Laos

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Reliability 5 (very poor)

GDP ~$5-billion 2009

Budget ~$25-million 2009

Personnel 30,000?

Figures for units outside of the divisions are pure speculation and no purpose is served in repeating them.

Note from CIA Factbook 2009

Serving one of the world's least developed countries, the Lao People's Armed Forces (LPAF) is small, poorly funded, and ineffectively resourced; its mission focus is border and internal security, primarily in countering ethnic Hmong insurgent groups; together with the Lao People's Revolutionary Party and the government, the Lao People's Army (LPA) is the third pillar of state machinery, and as such is expected to suppress political and civil unrest and similar national emergencies, but the LPA also has upgraded skills to respond to avian influenza outbreaks; there is no perceived external threat to the state and the LPA maintains strong ties with the neighboring Vietnamese military.

Organization

4 Military Regions

Military Region 1 (HQ Louangphrabang, Louangphrabang Province)

Military Region 2 (HQ Musang Phonsaven, Xiang Khoang Province)

Military Region 3 (HQ Xeno, Savannakhet Province)

Military Region 4 (HQ Pakxe, Champasak Province)

1^st Infantry Division (Vientiane)

2^nd Infantry Division (Thailand border and Central Laos)

3^rd Infantry Division (Laos-China border)

4^th Infantry Division (South Laos)

5^th Infantry Division (South Laos)

Independent infantry regiments

Armored battalion (30 T-54/55)

Artillery battalions

Air defense artillery battalions

Engineer regiments

Helicopters (Air Force)

There is no implication that the helicopters are operational.

Ka-32 x 4

Z-9 x 1

Mi-26 x 1

Mi-8/17 x ~15

Equipment (figures are entirely speculative)

MBT <30

APC <50

ARTY 60

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