Lao People's Army

Lao People's Army
Lao People's Army
Tri-service Flag
The Flag of Laos
Founded 1975
Service branches *Lao People's Liberation Army Air Force,
  • Lao People's Navy
Headquarters Vientiane
Leadership
Commander-in-Chief Choummaly Sayasone
Minister for Defence Lieutenant General Doungchay Phichit
Manpower
Military age 15 years of age for compulsory military service; conscript service obligation - minimum 18 months (2004)
Available for
military service
1,500,625 males, age 15–49 (2005 est.),
1,521,116 females, age 15–49 (2005 est.)
Fit for
military service
954,816 males, age 15–49 (2005 est.),
1,006,082 females, age 15–49 (2005 est.)
Active personnel 29,100 (ranked 89)
Expenditures
Budget $55 million (1996-97)
Percent of GDP 0.5% (2006)
Industry
Foreign suppliers  Vietnam
 China
Related articles
History First Indochinese War

Laotian Civil War
Insurgency in Laos
Thai-Laotian Border War

The Lao People's Army is the name of the armed forces of Laos, who are charged with protecting the country. Until 1975, the Royal Laos Army were the armed forces of the Laos, along with the Lao People's Liberation Army Air Force and the Lao People's Navy.

Contents

History

Serving one of the world's least developed countries, the Lao People's Armed Forces (LPAF) is small, poorly funded, and ineffectively resourced; its mission focus is border and internal security, primarily in countering ethnic Hmong insurgent groups; together with the Lao People's Revolutionary Party and the government, the Lao People's Army (LPA) is the third pillar of state machinery, and as such is expected to suppress political and civil unrest and similar national emergencies, but the LPA also has upgraded skills to respond to avian influenza outbreaks; there is no perceived external threat to the state and the LPA maintains strong ties with the neighboring Vietnamese military (2008).[1]

The army of 130,000 was equipped with 25 main battle tanks. The army marine section, equipped with 16 patrol crafts, had 600 personnel. The air force, with 3,500 personnel, was equipped with anti-aircraft missiles and 24 combat aircraft. Militia self-defense forces numbered approximately 100,000 organized for local defense.

Tank/APC

Name Type Origin Quality
PT-76 light amphibious tank  Soviet Union 25 operational
T-54/55 main battle tank  Soviet Union 30 operational
BTR-60P Wheeled Amphibious Armored Personnel Carrier  Soviet Union 70 operational
BTR-152 Armored personnel carrier  Soviet Union  ?
ZSU-23-4 Light Armored anti-aircraft  Soviet Union 10

Artillery

Name Type Origin Quality
M-30 122 mm howitzer field howitzer  Soviet Union 20
57 mm AZP S-60 Automatic anti-aircraft gun  Soviet Union 1
37 mm automatic air defense gun M1939 (61-K) Air defense gun  Soviet Union 1
ZU-23-2 anti-aircraft gun  Soviet Union 2
ZPU auto anti-aircraft gun  Soviet Union 1
130 mm towed field gun M1954 (M-46) field gun  Soviet Union 10
122 mm howitzer 2A18 (D-30) Howitzer  Soviet Union 40
Strela 2 Surface to air missile  Soviet Union 2
M114 155 mm howitzer howitzer  United States 1
M101 howitzer 105mm (towed): M-101  United States 25
M116 howitzer 75mm (towed): M-116 pack  United States 1

Mortars

Weapons


See Also

Lao People's Liberation Army Air Force

References

  1. ^ CIA Factbook: Laos
  2. ^ http://lcweb2.loc.gov/frd/cs/laos/la_appen.html
  3. ^ http://lcweb2.loc.gov/frd/cs/laos/la_appen.html
  4. ^ http://lcweb2.loc.gov/frd/cs/laos/la_appen.html
  5. ^ http://lcweb2.loc.gov/frd/cs/laos/la_appen.html