Military of Vietnam

Military of Vietnam
Name	People's Army of Vietnam and Vietnam People's Public Security
Native name	Quân đội Nhân dân Việt Nam; Công an Nhân dân Việt Nam
Founded	22 December 1944 (People's Army of Vietnam)
Country	Socialist Republic of Vietnam
Allegiance	Communist Party of Vietnam
Headquarters	Hanoi
Commander in chief	President of Vietnam
Minister	Minister of National Defence
Commander	General Secretary of the Communist Party of Vietnam
Active personnel	400,000+ (est.)
Reserve personnel	5,000,000+ (est.)
Paramilitary	Vietnam People's Public Security
History	First Indochina War, Vietnam War, Cambodian–Vietnamese War

Military of Vietnam forms the combined armed forces of the Socialist Republic of Vietnam, principally comprising the People's Army of Vietnam (Army, Navy, Air Force, Air Defence, Border Guard, Coast Guard) and the Vietnam People's Public Security. It is rooted in the revolutionary force established during the August Revolution and later fought in the First Indochina War, the Vietnam War, and the Cambodian–Vietnamese War. The force remains under the leadership of the Communist Party of Vietnam and has been modernizing while maintaining doctrine shaped by Vo Nguyen Giap's legacy and Cold War experience with the Soviet Union and People's Republic of China.

History

Vietnamese armed forces trace lineage to the Vietnamese National Army of the Nguyen dynasty era and, more directly, the revolutionary guerrilla units formed under the League for the Independence of Vietnam (Viet Minh) in 1941. During the First Indochina War the forces confronted the French Fourth Republic and fought major actions such as the Battle of Dien Bien Phu, influenced by advisers from the Soviet Union and People's Republic of China. In the Vietnam War (referred to in Vietnam as the Resistance War Against America), forces engaged the Army of the Republic of Vietnam, United States Armed Forces, and allied contingents across the Ho Chi Minh Trail, participating in operations culminating in the Fall of Saigon. Post-1975, forces intervened in the Cambodian–Vietnamese War against the Khmer Rouge and managed border conflicts with the People's Republic of China during the 1979 Sino-Vietnamese War. Since the 1990s Vietnam shifted from large-scale conventional focus toward modernization, engaging with partners such as the Russian Federation, Israel, and India for defense cooperation.

Organization and Structure

The armed forces are organized under the Ministry of National Defence (Vietnam), with command influenced by the Central Military Commission (Vietnam)]. Principal service branches include the Vietnam People's Ground Forces, Vietnam People's Navy, Vietnam People's Air Force, Vietnam Border Defence Force, and Vietnam Coast Guard. The Vietnam People's Public Security functions as a paramilitary internal security service. Strategic regional commands are the Military Regions (I, II, III, IV, V, etc.), and principal military academies such as the Military Academy of Vietnam and Vietnam National Defense Academy educate officers. Administrative and operational doctrine is integrated with the Communist Party of Vietnam’s Central Military Commission and the General Staff of the People's Army of Vietnam.

Personnel and Conscription

Personnel strength comprises professional enlisted soldiers, non-commissioned officers, officers trained at institutions like the Vietnam Military Academy, and conscripts called up under the national conscription law. Conscription typically affects males aged 18–25 with service terms regulated by the Law on National Defense and administered by provincial People's Committees (Vietnam). Veteran communities include those who served in the Vietnam War and subsequent border conflicts; military awards such as the Hero of the People's Armed Forces recognize distinguished service. Reserve mobilization integrates the Youth Volunteer Force and veterans into regional defense plans overseen by provincial Military Commands.

Equipment and Capabilities

Equipment inventory historically centered on Soviet-era platforms including T-54/T-55, T-62, and later T-72 main battle tanks, Sukhoi Su-22, Mig-21, and surface combatants such as Kilo-class submarine variants procured from the Russian Navy. Recent acquisitions and upgrades have introduced Kilo-class boats, Kamov Ka-28 helicopters, P-5/P-15 missile systems, and modernized coastal patrol craft. Air defense assets include legacy S-75 Dvina and modernized S-300-class capabilities through cooperative projects. Indigenous production yields small arms, artillery modernization, and naval shipbuilding at yards linked to the Vietnam Shipbuilding Industry Group (Vinashin). Capabilities emphasize anti-access/area denial (A2/AD), littoral defense, and expeditionary logistics for United Nations peacekeeping operations.

Doctrine and Training

Doctrine is influenced by the concept of people's war advanced by Vo Nguyen Giap and adapted to contemporary multi-domain threats, combining guerrilla warfare heritage with conventional maneuver, combined arms, and asymmetric tactics. Training institutions such as the Military Medical Academy, Artillery Officer School, and Air Defense–Air Force Academy provide specialty instruction; joint exercises with partners like the Russian Federation, India, United States, and Australia broaden doctrine. Emphasis is placed on territorial defense, mobilization, cyber and electronic warfare capacities, and interoperability for peacekeeping under United Nations mandates. War gaming, conscript field training, and cadre education at the People's Army of Vietnam Academy reinforce command-and-control procedures.

Defense Industry and Procurement

Vietnam's defense industrial base includes state enterprises such as Z189 Factory, Z199 Factory, and PetroVietnam-linked shipyards working on hull construction, munitions, and maintenance. Procurement historically relied on the Soviet Union and later the Russian Federation, with diversification to suppliers like Israel Aerospace Industries, France, Italy, and South Korea for platforms, sensors, and electronics. Indigenous projects have produced small arms, torpedo boats, coastal patrol vessels, and missile modifications; technology transfer and licensed production remain key strategies, while offset agreements and domestic modernization programs aim to reduce dependency on foreign suppliers.

International Cooperation and Deployments

Vietnam engages in defense diplomacy through bilateral exchanges with the Russian Federation, China, United States, India, Japan, and Australia. It contributes personnel to United Nations peacekeeping operations in Africa and elsewhere, deploying engineers, medical teams, and military police. Joint exercises include maritime drills with the Indian Navy, humanitarian assistance and disaster relief training with the United States Pacific Fleet, and search-and-rescue cooperation with Japan Maritime Self-Defense Force. Vietnam also participates in regional frameworks such as the Association of Southeast Asian Nations defense dialogues and conducts port calls and confidence-building activities to manage tensions in the South China Sea.

Category:Military history of Vietnam