List of equipment of the Vietnam People's Air Force

Since the Vietnam War, most Vietnamese aircraft were supplied by the Soviet Union and later Russia, while hundreds of others were left by the United States via South Vietnam. Most of these are no longer in service either due to the inavailability of parts or the age of the aircraft.

Vietnam People's Army
Ministry of Defence
Command
General Staff
Services
Ground Force
Air Force
Navy
Border Guard
Coast Guard
Ranks of the Vietnamese Military
Ground Force ranks and insignia
Air Force ranks and insignia
Navy ranks and insignia
Border Guard ranks and insignia
Coast Guard ranks and insignia
History of the Vietnamese Military
History of Vietnamese military ranks
Military history of Vietnam

To decrease its dependence on Russian weapons as the nation moves towards modernisation, Vietnam has begun to explore the purchase of American and European aircraft, especially due to its conflict in the South China Sea with its former Communist ally China.[1][2]

Aircraft

Current

Aircraft Type Variants Origin Quantity Notes
Fighter aircraft
Sukhoi Su-22 Fighter-bomber Su-22M4/UM3K  Soviet Union 34[3]
Sukhoi Su-27 Multirole fighter Su-27SK/UBK/PU 11[4]
Su-30MK2 Su-30MK2V  Russia 35[4][5] Regiment 935: 12[6]
Regiment 923: 12[7]
Regiment 927: 12[8]
One lost in crash
Maritime patrol aircraft
PZL M-28 MPA PZL M-28B Bryza  Poland 1[3]
Cargo/Transport aircraft
An-26 Curl Military transport An-26  Russia 30[3]
CASA C-295 Military transport C-295  Spain 3[3]
CASA C-212 Military transport NC-212i  Indonesia 3[3]
Helicopters
Ka-32 Utility Ka-32  Soviet Union 2[3]
Mil Mi-8/Mil Mi-17 Mil Mi-8MT
Mil Mi-17SH
87[3]
Trainer aircraft
Yak-130 Trainer  Russia 12 on order[9]
Aero L-39 Albatros Trainer L-39C  Czech Republic 25[3]
Unmanned aerial vehicle
VT Patrol Reconnaissance VT Patrol  Vietnam unknown
HS-6L HS-6L unknown
Orbiter 2 Orbiter 2  Israel unknown

Munitions

Model Type Variants Origin Quantity Notes
Air-to-air missile (AAM)
AA-2 Atoll Short-range air-to-air missile R-3SM  Soviet Union 2,300[10] Used by Sukhoi Su-22M4/M3. Formerly used by MiG-21bis/UM/bison.
AA-8 Aphid R-60M 400[10] Used by Su-22M4/M3. Formerly used by MiG-21bis/UM/bison.
AS-9 Kyle Air-launched anti-radiation missile Kh-28E unknown Used by Su-22M4.
AA-11 Archer Short-range air-to-air missile R-73 375[10] Used by Su-30MK2V and Su-27SK.
AA-12 Adder Medium-range active-radar homing air-to-air missile R-77  Russia unknown Used by Su-30MK2V and Su-27SK.[11]
Air-to-surface missile (ASM)
AS-10 Karen Tactical air-to-surface missile Kh-25ML
Kh-25MP
Kh-35MPU
Kh-25MR
 Soviet Union unknown Used by Su-22M4.
Anti-ship missile (AShM)
AS-14 Kedge Anti-ship missile Kh-29T
Kh-29TE
 Soviet Union 100[10] Used by Su-30MK2V and Su-27SK.
AS-13 Kingbolt Kh-59E 200[10] Used by Su-30MK2V.
AS-17 Krypton Kh-31A
Kh-31P
100[10] Used by Su-30MK2V and Su-27SK.

Air defence

Model Type Variants Origin Quantity Notes
Surface-to-air missile (SAM)
SA-2 Guideline Strategic surface-to-air missile S-75M Volga  Soviet Union

 Russia

65[10]
SA-3 Goa 40[10]
SA-6 Gainful 10[10]
SA-10 Grumble 2 systems[12]
SA-13 Gopher 20[10]
SA-7 Grail MANPAD 80[10] [13]
SA-18 Grouse SA-16
SA-18
450[10]
SPYDER SHORAD SPYDER-MR  Israel 6 systems
200 Python-5/200 Derby missiles[10]
Anti-aircraft warfare
ZSU-23-4 Shilka SPAG  Soviet Union 100[10]
ZSU-57-2 Ob'yekt 500 100[10]

Former

Aircraft Type Variants Origin Quantity Notes
Fighter aircraft
MiG-17 Fresco Fighter MiG-17A/P/PF  Soviet Union 367
MiG-19 Farmer ~45
MiG-21 Fishbed MiG-21bis/UM/bison/PF/PFM/MF/F-13/UM 645 Retired from service in November 2015.[14] Replaced with Su-22.
Shenyang J-5  China 10 The Vietnamese Air Force used J-5s alongside the Soviet supplied MiG-17s for interception missions until the 1990s when they were retired, along with the remaining MiG-19s, being replaced with newer MiG-21s and Su-27s.
Shenyang J-6 30
Northrop F-5 F-5A, F-5E  USA 399 Captured during Vietnam War.
Cessna A-37 Dragonfly Light ground-attack A-37A
A-37B
77 Captured during Vietnam War.
Cargo/transport aircraft
Lockheed C-130 Hercules Transport  USA 500 Captured during Vietnam War.
Fairchild C-119  USA Captured during Vietnam War.
Beriev Be-12  Soviet Union 43 [15]
Training aircraft
MiG-15 Fagot Trainer  Soviet Union 6,000
Aero L-29 Trainer  Czechoslovakia
Helicopters
Mi-4 Transport  Soviet Union
Mi-6 Hook Mil Mi-6  Soviet Union 26
CH-47 Chinook CH-47A  USA unknown Captured during Vietnam War.

See also

References

  1. Siva Govindasamy; Ho Binh Minh; Martin Petty; Greg Torode; Andrea Shalal; Dean Yates (5 June 2015). "Exclusive: Vietnam eyes Western warplanes, patrol aircraft to counter China". Reuters. Retrieved 27 April 2016.
  2. Robert Farley (16 January 2016). "A Coming Shift in Vietnamese Military Aviation?". The Diplomat. Retrieved 27 April 2016.
  3. "World Air Forces 2021". Flightglobal Insight. 2021. Retrieved 10 December 2020.
  4. "Peace Research Institute". Stockholm International Peace Research Institute. 2017. Archived from the original on 14 April 2010. Retrieved 11 May 2018.
  5. Su-30s in VPAF service
  6. "'Hổ mang chúa' Su-30MK2 xuất kích canh giữ Tết Việt Nam" (in Vietnamese). Báo Đất Việt. 10 February 2013. Retrieved 27 April 2016.
  7. "Thủ tướng kiểm tra tên lửa cho Su-30MK2" (in Vietnamese). Báo Đất Việt. 29 January 2013. Retrieved 27 April 2016.
  8. "Báo TQ đưa cảnh phi công Việt Nam lái Su-30MK2V" (in Vietnamese). Báo Đất Việt. 2 April 2013. Retrieved 27 April 2016.
  9. https://www.themoscowtimes.com/2020/01/29/vietnam-orders-350m-combat-training-jets-from-russia-vedomosti-a69074
  10. "SIPRI arms transfer database". Stockholm International Peace Research Institute. 6 November 2013. Retrieved 27 April 2016.
  11. Bình Nguyên (20 April 2016). "Su-30MK2 VN đã đưa tên lửa RVV-AE tối tân vào trực chiến" (in Vietnamese). Soha News. Retrieved 27 April 2016.
  12. Sergei Blagov (5 September 2003). "Russian missiles to guard skies over Vietnam". Asia Times. Retrieved 27 April 2016.
  13. "Hỏa thần Việt Nam khiến Mỹ khiếp sợ (kỳ 3)". Zing.vn (in Vietnamese). Báo Mới. 23 January 2013. Archived from the original on 27 April 2016. Retrieved 27 April 2016.
  14. "KQND Việt Nam chuẩn bị vĩnh biệt tiêm kích MiG-21". Nguyễn Tấn Dũng. 18 November 2015. Retrieved 27 April 2016.
  15. "Đông Nam Á tăng cường năng lực cảnh báo, chống ngầm" (in Vietnamese). Báo Đất Việt. 22 February 2012. Archived from the original on 27 March 2012. Retrieved 27 April 2016.
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