The Lao People's Liberation Army Air Force (LPLAAF) is the air force of

Laos Laos, officially the Lao People's Democratic Republic (LPDR), is the only landlocked country in Southeast Asia. It is bordered by Myanmar and China to the northwest, Vietnam to the east, Cambodia to the southeast, and Thailand to the west and ...

History

The present-day LPLAAF is descended from the Aviation Laotienne, which was established by the French and later became the Royal Lao Air Force.

Pathet Lao The Pathet Lao (), officially the Lao People's Liberation Army, was a communist political movement and political organization, organization in Laos, formed in the mid-20th century. The group ultimately gained control over the entire country of ...

guerrilla forces began to operate a few aircraft from 1960, as did another rebel group led by

Kong Le Captain Kong Le (Laotian language, Lao: ກອງແລ; 6 March 1934 – 17 January 2014) was a Laotian Officer (armed forces), military officer and prominent military figure in Laos during the 1960s. He led the premier unit of the Royal Lao ...

. Kong Le forces were later re-incorporated into the Royal Lao Air Force. The communist take-over in 1975 resulted in the adoption of the present title. A military co-operation agreement with Russia in 1997 resulted in 12

Mil Mi-17 The Mil Mi-17 (NATO reporting name: Hip) is a Soviet-designed Russian military helicopter family introduced in 1975 (Mi-8M), continuing in production at two factories in Russia, in Kazan and Ulan-Ude. It is known as the Mi-8M series in Russ ...

(second hand) helicopters entering service in mid-1999 to follow on from previous deliveries of Mi-8s. SAM systems also entered service such as the SA-3 'Goa'.armstrade.sipri.org/armstrade/page/trade_register.php

Bases

The LPLAAF operates from two main bases,

Vientiane Vientiane (, ) is the capital city, capital and largest city of Laos. Situated on the banks of the Mekong, Mekong River at the Thailand, Thai border, it comprises the five urban districts of Vientiane Prefecture and had a population of 840,000 ...

and

Phonsavan Phonsavan (also spelled Phonesavanh, , ), population 37,507, is the capital of Xiangkhouang Province. Phonsavan is known for the nearby Plain of Jars, a UNESCO World Heritage Site. History The recorded history of Xiangkhouang is interlinked ...

, with another three bases supported by detachments from the main units. Apart from the main military air bases, there are also a number of smaller airports and airfields around the country which are frequently used by the air force and the semi-military airline Lao Airlines. In 1961 Laos had 25 airstrips capable of landing a

C-47 The Douglas C-47 Skytrain or Dakota ( RAF designation) is a military transport aircraft developed from the civilian Douglas DC-3 airliner. It was used extensively by the Allies during World War II. During the war the C-47 was used for troo ...

. * Wattay International Airport * Long Tieng * Pakse International Airport * Xieng Khouang Airport

Aircraft

Current inventory

References

* {{Authority control

Military of Laos Military units and formations established in 1976

History

Bases

Aircraft

Current inventory

See also

References