The
Vietnam People's Army (, variously translated as
Vietnamese People's Army and
People's Army of Vietnam) is the
armed forces of the Socialist Republic of
Vietnam. The VPA includes the: the Vietnamese People's Ground Forces (including VPA Strategic Rear Forces and Border Defense Forces), the
Vietnamese People's Navy (including VPN Marine Corps), the
Vietnamese People's Air Force, and the
Vietnamese People's Coast Guard.
During the
French Indochina War (1946–1954), the VPA was often referred to as the
Việt Minh. In the context of the
Vietnam War (1959–1975), the army was referred to as the
North Vietnamese Army (NVA) or the
People's Army of Vietnam (PAVN). This allowed writers to distinguish northern communists from the southern communists, or
Viet Cong. However, northerners and southerners were always under the same command structure. According to Hanoi's official history, the Vietcong was a branch of the PAVN.
[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. p. 68. ISBN 0700611754.]History
The predecessor of the VPA was the Armed Propaganda Unit for National Liberation, an organization that was formed by President
Hồ Chí Minh on
December 22,
1944 to drive the
French colonialists and
Japanese occupiers from Vietnam. The group was renamed the "Vietnam Liberation Army" in May 1945.
["] In September, the army was again renamed the "Vietnam National Defence Army."
At this point, it had about 1,000 soldiers.
Osprey Publishing's 'The NVA and Vietcong' (1991), written by Conboy, Bowra, and McCouaig, (henceforth Conboy et al) traces the development of the VPA Ground Forces from their earliest origins. As early as January 1947, its first regiment, the 308 'Capital' Regiment, was created for operations around
Hanoi. Over the next two years, partially at training camps in the Chinese towns of
Wenshan,
Long Zhou, and
Jing Xi, Regimental Group 308, a divisional size force formed from the 308 Regiment, was established. It consisted of Regiments 98, 102, and 308, and soon became the
308 'Capital' Division. By late 1950 the 308 Division had a full three infantry regiments, one heavy weapons regiment, and support units, and was backed by two further independent regiments, the 174 and 209. Following disastrous failures against three French strongpoints in the
Red River Delta, in late 1951 refocused on building up its ground forces further, with four new divisions, each of 10-15,000 men, created: the 304 Division at
Thanh Hoa, the 316 Division in the northeast border region, the 320 Division in the north
Red River Delta, formed in Spring 1951, and the 351 Heavy Weapons Division. With the 312 Division, formed at around the same time, and the 325 Division, formed in the northern summer period in central Vietnam, the six rifle formations (304, 308, 312, 316, 320, and 325) became known as the original PAVN 'Steel and Iron' divisions. In 1954 four of these divisions (the 308, 312, 316, supported by howitzers and AA guns of the 351 Division) overwhelmed the
French Union forces at the
Battle of Dien Bien Phu.
Soon after the
1954 Geneva Accords, the 330 and 338 Divisions were formed from southern Communists who had moved north in conformity with that agreement, and by 1955, six more divisions were formed: the 328, 332, and 350 in the north of the
DRV, the 305 and the 324 near the
DMZ, and the 335 Division of regroupees who had returned from
Laos. In 1957, the 'interzones' 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 in order to meet the manpower requirements of collective farms. In May 1959 the first major steps to prepare infiltration routes into
South Vietnam were taken;
Group 559 was established, a logistical unit charged with establishing routes into the south via Laos and Cambodia, which later became famous as the
Ho Chi Minh Trail. At about the same time, Group 579 was created as its' maritime counterpart to smuggle supplies into the South by sea. Most of the early infiltratees were members of the 338 Division, former southerners who had been settled at
Xuan Mai from 1954 onwards. Regular formations were sent to South Vietnam from 1965 onwards; the 325 Division's 101B Regiment and the 66 Regiment of the 304 Division met U.S. forces on a large scale, a first for the PAVN, at the
Battle of Ia Drang Valley in November 1965.
General
Võ Nguyên Giáp was the first Commander and commander-in-chief of VPA and the fourth Minister of National Defence (after
Chu Van Tan,
Phan Anh,
Ta Quang Buu). This force was to launch many offensives, and eventually survive counter-attacks by United States forces in what was known as the Vietnam War in the United States. During the 1968 & 1972 Vietnam War, VPA sustained heavy losses.
Incursions
Towards the second half of the 20th century the armed forces of Vietnam would participate in organized incursions into the neighboring Indochinese countries of
Laos and
Cambodia.
- Parts of Cambodia were invaded and occupied beginning in the mid 1960s, upsetting the Cambodian military, which led to Lon Nol's coup in 1970 and the pro-US Khmer Republic state. In 1978, along with the FUNSK Cambodian Salvation Front movement nurtured by Hanoi, the Vietnamese military succeeded in toppling Pol Pot's Democratic Kampuchea regime and installing a pro-Hanoi government, the People's Republic of Kampuchea. Unlike in Laos, the PRK/SOC state would not be recognized by the United Nations, despite the genocidal record of the regime that had been overthrown.
Both in Cambodia and in Laos, Vietnam People's Army, with its heavy artillery and tanks, was the real power behind either the Pathet Lao or the FUNSK insurgencies.
Peacetime
During peaceful periods, the VPA has actively been involved in Vietnam's workforce to develop the
economy of Vietnam, in order to coordinate 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.
The VPA has numerous small firms which have become quite profitable in recent years. However, recent decrees have effectively prohibited the commercialisation of the military.
Organization
Minister of National Defense oversees operations of the VPA and is the
Commander-in-Chief. He also oversees such agencies as the
General Staff and the General Logistics Department. However, military policy is ultimately directed by the Central Military Commission of the ruling
Communist Party of Vietnam.
The VPA is a "triple armed force" composed of the main force, the local force and the civil defence/guerrila 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 in number, and kept combat-ready by regular physical and
weapons training, and stock maintenance.
Branches
Colonel Nguyen Trong Canh, Director of the Vietnamese Army Engineering Command's Technology Center for Bomb and Mine Disposal (BOMICEN)
The Vietnamese People's Army comprises various units of the main forces (
Chủ lực), local forces (
Lực lượng Địa phương) and the People's Defence Forces (
Dân quân-Tự vệ).
It is subdivided into the following branches and sub-branches:
- Vietnam Border Defense Force (Lực lượng Biên phòng)
- * (Naval Infantry (aka Marines)) (Hải quân Đánh Bộ)
- Vietnam People's Air Defense and Air Force (Phòng không-Không quân nhân dân Việt Nam).
As mentioned above, reserves exist in all branches and are organized in the same way as the standing forces, with the same
chain of command, and with
officers and
non-commissioned officers.
See
Vietnamese military ranks and insignia.
Note:
Vietnam Strategic Rear Force (Lực lượng dự bị chiến lược) is also a part of the ground force.
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 the 17th century, Vietnam has not had forces stationed internationally since its withdrawal from Cambodia and
Laos in early 1990.
Main Force
The main force of the VPA consists of combat ready troops, as well as educational institutions for logistics, officer training, and technical training.
In 1991, Conboy et al. said that the VPA Ground Forces had four 'Strategic Army Corps' in the early 1990s, numbered 1-4 from north to south. 1 SAC, in the Red River Delta region, 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, with 4 SAC, in what was South Vietnam, consisting of two former PLAF divisions, the 7th and 9th.
The
IISS Military Balance 2008 attributes the Vietnamese ground forces with an estimated 412,000 personnel.
Formations, according to the IISS, include nine
military regions, 14 corps headquarters, 10 armoured brigades, three mechanised infantry
divisions, 58 infantry divisions whose strengths range from 5,000 to 12,500, 15 independent infantry regiments, one airborne brigade, various đặc công brigades and battalions of both of land combat - Đặc công bộ, urban combat - Đặc công biệt động and water-based combat - Đặc công nước (Very special task force units with unique high-level guerrila offensive combat tactics, wrong called by "Sapper" or something like that, there is a commando hunting force of this banch during Vietnam war now become an anti-terrorist force), more than 10 brigades of field artillery, eight divisions and more than 20 independent brigades of engineers, and 10-16 economic construction divisions.
Local Forces
Local forces are an entity of the VPA that, together with the
militia and "self-defense forces," act on the local level in protection of people and local authorities. While the local forces are regular VPA forces, the militia consists of rural civilians, and the self-defense 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 part-time soldiers.
Equipment
From the 1960s to 1975, the
Soviet Union 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 the united Vietnam. The
United States had been the primary supplier of equipment to
South Vietnam; some of the equipment abandoned by the
United States Army and
Army of the Republic of Vietnam came under control of the re-unified
Viet Nam's government.
The Vietnamese have also produced their own equipment and repaired existing equipment.
Tanks
- Type 62 Main battle light tank (300)
- T-62 Main battle tank (220)
- T-72 Main Battle Tank (480)
- SU-100 Tank destroyer (132) - for training
- M-48 Main battle tank (20)
- M-41 Light tank (45) - no longer in service
IFV / APCs
- BMP-1 infantry fighting vehicle (600)
- BMP-2 infantry fighting vehicle (600)
- BTR-50 Tracked armoured personnel carrier (700)
- BTR-60 Wheeled armoured personnel carrier (450)
- BTR-70 Wheeled armoured personnel carrier (150)
- BRDM-1 reconnaissance vehicle (100)
- BRDM-2 reconnaissance vehicle (200)
- Type-63 armoured personnel carrier (300)
- M-113 armored personnel carrier (750)
- V-150 wheeled armoured personnel carrier (400)
Trucks
- ZIS-151 general purpose truck—various platforms
- ZIS-157 or Chinese version CA-30 general purpose truck (Called by "Hero of Hochiminh Trail)
Infantry weapons
- TT-33 Pistols Standard issue
- PM Pistols Standard issue
- PMM Pistols Standard issue
- APS Pistols Standard issue
- Type-54 Pistols (Chinese copy of TT-33) Standard issue
- CZ-52 Pistols (used by Special Force (a.k.a Dac Cong)
- AK-47 Assault rifles (Replacing by AKM)
- AKS-47 Assault rifles (Replacing by AKM)
- AKM Assault rifless Standard issue
- AKMS Assault rifles Standard issue
- AK-74 Assault rifle (in limited service with the Vietnamese Naval Infantry)
- Vz. 58 Assault rifle (Replacing by AKM)
- VZ-58V Assault rifles (Replacing by AKM)
- AMD-65 Assault rifles(Replacing by AKM)
- AIM Assault rifles (Replacing by AKM)
- AIMS Assault rifles (Replacing by AKM)
- Type 63 Assault rifles (Replacing by AKM)
- CAR15 Carbines (Militia force)
- M16 Assault rifles (Militia force)
- M16A1 Assault rifles (Militia force)
- SKS-45 Carbines (Militia force)
- M-14 Rifles (Militia force)
- SVD Snipe rifles Standard issue
- SVU Snipe rifles (used by Special Force (a.k.a Dac Cong)
- AKS-74U Compact assault rifles (used by Special Force (a.k.a Dac Cong)
- PP-19 Bizon Submachine guns (used by Special Force (a.k.a Dac Cong)
- PM-63 Submachine guns (used by Special Force (a.k.a Dac Cong)
- MP-5A4 Submachine guns (used by Special Force (a.k.a Dac Cong)
- Uzi Submachine guns (used by Special Force (a.k.a Dac Cong)
- MiniUzi Submachine guns (used by Special Force (a.k.a Dac Cong)
- McroUzi Submachine guns (used by Special Force (a.k.a Dac Cong)
- RPD-44 Light machine guns Standard issue
- RPK Light machine guns Standard issue
- PKM General purpose machine Guns Standard issue
- NSV Heavy Machine Guns Standard issue
- M2-HB Heavy Machine Guns (in limited service)
- M-60 Machine Guns (in limited service)
- GP-25 Grenade launchers (used by Special Force (a.k.a Dac Cong)
- AGS-17 Automatic grenade launchers Standard issue
- AGS-30 Automatic grenade launchers Standard issue
- M-79 Grenade Launchers Standard issue
- M-72 Light Anti-Tank Weapon, improved for more durable launchers and thermobaric rockets, used as flame throwers.
- RPG-7V rocket propelled grenade system Standard issue
- Type 69 RPG rocket propelled grenade system (Chinese version of RPG-7, now replacing by RPG-7V due to lack of accuracy and penetration (Chinese ammo)).
Artillery
Vietnamese troops on Spratly Island
- B-10 82 mm Recoilless gun (700)
- B-11 107 mm Recoilless gun (900)
- SPG-9 73 mm Recoilless gun
- 2S1 122 mm Self-propelled artillery gun (200)
- 2S3 152 mm Self-propelled artillery gun (300)
- D-20 152 mm howitzer gun (500)
- D-30 122 mm howitzer gun (400)
- M-46 130 mm towed field gun (550)
- BM-13 16tubes 132 mm multiple rocket launchers (500)
- BM-14 16tubes 140 mm multiple rocket launchers (700)
- BM-21 40tubes 122 mm multiple-launch rocket system (800)
- M-40 106 mm Recoilless gun (800)
- M-114 155 mm howitzer gun (750)
- M-107 175 mm howitzer self-propelled gun (70)
- ZSU-57-2 57 mm self propelled anti-aircraft gun (5000)
- ZSU-23-4 23 mm self propelled anti-aircraft gun (5000)
- Type 63 37 mm self propelled anti-aircraft gun
- 61-K 37 mm Air defense gun (4000)
- ZSU-23-2 23 mm towed anti-aircraft gun (4000)
- S-60 57 mm towed anti-aircraft gun
Missiles
Helicopters
Manpower
Patrol Boat of PAVN 8/2009
The Vietnamese People's Army consists of:
- Military manpower—military age: age for compulsory service: 18–25 years old; conscript service obligation: 18 months
- Military manpower—availability:
- *males age 15–49: 21,341,813 (2005 est.)
- Military manpower—fit for military service:
- *males age 15–49: 16,032,358 (2005 est.)
- Military manpower—reaching military age annually:
- *males: 915,572 (2005 est.)
- Military manpower—total troops:
- Military expenditures: $4 billion (Military Balance2007)
- Military expenditures—percent of GDP: 2% (Military Balance2007)
