Lao People's Liberation Army Air Force
| Lao People's Liberation Army Air Force | |
|---|---|
| Founded | 1976 |
| Country | Laos |
| Branch | Lao People's Army |
| Type | Air Force |
| Size | 43 aircraft |
| HQ | Vientiane |
| Insignia | |
| Fin Flash |  |
The Lao People's Liberation Army Air Force (LPLAAF) is the air force of Laos.[1]
History
The present-day LPLAAF is descended from the Aviation Laotienne, which was established by the French and later became the Royal Lao Air Force. Pathet Lao guerrilla forces began to operate a few aircraft from 1960, as did another rebel group led by Kong Le. Kong Le forces were later re-incorporated into the Royal Lao Air Force. When the communist take-over in, 1975, resulted in the adoption of the present title.[2]
Military co-operation agreement with Russia in 1997 resulted in 12 Mil Mi-17 helicopters that entered service in mid-1999 to follow on from previous deliveries of Mi-8s. SAM systems also entered service such as the SA-3 'Goa' and SA-7B 'Grail'.[3]
Bases
The LPLAAF operates from two main bases - Vientiane and Phonsavanh - with another three bases supported by detachments from the main units. Apart from the main military air bases, there are also a number of smaller airports and airfields around the country which are frequently used by the Air Force and the semi-military airline Lao Airlines. In 1961 Laos had 25 airstrips capable of taking a C-47.[4]
Aircraft
Current inventory
| Aircraft | Origin | Type | Variant | In service | Notes | |
|---|---|---|---|---|---|---|
| Transport | ||||||
| Antonov An-26 | Russia | transport | 1[5] | |||
| Xian MA60 | China | transport | 2[5] | |||
| Helicopters | ||||||
| Bell UH-1 | United States | utility | 4[5] | |||
| Harbin Z-9 | China | utility | 4[5] | |||
| Mil Mi-17 | Russia | utility / transport | 3[5] | |||
| Mil Mi-26 | Russia | heavy lift | 1[5] | |||
| Kamov Ka-27 | Russia | utility | Ka-32 | 2[5] | ||
References
- ^ http://www.scramble.nl/la.htm
- ^ "Lao People's Liberation Army Air Force". aeroflight.co.uk. Retrieved 15 July 2016.
- ^ armstrade.sipri.org/armstrade/page/trade_register.php
- ^ "Lao People's Liberation Army Air Force". aeroflight.co.uk. Retrieved 15 July 2016.
- ^ a b c d e f g "World Air Forces 2016 pg. 22". Flightglobal Insight. 2016. Retrieved 1 May 2016.
- "OrBat Laos - MilAvia Press.com: Military Aviation Publications". milaviapress.com. Retrieved 15 July 2016.
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