Editing People's Army of Vietnam

{{short description|Primary combined military forces of Vietnam, responsible for national defense}}
{{About|[[military|combined military force]] of Vietnam|"armed forces" of the [[Socialist Republic of Vietnam]] which consist of the Military (Army), [[Vietnam People's Public Security|Public Security (Police)]], and the Self-Defence Militia|Vietnam People's Armed Forces|similarly-named newspaper of this military force|People's Army Newspaper}}
{{more citations needed|date=December 2020}}
{{EngvarB|date=October 2015}} 
{{Use dmy dates|date=October 2015}}
{{Infobox national military
| name = Vietnam People's Army
| native_name = {{lang|vi|Quân đội nhân dân Việt Nam}}
| image = Emblem VPA.svg
| alt = Emblem of People's Army of Vietnam, depicting golden star, gear and two strands of wheat
| caption = Emblem
| image2 = Flag of the People's Army of Vietnam.svg
| alt2 = 
| caption2 = "Determined to win" military flag
| motto = {{lang|vi|Quyết thắng}} ("Determined to win")
| founded = {{Start date and age|1944|12|22|df=y}}
| current_form = {{Start date and age|1976|7|7}} (formal unification of the NVA and the [[Liberation Army of South Vietnam|LASV]])<ref>{{Cite web |title=KỶ NIỆM 50 NĂM NGÀY THÀNH LẬP QUÂN GIẢI PHÓNG MIỀN NAM VIỆT NAM (15-2-1961 – 15-2-2011):Trang sử vàng của Quân Giải phóng miền Nam |url=http://baodanang.vn/channel/5399/201102/ky-niem-50-nam-ngay-thanh-lap-quan-giai-phong-mien-nam-viet-nam-15-2-1961-15-2-2011-trang-su-vang-cua-quan-giai-phong-mien-nam-2032771/ |access-date=18 December 2023 |website=[[Báo Đà Nẵng]] |language=vi}}</ref>
| disbanded = 
| branches = {{tree list}}
*{{Army|Vietnam|name=Combined Arms|size=25px}} {{small|(''de facto'' ground force; not a formally separated service branch)}}
*{{navy|Vietnam|name=Naval Service|size=25px}}
*{{Air force|Vietnam|name=Air Defence - Air Force Service|size=25px}}<hr>
*{{flagicon image|Vietnam Border Defense Force flag.svg|size=25px}} {{nowrap|[[Vietnam Border Guard|Border Guard Command]]}}
*{{flagicon image|Vietnam Coast Guard flag.svg|size=25px}} {{nowrap|[[Vietnam Coast Guard|Coast Guard Command]]}} {{small|(structurally under ''[[de jure]]'' administration of the [[Vietnamese Government]])}}<ref>{{cite web |title=Scope of operation, working measures and international cooperation of the Vietnam Coast Guard |url=http://tapchiqptd.vn/en/research-and-discussion/regulations-on-organisation-and-operation-of-the-vietnam-coast-guard/19048.html |archive-url=https://web.archive.org/web/20220801184000/http://tapchiqptd.vn/en/research-and-discussion/regulations-on-organisation-and-operation-of-the-vietnam-coast-guard/19048.html |url-status=dead |archive-date=1 August 2022 |website=National Defence Journal |publisher=[[Ministry of Defence (Vietnam)]] }}</ref>
*{{nowrap|[[Cyberspace Operations Command]]}}
*{{nowrap|[[President Ho Chi Minh Mausoleum Defence Force|HCM Mausoleum Protection Command]]}}{{Tree list/end}}
| headquarters = [[Ministry of Defence (Vietnam)|Ministry of National Defence]], Number 7 Nguyễn Tri Phương road, Điện Biên [[Ba Đình district|Ba Đình]], [[Hanoi|Hà Nội]]
| website = {{Official website|http://mod.gov.vn/en/vpa}}
<!-- Leadership -->| chief minister = {{flagicon image|Flag of the Communist Party of Vietnam.svg|size=25px}} [[General Secretary of the Communist Party of Vietnam|General Secretary]] [[Tô Lâm]]
| chief minister_title = [[Secretary of the Central Military Commission of the Communist Party of Vietnam|Secretary of the Central Military Commission]]
| commander-in-chief = {{flagicon image|Flag of Vietnam.svg|size=25px}} [[President of Vietnam|President]] [[Lương Cường]]
| commander-in-chief_title = [[President of Vietnam|Commander-in-Chief]]
| minister = [[File:Vietnam People's Army OF-10.svg|25px]] [[Army General|General]] [[Phan Văn Giang]]
| minister_title = [[Minister of Defence (Vietnam)|Minister of National Defence]]
| chief_of_staff = [[File:Vietnam People's Army OF-10.svg|25px]] [[General]] [[Nguyễn Tân Cương]]
| chief_of_staff_title = [[Chief of the General Staff (Vietnam)|Chief of the General Staff]]
| commander = [[File:Vietnam People's Army OF-9.svg|25px]] [[Colonel General|Sr. Lt. Gen.]] {{ill|Trịnh Văn Quyết|vi|Trịnh Văn Quyết (quân nhân)}}
| commander_title = [[General Department of Political Affairs|Director of the General Department of Political Affairs]] 
<!-- Manpower -->| age = 18–25 years old (18–27 for those who attend colleges or universities)
| conscription = 2 year 7 month
| manpower_data = 
| manpower_age = 
| available = 
| available_f = 
| fit = 
| fit_f = 
| reaching = 
| reaching_f = 
| active = 600,000<ref name=IISSSRV08>{{cite book| title=The Military Balance 2014| author1=International Institute for Strategic Studies| author-link1=International Institute for Strategic Studies| date=3 February 2014| publisher=[[Routledge]]| location=[[London]]| isbn=9781857437225| pages=287–289}}</ref>
| ranked = 7th
| reserve = 5,000,000<ref name=IISSSRV08/>
| deployed = <!-- Financial -->
| amount = [[US$]] 7.8 billion (2023)<ref name="National Assembly's 2023 state budget projection">{{cite web |title=Resolution no. 70/2022/QH15 of the National Assembly on the Distribution of Central Budget of 2023 |url=https://quochoi.vn/tintuc/Pages/tin-hoat-dong-cua-quoc-hoi.aspx?ItemID=71086 |publisher=[[National Assembly of Vietnam]] |access-date=16 April 2023 |date=30 November 2022 }}{{Dead link|date=May 2024 |bot=InternetArchiveBot |fix-attempted=yes }}</ref>
| percent_GDP = ~1.6% (2023; ''projected'')<ref name="National Assembly's 2023 state budget projection"/>
<!-- Industrial -->| domestic_suppliers = *[[Viettel]]
*[[Z111 Factory]]
*Z113 Factory
*Z153 Factory<ref>{{Cite web|url=https://www.shephardmedia.com/news/landwarfareintl/vietnam-domestically-upgrades-t-54b-tanks/|title=D&S 2019: Vietnam domestically upgrades T-54B tanks &#124; Shephard|website=shephardmedia.com|access-date=8 May 2023}}</ref>
*[[Shipbuilding Industry Corporation]]
*[[Z173 Shipyard|Hong Ha Shipbuilding Company (Z173 Factory)]]
*Z176 Factory
*[[Z189 Shipyard]]
*Ba Son Corporation
*Song Thu Shipyard<ref>{{Cite web|url=https://militaryleak.com/2020/07/02/song-thu-corporation-launches-third-vietnam-peoples-navy-roro-5612-landing-ship/|title = Song Thu Corporation Launches Third Vietnam People's Navy Roro 5612 Landing Ship|date = 2 July 2020}}</ref>
*[[Vietnam Helicopter Corporation]]{{citation needed|date=April 2023}}
*Vietnam Aerospace Association (VASA)<ref name=kobus>{{cite web|last=Kobus|title=Vietnam to make unmanned aircraft|url=http://www.zimbio.com/Aircraft/articles/UWk8XplPNqr/Vietnam+make+unmanned+aircraft|publisher=zimbio.com|access-date=20 March 2013}}</ref>
*A32 Factory<ref>{{Cite web|url=https://en.qdnd.vn/military/news/defense-mission-works-with-factory-a32-527844|title=Defense mission works with Factory A32|website=en.qdnd.vn|access-date=8 May 2023}}</ref>
| foreign_suppliers = {{collapsible list|title=Historical: 
|''{{flag|China}}''|''{{flag|Czechoslovak Socialist Republic|name=Czechoslovakia}}''|''{{flag|East Germany}}''|''{{flag|North Korea}}''|''{{flag|Romanian People's Republic|name=Romania}}''|''{{flag|USSR}}''}}
{{collapsible list|title=Modern:
|{{flag|Australia}}|{{flag|Brazil}}|{{flag|Bulgaria}}|{{flag|Canada}}|{{flag|Cuba}}|{{flag|Czech Republic}}|{{flag|France}}|{{flag|Germany}}|{{flag|India}}|{{flag|Indonesia}}|{{flag|Israel}}|{{flag|Italy}}|{{flag|Japan}}<ref>{{Cite web|last=Wozniak|first=Jakub|title=Japan and Vietnam Reach Agreement on Arms Exports to Vietnam|url=https://www.overtdefense.com/2020/10/20/japan-and-vietnam-reach-agreement-on-arms-exports-to-vietnam/|website=Overt Defense|date=October 20, 2020}}</ref>|{{flag|South Korea}}|{{flag|Netherlands}}|{{flag|Poland}}|{{flag|Russia}}|{{flag|Singapore}}|{{flag|Taiwan}}|{{flag|Turkey}}|{{flag|Ukraine}}|{{flag|United Kingdom}}|{{flag|United States}}}}
| imports = 
| exports = <!-- Related articles -->
| history = [[Military history of Vietnam]]
{{hidden 
| ''List of engagements''
| headerstyle=background:#b0c4de
| style=text-align:center;|
* [[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 Vietnam]]ese forces, 1954–1975)
* [[Cambodian–Vietnamese War]] (Against the [[Khmer Rouge]], 1977–1989)
* [[Sino-Vietnamese War]] (Against China, 1979)
* [[Sino-Vietnamese conflicts 1979–90|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)
* [[1997 clashes in Cambodia|Clashes in Cambodia]] (Against the co-premier [[Norodom Ranariddh]] and the [[Khmer Rouge]], 1997)
* [[Insurgency in Laos]] (secret war in Laos against [[Hmong people|Hmong]] separatists, 1975–2022)<ref>{{cite web |url=http://www.cal.org/CO/hmong/hhist.html |title=History – The Hmong |publisher=Cal.org |access-date=13 November 2011 |url-status=dead |archive-url=https://web.archive.org/web/20121012234615/http://www.cal.org/co/hmong/hhist.html |archive-date=12 October 2012 }}</ref>
* [[FULRO insurgency against Vietnam|War against rebellions 1975–1992]] (against [[FULRO]] and several insurgent groups)
* [[MINUSCA|United Nations peacekeeping mission in Central African Republic]] (2015-present)
* [[United Nations Mission in South Sudan]] (2015-present) 
}}
| ranks = [[Vietnamese military ranks and insignia|Military ranks of Vietnam]]
| image_size = 180px
| image_size2 = 
| country = {{VNM}}
}}

The '''People's Army of Vietnam''' ('''PAVN'''), officially the '''Vietnam People's Army''' ('''VPA''';<ref>{{Cite web |title=Vietnam People's Army |url=http://mod.gov.vn/en/vpa |website=[[Ministry of Defence (Vietnam)|Ministry of National Defence]]}}</ref> {{langx|vi|Quân đội nhân dân Việt Nam}}, {{IPA|vi|kwən˧˧ ʔɗoj˧˨ʔ ɲən˧˧ zən˧˧ viət̚˧˨ʔ naːm˧˧|pron}}, {{lit|Military of and for the [[people]] [[Vietnamese people|of Vietnam]]}}<ref>{{Cite web |title=Ho Chi Minh's thought on building the Army with "politics being taken as the roots" – significance and practical values |url=http://tapchiqptd.vn/en/events-and-comments/ho-chi-minhs-thought-on-building-the-army-with-politics-being-taken-as-the-roots-%E2%80%93-signifi/21265.html |access-date=2024-01-01 |website=National Defence Journal |publisher=[[Ministry of Defence (Vietnam)]] |quote=Ours is an army'' 'from the people, for the people, readily fighting and sacrificing for the independence of the Fatherland and nation, for the happiness of the people' '' |archive-date=1 January 2024 |archive-url=https://web.archive.org/web/20240101084745/http://tapchiqptd.vn/en/events-and-comments/ho-chi-minhs-thought-on-building-the-army-with-politics-being-taken-as-the-roots-%E2%80%93-signifi/21265.html |url-status=dead }}</ref>), also recognized as the '''Vietnamese Army''' ({{langx|vi|Quân đội Việt Nam|lit=Military of Vietnam}}), the '''People's Army''' ({{langx|vi|Quân đội Nhân dân}}) or colloquially '''the Troops''' ({{Lang|vi|Bộ đội}} {{IPA|vi|ʔɓo˧˨ʔ ʔɗoj˧˨ʔ|}}), is the national [[Military|military force]] of the [[Vietnam|Socialist Republic of Vietnam]] and the armed wing of the ruling [[Communist Party of Vietnam|Communist Party of Vietnam (CPV)]]. The PAVN is the backbone component of the [[Vietnam People's Armed Forces]] and includes: Ground Force, [[Vietnam People's Navy|Navy]], [[Vietnam People's Air Force|Air Force]], [[Vietnam Border Guard|Border Guard]] and [[Vietnam Coast Guard|Coast Guard]]. Vietnam does not have a separate and formally-structured Ground Force or [[Army]] service. Instead, all ground troops, army corps, military districts and [[special forces]] are designated under the umbrella term '''[[combined arms]]''' ({{Langx|vi|binh chủng hợp thành}}) and belong to the [[Ministry of Defence (Vietnam)|Ministry of National Defence]], directly under the command of the [[Central Military Commission (Vietnam)|CPV Central Military Commission]], the [[Minister of Defence (Vietnam)|Minister of National Defence]], and the [[General Staff of the Vietnam People's Army]]. The military flag of the PAVN is the [[Flag of Vietnam|National flag of the Socialist Republic of Vietnam]] defaced with the motto ''Quyết thắng (Determination to win)'' added in yellow at the [[Canton (flag)|canton]].

During the [[First Indochina War|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; {{Langx|vi|Quân đội Bắc Việt}}), serving as the military force of the [[Democratic Republic of Viet Nam|Democratic Republic of Vietnam]]. This allowed writers, the U.S. military, and the general public, to distinguish northern communists from the southern communists, called the [[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.<ref name="Victory68">{{cite book|author=((Military History Institute of Vietnam))|year=2002|title=Victory in Vietnam: The Official History of the People's Army of Vietnam, 1954–1975|translator=Merle L. Pribbenow|publisher=University Press of Kansas|page=68|ISBN=0-7006-1175-4}}</ref> 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.<ref>{{cite web |last1=Diệu Linh |title=Quân giải phóng miền Nam Việt Nam và những bài học lịch sử |url=https://vov2.vov.vn/van-hoa-giai-tri/quan-giai-phong-mien-nam-viet-nam-va-nhung-bai-hoc-lich-su-24561.vov2 |website=VOV2 |publisher=[[Voice of Vietnam]] |access-date=18 December 2023 |language=vi}}</ref>

During the grand military parade held on April 30, 2025, in [[Ho Chi Minh City]] to mark the 50th anniversary of the [[Liberation of the South and National Reunification]], the '''Vietnam People's Army''' (VPA) played a central and highly visible role. The event featured over 13,000 participants, including military, police, and civilian formations, with prominent displays by various VPA branches such as the Navy, Air Force, Special Forces, and female military units. Aerial demonstrations involving Mi-8 and Mi-17 helicopters flying national and party flags further emphasized national unity. The presence of international delegations from China, Laos, and Cambodia highlighted Vietnam's regional diplomatic ties and the VPA's continued role in both national defense and international engagement.<ref>{{cite news |title=Military parade rehearsal for 50th |url=https://en.baoquocte.vn/military-parade-rehearsal-for-50th-anniversary-of-national-reunification-307539.html?utm_source=chatgpt.com |access-date=30 April 2025 |work=Bao Quoc Te |date=14 March 2025 |language=en}}</ref>

==History==
===Before 1945===
{{See also|Military history of Vietnam}}
The first historical record of Vietnamese military history dates back to the era of [[Hồng Bàng]], the first recorded state in ancient Vietnam to have assembled military force. Since then, military plays a crucial role in developing Vietnamese history due to its turbulent history of wars against China, [[Champa]], Cambodia, Laos and Thailand.

The [[Nam tiến|Southern expansion]] of Vietnam resulted in the destruction of Champa as an independent nation to a level that it did not exist anymore; total destruction of [[Luang Prabang]]; the decline of Cambodia which resulted in Vietnam's annexation of [[Mekong Delta]] and wars against Siam. In most of its history, the Royal Vietnamese Armed Forces was often regarded to be one of the most professional, battle-hardened and heavily trained armies in [[Southeast Asia]] as well as [[Asia]] in a large extent.

===Establishment===
[[File:Vo Nguyen Giap, Vietminh forces, 1944.jpg|left|thumb|General [[Võ Nguyên Giáp]] on the date of the PAVN's establishment in 1944. Chief of General Staff [[Hoàng Văn Thái]] wearing a [[pith helmet]] and holding the flag.]]
The PAVN was first conceived in September 1944 at the first Revolutionary Party Military Conference as the '''Information, Communication and Education Unit of the Liberation Army''' (alternatively translated as the '''Vietnam Information, Communication and Education Liberation Army''', {{Lang|vi|Việt Nam Tuyên truyền Giải phóng Quân}}) to educate, recruit and mobilise the Vietnamese to create a main force to drive the [[History of Vietnam#Colonization|French colonial]] and [[French Indochina in World War II|Japanese occupiers]] from Vietnam.<ref>{{cite web|url=http://indochine54.free.fr/vm/vietminh.html#top|title=Viet Minh|first=Nowfel|last=Leulliot|work=free.fr|access-date=11 October 2016|archive-url=https://web.archive.org/web/20161105234426/http://indochine54.free.fr/vm/vietminh.html#top|archive-date=5 November 2016|url-status=live}}</ref><ref name=":0">{{Cite web |title=Vietnam People's Army, foundation and development |url=http://mod.gov.vn/en/vpa |access-date=16 Feb 2023 |website=[[Ministry of Defence (Vietnam)|Viet Nam Ministry of National Defence]]}}</ref> Under the guidelines of [[Ho Chi Minh|Hồ Chí Minh]], [[Võ Nguyên Giáp]] was given the task of establishing the brigades and the Propaganda Unit of the Liberation Army came into existence on 22 December 1944. The first formation was made up of thirty-one men and three women, armed with two revolvers, seventeen rifles, one light machine gun, and fourteen breech-loading flintlocks.<ref>Macdonald, Peter (1993). ''Giap: The Victor in Vietnam'', pp. 32</ref> It fought the PAVN's first ever engagement at the [[Battles of Khai Phat and Na Ngan]] against French soldiers in late 1944. The [[United States]]' [[Office of Strategic Services|OSS]] agents, led by [[Archimedes Patti]] – who was sometimes referred as the first instructor of the PAVN due to his role - had provided ammunitions as well as logistic intelligence and equipment. They also helped train these soldiers, who formed the backbone of the  Vietnamese military to successfully fight the Japanese and other opponents. For instance, the PAVN's July 19, 1945 attack at Tam Dao internment camp in [[Tonkin (French protectorate)|Tonkin]] saw 500 soldiers kill fifty Japanese soldiers and officials, freeing French civilian captives and escorting them to the Chinese border. The PAVN also fought the [[21st Division (Imperial Japanese Army)|Japanese 21st Division]] in Thai Nguyen that year, and regularly raided rice storehouses to alleviate an [[Vietnamese famine of 1944–1945|ongoing famine]].<ref>Hanyok, Robert (1995). "Guerillas in the Mist: COMINT and the Formation and Evolution of the Viet Minh 1941-45". (p.107).</ref>

There was another separate communist army called the '''National Salvation Army''' (''Cứu quốc quân'') which was founded and commanded by [[Chu Văn Tấn]] on 23/2/1941.

On 15/5/1945 the Propaganda Liberation Army merged with the National Salvation Army into the '''Vietnam Liberation Army''' (''Việt Nam Giải phóng Quân'') on 15 May 1945.<ref name="EarlyDays">{{Cite web|url=http://indochine54.free.fr/vm/early.html|archive-url=https://web.archive.org/web/20100522020332/http://indochine54.free.fr/vm/early.html|url-status=dead|title=Early Days :The Development of the Viet Minh Military Machine|archive-date=22 May 2010|website=indochine54.free.fr|access-date=8 May 2023}}</ref> The [[Democratic Republic of Vietnam]] was proclaimed in [[Hanoi]] by [[Ho Chi Minh]] and [[Vietminh]] on 2 September 1945. Then in September, the army was renamed the Vietnam '''National Defence Force''' (''Việt Nam Vệ quốc Đoàn'').<ref>{{Cite web|title=Cổng TTĐT Bộ Quốc phòng Việt Nam|url=http://www.mod.gov.vn/vn/danh-sach/sa-qdndvn/sa-qdndvn-lstt/sa-qdndvn-lstt-qctk|website=mod.gov.vn}}</ref><ref name="EarlyDays"/> At this point, it had about 1,000 soldiers.<ref name="EarlyDays"/> On 22 May 1946, the army was called the '''National Army of Vietnam''' (''Quân đội Quốc gia Việt Nam'', not to be confused with the opposite [[Vietnamese National Army]] of the France-associated [[State of Vietnam]] which had a synonymous English name and exactly the same Vietnamese name). Lastly, in 1950, it officially became the '''People's Army of Vietnam''' (or '''Vietnam People's Army''', ''Quân đội Nhân dân Việt Nam'').<ref name=":0" />

Võ Nguyên Giáp went on to become the first full general of the PAVN on 28 May 1948, and famous for leading the PAVN in victory over French forces at the [[Battle of Dien Bien Phu]] in 1954 and being in overall command against U.S. backed [[South Vietnam]] at the [[Fall of Saigon]] on 30 April 1975.

===French Indochina War===

{{main article|First Indochina War}}
On 7 January 1947, its first regiment, the 102nd 'Capital' Regiment, was created for operations around [[Hanoi]].<ref>Conboy, Bowra, and McCouaig, ''The NVA and Vietcong'', Osprey Publishing, 1991, p.5</ref>  Over the next two years, the first division, the [[308 Division (Vietnam)|308th Division]], later well known as the Pioneer Division, was formed from the 88th Tu Vu Regiment and the 102nd Capital Regiment. By late 1950 the 308th Division had a full three infantry regiments, when it was supplemented by the 36th Regiment. At that time, the 308th Division was also backed by the 11th Battalion that later became the main force of the [[312th Division (Vietnam)|312th Division]]. In late 1951, after launching three campaigns against three French strongpoints in the [[Red River Delta]], the PAVN refocused on building up its ground forces further, with five new divisions, each of 10–15,000 men, created: the [[304th Division (Vietnam)|304th Glory Division]] at [[Thanh Hóa]], the 312th Victory Division in Vinh Phuc, the [[316th Division (Vietnam)|316th Bong Lau Division]] in the northwest border region, the [[320th Division (Vietnam)|320th Delta Division]] in the north Red River Delta, the [[325th Division (Vietnam)|325th Binh Tri Thien Division]] in Binh Tri Thien province. Also in 1951, the first artillery Division, the [[351st Artillery-Engineer Division (Vietnam)|351st Division]] was formed, and later, before [[Battle of Dien Bien Phu]] in 1954, for the first time in history, it was equipped with 24 captured 105mm US howitzers supplied by the Chinese [[People's Liberation Army]]. The first six divisions (308th, 304th, 312th, 316th, 320th, 325th) became known as the original PAVN 'Steel and Iron' divisions. In 1954, four of these divisions (the 308th, 304th, 312nd, 316th, supported by the 351st Division's captured US howitzers) defeated the [[French Union]] forces at the Battle of Dien Bien Phu, ending 83 years of French rule in Indochina.

The [[French Foreign Legion]] had been deployed to combat the Vietnamese insurgency during the First Indochina War. However, some of the legionnaires, such as [[Stefan Kubiak]], deserted after witnessing torture of Vietnamese peasants at the hands of French troops and began fighting for the [[Viet Minh|Việt Minh]], volunteering to join the PAVN.<ref name="dantri">{{cite web|url=https://dantri.com.vn/xa-hoi/chuyen-ve-nguoi-linh-le-duong-mang-ho-bac-ho-1399178601.htm|title=Chuyện về người lính lê dương mang họ Bác Hồ|author=Hoàng Lam|date=2014-04-29|website=dantri.com.vn|publisher=Dân trí|access-date=2024-10-05}}</ref><ref name="naszahistoria">{{cite web|url=https://naszahistoria.pl/ho-chi-toan-jak-polski-dezerter-zostal-bohaterem-ludowego-wietnamu/ar/11916979|title=Ho Chi Toan. Jak polski dezerter został bohaterem ludowego Wietnamu|last=Rodak|first=Wojciech|date=2017-03-24|website=naszahistoria.pl|access-date=2024-10-05}}</ref><ref name="wp">{{cite web|url=https://wiadomosci.wp.pl/ho-chi-toan-polak-w-mundurze-wietnamskiej-armii-6126038350481537a|title=Ho Chi Toan - Polak w mundurze wietnamskiej armii|last=Schwarzgruber|first=Małgorzata|date=2015-02-18|website=wiadomosci.wp.pl|publisher=[[Wirtualna Polska]]|access-date=2024-10-05}}</ref>

===Vietnam War===
{{main article|Vietnam War}}
[[File:Pavnattack.jpg|thumb|North Vietnamese troops in Vietnam War, 1967]]
[[File:Nvamarch2.jpg|thumb|[[Infiltration tactics|Infiltrators]] on the move in Laos down the Ho Chi Minh trail.]]

Soon after the [[1954 Geneva Conference|1954 Geneva Accords]], the 330th and 338th Divisions were formed by southern Viet Minh members who had moved north in conformity with that agreement, and by 1955, six more divisions were formed: the 328th, 332nd and 350th in the north of the [[North Vietnam]], the 305th and the [[324th Division (Vietnam)|324th]] near the [[Vietnamese Demilitarized Zone|DMZ]], and the 335 Division of soldiers repatriated from [[Laos]]. In 1957, the theatres of the war with the French were reorganised as the first five military regions, and in the next two years, several divisions were reduced to brigade size to meet the manpower requirements of collective farms.

By 1958, it was becoming increasingly clear that the [[South Vietnam|South Vietnamese government]] was solidifying its position as an independent republic under [[Ngô Đình Diệm]], who staunchly opposed the terms of the Geneva Accords, which required a national referendum on unification of north and south Vietnam under a single national government.  North Vietnam prepared to settle the issue of unification by force.

In May 1959, the first major steps to prepare infiltration routes into [[South Vietnam]] were taken; [[Group 559]] was established, a logistical unit charged with establishing routes into the south via Laos and [[Cambodia]], which later became famous as the [[Ho Chi Minh trail]]. At about the same time, Group 579 was created as its maritime counterpart to transport supplies into the South by sea. Most of the early infiltrators were members of the 338th Division, former southerners who had been settled at [[Xuan Mai]] from 1954 onwards.

Regular formations were sent to South Vietnam from 1965 onwards; the 325th Division's 101B Regiment and the 66th Regiment of the 304th Division met U.S. forces on a large scale, a first for the PAVN, at the [[Battle of Ia Drang]] in November 1965. The 308th Division's 88A Regiment, the 312th Division's 141A, 141B, 165A, 209A, the 316th Division's 174A, the 325th Division's 95A, 95B, the 320A Division also faced the U.S. forces which included the [[1st Cavalry Division (United States)|1st Cavalry Division]], the [[101st Airborne Division]], the [[173rd Airborne Brigade]], the [[4th Infantry Division (United States)|4th Infantry Division]], the [[1st Infantry Division (United States)|1st Infantry Division]] and the [[25th Infantry Division (United States)|25th Infantry Division]]. Many of those formations later became main forces of the [[3rd Division (Vietnam)|3rd Division]] (Yellow Star Division) in Binh Dinh (1965), the [[5th Infantry Division (Vietnam)|5th Division]] (1966) of 7th Military Zone (Capital Tactical Area of ARVN), the [[7th Division (Vietnam)|7th]] (created by 141st and 209th Regiments originated in the 312th Division in 1966) and [[9th Division (Vietnam)|9th Divisions]] (first Division of National Liberation Front of Vietnam in 1965 in Mekong Delta), the 10th Dakto Division in Dakto – [[Central Highlands (Vietnam)|Central Highlands]] in 1972.

On 20 December 1960, anti-government forces in South Vietnam joined to form a united front called [[Vietcong|National Liberation Front of South Vietnam]] (''Mặt trận Dân tộc Giải phóng Miền Nam Việt Nam'') or simply known as the Vietcong in the United States. On 15 December 1961, the NLF established its own military called [[Liberation Army of South Vietnam]] (LASV) to fight against the American supported [[Army of the Republic of Vietnam]]. The LASV was controlled and equipped by the PAVN.

General [[Trần Văn Trà]], one-time commander of the [[COSVN|B2]] Front (Saigon) HQ confirms that even though the PAVN and the LASV were confident in their ability to defeat the regular ARVN forces, U.S. intervention in Vietnam forced them to reconsider their operations. The decision was made to continue to pursue "main force" engagements even though "there were others in the South – they were not military people – who wanted to go back to guerrilla war," but the strategic aims were adjusted to meet the new reality.

<blockquote>We had to change our plan and make it different from when we fought the Saigon regime, because we now had to fight two adversaries — the United States and South Vietnam. We understood that the U.S. Army was superior to our own logistically, in weapons and in all things. So strategically we did not hope to defeat the U.S. Army completely. Our intentions were to fight a long time and cause heavy casualties to the United States, so the United States would see that the war was unwinnable and would leave.<ref>{{cite web |url=http://www.historynet.com/interview-with-nva-general-tran-van-tra.htm |title=Interview with PAVN General Tran Van Tra |access-date=7 October 2013 |archive-url=https://web.archive.org/web/20140106200506/http://www.historynet.com/interview-with-nva-general-tran-van-tra.htm |archive-date=6 January 2014 |url-status=live |date=2006-06-12 }}</ref></blockquote>

During the Vietnamese Lunar New Year [[Tết|Tết holiday]] starting on 30 January 1968, the PAVN/VC launched a general offensive in more than 60 cities and towns throughout south of Vietnam against the US Army and [[Army of the Republic of Vietnam]] (ARVN), beginning with operations in the border region to try and draw US forces and ARVN troops out of the major cities. In coordinated attacks, the [[Tet Offensive attack on US Embassy|U.S Embassy in Saigon]], Presidential Palace, [[Tet offensive attack on Joint General Staff Compound|Headquarters of the Joint General Staff]] and [[Republic of Vietnam Navy]], TV and Radio Stations, [[Tet Offensive attack on Tan Son Nhut Air Base|Tan Son Nhat Air Base]] in Saigon were attacked by commando forces known as "đặc công". This offensive became known as the "[[Tet Offensive]]". The PAVN sustained heavy losses of its main forces in southern military zones. Some of its regular forces and command structure had to escape to Laos and Cambodia to avoid counterattacks from US forces and ARVN, while local guerrillas forces and political organisations in South Vietnam were exposed and had a hard time remaining within the [[Mekong Delta]] area due to the extensive use of the [[Phoenix Program]].

Although the PAVN lost militarily to the US forces and ARVN in the south, the political impact of the war in the United States was strong.<ref>{{cite web |url=http://www.americanforeignrelations.com/O-W/The-Vietnam-War-and-Its-Impact-Political-lessons.html |title=Political lessons – The Vietnam War and Its Impact |publisher=Americanforeignrelations.com |access-date=13 November 2011 |archive-url=https://web.archive.org/web/20120325123259/http://www.americanforeignrelations.com/O-W/The-Vietnam-War-and-Its-Impact-Political-lessons.html |archive-date=25 March 2012 |url-status=dead }}</ref> Public demonstrations increased in ferocity and quantity after the Tet Offensive. During 1970, the 5th, 7th and 9th Divisions [[Cambodian campaign|fought in Cambodia]] against U.S., ARVN, and Cambodian [[Khmer National Armed Forces]]. The PAVN gained new allies: the [[Khmer Rouge]] and guerrilla fighters supporting deposed Prime Minister [[Norodom Sihanouk|Sihanouk]]. In 1975 the PAVN were successful in aiding the [[Khmer Rouge]] in toppling [[Lon Nol]]'s U.S.-backed regime, despite heavy US bombing.

After the withdrawal of most U.S. combat forces from [[Indochina]] because of the [[Vietnamization]] strategy, the PAVN launched the ill-fated [[Easter Offensive]] in 1972. Although successful at the beginning, the South Vietnamese repulsed the main assaults with U.S. air support. Still North Vietnam retained some South Vietnamese territory.

Nearly two years after the full U.S. withdrawal from Indochina in accordance with the terms of the 1973 [[Paris Peace Accords]], the PAVN launched a [[1975 spring offensive|Spring offensive]] aimed at overthrowing the South Vietnamese government and uniting Vietnam under communist rule. Without direct support of the U.S., and suffering from stresses caused by dwindling aid, the ARVN was ill-prepared to confront the highly motivated PAVN, and despite the on paper superiority of the ARVN, the PAVN quickly secured victory within two months and [[Fall of Saigon|captured Saigon]] on 30 April 1975, ending the 20 year Vietnam war.

After national reunification, the LASV was officially merged into PAVN on 2 July 1976.

===Sino-Vietnamese conflicts (1975–1991)===

{{main article|Cambodian–Vietnamese War|Sino-Vietnamese conflicts (1979–1991)}}
<!-- [[WP:NFCC]] violation: [[File:H 4 ill 639759 cambodia-phnom penh-1979-61.jpg|thumb|VPA-led forces defeat [[Khmer Rouge]] forces and take Phnom Penh in 1979]] -->
Towards the second half of the 20th century the armed forces of Vietnam would participate in organised incursions to protect its citizens and allies against aggressive military factions in the neighbouring Indochinese countries of Laos and Cambodia, and the defensive border wars with China.
* The PAVN had forces in Laos to secure the Ho Chi Minh trail and to militarily support the [[Pathet Lao]]. In 1975 the Pathet Lao and PAVN forces succeeded in toppling the [[Kingdom of Laos|Royal Laotian regime]] and installing a new, and pro-Hanoi government, the Lao People's Democratic Republic,<ref>Christopher Robbins, ''The Ravens: Pilots of the Secret War in Laos.'' Asia Books 2000.</ref> that rules Laos to this day.
* Parts of Sihanouk's neutral Cambodia were occupied by troops as well. A pro US coup led by [[Lon Nol]] in 1970 led to the foundation pro-US [[Khmer Republic]] state. This marked the beginning of the [[Cambodian Civil War]]. The PAVN aided [[Khmer Rouge]] forces in toppling Lon Nol's government in 1975. In 1978, along with the [[FUNSK]] Cambodian Salvation Front, the Vietnamese and Ex-Khmer Rouge forces succeeded in toppling [[Pol Pot]]'s [[Democratic Kampuchea]] regime and installing a new government, the [[People's Republic of Kampuchea]].<ref>David P. Chandler, ''A history of Cambodia'', Westview Press; Allen & Unwin, Boulder, Sydney, 1992</ref>
* During the [[Sino-Vietnamese War]] and the [[Sino-Vietnamese conflicts (1979–1991)]], Vietnamese forces would conduct cross-border raids into Chinese territory to destroy artillery ammunition. This greatly contributed to the outcome of the Sino-Vietnamese War, as the Chinese forces ran out of ammunition already at an early stage and had to call in reinforcements.
* While occupying Cambodia, Vietnam launched [[Vietnamese border raids in Thailand|several armed incursions into Thailand]] in pursuit of Cambodian guerrillas that had taken refuge on the Thai side of the border.

==Modern deployment ==

The PAVN has been actively involved in Vietnam's workforce to develop the [[economy of Vietnam]] by co-ordinating national defence. It has regularly sent troops to aid with natural disasters such as flooding, landslides etc. The PAVN is also involved in such areas as industry, agriculture, [[forestry]], [[fishery]] and telecommunications. The PAVN has numerous small firms which have become quite profitable in recent years. However, recent decrees have effectively prohibited the commercialisation of the military. [[Conscription]] is in place for theoretically every male, age 18 to 25 years old, with the exception of the disabled and men who attended universities right after high school.

===International presence & operations===
[[File:2025 Moscow Victory Day Parade 55.jpg|thumb|People's Army on Red Square in [[Moscow]] during the [[2025 Moscow Victory Day Parade|Victory Day parade]] on 9 May 2025]]
The Foreign Relations Department of the Ministry of National Defence organises international operations of the PAVN.

Apart from its occupation of half of the disputed [[Spratly Islands]], which have been claimed as Vietnamese territory since the 17th century, Vietnam has not officially had forces stationed internationally since its withdrawal from [[State of Cambodia (1989–1993)|Cambodia]] and Laos in early 1990.

==== Allegations of Vietnamese assistance for overseas leftist insurgencies ====
The effectiveness of the [[People's Army of Vietnam Special Forces|People's Army of Vietnam Special Operation Forces]] during the Vietnam War saw them instruct various other countries and [[Marxist revolution|Marxist]] rebel groups. From the 1970s to 1990s, they covertly provided training at the PAVN Sapper Training School in via Vietnamese sapper advisors assigned to the [[Cuban Revolutionary Army|Cuban Army]]'s Sapper School in Cuba, and, during the 1980s, by a secret Vietnamese sapper training team stationed in [[Nicaragua]].&nbsp;In addition to training [[People's Republic of Kampuchea|Cambodian]], [[Laos|Laotian]], Soviet, and Cuban military personnel, their publications revealed that among the foreign revolutionary forces that received training in sapper tactics, bomb-making, and the use of weapons and explosives, were members of the Marxist El Salvadoran FMLN ([[Farabundo Martí National Liberation Front|Farabundo Marti National Liberation Front]]), the Chilean MIR ([[Revolutionary Left Movement (Chile)|Movement of the Revolutionary Left]]) fighting against the dictatorial regime of [[Augusto Pinochet]], as well as the Colombian FARC ([[Revolutionary Armed Forces of Colombia]]) movement, a Marxist guerilla group.<ref>{{Cite web |last=Pribbenow |first=Merle |title=Vietnam Trained Commando Forces in Southeast Asia and Latin America |url=https://www.wilsoncenter.org/publication/vietnam-trained-commando-forces-southeast-asia-and-latin-america |website=Wilson Center}}</ref>

==== Allegations of Vietnamese intervention in Lao security crises ====
{{See also|Insurgency in Laos}}
[[The Center for Public Policy Analysis]] and non-governmental organisations (NGOs) as well as Laotian and Hmong [[human rights]] organisations, including the [[Lao Human Rights Council]], Inc. and the [[United League for Democracy in Laos]], Inc., have provided evidence that since the end of the [[Vietnam War]], significant numbers of Vietnamese military and security forces continue to be sent to Laos, on a repeated basis, to quell and suppress Laotian political and religious [[dissident]] and opposition groups including the peaceful 1999 Lao Students for Democracy protest in Vientiane in 1999 and the [[Hmong Insurgency|Hmong rebellion]].<ref>[http://www.centerforpublicpolicyanalysis.org Centre for Public Policy Analysis] {{webarchive|url=https://web.archive.org/web/20080406154059/http://www.centerforpublicpolicyanalysis.org/ |date=6 April 2008 }}, (CPPA),(30 August 2013),  Washington, D.C.</ref><ref>[http://members.ozemail.com.au/~yeulee/Topical/Hmong%20rebellion%20in%20Laos.html The Hmong Rebellion in Laos: Victims of Totalitarianism or terrorists?] {{Webarchive|url=https://web.archive.org/web/20100114073355/http://members.ozemail.com.au/~yeulee/Topical/Hmong%20rebellion%20in%20Laos.html |date=14 January 2010 }}, by Gary Yia Lee, PhD</ref><ref>{{cite web |url=http://www.factfinding.org/Past_News_Releases/page95.html |title=Vietnamese soldiers attack Hmong in Laos |publisher=Factfinding.org |access-date=13 November 2011 |archive-url=https://web.archive.org/web/20111003220230/http://www.factfinding.org/Past_News_Releases/page95.html |archive-date=3 October 2011 |url-status=dead }}</ref><ref>{{cite web |url=http://www.factfinding.org/News_Release_2006/page4.html |title=Joint-Military Co-operation continues between Laos and Vietnam |publisher=Factfinding.org |access-date=13 November 2011 |archive-url=https://web.archive.org/web/20111003220302/http://www.factfinding.org/News_Release_2006/page4.html |archive-date=3 October 2011 |url-status=dead }}</ref><ref>{{cite web |url=http://www.factfinding.org/News_Release_2006/page6.html |title=Combine Military Effort of Laos and Vietnam |publisher=Factfinding.org |access-date=13 November 2011 |archive-url=https://web.archive.org/web/20111003220323/http://www.factfinding.org/News_Release_2006/page6.html |archive-date=3 October 2011 |url-status=dead }}</ref><ref>{{cite web |url=http://www.rushprnews.com/2008/03/31/vietnam-laos-military-offensive-launched-at-hmong |title=Vietnam, Laos: Military Offensive Launched At Hmong |publisher=Rushprnews.com |access-date=13 November 2011 |archive-url=https://web.archive.org/web/20111128023044/http://www.rushprnews.com/2008/03/31/vietnam-laos-military-offensive-launched-at-hmong |archive-date=28 November 2011 |url-status=dead }}</ref><ref>{{cite news|url=http://www.cppa-dc.org/id41.html|date=20 May 2008|title=Laos, Vietnam: Attacks Against Hmong Civilians Mount|work=cppa-dc.org/id41.html}}{{dead link|date=June 2016|bot=medic}}{{cbignore|bot=medic}}</ref><ref>{{cite web |url=http://www.prlog.org/10060813-laos-vietnam-new-campaign-to-exterminate-hmong.html |title=Laos, Vietnam: New Campaign to Exterminate Hmong |publisher=Prlog.org |access-date=13 November 2011 |archive-url=https://web.archive.org/web/20120830052051/http://www.prlog.org/10060813-laos-vietnam-new-campaign-to-exterminate-hmong.html |archive-date=30 August 2012 |url-status=live }}</ref><ref>{{cite web |url=http://www.pr-inside.com/president-obama-urged-to-address-laos-r1583086.htm |title=President Obama Urged To Address Laos, Hmong Crisis During Asia Trip, Student Protests in Vientiane |publisher=Pr-inside.com |access-date=13 November 2011 |url-status=dead |archive-url=https://web.archive.org/web/20110921222507/http://www.pr-inside.com/president-obama-urged-to-address-laos-r1583086.htm |archive-date=21 September 2011 }}</ref><ref>{{cite web |url=http://www.unpo.org/content/view/10627/236/ |title=Hmong: Vietnam VPA, LPA Troops Attack Christians Villagers in Laos |publisher=Unpo.org |date=26 January 2010 |access-date=13 November 2011 |archive-url=https://web.archive.org/web/20100707230935/http://www.unpo.org/content/view/10627/236/ |archive-date=7 July 2010 |url-status=live }}</ref> In late November 2009, shortly before the start of the [[2009 Southeast Asian Games]] in [[Vientiane]], the PAVN undertook a major troop surge in key rural and mountainous provinces in Laos where Lao and Hmong civilians and religious believers, including Christians, have sought sanctuary.<ref>{{cite web |url=http://www.onlineprnews.com/news/13786-1260203762-vietnam-laos-crackdown-sea-games-avoided-by-overseas-lao-hmong-in-protest.html |title=Vietnam, Laos Crackdown: SEA Games Avoided By Overseas Lao, Hmong in Protest |publisher=Onlineprnews.com |date=7 December 2009 |access-date=13 November 2011 |archive-url=https://web.archive.org/web/20111006175656/http://www.onlineprnews.com/news/13786-1260203762-vietnam-laos-crackdown-sea-games-avoided-by-overseas-lao-hmong-in-protest.html |archive-date=6 October 2011 |url-status=live }}</ref><ref>{{cite web |author=Media-Newswire.com – Press Release Distribution |url=http://media-newswire.com/release_1106723.html |title=SEA Game Attacks: Vietnam, Laos Military Kill 23 Lao Hmong Christians on Thanksgiving |publisher=Media-newswire.com |date=26 November 2009 |access-date=13 November 2011 |archive-url=https://web.archive.org/web/20111128013903/http://media-newswire.com/release_1106723.html |archive-date=28 November 2011 |url-status=live }}</ref>

==== Modern-era peacekeeping operations ====
{{See also|United Nations peacekeeping|United Nations Mission in South Sudan|United Nations Interim Security Force for Abyei}}
In 2014, Vietnam had requested to join the [[United Nations peacekeeping|United Nations peacekeeping force]], which was later approved.<ref name="VPKO">{{Cite web|url=https://thediplomat.com/2018/10/whats-in-vietnams-new-peacekeeping-boost/|title = What's in Vietnam's New Peacekeeping Boost?}}</ref> The first Vietnamese UN peacekeeping officers were sent to [[South Sudan]], marked the first involvement of Vietnam into a [[United Nations]]' mission abroad.<ref name="VPKO" /> Vietnamese peacekeepers were also sent to the [[Central African Republic]].<ref>{{Cite web|url=https://e.vnexpress.net/news/news/seven-more-vietnam-military-officers-to-join-un-peacekeeping-forces-3945061.html|title=Seven more Vietnam military officers to join UN peacekeeping forces - VnExpress International|website=VnExpress International – Latest news, business, travel and analysis from Vietnam|access-date=8 May 2023}}</ref>

From 2022, Vietnam has deployed its first [[Military engineering|military engineer]] unit to the [[United Nations Interim Security Force for Abyei|peacekeeping missions]] in [[Abyei]].<ref>{{Cite web |last=VNA |date=2022-04-03 |title=Preparations completed for Vietnam's first military engineer unit to a UN peacekeeping mission {{!}} Politics {{!}} Vietnam+ (VietnamPlus) |url=https://en.vietnamplus.vn/preparations-completed-for-vietnams-first-military-engineer-unit-to-a-un-peacekeeping-mission/224489.vnp |access-date=2023-02-11 |website=VietnamPlus |language=en}}</ref>

==== 2023 Turkish-Syrian earthquake ====
{{See also|2023 Turkey–Syria earthquakes#International humanitarian efforts|Humanitarian response to the 2023 Turkey–Syria earthquake#Vietnam}}
As an effort to help [[Turkey]] overcome the consequences of the 2023 earthquake, PAVN has sent 76 servicemen of the [[Vietnam Border Guard|Border Guard]], [[Military medicine|Army Medic]], and [[Military engineering|Engineering Corps]] (alongside personnel from [[Vietnam People's Public Security|Public Security]]) to participate in humanitarian assistance and disaster relief including [[Search and rescue|search-and-rescue]] missions.<ref>{{Cite web |title=Vietnam People's Army sends 76 servicemen to participate in humanitarian assistance and disaster relief in Turkey |url=https://en.qdnd.vn/military/intl-relations-and-cooperation/vietnam-people-s-army-sends-76-servicemen-to-participate-in-humanitarian-assistance-and-disaster-relief-in-turkey-549281 |access-date=2023-02-11 |website=[[People's Army Newspaper]] Online |language=en}}</ref>

This is the first time ever that Vietnam has officially deployed and engaged in an overseas search and rescue campaign.
==== 2025 Myanmar earthquake ====
{{See also|2025 Myanmar earthquake#International humanitarian efforts}}
The PAVN deployed 76 personnel from the [[Vietnam Border Guard|Border Guard]], [[Military medicine|Army Medical Corps]], and [[Military engineering|Engineering Corps]], along with members of the [[Vietnam People's Public Security|Public Security forces]], to take part in humanitarian assistance, disaster relief, and [[Search and rescue|search-and-rescue]] operations<ref>{{cite news|url=https://en.vietnamplus.vn/vietnams-rescue-forces-arrive-in-myanmar-for-earthquake-relief-mission-post312516.vnp|title=Vietnam's rescue forces arrive in Myanmar for earthquake relief mission|agency=Vietnam News Agency|via=Vietnam+|date=30 March 2025|access-date=31 March 2025}}</ref>  in Sagaing on 31 March.<ref>{{cite news|url=https://en.vietnamplus.vn/vietnams-ministry-of-public-security-team-begins-rescue-operations-in-myanmar-post312559.vnp|title=Vietnam's Ministry of Public Security team begins rescue operations in Myanmar|agency=Vietnam News Agency|via=Vietnam+|date=31 March 2025|access-date=31 March 2025}}</ref>

==Organisation==
[[File:Vietnam Ministry of National Defence structure.jpg|center|thumb|690x690px|PAVN's structure]]
The [[Commander-in-Chief]] of the Armed Forces is the [[President of Vietnam]], though this position is virtually nominal and a majority of political power over the military is assumed by the [[Central Military Commission (Vietnam)|Central Military Commission]] of the ruling [[Communist Party of Vietnam]]. The [[Secretary of the Central Military Commission of the Communist Party of Vietnam|secretary of Central Military Commission]] (usually the [[General Secretary of the Communist Party of Vietnam]]) is the de facto commander and now is [[Tô Lâm]].

The [[Minister of Defence (Vietnam)|Minister of National Defence]] oversees operations of the [[Ministry of Defence (Vietnam)|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]].

* '''[[Ministry of Defence (Vietnam)|Ministry of National Defence]]''': is the lead organisation, highest command and management of the Vietnam People's Army.
* '''[[General Staff (Vietnam People's Army)|General Staff]]''': is leading agency all levels of the Vietnam People's Army, command all of the armed forces, which functions to ensure combat readiness of the armed forces and manage all military activities in peace and war.
* '''General Political Department''': is the agency in charge of Communist Party affairs – political work within PAVN, which operates under the direct leadership of the [[Communist Party of Vietnam|Secretariat of the Communist Party of Vietnam]] and the Central Military Party Committee.
* '''[[General Department of Military Intelligence|General Department of Defence Intelligence]]''': is an intelligence agency of the Vietnamese government and military.
* '''General Department of Logistics''': is the agency in charge to ensure logistical support to units of the People's Army.
* '''General Department of Technology''': is the agency in charge to ensure equipped technical means of war for the army and each unit.
* '''[[General Department of Defence Industry]]''' (commercially branded as the '''[[Vietnam Defence Industry]]'''): is the agency responsible for the development of the Vietnamese national [[Arms industry|defense industry]] in support of the missions of the PAVN.
[[File:Vietnam People's Army K20 camo uniform.jpg|thumb|[[Combat uniform|Combat uniforms]] of the Vietnamese Army with their corresponding color schemes: Ground Force (combined arms), [[Air Defense - Air Force Service|Air Defence - Air Force]], [[Vietnam People's Navy|Navy]], [[Vietnam Border Guard|Border Guard]] and [[Vietnam Coast Guard|Coast Guard]].]]

==Service branches==
The Vietnamese People's Army is subdivided into the following service branches:
*'''Vietnam People's Ground Force''' (unofficial)
(Lục quân Nhân dân Việt Nam)
*'''Vietnam People's Air Force'''
(Không quân Nhân dân Việt Nam)
*'''Vietnam People's Navy'''
(Hải quân Nhân dân Việt Nam)
*'''Vietnam Border Guard'''
(Bộ đội Biên phòng Việt Nam)
*'''Vietnam Coast Guard'''
(Cảnh sát biển Việt Nam)
*'''Cyberspace Operations Command'''
(Bộ Tư lệnh Tác chiến không gian mạng)
*'''President Ho Chi Minh Mausoleum Defence Force'''
(Bộ Tư lệnh Bảo vệ Lăng
Chủ tịch Hồ Chí Minh)

The People's Army of Vietnam composes of the standing (or regular) forces and the reserve forces. The standing forces include the main forces and the local forces. During peacetime, the standing forces are minimised in number, and kept combat-ready by regular physical and [[weapon]]s training, and stock maintenance.

===Vietnam People's Ground Force===
Within PAVN the Ground Force have not been established as a separate full Service Command, thus ''all of the ground troops, army corps, military districts and the specialised arms'' are under the responsibility of the [[Ministry of Defence (Vietnam)|Ministry of Defence]], under the direct command of the [[General Staff of the Vietnam People's Army|General Staff]], who serves as its ''de facto'' commander. 

====Arm badges====
{| class="wikitable"
|-
!width="100" align="center" style="color:yellow; background-color:red;"|Infantry 
!width="100" align="center" style="color:yellow; background-color:red;"|Armor - Tank  
!width="100" align="center" style="color:yellow; background-color:red;"|Artillery
!width="100" align="center" style="color:yellow; background-color:red;"|[[People's Army of Vietnam Special Forces|Special Forces]]
! width="100" align="center" style="color:yellow; background-color:red;" |Mechanized Infantry
! width="100" align="center" style="color:yellow; background-color:red;" |Engineering
! width="100" align="center" style="color:yellow; background-color:red;" |Medical
! width="100" align="center" style="color:yellow; background-color:red;" |Signals
|-
| [[File:Emblem VPA - Ground Forces.svg|center|61x61px]]
| [[File:Ttg.png|center|55x55px]]
| [[File:Phaobinh.png|center|55x55px]]
| [[File:DACCONG.png|center|89x89px]]
| [[File:Bobinhcogioi.png|center|56x56px]]
| [[File:Congbinh.png|center|55x55px]]
| [[File:Quany.png|center|55x55px]]
| [[File:Thongtin.png|center|65x65px]]
|-
!width="100" align="center" style="color:yellow; background-color:red;"|Transportation
!width="100" align="center" style="color:yellow; background-color:red;"|Technical
!width="100" align="center" style="color:yellow; background-color:red;"|Chemical
!width="100" align="center" style="color:yellow; background-color:red;"|Logistics 
! width="100" align="center" style="color:yellow; background-color:red;" |Military Police
! width="100" align="center" style="color:yellow; background-color:red;" |Military Music Band
! width="100" align="center" style="color:yellow; background-color:red;" |Military Athletes  
! width="100" align="center" style="color:yellow; background-color:red;" |Ensembles  
|-
| [[File:LAIXE.png|center|55x55px]]
| [[File:QUANKHI-KITHUAT.png|center|67x67px]]
| [[File:Hoahoc.png|center|66x66px]]
| [[File:Haucan.png|center|58x58px]]
| [[File:Kiemsoat.png|center|55x55px]]
| [[File:Quannhac.png|center|55x55px]]
| [[File:Thecong.png|center|55x55px]]
| [[File:Vancong.png|center|55x55px]]
|-
|}

====Military regions====
The following military regions are under the direct control of the General Staff and the Ministry of Defence:
[[File:Vietnam Military Regions.jpg|thumb|Vietnam Map with eight Military Districts and four Corps]]
* '''[[High Command of Capital Hanoi|Hanoi Capital City Special High Command]]''' (Bộ Tư lệnh Thủ đô Hà Nội): special command tasked for the defense of the Hanoi Capital Region. Headquarters: [[Hanoi]]
* '''[[1st Military Region (Vietnam People's Army)|1st Military Region]]''' (Quân khu 1): responsible for the North East of Vietnam. Headquarters: [[Thái Nguyên]]
* '''[[2nd Military Region (Vietnam People's Army)|2nd Military Region]]''' (Quân khu 2): responsible for the North West of Vietnam. Headquarters: [[Việt Trì]], [[Phú Thọ]]
* '''[[3rd Military Region (Vietnam People's Army)|3rd Military Region]]''' (Quân khu 3): responsible for the defense of the [[Red River Delta]] (except Hanoi Capital Region). Headquarters: [[Hai Phong]]
* '''[[4th Military Region (Vietnam People's Army)|4th Military Region]]''' (Quân khu 4): responsible for North Central Vietnam. Headquarters: [[Vinh]], [[Nghệ An province]]
* '''[[5th Military Region (Vietnam People's Army)|5th Military Region]]''' (Quân khu 5): responsible for South Central Vietnam including the [[Central Highlands (Vietnam)|Central Highlands]] and Southern Central coastal provinces. Headquarters: [[Da Nang]]
* '''[[7th Military Region (Vietnam People's Army)|7th Military Region]]''' (Quân khu 7): responsible for Southeast Vietnam. Headquarters: [[Ho Chi Minh City]]
* '''[[9th Military Region (Vietnam People's Army)|9th Military Region]]''' (Quân khu 9): responsible for the [[Mekong Delta]]. Headquarters: [[Cần Thơ]]

====Main forces====
{{Vietnamese military}}
[[File:People's Army of Vietnam military vehicles roundel.svg|thumb|PAVN military vehicles roundel.]]
[[File:Duyet binh-012.jpg|thumb|PAVN reconnaissance troops in 2015.]]

The Main Force of the PAVN and its People's Ground Forces consists of combat ready troops, as well as support units such as educational institutions for logistics, officer training, and technical training. In 1991, Conboy et al. stated that the PAVN Ground Force had four 'Strategic Army Corps' in the early 1990s, numbering 1–4, from north to south.<ref>{{cite web|url=http://www.defencetalk.com/forums/showthread.php?t=6367|title=Modern Military of Vietnam|work=Defence Talk|access-date=12 October 2016|archive-url=https://web.archive.org/web/20090429094558/http://www.defencetalk.com/forums/showthread.php?t=6367|archive-date=29 April 2009|url-status=live}}</ref> [[1st Corps (Vietnam People's Army)|1st Corps]], located in the [[Red River Delta]] region, consisted of the 308th (one of the six original 'Steel and Iron' divisions) and 312th Divisions, and the 309th Infantry Regiment. The other three corps, 2 SAC, 3 SAC, and 4 SAC, were further south, with [[4th Corps (Vietnam People's Army)|4th Corps]], in Southern Vietnam, consisting of two former [[Liberation Army of South Vietnam|LASV]] divisions, the 7th and 9th.

From 2014 to 2016, the [[International Institute for Strategic Studies|IISS]] Military Balance attributed the Vietnamese ground forces with an estimated 412,000 personnel. [[Formation (military)|Formations]], according to the IISS, include 8 military regions, 4 corps headquarters, 1 special forces airborne brigade, 6 armoured brigades and 3 armoured regiments, two  mechanised infantry divisions, and 23 active infantry divisions plus another 9 reserve ones.

Combat support formations include 13 artillery brigades and one artillery regiment, 11 air defence brigades, 10 engineers brigades, 1 electronic warfare unit, 3 signals brigades and 2 signals regiment.

Combat service support formations include 9 economic construction divisions, 1 logistical regiment, 1 medical unit and 1 training regiment. Ross wrote in 1984 that economic construction division "are composed of regular troops that are fully trained and armed, and reportedly they are subordinate to their own directorate in the Ministry of Defense. They have specific military missions; however, they are also entrusted with economic tasks such as food production or construction work. They are composed partially of older veterans."{{sfn|Ross|1984|page=17}}
Ross also cited 1980s sources saying that economic construction divisions each had a strength of about 3,500.

In 2017, the listing was amended, with the addition of a single [[Short-range ballistic missile]] brigade. The ground forces according to the IISS, hold Scud-B/C SRBMs.<ref>IISS Military Balance 2017, 338–9.</ref>

[[File:Emblem VPA.svg|25px]] '''[[12th Corps (Vietnam)|12th Corps]]'''

First organised on 21 November 2023, the 12th Corps was created by merging all of the units from the former [[1st Corps (Vietnam)|1st Corps]] and the [[2nd Corps (Vietnam)|2nd Corps]]. It is stationed in [[Tam Điệp District]], [[Ninh Bình province|Ninh Bình]].<ref>{{cite web|url=https://xaydungchinhsach.chinhphu.vn/thanh-lap-quan-doan-12-tien-len-hien-dai-119231017130934823.htm|title=Thành lập Quân đoàn 12, tiến lên hiện đại|work=Vietnamese Government|access-date=20 October 2023|archive-url=https://web.archive.org/web/20231022104058/https://xaydungchinhsach.chinhphu.vn/thanh-lap-quan-doan-12-tien-len-hien-dai-119231017130934823.htm|archive-date=22 October 2023|url-status=live}}</ref><ref>{{Cite web|url=https://www.qdnd.vn/quoc-phong-an-ninh/tin-tuc/lanh-dao-quan-uy-trung-uong-bo-quoc-phong-du-le-cong-bo-quyet-dinh-thanh-lap-quan-doan-12-753866|title=Lãnh đạo Quân ủy Trung ương, Bộ Quốc phòng dự lễ công bố Quyết định thành lập Quân đoàn 12|date=2 December 2023|access-date=2 December 2023|work=People's Army Newspaper|location=Vietnam}}</ref>

[[File:Emblem VPA.svg|25px]] '''[[34th Corps (Vietnam)|34th Corps]]'''

First organised on 10 December 2024, the 34th Corps was created by merging all of the units from the former [[3rd Corps (Vietnam)|3rd Corps]] and the [[4th Corps (Vietnam)|4th Corps]]. Stationed in [[Pleiku]], [[Gia Lai province|Gia Lai]].<ref>{{cite web |url=https://www.qdnd.vn/quoc-phong-an-ninh/tin-tuc/lanh-dao-quan-uy-trung-uong-bo-quoc-phong-du-le-cong-bo-quyet-dinh-thanh-lap-quan-doan-34-807061 |title=Lãnh đạo Quân ủy Trung ương, Bộ Quốc phòng dự Lễ công bố Quyết định thành lập Quân đoàn 34|work=People's Army Newspaper (Vietnam)|language=Vietnamese |access-date=15 December 2024|archive-url=https://web.archive.org/web/20241215050058/https://www.qdnd.vn/quoc-phong-an-ninh/tin-tuc/lanh-dao-quan-uy-trung-uong-bo-quoc-phong-du-le-cong-bo-quyet-dinh-thanh-lap-quan-doan-34-807061|archive-date=15 December 2024|url-status= }}</ref>

====Local forces====
Local forces are an entity of the PAVN that, together with the [[militia]] and "self-defence forces", act on the local level in protection of people and local authorities.  While the local forces are regular VPA forces, the people's militia consists of rural civilians, and the people's self-defence forces consist of civilians who live in urban areas and/or work in large groups, such as at construction sites or farms. The current number stands at 3–4&nbsp;million reservists and militia personnel combined. They serve as force multipliers to the PAVN and Public Security during wartime and peacetime contingencies.

===Vietnam People's Navy===
{{main article|Vietnam People's Navy}}

===Vietnam People's Air Force===
{{main article|Vietnam People's Air Force}}

===Vietnam Border Guard===
{{main article|Vietnam Border Guard}}

=== Vietnam Coast Guard ===
{{main article|Vietnam Coast Guard}}

==Ranks and insignia==
{{main article|Vietnamese military ranks and insignia}}

=== Commissioned officer ranks ===
The rank insignia of [[commissioned officer]]s.
{| style="border:1px solid #8888aa; background-color:#f7f8ff; padding:5px; font-size:95%; margin: 0px 12px 12px 0px;"
{{Ranks and Insignia of Non NATO Armed Forces/OF/Blank}}
{{Ranks and Insignia of Non NATO Armies/OF/Vietnam}}
|}

=== Other ranks ===
The rank insignia of [[non-commissioned officer]]s and [[Enlisted rank|enlisted personnel]].
{| style="border:1px solid #8888aa; background-color:#f7f8ff; padding:5px; font-size:95%; margin: 0px 12px 12px 0px;"
{{Ranks and Insignia of Non NATO Armies/OR/Blank}}
{{Ranks and Insignia of Non NATO Armies/OR/Vietnam}}
|}

==Equipment==
{{see also|List of equipment of the Vietnam People's Ground Forces|List of equipment of the Vietnam People's Navy|List of equipment of the Vietnam People's Air Force}}
[[File:Duyet binh.jpg|thumb|[[People's Army of Vietnam Special Forces]] parading in 2015 with Israeli-license [[IWI Galil ACE|ACE 31]] rifles.]]
From the 1960s to 1975 the [[Soviet Union]], along with some smaller [[Eastern Bloc]] countries, was the main supplier of military hardware to North Vietnam.  After the latter's victory in the war, it remained the main supplier of equipment to Vietnam. The United States had been the primary supplier of equipment to South Vietnam; much of the equipment left by the U.S. Army and the ARVN came under control of the re-unified Vietnamese government. The PAVN captured large numbers of ARVN weapons on 30 April 1975 after Saigon was captured.
[[File:Five T-6C Texan II (601-605) for Vietnam People's Air Force.jpg|thumb|The [[Beechcraft T-6 Texan II|T-6C Texan II]] [[trainer aircraft]] are one of the first major assets that PAVN has procured from its former enemy [[United States]] in the modern era.]]
[[Russia]] remains the largest arms-supplier for Vietnam; even after 1986, there were also increasing arms sales from other nations, notably from [[India]], [[Turkey]], [[Israel]], [[Japan]], [[South Korea]], and [[France]]. In 2016, [[President of the United States|President]] [[Barack Obama]] announced the lifting of the lethal weapons embargo on Vietnam, which has increased Vietnamese military equipment choices from other countries such as the [[United States]], the [[United Kingdom]], and other Western countries, which could enable a faster modernization of the Vietnamese military. Since 2018, the United States has begun to provide warships for Vietnam Coast Guard as part of the military cooperation between two states, the first of these ships arrived in 2021.<ref>{{Cite web|url=https://ipdefenseforum.com/2021/08/u-s-donates-patrol-vessel-to-boost-vietnams-maritime-security/#:~:text=The%20U.S.%20government%20transferred%20ownership,to%20Hanoi%20under%20the%20program.|title = U.S. Donates patrol vessel to boost Vietnam's maritime security &#124; Indo-Pacific Defense Forum| date=11 August 2021 }}</ref>

Despite Russia remaining Vietnam's largest weapon supplier, increasing cooperation with Israel has resulted in the development of Vietnamese weaponry with a strong mixture of Russian and Israeli weapons. For examples, the [[STV rifle|STV rifles]] are three Vietnam-made indigenous service rifles modeled after the [[Galil ACE]] of Israel.<ref name=soha>{{Cite web|url=https://soha.vn/che-tuyet-tac-vu-khi-cong-nghiep-quoc-phong-vn-dung-tren-vai-nguoi-khong-lo-israel-20191105152557032.htm|title=Chế tuyệt tác vũ khí, Công nghiệp quốc phòng VN 'đứng trên vai người khổng lồ" Israel|website=soha.vn|date=9 November 2019 |access-date=8 May 2023}}</ref>

==Notes==
===Footnotes===
{{Reflist|group=N}}

===Citations===
{{Reflist}}

==References==
* Conboy, Bowra, and McCouaig, 'The NVA and Vietcong', Osprey Publishing, 1991.
* Gabriel, Richard A. "Nonaligned, Third World, and Other Ground Armies: A Combat Assessment," Greenwood Press, 1983. [https://books.google.com/books?id=WLodAAAAMAAJ Nonaligned, Third World, and Other Ground Armies: A Combat Assessment] (further reading)
* Military History Institute of Vietnam,(2002) ''Victory in Vietnam: The Official History of the People's Army of Vietnam, 1954–1975,'' translated by Merle L. Pribbenow. University Press of Kansas. {{ISBN|0-7006-1175-4}}.
* Morris, Virginia and Hills, Clive. 'Ho Chi Minh's Blueprint for Revolution: In the Words of Vietnamese Strategists and Operatives', McFarland & Co Inc, 2018.
* {{cite web|last=Ross |first=Russell R. |title=Military Force Development in Vietnam: A Report |publisher=Federal Research Division, Library of Congress |place=Washington DC |date=1984 |url=https://apps.dtic.mil/sti/pdfs/ADA313467.pdf}}
* {{cite journal |last=Thayer |first=Carl A. |title=Force Modernization: The Case of the Vietnam People's Army|journal=Contemporary Southeast Asia; Singapore|volume=19 |issue=1 |date=1997}}
* {{cite book | last = Tran | first = Doan Lam | year = 2012 | title = How the Vietnamese People's Army was Founded | publisher= World Publishers | location = Hanoi | isbn = 978-604-7705-13-9}}

==External links==
{{Commons category|Vietnam People's Army}}
* [https://web.archive.org/web/20131103014018/http://bqp.gov.vn/ Ministry of Defence Vietnam]
** [https://web.archive.org/web/20160706102842/http://www.qdnd.vn/qdndsite/en-US/72/72/Default.aspx  People's Army of Vietnam English Edition]
* [https://web.archive.org/web/20080406154059/http://www.centerforpublicpolicyanalysis.org/  Center for Public Policy Analysis, Washington, D.C.]

{{Vietnam People's Army}}
{{Association of SouthEast Asian Nations Armed Forces}}
{{Military of Asia}}
{{Vietnam topics}}
{{authority control}}

[[Category:People's Army of Vietnam| ]]
[[Category:1944 establishments in Vietnam]]
[[Category:Communism in Vietnam]]
[[Category:Ho Chi Minh]]
[[Category:Laotian Civil War]]
[[Category:Military of Vietnam|A]]
[[Category:Military units and formations established in 1944]]
[[Category:National liberation armies]]
[[Category:Organizations of the First Indochina War]]
[[Category:Organizations of the Vietnam War]]
[[Category:Viet Minh]]
[[Category:Võ Nguyên Giáp]]