List of equipment of the Vietnam People's Air Force

Since the Vietnam War, most Vietnamese aircraft were supplied by the Soviet Union and later Russia, while hundreds of others were left by the United States via South Vietnam. Most of these are no longer in service either due to the inavailability of parts or the age of the aircraft.

Vietnam People's Army

Ministry of Defence Command General Staff Services Ground Force Air Force Navy Border Guard Coast Guard Ranks of the Vietnamese Military Ground Force ranks and insignia Air Force ranks and insignia Navy ranks and insignia Border Guard ranks and insignia Coast Guard ranks and insignia History of the Vietnamese Military History of Vietnamese military ranks Military history of Vietnam

To decrease its dependence on Russian weapons as the nation moves towards modernisation, Vietnam has begun to explore the purchase of American and European aircraft, especially due to its conflict in the South China Sea with its former Communist ally China.[1][2]

Aircraft

Current

Aircraft	Type	Variants	Origin	Quantity	Notes
Fighter aircraft
Sukhoi Su-22	Fighter-bomber	Su-22M4/UM3K	Soviet Union	34[3]
Sukhoi Su-27	Multirole fighter	Su-27SK/UBK/PU		11[4]
Su-30MK2		Su-30MK2V	Russia	35[4][5]	Regiment 935: 12[6] Regiment 923: 12[7] Regiment 927: 12[8] One lost in crash[9]
Maritime patrol aircraft
PZL M-28	MPA	PZL M-28B Bryza	Poland	1[3]
Cargo/Transport aircraft
An-26 Curl	Military transport	An-26	Russia	30[3]
CASA C-295	Military transport	C-295	Spain	3[3]
CASA C-212	Military transport	NC-212i	Indonesia	2[3]
Helicopters
Ka-32	Utility	Ka-32	Soviet Union	2[3]
Mil Mi-8/Mil Mi-17		Mil Mi-8MT Mil Mi-17SH		87[3]
Mi-24 Hind	Attack	Mil Mi-24A	Soviet Union	25[3]
Bell UH-1 Iroquois	Utility	UH-1H	USA	14[3]
Trainer aircraft
Yak-130	Trainer		Russia		12 on order[10]
Aero L-39 Albatros	Trainer	L-39C	Czech Republic	31[3]
Unmanned aerial vehicle
VT Patrol	Reconnaissance	VT Patrol	Vietnam	unknown
HS-6L		HS-6L		unknown
Orbiter 2		Orbiter 2	Israel	unknown

Munitions

Model	Type	Variants	Origin	Quantity	Notes
Air-to-air missile (AAM)
AA-2 Atoll	Short-range air-to-air missile	R-3SM	Soviet Union	2,300[11]	Used by Sukhoi Su-22M4/M3. Formerly used by MiG-21bis/UM/bison.
AA-8 Aphid		R-60M		400[11]	Used by Su-22M4/M3. Formerly used by MiG-21bis/UM/bison.
AS-9 Kyle	Air-launched anti-radiation missile	Kh-28E		unknown	Used by Su-22M4.
AA-11 Archer	Short-range air-to-air missile	R-73		375[11]	Used by Su-30MK2V and Su-27SK.
AA-12 Adder	Medium-range active-radar homing air-to-air missile	R-77	Russia	unknown	Used by Su-30MK2V and Su-27SK.[12]
Air-to-surface missile (ASM)
AS-10 Karen	Tactical air-to-surface missile	Kh-25ML Kh-25MP Kh-35MPU Kh-25MR	Soviet Union	unknown	Used by Su-22M4.
Anti-ship missile (AShM)
AS-14 Kedge	Anti-ship missile	Kh-29T Kh-29TE	Soviet Union	100[11]	Used by Su-30MK2V and Su-27SK.
AS-13 Kingbolt		Kh-59E		200[11]	Used by Su-30MK2V.
AS-17 Krypton		Kh-31A Kh-31P		100[11]	Used by Su-30MK2V and Su-27SK.

Air defence

Model	Type	Variants	Origin	Quantity	Notes
Surface-to-air missile (SAM)
SA-2 Guideline	Strategic surface-to-air missile	S-75M Volga	Soviet Union  Russia	65[11]
SA-3 Goa				40[11]
SA-6 Gainful				10[11]
SA-10 Grumble				12 launchers[13]
SA-13 Gopher				20[11]
SA-7 Grail	MANPAD			80[11]	[14]
SA-18 Grouse		SA-16 SA-18		450[11]
SPYDER	SHORAD	SPYDER-MR	Israel	6 systems 200 Python-5/200 Derby missiles[11]
Anti-aircraft warfare
ZSU-23-4 Shilka	SPAG		Soviet Union	100[11]
ZSU-57-2 Ob'yekt 500				100[11]

Former

Aircraft	Type	Variants	Origin	Quantity	Notes
Fighter aircraft
MiG-17 Fresco	Fighter	MiG-17A/P/PF	Soviet Union	367
MiG-19 Farmer				~45
MiG-21 Fishbed		MiG-21bis/UM/bison/PF/PFM/MF/F-13/UM		645	Retired from service in November 2015.[15] Replaced with Su-22.
Shenyang J-5			China	10	The Vietnamese Air Force used J-5s alongside the Soviet supplied MiG-17s for interception missions until the 1990s when they were retired, along with the remaining MiG-19s, being replaced with newer MiG-21s and Su-27s.
Shenyang J-6				30
Northrop F-5		F-5A, F-5E	USA	399	Captured during Vietnam War.
Cessna A-37 Dragonfly	Light ground-attack	A-37A A-37B		77	Captured during Vietnam War.
Cargo/transport aircraft
Lockheed C-130 Hercules	Transport		USA	500	Captured during Vietnam War.
Fairchild C-119			USA		Captured during Vietnam War.
Beriev Be-12			Soviet Union	43	[16]
Training aircraft
MiG-15 Fagot	Trainer		Soviet Union	6,000
Aero L-29	Trainer		Czechoslovakia
Helicopters
Mi-4	Transport		Soviet Union
Mi-6 Hook		Mil Mi-6	Soviet Union	26
CH-47 Chinook		CH-47A	USA	unknown	Captured during Vietnam War.

See also

• Vietnam People's Air Force
• Aircraft losses of the Vietnam War

References

1. Siva Govindasamy; Ho Binh Minh; Martin Petty; Greg Torode; Andrea Shalal; Dean Yates (5 June 2015). "Exclusive: Vietnam eyes Western warplanes, patrol aircraft to counter China". Reuters. Retrieved 27 April 2016.
2. Robert Farley (16 January 2016). "A Coming Shift in Vietnamese Military Aviation?". The Diplomat. Retrieved 27 April 2016.
3. "World Air Forces 2020". Flightglobal Insight. 2020. Retrieved 10 December 2019.
4. "Peace Research Institute". Stockholm International Peace Research Institute. 2017. Archived from the original on 14 April 2010. Retrieved 11 May 2018.
5. Su-30s in VPAF service
6. "'Hổ mang chúa' Su-30MK2 xuất kích canh giữ Tết Việt Nam" (in Vietnamese). Báo Đất Việt. 10 February 2013. Retrieved 27 April 2016.
7. "Thủ tướng kiểm tra tên lửa cho Su-30MK2" (in Vietnamese). Báo Đất Việt. 29 January 2013. Retrieved 27 April 2016.
8. "Báo TQ đưa cảnh phi công Việt Nam lái Su-30MK2V" (in Vietnamese). Báo Đất Việt. 2 April 2013. Retrieved 27 April 2016.
9. http://defense-studies.blogspot.my/2016/06/su-30mk2-of-vpaf-will-be-suspended-for.html
10. https://www.themoscowtimes.com/2020/01/29/vietnam-orders-350m-combat-training-jets-from-russia-vedomosti-a69074
11. "SIPRI arms transfer database". Stockholm International Peace Research Institute. 6 November 2013. Retrieved 27 April 2016.
12. Bình Nguyên (20 April 2016). "Su-30MK2 VN đã đưa tên lửa RVV-AE tối tân vào trực chiến" (in Vietnamese). Soha News. Retrieved 27 April 2016.
13. Sergei Blagov (5 September 2003). "Russian missiles to guard skies over Vietnam". Asia Times. Retrieved 27 April 2016.
14. "Hỏa thần Việt Nam khiến Mỹ khiếp sợ (kỳ 3)". Zing.vn (in Vietnamese). Báo Mới. 23 January 2013. Archived from the original on 27 April 2016. Retrieved 27 April 2016.
15. "KQND Việt Nam chuẩn bị vĩnh biệt tiêm kích MiG-21". Nguyễn Tấn Dũng. 18 November 2015. Retrieved 27 April 2016.
16. "Đông Nam Á tăng cường năng lực cảnh báo, chống ngầm" (in Vietnamese). Báo Đất Việt. 22 February 2012. Archived from the original on 27 March 2012. Retrieved 27 April 2016.