Weapons of the Cambodian Civil War

Last updated

Soviet T-54 or Chinese Type 59 tank used in the Cambodian civil war now on display at the war museum in Siem Reap, Cambodia, 2005. Cambodian Civil War-era T-54 or Type 59.jpg
Soviet T-54 or Chinese Type 59 tank used in the Cambodian civil war now on display at the war museum in Siem Reap, Cambodia, 2005.

The Cambodian Civil War was a military conflict that pitted the guerrilla forces of the Maoist-oriented Communist Party of Kampuchea (nicknamed the Khmer Rouge) and the armed and security forces of the Nonaligned Kingdom of Cambodia from 1967 to 1970, then between the joint Monarchist, Maoist and Marxist-Leninist National United Front of Kampuchea alliance and the pro-western Khmer Republic from 1970 to 1975. Main combatants comprised:

Contents

A wide variety of weapons was used by all sides in the Cambodian Civil War. American military aid was funnelled to the FANK through the Military Equipment Delivery Team, Cambodia (MEDTC) program. Authorized a total of 113 officers and men, the team arrived in Phnom Penh in 1971, [1] under the overall command of CINCPAC Admiral John S. McCain Jr. [2] In the early months of the War, most Cambodian Army infantry, armoured and artillery units fought the PAVN and Khmer Rouge with a mix of surplus World War II-vintage French and U.S. and modern Soviet and Chinese small-arms, armoured vehicles and artillery pieces either inherited from Khmer Royal Army stocks or delivered as emergency aid by the Americans. [3] ANK infantry battalions later sent to South Vietnam for retraining between February 1971 and November 1972 under the US Army-Vietnam Individual Training Program (UITG) were re-equipped upon their return to Cambodia with modern U.S. small-arms, comprising revolvers, automatic pistols, assault rifles, light machine guns, medium and heavy machine guns, grenade launchers, anti-tank rocket launchers, mortars and recoilless rifles. [4] Besides infantry weapons, the U.S. MEDTC also provided the FANK branches with more modern U.S. military equipments, which included aircraft, armoured and transport vehicles and long-range artillery pieces, plus naval and riverine vessels. Although the UITG and MEDTC aid programs allowed the FANK to standardise on modern U.S. weapons and equipment, they never superseded entirely the earlier weaponry, particularly in the case of the territorial units and rear-echelon support formations. In addition to U.S. support, the FANK received further military assistance from South Vietnam, the Kingdom of Laos, Thailand, Indonesia, the Philippines, Singapore, the Republic of China (Taiwan), Australia and New Zealand.

During the early phase of the War, between 1967 and 1970, the Khmer Rouge likewise was largely equipped with WWII-vintage French, Japanese, American, and more modern Soviet and Chinese weapons either collected from arms caches established during the First Indochina War or seized from Khmer Royal Army units. [5] With the establishment of the FUNK coalition and the subsequent creation of its armed wing, the CPNLAF, the Khmer Rouge, the Khmer Rumdo and the Khmer Issarak began to receive military assistance mainly from North Vietnam, the Soviet Union and the People's Republic of China. [6] As the war progressed, these factions were provided with modern Eastern Bloc military hardware, including semiautomatic and fully automatic small-arms, artillery pieces, armoured and transport vehicles of Soviet and Chinese origin, mostly being funnelled through the North Vietnamese. Although the CPNLAF standardized on Soviet and Chinese weapons and equipment by the time of their first full-scale solo offensive in January 1973, [7] its guerrilla forces continued to make use of captured enemy stocks until the end of the War.

Khmer National Armed Forces equipment

Revolvers

Pistols

M1911A1 pistol Colt 1911A .45 866716 L DSC 3336.JPG
M1911A1 pistol

Submachine guns

M3 submachine gun M3GreasegunVWM.jpg
M3 submachine gun

Bolt-action rifles

M1903 Springfield rifle Rifle Springfield M1903.jpg
M1903 Springfield rifle

Shotguns

Carbines

M1 Carbine WWII M1 Carbine.jpg
M1 Carbine

Sniper rifles

Semi-automatic rifles

M1 Garand Garand.jpg
M1 Garand

Assault rifles

M16A1 was the standard Khmer National Armed Forces (FANK) issue assault rifle M16A1 brimob.jpg
M16A1 was the standard Khmer National Armed Forces (FANK) issue assault rifle
AK-47 and AKM assault rifles were used extensively in swamp and jungle environments by FANK troops AK-47 type II noBG.png
AK-47 and AKM assault rifles were used extensively in swamp and jungle environments by FANK troops

Light machine guns

M1918A2 Browning Automatic Rifle Army Heritage Museum B.A.R..jpg
M1918A2 Browning Automatic Rifle

General-purpose machine guns

Medium and Heavy machine guns

M2HB heavy machine gun PEO Browning M2 HB Machine Gun.jpg
M2HB heavy machine gun

Grenade systems

M67 hand grenade M67b.jpg
M67 hand grenade

Aircraft bombs

Land mine systems

Rocket systems

Anti-tank rocket launchers

M72 LAW M72 Light Anti-tank Weapon (7414626756).jpg
M72 LAW

Grenade launchers

M79 grenade launcher Grenade launcher M79 1.jpg
M79 grenade launcher
M203 grenade launcher PEO M203A2 Grenade Launcher.png
M203 grenade launcher

Recoilless rifles

Mortars

Brandt Mle 27/31 81 mm mortar Brandt Mle 27(31).JPG
Brandt Mle 27/31 81 mm mortar
M29 81 mm mortar Mortar M29.jpg
M29 81 mm mortar
M30 4.2-inch (106.7mm) mortar M30 mortar at the War Remnants Museum.jpg
M30 4.2-inch (106.7mm) mortar

Howitzers and anti-tank guns

M101 105 mm field howitzer M101-105mm-howitzer-camp-pendleton-20050326.jpg
M101 105 mm field howitzer
M114 155 mm field howitzer 155HowRightRear.jpg
M114 155 mm field howitzer
M116 75 mm pack field howitzer US Army 51100 Gerety takes over "Wildcat" lair during ceremony.jpg
M116 75 mm pack field howitzer

Autocannons

Air defense guns

Vehicles

M8 Greyhound armoured car Izvidnisko oklepno vozilo M8 Greyhound.JPG
M8 Greyhound armoured car
M113 Armoured Personnel Carrier fitted with ACAV kit Philippine Army M113 Front View.JPG
M113 Armoured Personnel Carrier fitted with ACAV kit

Helicopters

Aircraft

Helio AU-24A Stallion in storage at Davis-Monthan AFB, July 1972, prior to its delivery to the Khmer Air Force. Helio AU-24A Stallion in storage at Davis-Monthan AFB, July 1972.jpg
Helio AU-24A Stallion in storage at Davis-Monthan AFB, July 1972, prior to its delivery to the Khmer Air Force.

Khmer Rouge forces equipment

Pistols

Submachine guns

PPSh-41 submachine gun Pistolet-pulemet sistemy Shpagina obr. 1941.jpg
PPSh-41 submachine gun

Carbines

Bolt-action rifles

Sniper rifles

Hungarian M/52 sniper rifle with PU 3.5x optics. Mosin pu hungarian M52.jpg
Hungarian M/52 sniper rifle with PU 3.5× optics.

Semi-automatic rifles

Assault rifles

Light machine guns

Degtyaryov DP/DPM light machine gun (Chinese Type 53) Chinese Type 53.jpg
Degtyaryov DP/DPM light machine gun (Chinese Type 53)

General-purpose machine guns

Medium and heavy machine guns

SG-43/SGM Goryunov machine gun (Chinese Type 53/57) ChineseType53HvyMG.jpg
SG-43/SGM Goryunov machine gun (Chinese Type 53/57)

Grenade systems

Land mine systems and booby traps

Rocket systems

Anti-aircraft missiles

Anti-tank rocket launchers

Type 69 RPG Flickr - Israel Defense Forces - Weapons Cache in Northern Gaza (1).jpg
Type 69 RPG

Grenade launchers

Recoilless rifles

B-10 82 mm recoilless rifle B-10 82mm.jpg
B-10 82 mm recoilless rifle

Mortars

Howitzers and anti-tank guns

Type 59-1 130 mm field gun Iraqi Type 59 130 mm field gun.JPEG
Type 59-1 130 mm field gun

The Khmer Rouge used a small number of field guns or captured howitzers from government forces.

Air defense guns

37mm automatic air defense gun M1939 (61-K) M1939-37mm-hatzerim-1.jpg
37mm automatic air defense gun M1939 (61-K)
Type 59 57 mm anti-aircraft gun Type 59 57 mm AA MW front.JPG
Type 59 57 mm anti-aircraft gun
57 mm AZP S-60 air defense gun S-60-57mm-hatzerim-1.jpg
57 mm AZP S-60 air defense gun

Vehicles

River craft

See also

Notes

  1. Nalty, Air War Over South Vietnam: 1968–1975 (2000), p. 276.
  2. Shawcross, Sideshow: Kissinger, Nixon and the destruction of Cambodia (1979), p. 190.
  3. Conboy and Bowra, The War in Cambodia 1970–75 (1989), p. 11.
  4. 1 2 3 4 5 6 Conboy and Bowra, The War in Cambodia 1970–75 (1989), p. 42.
  5. 1 2 Conboy and Bowra, The War in Cambodia 1970–75 (1989), p. 3.
  6. 1 2 Conboy and Bowra, The War in Cambodia 1970–75 (1989), p. 33.
  7. Conboy and Bowra, The War in Cambodia 1970–75 (1989), p. 34.
  8. 1 2 "Post-WWII use of the MAS-36 rifle: Part II (export users)". wwiiafterwwii.wordpress.com. 2015-08-23. Archived from the original on April 5, 2023. Retrieved 2017-06-15.
  9. Thompson, The M1903 Springfield Rifle (2013), p. 63.
  10. Grandolini, Armor of the Vietnam War (2): Asian Forces (1998) p. 15.
  11. 1 2 Bonn International Center for Conversion. "MAS 49/56". SALW Guide: Global distribution and visual identification.
  12. 1 2 3 4 5 6 7 8 9 10 11 12 13 14 15 16 17 18 19 20 Sutsakhan, The Khmer Republic at War and the Final Collapse (1980), p. 182, Appendix C (Army Item).
  13. Conboy and Bowra, The War in Cambodia 1970–75 (1989), pp. 5; 33.
  14. Thompson, The M1 Carbine (2011), p. 67.
  15. "Foreign Military Assistance and the U.S. M1 & M2 Carbines".
  16. 1 2 Bonn International Center for Conversion. "MAS 49". SALW Guide: Global distribution and visual identification.
  17. Conboy and Bowra, The War in Cambodia 1970–75 (1989), p. 18.
  18. Conboy and Bowra, The War in Cambodia 1970–75 (1989), pp. 18; 42.
  19. Conboy and Bowra, The War in Cambodia 1970–75 (1989), pp. 18; 38; 42.
  20. 1 2 3 4 5 6 Rottman, The AK-47 Kalashnikov-series assault rifles (2011), p. 78.
  21. Ballou, James L. (June 2002). "The BAR in Vietnam: Legacy of the French". Small Arms Review. Vol. 5, no. 9.
  22. "Small Arms Survey – Working Papers" (PDF). November 8, 2012. Archived from the original (PDF) on August 11, 2006. Retrieved December 23, 2014.
  23. 1 2 3 4 5 6 7 8 9 10 11 12 13 Conboy and Bowra, The War in Cambodia 1970–75 (1989), p. 43.
  24. Conboy and Bowra, The War in Cambodia 1970–75 (1989), p. 41.
  25. 1 2 3 4 5 6 7 Conboy, FANK: A History of the Cambodian Armed Forces, 1970–1975 (2011), pp. 193–195.
  26. 1 2 3 4 5 Conboy and Bowra, The War in Cambodia 1970–75 (1989), p. 22.
  27. 1 2 3 4 5 6 7 8 9 10 11 12 13 14 15 16 17 18 19 SIPRI Arms Transfers Database
  28. 1 2 Eric Sof (2 April 2023). "M72 LAW: A Lightweight, Single-Shot Anti-Tank Weapon". Sepc Ops Magazine.
  29. 1 2 3 4 "RPG-2". SALW Guide.
  30. 1 2 Bonn International Center for Conversion. "RPG 7". SALW Guide: Global distribution and visual identification.
  31. 1 2 Rottman, US Grenade Launchers – M79, M203, and M320 (2017), pp. 72–73.
  32. Conboy and Bowra, The War in Cambodia 1970–75 (1989), p. 46.
  33. 1 2 Davis and Greer, Gunships, A Pictorial History of Spooky (1982), pp. 63–64.
  34. 1 2 3 Conboy, FANK: A History of the Cambodian Armed Forces, 1970–1975 (2011), pp. 263; 268–269.
  35. "Bofors 40mm (Series) Towed Anti-Aircraft Gun / Air Defense Gun - Sweden". www.militaryfactory.com. Military Factory. Archived from the original on 19 February 2019. Retrieved 19 February 2019.
  36. Grandolini, Armor of the Vietnam War (2): Asian Forces (1998), pp. 11–12; 26–27; 29–31; 33.
  37. Zaloga and Laurier, M24 Chaffee Light Tank 1943–85 (2003), p. 22.
  38. 1 2 3 Hiestand and Rodríguez, Tanks in the Easter Offensive 1972 – The Vietnam War's great conventional clash (2022), p. 26.
  39. Conboy and Bowra, The War in Cambodia 1970–75 (1989), p. 13.
  40. Grandolini, Armor of the Vietnam War (2): Asian Forces (1998), pp. 11–12; 25; 34; 65.
  41. Conboy, FANK: A History of the Cambodian Armed Forces, 1970–1975 (2011), pp. 193–195; 199.
  42. Robinson, Lau and Gibeau, Images of War: The AMX 13 Light Tank, A Complete History – rare photographs from wartime archives (2018), pp. 241–243.
  43. 1 2 3 Grandolini, Armor of the Vietnam War (2): Asian Forces (1998), pp. 11–12; 15.
  44. Conboy, FANK: A History of the Cambodian Armed Forces, 1970–1975 (2011), pp. 193–196.
  45. Grandolini, Armor of the Vietnam War (2): Asian Forces (1998), pp. 11–12; 14; 26; 30; 34.
  46. Conboy, FANK: A History of the Cambodian Armed Forces, 1970–1975 (2011), pp. 193–197.
  47. Conboy, FANK: A History of the Cambodian Armed Forces, 1970–1975 (2011), pp. 193–195; 197; 199.
  48. 1 2 Grandolini, Armor of the Vietnam War (2): Asian Forces (1998), pp. 11–12.
  49. Dunstan, Panhard Armoured Car: 1961 Onwards (AML 60, AML 90, Eland), Enthusiasts' Manual (2019), p. 154.
  50. Grandolini, Armor of the Vietnam War (2): Asian Forces (1998), pp. 11–12; 15; 26; 29–30.
  51. Conboy, FANK: A History of the Cambodian Armed Forces, 1970–1975 (2011), pp. 193–195; 198.
  52. 1 2 Grandolini, Armor of the Vietnam War (2): Asian Forces (1998), p. 25.
  53. 1 2 Dunstam, Hadler and Smith, The M113 series (1983), p. 33.
  54. Grandolini, Armor of the Vietnam War (2): Asian Forces (1998), pp. 11–12; 38; 64–66.
  55. Foss, Jane's Tank & Combat Vehicle recognition guide (2002), p. 215.
  56. Conboy, FANK: A History of the Cambodian Armed Forces, 1970–1975 (2011), pp. 193–195; 198; 200.
  57. Conboy, FANK: A History of the Cambodian Armed Forces, 1970–1975 (2011), p. 130.
  58. 1 2 3 "Annex C Appendix II". US Army Technical Manual of Foreign Military Sales: Battlefield Damage Assessment and Repair (PDF). Washington, D.C. 18 December 1987. p. 262. TM 9-2320-356-BD. Archived (PDF) from the original on 4 September 2012. Retrieved 15 June 2013.{{cite book}}: CS1 maint: location missing publisher (link)
  59. 1 2 Conboy, FANK: A History of the Cambodian Armed Forces, 1970–1975 (2011), pp. 130; 264.
  60. 1 2 "Unpunished Purge". 8 October 2016.
  61. 1 2 3 4 5 6 7 8 9 10 11 12 13 14 15 16 17 Sutsakhan, The Khmer Republic at War and the Final Collapse (1980), p. 183, Appendix C (Air Force Item).
  62. "World Air Forces 1971 pg. 924-925" . Retrieved 2013-03-14.
  63. Conboy, FANK: A History of the Cambodian Armed Forces, 1970-1975 (2011), pp. 218; 223.
  64. "Military Helicopter Market 1971 pg. 576" . Retrieved 2013-04-03.
  65. 1 2 Gunston, An Illustrated Guide to Military Helicopters (1981), p. 18.
  66. Conboy, FANK: A History of the Cambodian Armed Forces, 1970-1975 (2011), p. 220.
  67. Conboy and Bowra, The War in Cambodia 1970-75 (1989), p. 19.
  68. 1 2 Jan Forsgren, Cambodia: Khmer Air Force History 1970-1975 (Part 2) - http://www.aeroflight.co.uk/waf/aa-eastasia/cambodia/cam-af-history2.htm
  69. Love, Greer and Sewell, A-37/T-37 Dragonfly in action (1991), p. 16.
  70. Conboy, FANK: A History of the Cambodian Armed Forces, 1970-1975 (2011), p. 214.
  71. Taylor and Munson, Jane's Pocket Book of Major Combat Aircraft (1973), p. 179.
  72. Krivinyi, World Military Aviation (1977), p. 178.
  73. Fitzsimons, The Defenders: A Comprehensive Guide to Warplanes of the USA (1988), p. 137.
  74. Adcock, Greer and Sewell, T-28 Trojan in action (1989), p. 114.
  75. Chinnery, The age of austerity in Vietnam, the air war over south-east Asia (2016), p. 92.
  76. Conboy, FANK: A History of the Cambodian Armed Forces, 1970-1975 (2011), pp. 217–218.
  77. "AU-24A Helio Stallion".
  78. Davis and Greer, Gunships, A Pictorial History of Spooky (1982), pp. 13–14.
  79. Conboy and Bowra, The War in Cambodia 1970-75 (1989), pp. 20–21.
  80. 1 2 Conboy, FANK: A History of the Cambodian Armed Forces, 1970-1975 (2011), p. 219.
  81. Grandolini, Air Enthusiast 37 (1988), p. 40.
  82. Nalty, Neufeld and Watson, An Illustrated Guide to the Air War over Vietnam (1982), pp. 46–49.
  83. ADF Serials list of Australian military DC-2s/DC-3s/C-47s Archived 2011-06-07 at the Wayback Machine retrieved 2010-06-19
  84. Chun, The Last Boarding Party: The USMC and the SS Mayaguez 1975 (2011), pp. 47; 51.
  85. Mersky, Crutch and Holmes, A-7 Corsair II Units 1975-91 (2021), p. 14.
  86. "Aviation Royale Khmere/Khmer Air Force Aircraft".
  87. Beck, "Database: Fairchild C-123 Provider" (2022), p. 123.
  88. Wheeler, Flight International 15 August 1974, p. 171.
  89. Nalty, Neufeld and Watson, An Illustrated Guide to the Air War over Vietnam (1982), pp. 36–37.
  90. 1 2 3 4 5 6 7 8 9 10 11 12 13 14 15 16 17 18 19 20 21 22 23 24 25 Sutsakhan, The Khmer Republic at War and the Final Collapse (1980), p. 183, Appendix C (Navy Item).
  91. 1 2 3 4 5 6 7 8 9 10 11 12 13 14 15 Conboy, FANK: A History of the Cambodian Armed Forces, 1970–1975 (2011), p. 243 (table of operational craft).
  92. 1 2 John Pike. "Cambodia Navy - History". globalsecurity.org.
  93. "Jane's Fighting Ships, 1974–75". Khmer Republic/KOREA. p. 215. Archived from the original on 22 May 2021. Retrieved 1 April 2012.
  94. "Fighting Ships - Cambodia swift boats". www.swiftboats.net. Archived from the original on 2021-05-22. Retrieved 2021-05-22.
  95. Conboy, FANK: A History of the Cambodian Armed Forces, 1970–1975 (2011), pp. 239; 243 (table of operational craft); 245.
  96. 1 2 3 4 5 6 7 8 9 10 11 12 13 14 15 16 17 18 19 20 21 22 23 24 25 Ross, Cambodia, a Country Study (1987), pp. 279–313.
  97. Thompson, Soviet Pistols – Tokarev, Makarov, Stechkin and others (2015), p. 74.
  98. Popenker, Maxim (27 October 2010). "Sa. 23". Modern Firearms.
  99. 1 2 Harriman, The Mosin-Nagant Rifle (2016), pp. 70-72.
  100. 1 2 "The Chinese Type 53 Carbine". Mosin-Nagant.net. Archived from the original on 19 December 2010. Retrieved 13 August 2012.
  101. 1 2 Katcher and Chappell, Armies of the Vietnam War 1962-1975 (1980), p. 35.
  102. Harriman, The Mosin-Nagant Rifle (2016), p. 55.
  103. McNab, The SVD Dragunov Rifle (2023), pp. 36-37.
  104. "Violations Of The Laws Of War By The Khmer Rouge" (PDF). Human Rights Watch. April 1990. pp. 7−8, 10. Retrieved 14 October 2024.
  105. "A member of the Khmer Rouge sits on the window sill of an abandoned building close to the Turtle ..." Australian War Memorial. Retrieved 14 October 2024.
  106. "63式自动步枪". Tokyo: GMO Internet, Inc. 2005. Archived from the original on 18 March 2024. Retrieved 6 November 2024.
  107. Wille, Christina (8 November 2012). How Many Weapons Are There in Cambodia? (PDF) (Report). Small Arms Survey. Archived from the original (PDF) on 4 July 2010. Retrieved 16 November 2014.
  108. 1 2 Conboy and Bowra, The War in Cambodia 1970–75 (1989), p. 45.
  109. "Stickgrenade, Type67". Archived from the original on June 23, 2013.
  110. Conboy and Bowra, The War in Cambodia 1970–75 (1989), p. 7.
  111. Dunham, U.S. Marines in Vietnam: The Bitter End, 1973–1975 (1990), 102–104.
  112. Brian Anderson (2012). "Chinese-Made 107mm Rockets Are the Workhorses of Insurgencies (and Goons)". Motherboard. Archived from the original on 2015-04-08.
  113. Conboy, FANK: A History of the Cambodian Armed Forces, 1970-1975 (2011), pp. 219; 224, note 12.
  114. Shawcross, Sideshow: Kissinger, Nixon and the Destruction of Cambodia (1979), p. 358.
  115. Sutsakhan, The Khmer Republic at War and the Final Collapse (1980), p. 156.
  116. Dunham, U.S. Marines in Vietnam: The Bitter End, 1973–1975 (1990), p. 105.
  117. Davies, UH-1 Huey Gunship vs NVA/VC Forces: Vietnam 1962–75 (2021), p. 28.
  118. Ross, Cambodia, a Country Study (1987), p. 313.
  119. Foss, Jane's Tank & Combat Vehicle recognition guide (2002), p. 72.
  120. Kinnear, Sewell & Aksenov, Soviet T-54 Main Battle Tank (2018), Appendix eight: known customers and users of the T‑54 medium tank, p. 182.
  121. Kinnear, Sewell & Aksenov, Soviet T-55 Main Battle Tank (2019), Appendix six: known client users of the T‑55 medium tank, p. 160.
  122. Conboy, FANK: A History of the Cambodian Armed Forces, 1970–1975 (2011), p. 200.

Related Research Articles

<span class="mw-page-title-main">Army of the Republic of Vietnam</span> Defunct South Vietnamese ground forces

The Army of the Republic of Vietnam composed the ground forces of the South Vietnamese military from its inception in 1955 to the Fall of Saigon in April 1975. At the ARVN's peak, an estimated 1 in 9 citizens of South Vietnam were enlisted, composed of Regular Forces and the more voluntary Regional Forces and the Popular Force militias. It is estimated to have suffered 1,394,000 casualties during the Vietnam War.

<span class="mw-page-title-main">Weapons of the Vietnam War</span> Weapons used in the Vietnam war

The Vietnam War involved the People's Army of Vietnam (PAVN) or North Vietnamese Army (NVA), National Liberation Front for South Vietnam (NLF) or Viet Cong (VC), and the armed forces of the People's Liberation Army (PLA), Army of the Republic of Vietnam (ARVN), United States Armed Forces, Republic of Korea Armed Forces, Armed Forces of the Philippines, Royal Thai Armed Forces, Australian Defence Force, and New Zealand Defence Force, with a variety of irregular troops.

<span class="mw-page-title-main">Khmer National Armed Forces</span> Combined military forces of the Khmer Republic from 1970 to 1975

The Khmer National Armed Forces were the official armed defense forces of the Khmer Republic, a short-lived nationalist and militaristic state that existed from 1970 to 1975, known today as Cambodia. The FANK was the successor of the Royal Khmer Armed Forces which had been responsible for the defense of the previous Kingdom of Cambodia since its independence in 1953 from France.

<span class="mw-page-title-main">Operation Chenla II</span> Part of the Vietnam War (1971)

Operation Chenla II or Chenla Two was a major military operation conducted by the Khmer National Armed Forces (FANK) during the Cambodian Civil War from 20 August until 3 December 1971.

<span class="mw-page-title-main">Operation Chenla I</span> Part of the Vietnam and Cambodian Civil Wars (1970–1971)

Operation Chenla I or Chenla One was a major military operation conducted by the Khmer National Armed Forces (FANK) during the Cambodian Civil War. It began in late August 1970 and ended in February 1971, due to the FANK High Command's decision to withdraw some units from Tang Kauk to protect Phnom Penh after Pochentong airbase was attacked.

The Battle of Kampot was a major battle of the Vietnam War, also a part of the Cambodian Civil War. From 26 February to 2 April 1974, Cambodian government troops battled Khmer Rouge guerillas for the control of the city of Kampot.

<span class="mw-page-title-main">Helio AU-24 Stallion</span> Type of aircraft

The Helio AU-24 Stallion was an American armed gunship, counter-insurgency, and utility transport developed for the United States Air Force. A total of 20 were built during the Vietnam War, with most of the aircraft being later sold to the Khmer Air Force.

<span class="mw-page-title-main">Royal Lao Army</span> Military unit

The Royal Lao Army, also designated by its anglicized title RLA, was the land component of the Royal Lao Armed Forces (FAR), the official military of the Kingdom of Laos during the North Vietnamese invasion of Laos and the Laotian Civil War between 1960 and 1975.

<span class="mw-page-title-main">M106 mortar carrier</span> Mortar carrier

The M106 mortar carrier was a tracked, self-propelled mortar carrier in service with the United States Army. It was designed to provide indirect fire support to primarily infantry, units, but could also provide support to any unit under attack within range. It was replaced with the M1064 mortar carrier.

The Khmer Special Forces, also designated 'Khmer SF' for short or Forces Speciales Khmères (FSK) in French, were the tier 1 special forces of the Khmer National Army (ANK), the land component of the Khmer National Armed Forces during the 1970-75 Cambodian Civil War.

The Cambodian Navy SEALs were the main elite Maritime Special Operations Force of the Khmer National Navy during the 1970-75 Cambodian Civil War.

The Cambodian Para-Commando Battalion was one of the main elite military units of the Cambodian Army, part of the Khmer National Armed Forces, which fought in the final phase of the Cambodian Civil War of 1970-75.

<span class="mw-page-title-main">Cambodian Marine Corps</span> Military unit

The Cambodian Marine Corps or Corps de Fusiliers-Marins Khmères (CFMK) in French, were the Naval Infantry branch of the Khmer National Navy during the 1970-75 Cambodian Civil War.

<span class="mw-page-title-main">Royal Lao Armed Forces</span> Combined military forces of Laos (1949-1975)

The Royal Lao Armed Forces, best known by its French acronym FAR, were the official armed defense forces of the Kingdom of Laos, a state that existed from 1949 to 1975 in what is now the Lao People's Democratic Republic. First created under the French protectorate of Laos on July 1, 1949, the FAR was responsible for the defense of the Kingdom since its independence in October 1953 from France, until its dissolution on December 2, 1975. It operated notably during the North Vietnamese invasion of Laos and the Laotian Civil War from 1960 to 1975.

<span class="mw-page-title-main">Khmer Air Force</span> Air force of the Khmer Republic (1970–1975)

The Khmer Air Force, commonly known by its americanized acronym KAF was the air force component of the Khmer National Armed Forces (FANK), the official military of the Khmer Republic during the Cambodian Civil War between 1970 and 1975.

<span class="mw-page-title-main">Khmer National Navy</span> Navy of the Khmer Republic (1970-1975)

The Khmer National Navy was the naval component of the Khmer National Armed Forces (FANK), the official military of the Khmer Republic during the Cambodian Civil War between 1970 and 1975.

<span class="mw-page-title-main">Khmer National Army</span> Army of the Khmer Republic (1970-1975)

The Khmer National Army was the land component of the Khmer National Armed Forces (FANK), the official military of the Khmer Republic during the Cambodian Civil War between 1970 and 1975.

<span class="mw-page-title-main">Weapons of the Laotian Civil War</span>

The Laotian Civil War was a military conflict that pitted the guerrilla forces of the Marxist-oriented Pathet Lao against the armed and security forces of the Kingdom of Laos, led by the conservative Royal Lao Government, between 1960 and 1975. Main combatants comprised:

SPECOM was the English acronym for Special Commando or Commando Speciale in French, the commando unit of the Royal Lao Armed Forces, which operated during the final phase of the Laotian Civil War from 1972 to 1975.

Project Copper was a coordinated military action undertaken by the Kingdom of Laos and the Khmer Republic from 1 January–May 1971. It used U.S. Department of Defense (DOD) funds channeled through the Central Intelligence Agency to train three Cambodian battalions to interdict the Sihanouk Trail before it joined the Ho Chi Minh Trail. Committed to battle in southern Laos on 1 January 1971, one battalion deserted the battlefield, a second one mutinied during training, and a third had to be repurposed after suffering 80 casualties. By late January, the project was temporarily suspended.

References