Lao People's Armed Forces
Lao People's Armed Forces | |
---|---|
![]() Emblem of Lao People's Armed Forces | |
Founded | 20 January 1949 |
Service branches | Lao Land Forces (includes Lao People's Navy) Lao People's Liberation Army Air Force[1] |
Headquarters | Vientiane |
Leadership | |
Commander-in-Chief | President and General Secretary Thongloun Sisoulith |
Minister of Defence | General Chansamone Chanyalath |
Chief of Staff | Major general Khamlieng Outhakaysone |
Personnel | |
Military age | 18 years of age for compulsory military service |
Conscription | minimum 18 months |
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.) |
Reaching military age annually | (2005 est.) |
Active personnel | 30,000 100,000 Paramilitary |
Expenditures | |
Budget | $18.5 million (2019) |
Percent of GDP | 0.5% (2006) |
Industry | |
Foreign suppliers | Current: Historical: |
Related articles | |
History | First Indochinese War Laotian Civil War Insurgency in Laos Thai-Laotian Border War |
Ranks | Military ranks of Laos |
The Lao People's Armed Forces (LPAF; Lao: ກອງທັບປະຊາຊົນລາວ), is the armed forces of the Lao People's Democratic Republic and the institution of the Lao People's Revolutionary Party, who are charged with protecting the country.
Leadership
- Commander-in-chief: Thongloun Sisoulith (General Secretary and President)
- Defense Minister: General Chansamone Chanyalath
- Chief of General Staff: major General Khamlieng Outhakaysone
Active forces
The army of 29,100 is equipped with 30 main battle tanks. The army marine section, equipped with 16 patrol craft, has 600 personnel. The air force, with 3,500 personnel, is equipped with anti-aircraft missiles and 24 combat aircraft (no longer in service).
Militia self-defence forces number approximately 100,000 organised for local defence. The small arms utilised mostly by the Laotian Army are the Soviet AKM assault rifle, PKM machine gun, Makarov PM pistol, and the RPD light machine gun.
History
Until 1975, the Royal Lao Armed Forces were the armed forces of the Kingdom of Laos.
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 internal suppression of Laotian dissident and opposition groups.[1]
This includes the suppression of the 1999 Lao Students Movement of Democracy demonstrations in Vientiane, and in countering ethnic Hmong insurgent groups and other groups of Laotian and Hmong people opposing the one-party Marxist-Leninist LPRP government and the support it receives from the Socialist Republic of Vietnam.[1]
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 faced by the government in Vientiane. The LPA also has reportedly upgraded skills to respond to avian influenza outbreaks. At present, there is no major perceived external threat to the state and the LPA maintains very strong ties with the neighbouring Vietnamese military (2008).[1]
According to some journalists, non-governmental organisations (NGOs), humanitarian and human rights organisations, the Lao People's Army has repeatedly engaged in egregious human rights violations and the practice of corruption in Laos.[2][3] The LPAF and its military intelligence play a major role in the arrest, imprisonment and torture of foreign prisoners in Vientiane's notorious Phonthong Prison and the communist Lao gulag system where Australians Kerry and Kay Danes were imprisoned and where civic activist Sombath Somphone may be imprisoned following his arrest in December 2012.[4]
In 2013, attacks by the Lao People's Army against the Hmong people intensified, with soldiers killing four unarmed Hmong school teachers in addition to engaging in other human rights abuses according to the Lao Human Rights Council, the Centre for Public Policy Analysis and others.[5]
Equipment
Tanks, armored vehicles and trucks
Artillery
Photo | Model | Type | Origin | Quantity | Notes |
---|---|---|---|---|---|
Dongfeng CS/SS4 | Self propelled mortar system | ![]() |
14 | ||
SR-5 | Multiple rocket launcher | ![]() |
12 | ||
![]() |
BM-21 Grad | 122mm multiple rocket launcher | ![]() |
32 | |
BM-14 | Multiple rocket launcher | 20 | |||
![]() |
2S3 Akatsiya | 152mm self-propelled howitzer | Unknown | ||
122-HL-70 | 122mm self-propelled howitzer | ![]() |
18 | ||
PCL-09 | 122mm self-propelled howitzer | ![]() |
12 | ||
![]() |
M-30 122 mm howitzer | Towed howitzers and guns | ![]() |
15[14] | |
![]() |
122 mm howitzer 2A18 (D-30)[citation needed] | 20[14] | |||
![]() |
130 mm towed field gun M1954 (M-46)[15] | 10[14] | |||
![]() |
M114 155 mm howitzer[15] | ![]() |
12[14] | ||
![]() |
M101 howitzer | 105mm (towed): M-101[15] | 20[14] | ||
![]() |
M116 howitzer[15] | 75mm (towed): M-116 pack | 10 |
Air defense
Photo | Model | Type | Origin | Quantity | Notes |
---|---|---|---|---|---|
File:SA-3 EP 2006.JPG | S-125 Neva/Pechora | Short-range SAM system | ![]() |
Unknown | |
![]() |
9K35 Strela-10 | Vehicle-mounted SAM system | ![]() |
Unknown | |
Yitian (Tianlong 6) | Surface-to-air missile | ![]() |
Unknown | ||
![]() |
ZSU-23-4 Shilka | Self-propelled anti-aircraft gun | ![]() |
Unknown | |
![]() |
Strela 2 | Surface-to-air missile | ![]() |
Unknown | |
![]() |
37 mm automatic air defence gun M1939 (61-K) | Air defence gun | Unknown | ||
![]() |
57 mm AZP S-60 | Automatic anti-aircraft gun | Unknown | ||
![]() |
ZPU | Auto anti-aircraft gun | Unknown | ||
![]() |
ZU-23-2 | Anti-aircraft gun | Unknown |
Weapons
Photo | Model | Type | Caliber | Origin | Notes |
---|---|---|---|---|---|
![]() |
TT-33 | Semi-automatic pistol | 7.62×25mm Tokarev | ![]() |
|
![]() |
PM | Semi-automatic pistol | 9×18mm Makarov | ![]() |
|
![]() |
JS 9 mm | Bullpup Submachine gun | 9×19mm Parabellum | ![]() |
[18] |
![]() |
9A-91 | Assault rifle, Carbine | 9x39mm | ![]() |
|
![]() |
AK-47 | Assault rifle | 7.62×39mm | ![]() |
|
![]() |
QBZ-95 | Bullpup Assault rifle | 5.8×42mm DBP87
5.56×45mm NATO |
![]() |
|
![]() |
Type 56 | Assault rifle | 7.62×39mm | ![]() |
|
Type 81 | Assault rifle | 7.62×39mm | ![]() |
||
![]() |
AMD-65 | Assault rifle | 7.62×39mm | ![]() |
|
![]() |
Pindad SS1 | Assault rifle | 5.56×45mm NATO | ![]() |
In 2014, Laos imported 35 SS1 V2s and SS1 V4s.[19] |
![]() |
Pindad SS2 | Assault rifle | 5.56×45mm NATO | ![]() |
|
![]() |
IWI ACE | Assault rifle/Battle rifle | 7.62×39 mm | ![]() ![]() |
Laos received Vietnamese-made Galil ACEs in January 2019. |
![]() |
Dragunov SVD | Designated marksman rifle, Sniper rifle | 7.62×54mmR | ![]() |
[20] |
![]() |
RPD | Light machine gun | 7.62×39mm | ![]() |
Mortars
- 81mm[22]
- 82mm[22]
Soviet Union M1938 mortar[22]
Soviet Union 120mm: M-43[22]
United States M2 4.2 inch mortar
See also
References
- ^ a b c d "The World Factbook — Central Intelligence Agency". www.cia.gov. November 2021.
- ^ Amnesty International, (23 March 2007), "Lao People's Democratic Republic: Hiding in the jungle – Hmong under threat" "Lao People's Democratic Republic: Hiding in the jungle - Hmong under threat | Amnesty International". Archived from the original on 8 December 2014. Retrieved 4 December 2016.
- ^ The Centre for Public Policy Analysis, CPPA, Washington, D.C. (1 August 2013), http://www.centerforpublicpolicyanalysis.org
- ^ Scoop Independent News, Auckland, New Zealand, (19 March 2013) "Laos Officials Criticized for Obstructing Investigation" http://www.scoop.co.nz/stories/WO1303/S00169/laos-officials-criticized-for-obstructing-investigation.htm
- ^ Businesswire, businesswire.com (4 March 2013) "Laos: Attacks Intensify Against Lao, Hmong People" http://www.businesswire.com/news/home/20130304006755/en/Laos-Attacks-Intensify-Lao-Hmong-People
- ^ "Russia receives 30 vintage tank from Laos". 10 June 2020.
- ^ "Trade Registers".
- ^ Foss, Christopher F. (2000). Jane's tank & combat vehicle recognition guide. ISBN 9780004724522.
- ^ Administrator. "PT-76". Pancerni 2. Archived from the original on 29 November 2014. Retrieved 15 November 2014.[verification needed]
- ^ Foss, Christopher F. (2000). Jane's tank & combat vehicle recognition guide. ISBN 9780004724522.
- ^ Foss, Christopher F. (2000). Jane's tank & combat vehicle recognition guide. ISBN 9780004724522.
- ^ Foss, Christopher F. (2000). Jane's tank & combat vehicle recognition guide. ISBN 9780004724522.
- ^ Gibson, Neil; Fediushko, Dmitry (22 January 2019). "Laotian military parades Russian- and Chinese-made equipment". Jane's 360. London, Moscow. Archived from the original on 23 January 2019. Retrieved 24 January 2019.
- ^ a b c d e f "Laos Army Equipment". Global Security. Retrieved 18 January 2018.
- ^ a b c d John Pike. "Laos Army Equipment". Retrieved 22 October 2014.
- ^ a b John Pike. "World Military Guide". Retrieved 22 October 2014.
- ^ a b "Laos". Archived from the original on 29 April 2014. Retrieved 22 October 2014.
- ^ "Cặp đôi súng Trung Quốc trong biên chế đặc công Lào mạnh cỡ nào?". 15 May 2020.
- ^ Administrator, ANTARA (24 September 2017). "Laos Expresses Interest To Make Another Purchase of Pindad Weapon". Tempo.co. Retrieved 3 April 2022.
{{cite web}}
: CS1 maint: url-status (link) - ^ "Cặp đôi súng Trung Quốc trong biên chế đặc công Lào mạnh cỡ nào?". 15 May 2020.
- ^ Jones, Richard D. Jane's Infantry Weapons 2009/2010. Jane's Information Group; 35 edition (January 27, 2009). ISBN 978-0-7106-2869-5.
- ^ a b c d "Library of Congress / Federal Research Division / Country Studies / Area Handbooks / Laos / Tables". Retrieved 22 October 2014.
External links
- All pages needing factual verification
- CS1 maint: url-status
- Articles with short description
- EngvarB from November 2015
- Use dmy dates from November 2015
- Articles containing Lao-language text
- All articles with unsourced statements
- Articles with unsourced statements from July 2014
- Military of Laos
- Military wings of communist parties
- 1975 establishments in Laos