Lao People's Liberation Army Air Force
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| Lao People's Liberation Army Air Force | |
|---|---|
| Founded | 1976 |
| Country | Laos |
| Branch | Lao People's Army |
| Type | Air Force |
| Size | 43 aircraft |
| HQ | Vientiane |
| Insignia | |
| Fin Flash | 100px |
The Lao People's Liberation Army Air Force (LPLAAF) is the air force of Laos.[1]
Contents
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 guerrilla forces began to operate a few aircraft from 1960, as did another rebel group led by Kong Le. Kong Le forces were later re-incorporated into the Royal Lao Air Force. When the communist take-over in, 1975, resulted in the adoption of the present title.[2]
Military co-operation agreement with Russia in 1997 resulted in 12 Mil Mi-17 helicopters that entered service in mid-1999 to follow on from previous deliveries of Mi-8s. SAM systems also entered service such as the SA-3 'Goa' and SA-7B 'Grail'.[3]
Bases
The LPLAAF operates from two main bases - Vientiane and Phonsavanh - 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 taking a C-47.[4]
Aircraft inventory
As of 2010[update], the backbone of the LPLAAF inventory consists of:
| Aircraft | Type | Versions | Active | Notes |
|---|---|---|---|---|
| Fixed-wing aircraft | ||||
| Mikoyan-Gurevich MiG-21 | fighter | MIG-21s | 25[5] | Non-operational |
| Ilyushin Il-103 | Training aircraft | Il-103 | 3[6] | 21 ordered |
| Antonov An-2 | Utility Transport aircraft | An-2 | 10 [7] | |
| Antonov An-26 | Transport aircraft | An-26 | 1[8] | |
| Antonov An-74 | VIP Transport | An-74 | 1[9] | |
| Xian MA60 | Passenger aircraft | MA60 | 4[10] | |
| Helicopters[11] | ||||
| Kamov Ka-32 | Transport helicopter | Ka-32T | 6 | |
| Mil Mi-8 | transport helicopter | Mi-8 | 7 | |
| Mil Mi-17 | transport helicopter | Mi-17 | 9 | |
| Harbin Z-9 | utility helicopter | Z-9 | 4 | |
| Bell UH-1 Iroquois | Combat helicopter | UH-1H | 4 [12] | |
References
- ↑ http://www.scramble.nl/la.htm
- ↑ http://www.aeroflight.co.uk/waf/aa-eastasia/laos/laos-af-home.htm
- ↑ armstrade.sipri.org/armstrade/page/trade_register.php
- ↑ Lao People's Liberation Army Air Force
- ↑ http://www.flightglobal.com/airspace/media/reports_pdf/world-air-forces-2011-2012-90190.aspx
- ↑ World Air Forces Directory 2006/07 (Mach III)
- ↑ http://www.asianmilitaryreview.com/CurrentIssue/index.php?hCurrentIssue=3033&hContent=687
- ↑ http://www.asianmilitaryreview.com/upload/201102172337151.pdf
- ↑ http://www.aeroflight.co.uk/waf/aa-eastasia/laos/laos-af-aircraft.htm#colt
- ↑ http://news.ifeng.com/mil/2/detail_2012_04/11/13804731_0.shtml
- ↑ Flightglobal Insight | World Air Forces 2011/2012
- ↑ Flightglobal Insight | World Air Forces 2011/2012
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