Vietnamese People's Army

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Vietnamese People's Army
Quân Đội Nhân Dân Việt Nam
Flag of the People's Army
guide
Commander in Chief
de jure :
President of the Socialist Republic of Vietnam
Commander in chief de facto : General Secretary of the Communist Party of Vietnam
Defense Minister: General Ngô Xuân Lịch
Headquarters: Hanoi
Military strength
Active soldiers: 484,000
Conscription: 24 Months
Eligibility for military service:
household
Military budget: estimated US $ 5.074 billion (2017)
Share of gross domestic product : estimated 2.3% (2017)
history
Founding: December 22, 1944

The armed forces of the Socialist Republic of Vietnam are called the Vietnamese People's Army ( Vietnamese : Quân Đội Nhân Dân Việt Nam ) .

General

Vietnamese People's Army soldiers (2000)

With a total strength of 484,000 men, the Vietnamese People's Army is divided into the land forces (412,000), air forces (30,000) and the Vietnamese People's Navy (42,000). A marine infantry of 27,000 men is integrated into the People's Navy . There are also paramilitary units with a size of 40,000 and a reserve of 3 to 4 million men.

There is general conscription for all men, which usually lasts two years. However, Vietnam is not currently facing any external threats. The government has therefore reduced troop levels and defense spending in recent years. It is estimated that US $ 5.074 billion was spent on defense in 2017 . The Vietnamese military is one of the most powerful in the region. The military is also strong domestically, with many high-ranking military officials holding influential positions in party and state leadership. After the military clashes with France, the United States and China, it enjoyed strong popular support.

history

Growth of the Vietnamese People's Army 1945–1985
time Overall strength Officers
1945 40,000 2,500
1955 210,000 20,000
1965 400,000 50,000
1975 650,000 110,000
1985 1,000,000 170,000

The origins of the Vietnamese armed forces lie in the Việt Minh Ho Chi Minhs , which fought against the French colonial power in Vietnam since 1941 . First, on December 22, 1944, a propaganda unit was formed, which was renamed the Vietnamese Liberation Army in May 1945 . In September 1945 the army was again renamed the Vietnamese National Defense Army . It has had its current name since 1950. The People's Army fought for independence under communist leadership in the Indochina War . At the end of the war it consisted of five infantry and one heavy division modeled on the Soviet artillery division. Towards the end of the war, the People's Army, with Chinese help, was able to set up an air defense corps that attacked the French air force with light anti-aircraft guns . In 1959, the People's Army of Vietnam made their first tank regiment of 35 T-34 - tanks and 16 SU-76 - self-propelled guns equipped. In the same year, the establishment of an air force began, which initially relied on captured French transport aircraft of the American design.

In addition to guerrillas dug up in the south of the country, soldiers of the People's Army were significantly involved in the Vietnam War . By the end of 1965 the regular troops of the People's Army had grown to around 400,000 men. These were organized into 10 divisions, 6 independent regiments, and an undisclosed number of independent battalions. The strength of the artillery force has been doubled. A second tank regiment was also created. The air defense artillery was increased to 21 regiments and 41 battalions. In the summer of 1965, the first missile-armed air defense units were set up.

In 1975 an offensive by conventionally armed people's army troops led to the collapse of South Vietnam and thus to the end of the war. The local guerrilla groups established during the Indochina War were expanded to include all of North Vietnam during the Vietnam War. Each village had around 100 part-time guerrillas. According to official information, a total of around 1.4 million people were recorded in this militia system. Vietnam received massive military aid from the Eastern Bloc to expand and regularize its armed forces . The air defense forces were significantly expanded during the Vietnam War and expanded to include Soviet anti-aircraft missile systems. According to US data, you get 1096 downings of US aircraft. The Air Force was built with Soviet and Chinese help during the Vietnam War, and achieved its first aerial victory in 1965. After the end of the Vietnam War in 1975, the Air Force of the People's Army took over around 1,500 Western-style aircraft from the stock of the South Vietnamese Air Force .

In 1978 Vietnam intervened in Kampuchea and ended the Pol Pot regime in January 1979 . Around 150,000 Vietnamese soldiers remained stationed in the neighboring country until the end of the 1980s.

In 1979 a Chinese invasion on the northern border was repelled.

After the end of the Cold War , the army's manpower was reduced.

Equipment (extract)

Air Force

Status: end of 2019

Naval forces

  • Sea vessels
    • 9 frigates
    • 15 corvettes
    • 25 patrol boats
    • 6 submarines
    • 8 anti-mine boats
    • 6 dropships

Web links

Commons : Vietnam People's Army  - Collection of Pictures, Videos and Audio Files

Individual evidence

  1. ^ Military expenditure by country in US $ 2001-2017. (PDF) Stockholm International Peace Research Institute (SIPRI) , 2018, accessed on July 10, 2019 .
  2. Military expenditure by country as percentage of gross domestic product 2001-2017. (PDF) Stockholm International Peace Research Institute, 2018, accessed on July 10, 2019 .
  3. ^ Library of Congress : Federal Research Division: Vietnam country profile. Washington, December 2005. Download (PDF; 162 kB)
  4. ^ Douglas Pike: PAVN - People's Army of Vietnam. New York, 1996, p. 190.
  5. ^ Early Day: The Development of the Viet Minh Military Machine.
  6. ^ Charles R. Shrader: A War of Logistics - Parachutes and Porters in Indochina. 1945–1954, Lexingtion, 2015, pp. 46–48.
  7. ^ Douglas Pike: PAVN - People's Army of Vietnam. New York, 1986, p. 106.
  8. ^ William J. Duiker (preface), Merle L. Pribbenow (translator): Victory in Vietnam - The Official History of the People's Army of Vietnam 1954–1975. Lawrence, 2002, p. 29f, original publication in Vietnamese language General Hoàng Văn Thái (Editor): History of the People's Army of Vietnam Volume II: The Maturation of the People's Army during the War of Resistance to Save the Nation from the Americans (1954–1975). Hanoi, 1994.
  9. ^ Douglas Pike: PAVN - People's Army of Vietnam. New York, 1986, pp. 113f.
  10. ^ William J. Duiker (preface), Merle L. Pribbenow (translator): Victory in Vietnam - The Official History of the People's Army of Vietnam 1954–1975. Lawrence, 2002, p. 164f, original publication in Vietnamese language General Hoàng Văn Thái (Editor): History of the People's Army of Vietnam Volume II: The Maturation of the People's Army during the War of Resistance to Save the Nation from the Americans (1954–1975). Hanoi, 1994.
  11. Bruce Lockhart, William J. Duiker: Historical Dictionary of Vietnam. Lanham, 2006, pp. 299f.
  12. ^ William J. Duiker (preface), Merle L. Pribbenow (translator): Victory in Vietnam - The Official History of the People's Army of Vietnam 1954–1975. Lawrence, 2002, p. 93, original publication in Vietnamese language General Hoàng Văn Thái (Editor): History of the People's Army of Vietnam Volume II: The Maturation of the People's Army during the War of Resistance to Save the Nation from the Americans (1954–1975). Hanoi, 1994.
  13. Bruce Lockhart, William J. Duiker: Historical Dictionary of Vietnam. Lanham, 2006, pp. 299f.
  14. ^ Douglas Pike: PAVN - People's Army of Vietnam. New York, 1986, pp. 107, pp. 113-116.
  15. Bruce Lockhart, William J. Duiker: Historical Dictionary of Vietnam. Lanham, 2006, pp. 299f.
  16. a b World Air Force 2020. Flight International , December 10, 2019, accessed on January 9, 2020 .
  17. Vietnam Orders $ 350M Combat Training Jets From Russia - Vedomosti. In: themoscowtimes.com. January 29, 2020, accessed on July 4, 2020 .