Lao People's Armed Forces

The Lao People's Armed Forces (LPAF) is the name of 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
Founded	1949
Service branches	Lao People's Army (includes Lao People's Navy) Lao People's Air Force[1]
Headquarters	Vientiane
Leadership
Commander-in-Chief	President Bounnhang Vorachith
Minister for Defence	General Chansamone Chanyalath
Chief of Staff	Lieutenant general Suvon Luongbunmi
Manpower
Military age	17 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.)
Reaching military age annually	(2005 est.)
Active personnel	30,000
Expenditures
Budget	$18.5 million (2019)
Percent of GDP	0.5% (2006)
Industry
Foreign suppliers	China  Russia  Cuba  Vietnam  North Korea  Mongolia  France  India  Pakistan  South Korea
Related articles
History	First Indochinese War Laotian Civil War Insurgency in Laos Thai-Laotian Border War
Ranks	Military ranks of Laos

Leadership

• Commander-in-chief: Bounnhang Vorachith (General Secretary and President)
• Defense Minister: General Chansamone Chanyalath
• Chief of General Staff: Lieutenant General Suvon Luongbunmi

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

Main article: Military history of Laos

Until 1975, the Royal Lao Army were the armed forces of the Kingdom of Laos.

Serving one of the world's least developed communist 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 brutal crushing of the peaceful 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 Pathet Lao 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 authoritarian, communist 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]

Tanks, Armoured Vehicles and Trucks

Photo	Model	Type	Origin	Quantity	Notes
Tanks
	T-72B1	Main Battle Tank	Russia	30[2]
	T-54/55	Main Battle Tank	Soviet Union	30[3]
	T-34/85	Medium Tank	Soviet Union	30[4][5]	Currently being retired from service and returned to Russia.
	PT-76	Light tank	Soviet Union	25[6]	30 were in service in 1996.[7] Currently 25 are in service.
APC/IFV
	BTR-60PB	Armored Personnel Carrier	Soviet Union	70[8]	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	[9]
	BTR-40	Armored Personnel Carrier	Soviet Union	10[10]
	BRDM-2M	Armoured Car	Russia	10[11]	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	Russia	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

Artillery

Photo	Model	Type	Origin	Quantity	Notes
	Dongfeng CS/SS4	Self Propelled Mortar System	China	unknown
	SR-5	Multiple rocket launcher	China	unknown
	BM-21 Grad	122mm Multiple Rocket Launcher	Soviet Union	unknown
	BM-14	Multiple rocket launcher		unknown
	2S3 Akatsiya	152mm Self-Propelled Howitzer		unknown
	122-HL-70	122mm Self-Propelled Howitzer	Laos	unknown
	PCL-09	122mm Self-Propelled Howitzer	China	unknown
	M-30 122 mm howitzer	towed howitzer	Soviet Union	~10[12]
	122 mm howitzer 2A18 (D-30)			~10[12]
	130 mm towed field gun M1954 (M-46)[13]			10[12]
	M114 155 mm howitzer[13]		United States	12[12]
	M101 howitzer	105mm (towed): M-101[13]		20[12]
	M116 howitzer[13]	75mm (towed): M-116 pack		10

[14][15]

Air defence

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 (Tianlong 6)	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
	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
	ZU-23-2	anti-aircraft gun		unknown

[12]

Weapons

Photo	Model	Type	Caliber	Origin	Notes
	AK-47	Assault rifle	7.62×39mm	Soviet Union
	9A-91	Carbine	9x39mm	Russia
	QBZ-95	Bullpup rifle	5.8×42mm DBP87	China
	Type 56	Assault rifle	7.62×39mm	China
	Type 81	Assault rifle	7.62×39mm	China
	AMD-65	Assault rifle	7.62×39mm	Hungary
	Pindad SS2	Assault rifle	5.56×45mm NATO	Indonesia
	IMI Galil ACE	Assault rifle / Battle rifle	5.56×45mm NATO	Israel /  Vietnam	Laos received Vietnamese-made Galil ACEs in January 2019.
	RPD	Light machine gun	7.62×39mm	Soviet Union

[14][15][16]

Mortars

• 81mm[17]
• 82mm[17]
•  Soviet Union M1938 mortar[17]
•  Soviet Union 120mm: M-43[17]
•  United States M2 4.2 inch mortar

Human rights violations

Further information: Human rights in Laos

According to numerous independent journalists and non-governmental organisations (NGOs), including Amnesty International, Human Rights Watch, The Centre for Public Policy Analysis, Lao Human Rights Council, United League for Democracy in Laos and 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.[18][19]

Human rights violations committed by the Lao military include kidnapping, rape, torture, extrajudicial killing, military attacks against civilians, mass starvation against the ethnic minority, Hmong people, illegal logging in co-operation with the Vietnam People's Army-owned front companies and other violations of international law, the Geneva conventions, and acceptable norms of behaviour. According to a report by Amnesty International in 2007: "Thousands of ethnic Hmong women, men and children live in scattered groups in the Lao jungles, hiding from the authorities, particularly the military. Amnesty International is calling for an immediate end to armed attacks on these people."[18][19]

In 2013, attacks by the Lao People's Army against the Hmong people and others 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.[20] 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.[21]

Laotian and Hmong veterans who fought against North Vietnam, Vietnam People's Army (VPA), communist Pathet Lao forces, and LPAF to defend the Kingdom of Laos and US, Laos and the Kingdom of Thailand's national security interests during the Vietnam war and its aftermath, including the Lao Veterans of America, established the Laos Memorial in Arlington National Cemetery in 1997.

The United League for Democracy in Laos, Amnesty International, the Centre for Public Policy Analysis, the Lao Veterans of America and other NGOs continue to raise concerns about the LPAF's serious human rights violations, internal suppression of the population, systemic corruption, brutal attacks against unarmed Laotian and Hmong political and religious dissident and opposition groups, one-party authoritarian rule in Laos as well as the LPAF's very close relationship with the VPA and VPA military-owned companies engaged in illegal logging in Laos.[22]

Organisations

• The Centre for Public Policy Analysis The Centre for Public Policy Analysis, Washington, D.C.
• Laos Memorial, Memorial to Lao and Hmong Veterans who fought against Lao People's Army and Pathet Lao during Vietnam, Arlington National Cemetery, USA,
• Lao Veterans of America, Inc., Lao and Hmong Veterans who fought against Lao People's Army, Pathet Lao and North Vietnam during the Vietnam War.

See also

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

References

1. "The World Factbook — Central Intelligence Agency". www.cia.gov.
2. http://defense-studies.blogspot.com/2019/11/more-t72b1ms-tank-for-laos-arrived.html?m=1
3. http://armstrade.sipri.org/armstrade/page/trade_register.php
4. International Institute for Strategic Studies (IISS) (2010). The Military Balance 2010. London: IISS. ISBN 978-1-85743-557-3.
5. The Tank That Helped Russia Defeat Nazi Germany Has Finally Retired (In Laos). The National Interest. 10 January 2019.
6. https://archive.org/details/janestankcombatv00foss/page/376
7. Administrator. "PT-76". Pancerni 2. Archived from the original on 29 November 2014. Retrieved 15 November 2014.
8. https://archive.org/details/janestankcombatv00foss/page/376
9. https://archive.org/details/janestankcombatv00foss/page/376
10. https://archive.org/details/janestankcombatv00foss/page/376
11. 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.
12. "Laos Army Equipment". Global Security. Retrieved 18 January 2018.
13. John Pike. "Laos Army Equipment". Retrieved 22 October 2014.
14. John Pike. "World Military Guide". Retrieved 22 October 2014.
15. "Laos". Archived from the original on 29 April 2014. Retrieved 22 October 2014.
16. Jones, Richard D. Jane's Infantry Weapons 2009/2010. Jane's Information Group; 35 edition (January 27, 2009). ISBN 978-0-7106-2869-5.
17. "Library of Congress / Federal Research Division / Country Studies / Area Handbooks / Laos / Tables". Retrieved 22 October 2014.
18. Amnesty International, (23 March 2007), "Lao People's Democratic Republic: Hiding in the jungle - Hmong under threat" "Archived copy". Archived from the original on 8 December 2014. Retrieved 4 December 2016.CS1 maint: archived copy as title (link)
19. The Centre for Public Policy Analysis, CPPA, Washington, D.C. (1 August 2013), http://www.centerforpublicpolicyanalysis.org
20. 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
21. 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
22. Lao Veterans of America, Inc. (LVA), (29 August 2013), http://www.laoveteransofamerica.org Archived 27 December 2016 at the Wayback Machine

External links

• The AMR Regional Air Force Directory 2011