The Lao People's Armed Forces (LPAF) () is the armed forces of the Lao People's Democratic Republic and the institution of the Lao People's Revolutionary Party.
Organization
The LPRP statute states that its political leadership over the military emanates from the LPRP Central Committee's Defence and Public Security Commission (DPSC) and is the highest decision-making institution regarding military and security affairs. The DPSC is chaired by the LPRP General Secretary, making the officeholder the commander-in-chief of the Armed Forces.
History
thumb|left|Lao People's Armed Forces on Red Square in [[Moscow during the Victory Day parade on 9 May 2025]]
According to some journalists, non-governmental organisations (NGOs), humanitarian and human rights organisations, the Lao People's Army has repeatedly engaged in egregious human rights violations and the practice of corruption in Laos.
The LPAF and its military intelligence play a role in the arrest, imprisonment and torture of foreign prisoners in Vientiane's Phonthong Prison and the communist Lao gulag system where Australians Kerry and Kay Danes were imprisoned and where civic activist Sombath Somphone may be imprisoned following his arrest in December 2012.
On 17 May 2014, Defence Minister and Deputy Prime Minister Douangchay Phichit was killed in a plane crash, along with other officials. The officials were to participate in a ceremony to mark the liberation of the Plain of Jars from the former Royal Lao government forces. Their Russian-built Antonov AN 74-300 with 20 people on board crashed in Xiangkhouang Province.
Organisation
The LPAF has three known service branches: Lao People's Army (includes Riverine Force), Lao People's Air Force and Self-Defense Militia Forces. The LPA headquarters in Vientiane divided the country into four military regions with at least five infantry divisions, numbered 1 to 5; 17 provincial military commands and Vientiane Captital Military Command.
Equipment
Tanks, armoured vehicles and trucks
{| class="wikitable" style="border-collapse: collapse;" width="70%"
|-
! width="2%"| Photo
! width="4%"| Model
! width="4%"| Type
! width="3%"| Origin
! width="2%"| Quantity
! width="6%"| Notes
|-
! style="align: center;" colspan="7" | Tanks
|-
|120x120px
|T-72B1MS
|Main battle tank
|
|~50
|
|-
|alt=|120x120px
|T-55
|Main battle tank
|<br>
|85
|
|-
|alt=|120x120px
|PT-76
|Light tank
|
|25
|30 were in service in 1996. Currently 25 are in service.
|-
! style="align: center;" colspan="7" | APC/IFV
|-
|alt=|120x120px
|BTR-60PB
|Armored personnel carrier
|
|70
|Currently 70 are in service. BTR-60s have been seen in service as recently as January 2019
|-
|120px
|BTR-152
|Armored personnel carrier
|
|Unknown
|
|-
|alt=|120x120px
|BTR-40
|Armored personnel carrier
|
|10
|
|-
|alt=|120x120px
|BRDM-2M
|Armoured car
|
|20
|Upgraded BRDM-2M supplied by Russia in late 2018. At least 10 in service.
|-
! style="align: center;" colspan="7" | Light armoured vehicle/Light assault vehicle
|-
|
|Dima DMT5070XFB
|Armored personnel carrier
|
|Unknown
|
|-
|
|Chinese Tiger 4x4
|Infantry mobility vehicle
|
| Unknown
|
|-
|
|CS/VN3 4x4
|Infantry mobility vehicle
|
|Unknown
|
|-
! style="align: center;" colspan="7" |Truck/Utility
|-
|alt=|120x120px
|KrAZ-6322
|Truck
|
|Unknown
|
|-
|alt=|120x120px
|Ural-4320
|Medium truck
|
|Unknown
|
|-
|alt=|120x120px
|GAZ-3308
|Medium truck
|
|Unknown
|
|-
|
|FAW Jiefang 141
|Medium truck
|
|Unknown
|
|-
|119x119px
|Ural-43206
|Light truck
|
|Unknown
|
|-
|119x119px
|GAZ-66
|Platform truck
|
|Unknown
|
|-
|
|BAIC 4x4 vehicles
|Military light utility vehicle
|
|Unknown
|
|-
|alt=|120x120px
|UAZ-469
|Military light utility vehicle
|
|Unknown
|
|-
|alt=|119x119px
|BJ2022JC
|Military light utility vehicle
|
|Unknown
|
|-
|alt=|119x119px
|PTS
|Tracked amphibious transport
|
|Unknown
|
|-
|
|Shaanxi SX2190
|Launched bridge
|
|Unknown
|
|-
|
|Shaanxi SX2190
|Floating bridge
|
|Unknown
|
|-
! style="align: center;" colspan="7" |Engineering and support vehicles
|-
|
|XCMG backhoe loader
|Engineering vehicle
|rowspan="5" |
|Unknown
|
|-
|
|XCMG excavator
|Engineering vehicle
|Unknown
|
|-
|
|XCMG wheel loader
|Engineering vehicle
|Unknown
|
|-
|
|XCMG XJY240WQ
|Engineering vehicle
|Unknown
|
|-
|
|XCMG XJY240Z
|Engineering vehicle
|Unknown
|
|}
Artillery
{| class="wikitable" border="1" style="border-collapse: collapse;" width="70%"
|-bgcolor=#FFDEAD
! width="2%"| Photo
! width="4%"| Model
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! width="6%"| Notes
|-
|
|Dongfeng CS/SS4
|Self propelled mortar system
|
|14
|
|-
|
|SR-5
|Multiple rocket launcher
|
|12
|
|-
|alt=|120x120px
|BM-21 Grad
|122mm multiple rocket launcher
| rowspan="3" |
|32
|Retired from Parade in 2019
|-
|alt=|120x120px
|BM-14
|Multiple rocket launcher
|20
|
|-
|alt=|119x119px
|2S3 Akatsiya
|152mm self-propelled howitzer
|Unknown
|
|-
|
|122-HL-70
|122mm self-propelled howitzer
|
|18
|
|-
|119x119px
|PCL-09
|122mm self-propelled howitzer
|
|12
|
|-
|120px||M-30 122 mm howitzer|| rowspan="4" | Towed howitzers and guns|| rowspan="3" ||| 15||
|-
| 120px||122 mm howitzer 2A18 (D-30)|| 20
Air defence
{| class="wikitable" border="1" style="border-collapse: collapse;" width="70%"
|-bgcolor=#FFDEAD
! width="2%"| Photo
! width="4%"| Model
! width="5%"| Type
! width="3%"| Origin
! width="2%"| Quantity
! width="6%"| Notes
|-
|alt=|120x120px
|S-125 Neva/Pechora
|Short-range SAM system
|
|Unknown
|
|-
|alt=|120x120px
|9K35 Strela-10
|Vehicle-mounted SAM system
|
|Unknown
|
|-
|
|Yitian anti air system
|Surface-to-air missile
|
|Unknown
|
|-
|alt=|119x119px
|ZSU-23-4 Shilka
|Self-propelled anti-aircraft gun
|
|Unknown
|
|-
| 120px||Strela-2 || Surface-to-air missile || rowspan="5" | || Unknown ||Received 100 launchers from Soviet Union in the 80s
|-
|120px||37 mm automatic air defence gun M1939 (61-K)|| Air defence gun || Unknown ||
|-
|120px||57 mm AZP S-60|| Automatic anti-aircraft gun || Unknown ||
|-
|120px||ZPU|| Auto anti-aircraft gun || Unknown ||
|-
| 120px||ZU-23-2||Anti-aircraft gun|| Unknown ||
|-
|}
|Semi-automatic pistol
|9×18mm Makarov
|
|-
|120x120px
|G2
|Semi-automatic pistol
|9x19mm Parabellum
|
|
|-
|alt=|120x120px
|JS 9 mm
|Bullpup Submachine gun
|9×19mm Parabellum
|
|
|-
|frameless|129x129px
|Winchester Model 1200
|Pump shotgun
|12-gauge
|
|
|-
|frameless|129x129px
|Vepr-12
|Semi-automatic shotgun
|12-gauge
|
|Used by Laotian special forces.
|-
|128x128px
|Simonov SKS
|Semi-automatic rifle
|7.62×39mm M43
|
|Limited use, used for ceremonial purpose only.
|-
|frameless|133x133px
|Mosin-Nagant
|Bolt-action rifle
|7.62×54mmR
|
|Limited use, in storage.
|-
|alt=|120x120px
|9A-91
|Assault rifle, Carbine
|9x39mm
|
|Used by Laotian special forces.
|-
|frameless|128x128px frameless|131x131px||
AKM
AKMS
|Assault rifle
|7.62×39mm
|||Standard service rifles for Laotian Armed Forces, including police officer and Lao People's army. To be replaced by AK-74 and AK-12.
|-
|alt=|120x120px
|Pindad SS2
|Assault rifle
|5.56×45mm NATO
|
|
|-
|frameless|119x119px
|M16A2
|Assault rifle
|5.56×45mm NATO
|
|
|-
|120x120px left|thumb|110x110px|STV-380, an assault rifle made from Vietnam-based to Israeli's assault rifle.
|IWI ACE
|Assault rifle
|7.62×39 mm
|<br />
|Laos received Vietnamese-made Galil ACEs in January 2019.
|-
|alt=|120x120px
|RPD
|Light machine gun
|7.62×39mm
|
|
Mortars
- 81mm
- 82mm