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 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.

Tank/APC

Name	Type	Origin	Quality
PT-76	light amphibious tank	Soviet Union	80 operational
Type 59	main battle tank	China	120 operational
BTR-60P	Wheeled Amphibious Armored Personnel Carrier	Soviet Union	70 operational
BTR-152	Armored personnel carrier	Soviet Union	45
ZSU-23-4	Light Armored anti-aircraft	Soviet Union	30

Artillery

Name	Type	Origin	Quality
M-30 122 mm howitzer	field howitzer	Soviet Union	24
57 mm AZP S-60	Automatic anti-aircraft gun	Soviet Union	18
37 mm automatic air defense gun M1939 (61-K)	Air defense gun	Soviet Union	18
ZU-23-2	anti-aircraft gun	Soviet Union	48
ZPU-1/2/4	auto anti-aircraft gun	Soviet Union	100+
130 mm towed field gun M1954 (M-46)	field gun	Soviet Union	16
122 mm howitzer 2A18 (D-30)	Howitzer	Soviet Union	48
Strela 2	Surface to air missile	Soviet Union	120
M114 155 mm howitzer	howitzer	United States	10
M101 howitzer	105mm (towed): M-101	United States	25
M116 howitzer	75mm (towed): M-116 pack	United States	10

Mortars

• 81mm
• 82mm
• 107mm: M-2A1 and M-1938
• 120mm: M-43
• M2 4.2 inch mortar United States

Weapons

• Makarov PM semi-automatic pistol Soviet Union
• AK-47 assault rifle Soviet Union
• AMD-65 Assault rifle Hungary
• SKS semi automatic carbine Soviet Union
• Type 56 assault rifle People's Republic of China
• MAT-49 submachine gun France
• Mosin Nagant bolt action rifle Soviet Union
• RPG-2 rocket propelled grenade launcher Soviet Union
• RPG-7 rocket propelled grenade launcher Soviet Union
• Type 69 RPG rocket propelled grenade launcher People's Republic of China
• M3 submachine gun submachine gun United States
• M1 Carbine semi automatic carbine United States
• M16A1 assault rifle United States
• M14 semi automatic carbine United States
• Dragunov semi automatic rifle Soviet Union
• M60 machine gun United States
• RPD Light machine gun Soviet Union
• PKM Machine gun Soviet Union
• DShK heavy Machine gun Soviet Union

See Also

Lao People's Liberation Army Air Force

References

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