaganda Unit of the Liberation Army(alternatively translated as theVietnam Propaganda Liberation Army,Việt Nam Tuyên truyền Giải phóng Quân) to educate, recruit and mobilise the Vietnamese to create a main force to drive theFrench colonialandJapanese occupiersfrom Vietnam.[15][16]Under the guidelines ofHồ Chí Minh,Võ Nguyên Giápwas given the task of establishing the brigades and the Propaganda Unit of the Liberation Army came into existence on 22 December 1944. The first formation was made up of thirty-one men and three women, armed with two revolvers, seventeen rifles, one light machine gun, and fourteen breech-loading flintlocks.[17]It fought the PAVN's first ever engagement at theBattles of Khai Phat and Na Nganagainst French soldiers in late 1944. TheUnited States'OSSagents, led byArchimedes Patti– who was sometimes referred as the first instructor of the PAVN due to his role - had provided ammunitions as well as logistic intelligence and equipment. They also helped train these soldiers, who formed the backbone of the Vietnamese military to successfully fight the Japanese and other opponents. For instance, the PAVN's July 19, 1945 attack at Tam Dao internment camp inTonkinsaw 500 soldiers kill fifty Japanese soldiers and officials, freeing French civilian captives and escorting them to the Chinese border. The PAVN also fought theJapanese 21st Divisionin Thai Nguyen that year, and regularly raided rice storehouses to alleviate anongoing famine.[18]

The name was changed to the Vietnam Liberation Army (Việt Nam Giải phóng Quân) on 15 May 1945.[19]TheDemocratic Republic of Vietnamwas proclaimed inHanoibyHo Chi MinhandVietminhon 2 September 1945. Then in September, the army was renamed the VietnamNational Defence Force(Việt Nam Vệ quốc Đoàn).[20][19]At this point, it had about 1,000 soldiers.[19]On 22 May 1946, the army was called theNational Army of Vietnam(Quân đội Quốc gia Việt Nam,not to be confused with the oppositeVietnamese National Armyof the France-associatedState of Vietnamwhich had a synonymous English name and exactly the same Vietnamese name). Lastly, in 1950, it officially became thePeople's Army of Vietnam(orVietnam People's Army,Quân đội Nhân dân Việt Nam).[16]

Võ Nguyên Giáp went on to become the first full general of the PAVN on 28 May 1948, and famous for leading the PAVN in victory over French forces at theBattle of Dien Bien Phuin 1954 and being in overall command against U.S. backedSouth Vietnamat theLiberation of Saigonon 30 April 1975.

French Indochina War

Main article:First Indochina War

On 7 January 1947, its first regiment, the 102nd 'Capital' Regiment, was created for operations aroundHanoi.[21]Over the next two years, the first division, the308th Division,later well known as the Pioneer Division, was formed from the 88th Tu Vu Regiment and the 102nd Capital Regiment. By late 1950 the 308th Division had a full three infantry regiments, when it was supplemented by the 36th Regiment. At that time, the 308th Division was also backed by the 11th Battalion that later became the main force of the312th Division.In late 1951, after launching three campaigns against three French strongpoints in theRed River Delta,the PAVN refocused on building up its ground forces further, with five new divisions, each of 10–15,000 men, created: the304th Glory DivisionatThanh Hóa,the 312th Victory Division in Vinh Phuc, the316th Bong Lau Divisionin the northwest border region, the320th Delta Divisionin the north Red River Delta, the325th Binh Tri Thien Divisionin Binh Tri Thien province. Also in 1951, the first artillery Division, the351st Divisionwas formed, and later, beforeBattle of Dien Bien Phuin 1954, for the first time in history, it was equipped with 24 captured 105mm US howitzers supplied by the ChinesePeople's Liberation Army.The first six divisions (308th, 304th, 312th, 316th, 320th, 325th) became known as the original PAVN 'Steel and Iron' divisions. In 1954, four of these divisions (the 308th, 304th, 312nd, 316th, supported by the 351st Division's captured US howitzers) defeated theFrench Unionforces at the Battle of Dien Bien Phu, ending 83 years of French rule in Indochina.

Vietnam War

Main article:Vietnam War
Vietnamese troops in Vietnam War, 1967
Infiltratorson the move in Laos down the Ho Chi Minh Trail.

Soon after the1954 Geneva Accords,the 330th and 338th Divisions were formed by southern Viet Minh members who had moved north in conformity with that agreement, and by 1955, six more divisions were formed: the 328th, 332nd and 350th in the north of theNorth Vietnam,the 305th and the324thnear theDMZ,and the 335 Division of soldiers repatriated fromLaos.In 1957, the theatres of the war with the French were reorganised as the first five military regions, and in the next two years, several divisions were reduced to brigade size to meet the manpower requirements of collective farms.

By 1958, it was becoming increasingly clear that theSouth Vietnamese governmentwas solidifying its position as an independent republic underNgô Đình Diệm,who staunchly opposed the terms of the Geneva Accords, which required a national referendum on unification of north and south Vietnam under a single national government. North Vietnam prepared to settle the issue of unification by force.

In May 1959, the first major steps to prepare infiltration routes intoSouth Vietnamwere taken;Group 559was established, a logistical unit charged with establishing routes into the south via Laos andCambodia,which later became famous as theHo Chi Minh Trail.At about the same time, Group 579 was created as its maritime counterpart to transport supplies into the South by sea. Most of the early infiltrators were members of the 338th Division, former southerners who had been settled atXuan Maifrom 1954 onwards.

Regular formations were sent to South Vietnam from 1965 onwards; the 325th Division's 101B Regiment and the 66th Regiment of the 304th Division met U.S. forces on a large scale, a first for the PAVN, at theBattle of Ia Drang Valleyin 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 Division also faced the U.S. forces which included the1st Cavalry Division,the101st Airborne Division,the173rd Airborne Brigade,the4th Infantry Division,the1st Infantry Divisionand the25th Infantry Division.Many of those formations later became main forces of the3rd Division(Yellow Star Division) in Binh Dinh (1965), the5th Division(1966) of 7th Military Zone (Capital Tactical Area of ARVN), the7th(created by 141st and 209th Regiments originated in the 312th Division in 1966) and9th Divisions(first Division of National Liberation Front of Vietnam in 1965 in Mekong Delta), the 10th Dakto Division in Dakto –Central Highlandsin 1972.

On 20 December 1960, anti-government forces in South Vietnam joined to form a united front calledNational Liberation Front of South Vietnam(Mặt trận Dân tộc Giải phóng Miền Nam Việt Nam) or simply known as the Vietcong in the United States. On 15 December 1961, the NLF established its own military calledLiberation Army of South Vietnam(LASV) to fight against the American supportedArmy of the Republic of Vietnam.The LASV was controlled and equipped by the PAVN.

GeneralTrần Văn Trà,one-time commander of theB2Front (Saigon) HQ confirms that even though the PAVN and the LASV were confident in their ability to defeat the regular ARVN forces, U.S. intervention in Vietnam forced them to reconsider their operations. The decision was made to continue to pursue "main force" engagements even though "there were others in the South – they were not military people – who wanted to go back to guerrilla war," but the strategic aims were adjusted to meet the 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 two adversaries — 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 fight a long time and cause heavy casualties to the United States, so the United States would see that the war was unwinnable and would leave.[22]

During the Vietnamese Lunar New YearTết holidaystarting on 30 January 1968, the PAVN/VC launched a general offensive in more than 60 cities and towns throughout south of Vietnam against the US Army andArmy 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 coordinated attacks, theU.S Embassy in Saigon,Presidential Palace,Headquarters of the Joint General StaffandRepublic of Vietnam Navy,TV and Radio Stations,Tan Son Nhat Air Basein Saigon were attacked by commando forces known as "đặc công". This offensive became known as the "Tet Offensive".The PAVN sustained heavy losses of its main forces in southern military zones. Some of its regular forces and command structure had to escape to Laos and Cambodia to avoid counterattacks from US forces and ARVN, while local guerrillas forces and political organisations in South Vietnam were exposed and had a hard time remaining within theMekong Deltaarea due to the extensive use of thePhoenix Program.

Although the PAVN lost militarily to the US forces and ARVN in the south, the political impact of the war in the United States was strong.[23]Public demonstrations increased in ferocity and quantity after the Tet Offensive. During 1970, the 5th, 7th and 9th Divisionsfought in Cambodiaagainst U.S., ARVN, and CambodianKhmer National Armed Forcesbut they had gained new allies: theKhmer Rougeand guerrilla fighters supporting deposed Prime MinisterSihanouk.In 1975 the PAVN were successful in aiding theKhmer Rougein topplingLon Nol's U.S.-backed regime, despite heavy US bombing.

After the withdrawal of most U.S. combat forces fromIndochinabecause of theVietnamizationstrategy, the PAVN launched the ill-fatedEaster Offensivein 1972. Although successful at the beginning, the South Vietnamese repulsed the main assaults with U.S. air support. Still North Vietnam retained some South Vietnamese territory.

Nearly two years after the full U.S. withdrawal from Indochina in accordance with the terms of the 1973Paris Peace Accords,the PAVN launched aSpring Offensiveaimed at overthrowing the South Vietnamese government and uniting Vietnam under communist rule. Without direct support of the U.S., and suffering from stresses caused by dwindling aid, the ARVN was ill-prepared to confront the highly motivated PAVN, and despite the on paper superiority of the ARVN, the PAVN quickly secured victory within two months andcaptured Saigonon 30 April 1975, ending the 20 year Vietnam war.

After national reunification, the LASV was officially merged into PAVN on 2 July 1976.

Sino-Vietnamese conflicts (1975–1990)

Main articles:Cambodian–Vietnamese WarandSino-Vietnamese conflicts 1979–90

Towards the second half of the 20th century the armed forces of Vietnam would participate in organised incursions to protect its citizens and allies against aggressive military factions in the neighbouring Indochinese countries of Laos and Cambodia, and the defensive border wars with China.

  • The PAVN had forces in Laos to secure the Ho Chi Minh Trail and to militarily support thePathet Lao.In 1975 the Pathet Lao and PAVN forces succeeded in toppling theRoyal Laotian regimeand installing a new, and pro-Hanoi government, the Lao People's Democratic Republic,[24]that rules Laos to this day.
  • Parts of Sihanouk's neutral Cambodia were occupied by troops as well. A pro US coup led byLon Nolin 1970 led to the foundation pro-USKhmer Republicstate. This marked the beginning of theCambodian Civil War.The PAVN aidedKhmer Rougeforces in toppling Lon Nol's government in 1975. In 1978, along with theFUNSKCambodian Salvation Front, the Vietnamese and Ex-Khmer Rouge forces succeeded in topplingPol Pot'sDemocratic Kampuchearegime and installing a new government, thePeople's Republic of Kampuchea.[25]
  • During theSino-Vietnamese Warand theSino-Vietnamese conflicts 1979–90,Vietnamese forces would conduct cross-border raids into Chinese territory 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 launchedseveral armed incursions into Thailandin pursuit of Cambodian guerrillas that had taken refuge on the Thai side of the border.

Modern deployment

The PAVN has been actively involved in Vietnam's workforce to develop theeconomy of Vietnamby co-ordinating national defence. It has regularly sent troops to aid with natural disasters such as flooding, landslides etc. The PAVN is also involved in such areas as industry, agriculture,forestry,fisheryand telecommunications. The PAVN has numerous small firms which have become quite profitable in recent years. However, recent decrees have effectively prohibited the commercialisation of the military.Conscriptionis in place for theoretically every male, age 18 to 25 years old, with the exception of the disabled and men who attended universities right after high school.

International presence & operations

The Foreign Relations Department of the Ministry of National Defence organises international operations of the PAVN.

Apart from its occupation of half of the disputedSpratly Islands,which have been claimed as Vietnamese territory since the 17th century, Vietnam has not officially had forces stationed internationally since its withdrawal fromCambodiaand Laos in early 1990.

Allegations of Vietnamese assistance for overseas leftist insurgencies

The effectiveness of thePeople's Army of Vietnam Special Operation Forcesduring the Vietnam War saw them instruct various other countries and Marxist rebel groups. From the 1970s to 1990s, they covertly provided training at the PAVN Sapper Training School in via Vietnamese sapper advisors assigned to the Cuban Army's Sapper School in Cuba, and, during the 1980s, by a secret Vietnamese sapper training team stationed in Nicaragua. In addition to training Cambodian, Laotian, Soviet, and Cuban military personnel, their publications revealed that among the foreign revolutionary forces that received training in sapper tactics, bomb-making, and the use of weapons and explosives, were members of the Marxist El Salvadoran FMLN (Farabundo Marti National Liberation Front), the Chilean MIR (Movement of the Revolutionary Left) fighting against the dictatorial regime ofAugusto Pinochet,as well as the Colombian FARC (Revolutionary Armed Forces of Colombia) movement, a Marxist guerilla group.[26]

Allegations of Vietnamese intervention in Lao security crises

See also:Insurgency in Laos

The Center for Public Policy Analysisand non-governmental organisations (NGOs) as well as Laotian and Hmonghuman rightsorganisations, including theLao Human Rights Council,Inc. and theUnited League for Democracy in Laos,Inc., have provided evidence that since the end of theVietnam War,significant numbers of Vietnamese military and security forces continue to be sent to Laos, on a repeated basis, to quell and suppress Laotian political and religiousdissidentand opposition groups including the peaceful 1999 Lao Students for Democracy protest in Vientiane in 1999 and theHmong rebellion.[27][28][29][30][31][32][33][34][35][36][37]

Rudolph Rummelhas estimated that 100,000 Hmong perished in genocide between 1975 and 1980 in collaboration with PAVN.[38]For example, in late November 2009, shortly before the start of the2009 Southeast Asian GamesinVientiane,the PAVN 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.[39][40]

Modern-era peacekeeping operations

See also:United Nations peacekeeping,United Nations Mission in South Sudan,andUnited Nations Interim Security Force for Abyei

In 2014, Vietnam had requested to join theUnited Nations peacekeeping force,which was later approved.[41]The first Vietnamese UN peacekeeping officers were sent toSouth Sudan,marked the first involvement of Vietnam into aUnited Nations' mission abroad.[41]Vietnamese peacekeepers were also sent to theCentral African Republic.[42]

From 2022, Vietnam has deployed its firstmilitary engineerunit to thepeacekeeping missionsinAbyei.[43]

2023 Turkish-Syrian earthquake

See also:2023 Turkey–Syria earthquake § International humanitarian efforts,andHumanitarian response to the 2023 Turkey–Syria earthquake § Vietnam

As an effort to helpTurkeyovercome the consequences of the 2023 earthquake, PAVN has sent 76 servicemen of theBorder Guard,Army Medic,andEngineering Corps(alongside personnel fromPublic Security) to participate in humanitarian assistance and disaster relief includingsearch-and-rescuemissions.[44]

This is the first time ever that Vietnam has officially deployed and engaged in an overseas search and rescue campaign.

Organisation

PAVN's structure

TheCommander-in-Chiefof the Armed Forces is thePresident of Vietnam,though this position is nominal and real power is assumed by theCentral Military Commissionof the rulingCommunist Party of Vietnam.The secretary of Central Military Commission (usually theGeneral Secretary of the Communist Party of Vietnam) is the de facto Commander and now isNguyễn Phú Trọng.

TheMinister of National Defenceoversees operations of theMinistry of Defence,and the PAVN. He also oversees such agencies as theGeneral Staffand the General Department of Logistics. However, military policy is ultimately directed by the Central Military Commission of the rulingCommunist Party of Vietnam.

  • Ministry of National Defence:is the lead organisation, highest command and management of the Vietnam People's Army.
  • General Staff: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 within PAVN, which operates under the direct leadership of theSecretariat of the Communist Party of Vietnamand the Central Military Party Committee.
  • General Department of Defence Intelligence:is an intelligence agency of the Vietnamese government and military.
  • General Department of Logistics:is the agency in charge to ensure logistical support to units of the People's Army.
  • General Department of Technology:is the agency in charge to ensure equipped technical means of war for the army and each unit.
  • General Department of Defence Industry(commercially branded as theVietnam Defence Industry): is the agency responsible for the development of the Vietnamese nationaldefense industryin support of the missions of the PAVN.

Service branches

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

  • Vietnam People's Ground Force

(Lục quân Nhân dân Việt Nam)

  • Vietnam People's Air Force

(Không quân Nhân dân Việt Nam)

  • Vietnam People's Navy

(Hải quân Nhân dân Việt Nam)

  • Vietnam Border Guard

(Bộ đội Biên phòng Việt Nam)

  • Vietnam Coast Guard

(Cảnh sát biển Việt Nam)

  • Cyberspace Operations Command

(Bộ Tư lệnh Tác chiến không gian mạng)

  • President Ho Chi Minh Mausoleum Defence Force

(Bộ Tư lệnh Bảo vệ Lăng Chủ tịch Hồ Chí Minh)

The People's Army of Vietnam composes of the standing (or regular) forces and the reserve forces. The standing forces include the main forces and the local forces. During peacetime, the standing forces are minimised in number, and kept combat-ready by regular physical andweaponstraining, and stock maintenance.

Vietnam People's Ground Force

Within PAVN the Ground Force have not been established as a separate full Service Command, thusall of the ground troops, army corps, military districts and the specialised armsare under the responsibility of theMinistry of Defence,under the direct command of theGeneral Staff,who serves as itsde factocommander. TheVietnam Strategic Rear Forcesis also a part of the Ground Force.

Arm badges

Infantry Armor - Tank Artillery Special Forces Ammunition Mechanized Infantry Engineering Medical Signals
Transportation Technical Chemical Ordnance Intelligence Military Court Ensemble Military Athletes Military Musical Bands

Military regions

The following military regions are under the direct control of the General Staff and the Ministry of Defence:

Vietnam Map with eight Military Districts and four Corps
PAVN soldiers during a parade in 2015.

Main forces

Vietnam People's Army
Ministry of National Defence
Command
General Staff
Services
Ranks and history
PAVN military vehicles roundel.
PAVN reconnaissance troops in 2015.

The Main Force of the PAVN and its People's Ground Forces consists of combat ready troops, as well as support units such as educational institutions for logistics, officer training, and technical training. In 1991, Conboy et al. stated that the PAVN Ground Force had four 'Strategic Army Corps' in the early 1990s, numbering 1–4, from north to south.[45]1st Corps,located in theRed River Deltaregion, consisted of the 308th (one of the six original 'Steel and Iron' divisions) and 312th Divisions, and the 309th Infantry Regiment. The other three corps, 2 SAC, 3 SAC, and 4 SAC, were further south, with4th Corps,in Southern Vietnam, consisting of two formerLASVdivisions, the 7th and 9th.

From 2014 to 2016, theIISSMilitary Balance attributed the Vietnamese ground forces with an estimated 412,000 personnel.Formations,according to the IISS, include 8 military regions, 4 corps headquarters, 1 special forces airborne brigade, 6 armoured brigades and 3 armoured regiments, two mechanised infantry divisions, and 23 active infantry divisions plus another 9 reserve ones.

Combat support formations include 13 artillery brigades and one artillery regiment, 11 air defence brigades, 10 engineers brigades, 1 electronic warfare unit, 3 signals brigades and 2 signals regiment.

Combat service support formations include 9 economic construction divisions, 1 logistical regiment, 1 medical unit and 1 training regiment. Ross wrote in 1984 that economic construction division "are composed of regular troops that are fully trained and armed, and reportedly they are subordinate to their own directorate in the Ministry of Defense. They have specific military missions; however, they are also entrusted with economic tasks such as food production or construction work. They are composed partially of older veterans."[46] Ross also cited 1980s sources saying that economic construction divisions each had a strength of about 3,500.

In 2017, the listing was amended, with the addition of a singleShort-range ballistic missilebrigade. The ground forces according to the IISS, hold Scud-B/C SRBMs.[47]

12th Corps

First organised on 21 November 2023, the 12th Corps was created by merging all of the units from the former1st Corpsand the2nd Corps.It is stationed inTam Điệp District,Ninh Bình.[48][49]

3rd Corps – Binh đoàn Tây Nguyên (Corps of theCentral Highlands):

First organised on 26 March 1975 during theVietnam War,3rd Corps had a major role in theHo Chi Minh Campaignand theCambodian–Vietnamese War.Stationed inPleiku,Gia Lai.

4th Corps – Binh đoàn Cửu Long (Corps of theMekong):

First organised 20 July 1974 during theVietnam War,4th Corps had a major role in theHo Chi Minh Campaignand theCambodian–Vietnamese War.Stationed inDĩ An,Bình Dương

Local forces

Local forces are an entity of the PAVN that, together with themilitiaand "self-defence forces", act on the local level in protection of people and local authorities. While the local forces are regular VPA forces, the people's militia consists of rural civilians, and the people's self-defence forces consist of civilians who live in urban areas and/or work in large groups, such as at construction sites or farms. The current number stands at 3–4 million reservists and militia personnel combined. They serve as force multipliers to the PAVN and Public Security during wartime and peacetime contingencies.

Vietnam People's Navy

Main article:Vietnam People's Navy

Vietnam People's Air Force

Main article:Vietnam People's Air Force

Vietnam Border Guard

Main article:Vietnam Border Guard

Vietnam Coast Guard

Main article:Vietnam Coast Guard

Ranks and insignia

Main article:Vietnamese military ranks and insignia

Commissioned officer ranks

The rank insignia ofcommissioned officers.

Rank group General / flag officers Senior officers Junior officers Officer cadet
Vietnam People's Ground Force[50]
Đại tướng Thượng tướng Trung tướng Thiếu tướng Đại tá Thượng tá Trung tá Thiếu tá Đại úy Thượng úy Trung úy Thiếu úy Học viên sĩ quan

Other ranks

The rank insignia ofnon-commissioned officersandenlisted personnel.

Rank group Senior NCOs Junior NCOs Enlisted
Vietnam People's Ground Force[50]
Thượng sĩ Trung sĩ Hạ sĩ Binh nhất Binh nhì

Equipment

Main article:List of equipment of the Vietnam People's Ground Forces

From the 1960s to 1975 theSoviet Union,along with some smallerEastern Bloccountries, was the main supplier of military hardware to North Vietnam. After the latter's victory in the war, it remained the main supplier of equipment to Vietnam. The United States had been the primary supplier of equipment to South Vietnam; much of the equipment left by the U.S. Army and the ARVN came under control of the re-unified Vietnamese government. The PAVN captured large numbers of ARVN weapons on 30 April 1975 after Saigon was captured.

Russiaremains the largest arms-supplier for Vietnam; even after 1986, there were also increasing arms sales from other nations, notably fromIndia,Turkey,Israel,Japan,South Korea,andFrance.In 2016,PresidentBarack Obamaannounced the lifting of the lethal weapons embargo on Vietnam, which has increased Vietnamese military equipment choices from other countries such as theUnited States,theUnited Kingdom,and other Western countries, which could enable a faster modernization of the Vietnamese military. Since 2018, the United States has begun to provide warships for Vietnam Coast Guard as part of the military cooperation between two states, the first of these ships arrived in 2021.[51]

Despite Russia remaining Vietnam's largest weapon supplier, increasing cooperation with Israel has resulted in the development of Vietnamese weaponry with a strong mixture of Russian and Israeli weapons. For examples, the PKMS, GK1, and GK3 guns are three Vietnam-made indigenous guns modeled after theGalil ACEof Israel.[52]Many new Vietnamese weapons, armor, and equipment are also greatly influenced by Israeli military doctrines, due to Vietnam's long and problematic relations with most of its neighbors.[52]

Notes

Footnotes

Citations

  1. ^"KỶ NIỆM 50 NĂM NGÀY THÀNH LẬP QUÂN GIẢI PHÓNG MIỀN NAM VIỆT NAM (15-2-1961 – 15-2-2011):Trang sử vàng của Quân Giải phóng miền Nam".Báo Đà Nẵng(in Vietnamese).Retrieved18 December2023.
  2. ^"Scope of operation, working measures and international cooperation of the Vietnam Coast Guard".National Defence Journal.Ministry of Defence (Vietnam).[permanent dead link]
  3. ^abInternational Institute for Strategic Studies(3 February 2014).The Military Balance 2014.London:Routledge.pp. 287–289.ISBN9781857437225.
  4. ^ab"Resolution no. 70/2022/QH15 of the National Assembly on the Distribution of Central Budget of 2023".National Assembly of Vietnam.30 November 2022.Retrieved16 April2023.[permanent dead link]
  5. ^"D&S 2019: Vietnam domestically upgrades T-54B tanks | Shephard".shephardmedia.com.Retrieved8 May2023.
  6. ^"Song Thu Corporation Launches Third Vietnam People's Navy Roro 5612 Landing Ship".2 July 2020.
  7. ^Kobus."Vietnam to make unmanned aircraft".zimbio.com.Retrieved20 March2013.
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References

  • Conboy, Bowra, and McCouaig, 'The NVA and Vietcong', Osprey Publishing, 1991.
  • Gabriel, Richard A. "Nonaligned, Third World, and Other Ground Armies: A Combat Assessment," Greenwood Press, 1983.Nonaligned, Third World, and Other Ground Armies: A Combat Assessment(further reading)
  • Military History Institute of Vietnam,(2002)Victory in Vietnam: The Official History of the People's Army of Vietnam, 1954–1975,translated by Merle L. Pribbenow. University Press of Kansas.ISBN0-7006-1175-4.
  • Morris, Virginia and Hills, Clive. 'Ho Chi Minh's Blueprint for Revolution: In the Words of Vietnamese Strategists and Operatives', McFarland & Co Inc, 2018.
  • Ross, Russell R. (1984)."Military Force Development in Vietnam: A Report"(PDF).Washington DC: Federal Research Division, Library of Congress.
  • Thayer, Carl A. (1997). "Force Modernization: The Case of the Vietnam People's Army".Contemporary Southeast Asia; Singapore.19(1).
  • Tran, Doan Lam (2012).How the Vietnamese People's Army was Founded.Hanoi: World Publishers.ISBN978-604-7705-13-9.

External links

Media related toVietnam People's Armyat Wikimedia Commons

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