Lao People's Army

Lao People's Army
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 Kingdom of Laos, along with the Lao People's Liberation Army Air Force and the Lao People's Navy.

History

Main article: Military history 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 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).

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. The small arms utilized mostly by the Laotian Army is the Soviet AKM Assault rifle, PKM Machine gun, Makarov PM pistol, and RPD light machine gun.

Tank and Armoured vehicle

photo	Name	Type	Origin	Quantity	Notes
	PT-76	light tank	USSR	25
	T-54/55	Main Battle Tank	USSR	30
	BTR-60P	Armored Personnel Carrier	USSR	130
	BTR-152	Armored personnel carrier	USSR	30
	M8 Greyhound	Armored Car	USA	25
	ZSU-23-4	Light Armored anti-aircraft	USSR	10

Artillery

photo	Name	Type	Origin	Quantity	Notes
	M-30 122 mm howitzer	field howitzer	USSR	40
	130 mm towed field gun M1954 (M-46)	field gun	USSR	16
	122 mm howitzer 2A18 (D-30)	Howitzer	USSR	48
	M114 155 mm howitzer	howitzer	USA	10
	M101 howitzer	105mm (towed): M-101	USA	25
	M116 howitzer	75mm (towed): M-116 pack	USA	10

Air defense

photo	Name	Type	Origin	Quantity	Notes
	Strela 2	Surface to air missile	USSR	120
	57 mm AZP S-60	Automatic anti-aircraft gun	USSR	18
	37 mm automatic air defense gun M1939 (61-K)	Air defense gun	USSR	18
	ZU-23-2	anti-aircraft gun	USSR	48
	ZPU	auto anti-aircraft gun	USSR	100+

Mortars

• 81mm
• 82mm
• M1938 mortar
• 120mm: M-43
• M2 4.2 inch mortar

See also

Lao People's Liberation Army Air Force

References

• http://www.asianmilitaryreview.com/upload/201102172337151.pdf
• Army Guide