People's Army of Vietnam
The People's Army of Vietnam (PAVN), officially the Vietnam People's Army (VPA;[11] Vietnamese: Quân đội nhân dân Việt Nam, lit. 'Military of and for the people of Vietnam'[12]), also recognized as the Vietnamese Army (Vietnamese: Quân đội Việt Nam, lit. 'Military of Vietnam') or the People's Army (Vietnamese: Quân đội Nhân dân), is the national military force of the Socialist Republic of Vietnam and the armed wing of the ruling Communist Party of Vietnam (CPV). The PAVN is a part of the Vietnam People's Armed Forces and includes: Ground Force, Navy, Air Force, Border Guard and Coast Guard. Vietnam does not have a separate Ground Force or Army service. All ground troops, army corps, military districts and special forces are designated under the umbrella terms combined arms (Vietnamese: binh chủng hợp thành) and are belonged to the Ministry of National Defence, directly under the command of the CPV Central Military Commission, the Minister of National Defence, and the General Staff of the Vietnam People's Army. The military flag of the PAVN is the National flag of the Socialist Republic of Vietnam defaced with the motto Quyết thắng (Determination to win) added in yellow at the top left (or by the side of the flagpole).
This article is about combined military force of Vietnam. For "armed forces" of the Socialist Republic of Vietnam which consist of the Military (Army), Public Security (Police), and the Self-Defence Militia, see Vietnam People's Armed Forces. For similarly-named newspaper of this military force, see People's Army Newspaper.Vietnam People's Army
Quyết thắng ("Determined to win")
22 December 1944
Combined Arms (de facto ground force; not a formally separated service branch)
Naval Service
Air Defence - Air Force Service
Border Guard Command
Coast Guard Command (structurally under de jure administration of the Vietnamese Government)[2]- Cyberspace Operations Command
- HCM Mausoleum Protection Command
Ministry of National Defence, Number 7 Nguyễn Tri Phương road, Điện Biên Ba Đình, Hà Nội
18–25 years old (18–27 for those who attend colleges or universities)
2 year 7 month
600,000[3] (ranked 7th)
5,000,000[3]
~1.6% (2023; projected)[4]
- Viettel
- Z111 Factory
- Z153 Factory[5]
- Shipbuilding Industry Corporation
- Hong Ha Shipbuilding Company (Z173 Factory)
- Z176 Factory
- Z189 Shipyard
- Ba Son Corporation
- Song Thu Shipyard[6]
- Vietnam Helicopter Corporation
- Vietnam Aerospace Association (VASA)[7]
- A32 Factory[8]
- World War II (Anti-Japanese Campaign 1944–1945)
- First Indochina War (Against France, 1946–1954)
- Second Indochina War (Vietnam War) (Against the United States and South Vietnamese forces, 1954–1975)
- Cambodian–Vietnamese War (Against the Khmer Rouge, 1977–1989)
- Sino-Vietnamese War (Against China, 1979)
- Sino-Vietnamese border conflicts (border clashes with China, 1979–1990)
- Vietnamese border raids in Thailand (Against the Khmer Rouge insurgents and Thailand, 1979–1989)
- Thai–Laotian Border War (Against Thailand to defend its ally, Laos, 1987–1988)
- Clashes in Cambodia (Against the co-premier Norodom Ranariddh and the Khmer Rouge, 1997)
- Insurgency in Laos (secret war in Laos against Hmong separatists, 1975–2022)[10]
- War against rebellions 1975–1992 (against FULRO and several insurgent groups)
- United Nations peacekeeping mission in Central African Republic (2015-now)
- United Nations Mission in South Sudan (2015-now)
During the French Indochina War (1946–1954), the PAVN was often referred to as the Việt Minh. In the context of the Vietnam War (1955–1975), the army was referred to by its opposition forces as the North Vietnamese Army (NVA; Vietnamese: Quân đội Bắc Việt), serving as the military force of the Democratic Republic of Vietnam. This allowed writers, the U.S. military, and the general public, to distinguish northern communists from the southern communists, called Viet Cong (VC), or more formally the National Liberation Front. However, both groups ultimately worked under the same command structure. The Viet Cong had its own military forces called the Liberation Army of South Vietnam (LASV). It was practically considered a branch of the PAVN by the North Vietnamese.[13] In 1976, following the political reunification of Vietnam, LASV was officially disbanded and merged into the so-called NVA to form the existing incarnation of PAVN, serving as the national military of the unified state of Socialist Republic of Vietnam.[14]
The Commander-in-Chief of the Armed Forces is the President of Vietnam, though this position is nominal and real power is assumed by the Central Military Commission of the ruling Communist Party of Vietnam. The secretary of Central Military Commission (usually the General Secretary of the Communist Party of Vietnam) is the de facto Commander and now is Nguyễn Phú Trọng.
The Minister of National Defence oversees operations of the Ministry of Defence, and the PAVN. He also oversees such agencies as the General Staff and the General Department of Logistics. However, military policy is ultimately directed by the Central Military Commission of the ruling Communist Party of Vietnam.
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