Royal Cambodian Army

Infobox Military Unit
unit_name= Royal Cambodian Army


caption= [http://www.army.gov.kh Royal Cambodian Army]
dates= 1953
country= flagicon|Cambodia Kingdom of Cambodia
allegiance=
branch=
type= Army
role=
size= 3 counter guerrilla brigades
9 independent infantry regiments
3 armored battalions
1 special forces regiment
4 engineer regiments (3 × field and 1 × construction)
1 protection brigade (4 × battalions)
17 border battalions (forming)
command_structure=Royal Cambodian Armed Forces
garrison=Phnom Penh
garrison_label=
nickname=
patron=
motto= "Defending the Kingdom of Cambodia"
colors=
colors_label=
march=
mascot=
equipment=
equipment_label=
battles= Cambodian Civil War
Cambodian-Vietnamese War
July 7, 1997 coup
2008 Cambodian-Thai stand-off
anniversaries= 9 November 1953
decorations=
battle_honours=

commander1= General Meas Sophea Deputy Commander-in-Chief of the RCAF and Chief of Army
commander1_label=
commander2=
commander2_label=
commander3=
commander3_label=
notable_commanders= General Meas Sophea
identification_symbol=
identification_symbol_label=
identification_symbol_2=
identification_symbol_2_label=
identification_symbol_3=
identification_symbol_3_label=
aircraft_attack=
aircraft_bomber=
aircraft_electronic=
aircraft_fighter=
aircraft_interceptor=
aircraft_patrol=
aircraft_recon=
aircraft_trainer=
aircraft_transport=The Royal Cambodian Army is a part of the Royal Cambodian Armed Forces. It has ground forces which probably number about 70,000 (including some 40,000 provincial forces), divided into seven divisions of infantry, with integrated armor and artillery support.

Military organisation

Under the current military plan, divisions, each with a full strength of 3,500, will be based in military regions (one per region). Each division will be supplemented by a mobile reinforcement division at Phnom Penh. The country is divided into six, until recently five, military regions, each comprising three or four provinces. There are garrisons in major cities and at major army bases.

General Meas Sophea is the commander of the Royal Cambodian Army. He is also the Deputy Commander in Chief of the Royal Cambodian Armed Forces.

The forces are deployed as required across the country and in operations, with bases as follows:

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Royal Cambodian Armed Forces Headquarters, Phnom Penh
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First Military Region HQ, Stung Treng
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Second Military Region HQ, Kompong Cham
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Third Military Region HQ, Kampong Speu
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|Fourth Military Region HQ, Siem Reap
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Fifth Military Region HQ, Battambang
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Sixth (Special) Military Region HQs, Phnom Penh/Pailin/Kompong Thom
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pecial forces

Special forces of the army include:

The 911 Para-Commando Battalion, which is based west of Phnom Penh. Most of the 911 Para Commando battalion graduated from the Indonesian army's special force, Kopassus, so the 911 Para Commando Battalion is very similar to the Kopassus Battalion. In order to graduate from the school, all cadets have to pass the test set. On passing, cadets receive their own red beret and a badge wing. The Battalion has a Navy Seal unit, a Sniper unit and an anti-terrorist unit.

Military Police

The Gendarmarie, or "Military Police", is a paramilitary unit with about 7,000 soldiers deployed in all provinces. It is headquartered in Phnom Penh, with the unit's chain of command through the Royal Cambodia Armed Force High Command. The Gendarmerie is under the direct supervision of a commander with an equivalent rank to Lieutenant-General. The military police headquarters are in Phnom Penh, and are responsible for monitoring all of the units of Gendarmerie as well as general training.

The Gendarmerie monitors all the 24 provinces and 186 districts, working with the local people. The Gendarmerie includes: a mobile team, consisting of six intervention units; an intervention vehicle battalion; a cavalry; and other 4 infantries, with bases in Phnom Penh. The Gendarmerie training school is located in Khum Kombol, Kandal Province.

The following table describes the number of soldiers in the army's special forces:

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Bodyguard Unit
4,000 soldiers
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911 Parachute Regiment
3,000+
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Gendarmarie "Military Police"
7,000 soldiers
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Gallery

News

The 2008 Cambodian-Thai stand-off

The 2008 Cambodian-Thai stand-off between Royal Cambodian Army and Royal Thai Army is the latest round of a century-long dispute over the area near Preah Vihear Temple between Amphoe Kantharalak, Sisaket Province and Choam Khsant District, Preah Vihear Province, where Thailand insists the border demarcation has not yet been completed. About 4.6 square kilometers of land are in dispute. The stand-off has extended to the Ta Moan Thom temple complex on the border between Surin Province and Oddar Meancheay Province. Thailand maintains the entire complex is within its borders, but Cambodia claims one portion is inside Cambodia.

New Modern Weapons and Fighter Planes

According to a high-ranking military official based in Phnom Penh who declined to be named, Cambodia will receive shortly a shipment of "modern fighter planes" a large shipment of "modern equipment" - including guns and artillery - would be received at the end of October, 2008. [http://www.phnompenhpost.com/index.php/2008093021899/National-news/Just-how-ready-to-fight-are-the-Royal-Cambodian-Armed-Forces.html]

Equipment

The main combat weapons used by the army are illustrated in the table below. As of February 2006, it is assessed that only about 140 of the APCs are likely to be fully operational.

Main military

Operational art and tactical doctrine is still being defined as the process of reform continues.Ostensibly, the continuing military reorganization will provide integrated armored support for each of the regional infantry divisions. However, much of Cambodia's terrain does not lend itself to armored operations and tanks are rendered unusable during the rainy season. All the OT-64 APCs have apparently gone to the Phnom Penh reserve force.

Equipment for the main force units was furnished by Vietnam and by the Soviet Union. Armaments consisted of small arms of Soviet origin, including the AKM (updated version of the AK-47) assault rifle and various crew-served weapons, including towed medium howitzers, and air-defense weapons in several calibers. Tanks in the RCAF armored battalions included the T-54/55, an old, but capable, main battle tank of Soviet origin; the obsolete PT-76 light amphibious tank; and the Type-59, an older Chinese main battle tank, probably handed down from Vietnamese stocks. Armored fighting vehicles in the main force inventory consisted of the Soviet BTR series of wheeled vehicles, and some aging American equipment, such as: M106 armored carriers and M-113 armored personnel carriers, either bequeathed by Vietnam or left behind from the days of the Khmer Republic.

pecial forces

The special forces' equipment varies from that of the rest of the army. For example, the AK-47 (Type 56) rifle, although reliable and abundant, is not accurate, and is too powerful for safe use by elite units specializing in close quarters combat and hostage situations.

The forces are the first confirmed foreign user of the new QBZ-95 series of a bullpup assault rifles. Technically this rifle is a QBZ-97, a Type 97A added 3-round burst mode and bolt hold-open device, with a different casing made by Jian She Group for export.

The small arms in use are covered in the following table:

! style="text-align: left; background: #EECD9C;"|Infantry Weapons! style="text-align: left; background: #aacccc;"|Origin! style="text-align: left; background: #EECD9C;"|Type! style="text-align: left; background: #aacccc;"|Cartridge
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Colt.45 M1911
USA
Pistols
.45 ACP
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CZ 75
CZE
Pistols
9mm
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FN GP35
BEL
Pistols
9mm
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Makarov PM
USSR
Pistols
9mm
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Tokarev TT-33
USSR
Pistols
7.62x25mm
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Type 54
CHN
Pistols
7.62x25mm
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Type 56
CHN
Assault Rifle
7.62x39mm
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QBZ-97
CHN
Assault Rifle
5.56x45mm
-
AK-47
USSR
Assault Rifle
7.62x39mm
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AKM
USSR
Assault Rifle
7.62x39mm
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M16
USA
Assault Rifle
5.56x45mm
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CAR-15
USA
Assault Rifle
5.56x45mm
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FN FNC
BEL
Assault Rifle
5.56x45mm
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FAMAS
FRA
Assault Rifle
5.56x45mm
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Ithaca 37
USA
Shotgun
12 gauge
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Remington 870
USA
Shotgun
12 gauge
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M1 Thompson
USA
Submachine Gun
.45 ACP
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M3 Grease Gun
USA
Submachine Gun
.45 ACP
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MAT-49
FRA
Submachine Gun
9mm
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vz23,25
CZE
Submachine Gun
9mm
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PPSh-41
USSR
Submachine Gun
7.62x25mm
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PPS-43
USSR
Submachine Gun
7.62x25mm
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M1 Carbine
USA
Carbine
.30 Carbine
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SKS
USSR, CHN
Carbine
7.62x39mm
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M1 Garand
USA
Battle Rifle
.30-06 Springfield, 7.62x51mm
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FN-FAL
BEL
Battle Rifle
7.62x51mm
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HK G3
GER
Battle Rifle
7.62x51mm
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M1903 Springfield
USA
Bolt Action Rifle
.30-06 Springfield
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SVD
USSR
Sniper Rifle
7.62x54mm
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M1918 BAR
USA
Automatic Rifle
.30-06 Springfield
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RPK
USSR
Light Machine Gun
7.62x39mm
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RPD
USSR, CHN
Light Machine Gun
7.62x39mm
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Degtyaryov DP, DPM, RP-46, Type 53
USSR, CHN
Light Machine Gun
7.62x54mm
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M60
USA
Medium Machine Gun
7.62x51mm
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XY, 7.62 x 51
CHN
Medium Machine Gun
7.62x51mm
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PK, PKM
USSR, CHN
Medium Machine Gun
7.62x54mm
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M1919 Browning machine gun
USA
General Purpose Machine Gun
7.62x51mm
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SG-43 Goryunov
USSR, CHN
General Purpose Machine Gun
7.62x54mm
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M2 Browning Machine Gun
USA
Heavy Machine Gun
.50BMG
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DShK
USSR, CHN
Heavy Machine Gun
12.7x108mm
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NSV
USSR
Heavy Machine Gun
12.7x108mm
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KPV
USSR
Heavy Machine Gun
14.5x114mm
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M72 LAW
USA
Anti-Tank Rocket
66mm
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PF-89
CHN
Anti-tank warfare|Anti-Tank Rocket
80x900 mm rocket
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Armbrust
GER
Anti-tank warfare|Anti-Tank Rocket
67 mm
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RPG-2, B-40
USSR, CHN
Rocket-Propelled Grenade
PG-2 HEAT
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RPG-7
USSR
Rocket-Propelled Grenade
40mm (1.57 in)
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Type 69 RPG
CHN
Rocket-Propelled Grenade
40mm (.57 in)
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Carl Gustav
SWE
Recoilless Rifle
84 mm
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Strela 2
USSR
Man-Portable Air-Defense Systems|
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M79
USA
Grenade Launcher
40mm
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M203
USA
Grenade Launcher
40x46mm

ee also

*Royal Cambodian Armed Forces
*Royal Khmer Navy
*Royal Cambodian Air Force
*Weapons of the Cambodian Civil War

References

External links

* [http://www.army.gov.kh Royal Cambodian Army]
* [http://www.mond.gov.kh/ Ministry of National Defence]
* [http://www.gun-world.net/china/rifle/qbz97/qbz97.htm Gun World] - Cambodian QBZ-97
* [http://www.phnompenhpost.com/index.php/2008093021899/National-news/Just-how-ready-to-fight-are-the-Royal-Cambodian-Armed-Forces.html PhnomPenhPost]