Lao People's Armed Forces

The Lao People's Armed Forces (LPAF; Lao: ກອງທັບປະຊາຊົນລາວ) or the Lao People's Army (LPA) 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.

Lao People's Armed Forces
Emblem of Lao People's Armed Forces
Flag of the Lao People's Armed Forces
Founded	20 January 1949; 76 years ago (1949-01-20)
Service branches	Lao People's Army (includes Riverine Force) Lao People's Air Force Self-Defense Militia Forces[1]
Headquarters	Vientiane
Leadership
Governing body	Defence and Public Security Commission
DPSC Chairman, President and General Secretary	Thongloun Sisoulith
Minister of Defence	General Chansamone Chanyalath
Chief of the General Staff	Lieutenant General Khamlieng Outhakaysone
Personnel
Military age	18- 45 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	100,000
Reserve personnel	30,000
Expenditure
Budget	$18.5 million (2019)
Percent of GDP	0.5% (2006)
Industry
Foreign suppliers	China  Vietnam  Russia  United States  Ukraine  Indonesia Historical:  Czechoslovakia  East Germany  Hungarian  Soviet Union
Related articles
History	First Indochinese War Vietnam War Laotian Civil War Cambodian Civil War Communist insurgency in Thailand Third Indochina War Insurgency in Laos Thai-Laotian Border War
Ranks	Military ranks of Laos

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.

Organization

The LPAF is divided into four military regions, with its headquarters in Vientiane

• Military Region One (Luang Prabang)
• Military Region Two (Phonsavan)
• Military Region Three (Xépôn)
• Military Region Four (Pakxan)

The LPRP statute states that its political leadership over the military emanates from the LPRP Central Committee's Defence and Public Security Commission (DPSC) and is the highest decision-making institution regarding military and security affairs.^[2]

History

Main article: Military history of Laos

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.^[3][4] 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.^[5]

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.^[6]

Equipment

Tanks, armored vehicles and trucks

Photo	Model	Type	Origin	Quantity	Notes
Tanks
	T-72B1MS	Main battle tank	Russia	~50[7]
	T-55	Main battle tank	Soviet Union  Hungarian People's Republic	85[8]
	PT-76	Light tank	Soviet Union	25[9]	30 were in service in 1996.[10] Currently 25 are in service.
APC/IFV
	BTR-60PB	Armored personnel carrier	Soviet Union	70[11]	Currently 70 are in service. BTR-60s have been seen in service as recently as January 2019
	BTR-152	Armored personnel carrier	Soviet Union	Unknown	[12]
	BTR-40	Armored personnel carrier	Soviet Union	10[13]
	BRDM-2M	Armoured car	Soviet Union  Russia	20[14]	Upgraded BRDM-2M supplied by Russia in late 2018. At least 10 in service.
Light armoured vehicle/Light assault vehicle
	Dima DMT5070XFB	Armored personnel carrier	China	Unknown
	Chinese Tiger 4x4	Infantry mobility vehicle	China	Unknown
	CS/VN3 4x4	Infantry mobility vehicle	China	Unknown
Truck/Utility
	KrAZ-6322	Truck	Ukraine	Unknown
	Ural-4320	Medium truck	Soviet Union	Unknown
	GAZ-3308	Medium truck	Russia	Unknown
	FAW Jiefang 141	Medium truck	China	Unknown
	Ural-43206	Light truck	Soviet Union	Unknown
	GAZ-66	Platform truck	Soviet Union	Unknown
	BAIC 4x4 vehicles	Military light utility vehicle	China	Unknown
	UAZ-469	Military light utility vehicle	Soviet Union	Unknown
	BJ2022JC	Military light utility vehicle	China	Unknown
	PTS	Tracked amphibious transport	Soviet Union	Unknown
	Shaanxi SX2190	Launched bridge	China	Unknown
	Shaanxi SX2190	Floating bridge	China	Unknown
Engineering and support vehicles
	XCMG backhoe loader	Engineering vehicle	China	Unknown
	XCMG excavator	Engineering vehicle		Unknown
	XCMG wheel loader	Engineering vehicle		Unknown
	XCMG XJY240WQ	Engineering vehicle		Unknown
	XCMG XJY240Z	Engineering vehicle		Unknown

Artillery

Photo	Model	Type	Origin	Quantity	Notes
	Dongfeng CS/SS4	Self propelled mortar system	China	14[citation needed]
	SR-5	Multiple rocket launcher	China	12
	BM-21 Grad	122mm multiple rocket launcher	Soviet Union	32
	BM-14	Multiple rocket launcher		20
	2S3 Akatsiya	152mm self-propelled howitzer		Unknown
	122-HL-70	122mm self-propelled howitzer	Laos	18
	PCL-09	122mm self-propelled howitzer	China	12
	M-30 122 mm howitzer	Towed howitzers and guns	Soviet Union	15[15]
	122 mm howitzer 2A18 (D-30)[citation needed]			20[15]
	130 mm towed field gun M1954 (M-46)[15]
	M114 155 mm howitzer[15]		United States	12[15]
	M101 howitzer	105mm (towed): M-101[15]		20[15]
	M116 howitzer[15]	75mm (towed): M-116 pack		10

^[16][17]

Air defense

Photo	Model	Type	Origin	Quantity	Notes
	S-125 Neva/Pechora	Short-range SAM system	Soviet Union	Unknown
	9K35 Strela-10	Vehicle-mounted SAM system	Soviet Union	Unknown
	Yitian anti air system	Surface-to-air missile	China	Unknown
	ZSU-23-4 Shilka	Self-propelled anti-aircraft gun	Soviet Union	Unknown
	Strela-2	Surface-to-air missile	Soviet Union	Unknown	Received 100 launchers from Soviet Union in the 80s[18]
	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

^[15]

Weapons

Photo	Model	Type	Caliber	Origin	Notes
	TT-33	Semi-automatic pistol	7.62×25mm Tokarev	Soviet Union	Standard service pistols for Laotian Armed Forces.
	PM[19]	Semi-automatic pistol	9×18mm Makarov	Soviet Union
	G2	Semi-automatic pistol	9x19mm Parabellum	Indonesia	[20]
	JS 9 mm	Bullpup Submachine gun	9×19mm Parabellum	China	[21]
	Winchester Model 1200	Pump shotgun	12-gauge	United States
	Simonov SKS	Semi-automatic rifle	7.62×39mm M43	Soviet Union	Limited use, used for ceremonial purpose only.
	Mosin-Nagant	Bolt-action rifle	7.62×54mmR	Soviet Union	Limited use, in storage.
	9A-91	Assault rifle, Carbine	9x39mm	Russia	Used by Laotian special forces.
	AKM AKMS	Assault rifle	7.62×39mm	Soviet Union	Standard service rifles for Laotian Armed Forces, including police officer and Lao People's army.[19]
	QBZ-95	Bullpup Assault rifle	5.8×42mm DBP87 5.56×45mm NATO	China	Standard issue for Laotian Special Forces and Special Police Forces.
	Type 56	Assault rifle	7.62×39mm	China
	Type 81	Assault rifle	7.62×39mm	China
	AMD-65	Assault rifle	7.62×39mm	Hungarian People's Republic
	Pindad SS1	Assault rifle	5.56×45mm NATO	Indonesia	In 2014, Laos imported 35 SS1 V2s and SS1 V4s.[22]
	Pindad SS2	Assault rifle	5.56×45mm NATO	Indonesia
	M16A2	Assault rifle	5.56×45mm NATO	United States
STV-380, an assault rifle made from Vietnam-based to Israeli's assault rifle.	IWI ACE	Assault rifle	7.62×39 mm	Israel  Vietnam	Laos received Vietnamese-made Galil ACEs in January 2019.
	RPD	Light machine gun	7.62×39mm	Soviet Union	[19]
	PK machine gun	General-purpose machine gun	7.62×54mmR	Soviet Union	[19]
	M60 machine gun	General-purpose machine gun	7.62×51mm NATO	United States
	KPV heavy machine gun	Heavy machine gun	14.5×114mm	Soviet Union
	DShK	Heavy machine gun	12.7×108mm	Soviet Union
	Dragunov SVD	Designated marksman rifle, Sniper rifle	7.62×54mmR	Soviet Union	[21]
	RPG-7	Rocket-propelled grenade	40mm	Soviet Union
	RPG-2	Rocket-propelled grenade	40mm	Soviet Union

^[16][17][23]

Mortars

• 81mm^[24]
• 82mm^[24]
• 120mm^[19]
•  Soviet Union M1938 mortar^[24]
•  Soviet Union 120mm: M-43^[24]
•  United States M2 4.2 inch mortar

Accidents

On 17 May 2014, Defence Minister and Deputy Prime Minister Douangchay Phichit was killed in a plane crash, along with other top ranking officials.^[25] The officials were to participate in a ceremony to mark the liberation of the Plain of Jars from the former Royal Lao government forces.^[26] Their Russian-built Antonov AN 74-300 with 20 people on board crashed in Xiangkhouang Province.^[27]

See also

• Lao People's Liberation Army Air Force
• Military ranks of the Lao People's Armed Forces
• Lao Army F.C.