Vietnam People's Air Force

This article is about the current Vietnamese air force. For the air force of South Vietnam, see South Vietnam Air Force. For Non-valvular atrial fibrillation (NVAF), see Atrial fibrillation.

Vietnam People's Air Force Không Quân Nhân Dân Việt Nam
Vietnam People's Air Force emblem
Active	1959 – present
Country	Vietnam
Allegiance	Communist Party of Vietnam
Type	Aerial defence force
Size	35,000 personnel (2009) 283 active aircraft
Part of	Vietnam People's Army
Colours	Azure, Dark Green
Anniversaries	22 October 1963
Engagements	First Indochina War Vietnam War Cambodian-Vietnamese War Sino-Vietnamese War
Decorations
Battle honours	Operation Linebacker Operation Linebacker II The 1975 Spring Offensive
Commanders
Commander-in-Chief	Trần Đại Quang
Commander	Lieutenant General Lê Huy Vịnh
Political Commissar	Major General Nguyễn Văn Thanh
Chief of Staff	Major General Nguyễn Văn Thọ
Insignia
Ensign
Roundel
Wings
Awards
Aircraft flown
Attack	Su-22,
Fighter	Su-30, Su-27
Helicopter	Ka-32, Mi-24, UH-1, Mi-8, Mi-17
Trainer	Yak-52, L-39
Transport	An-26, CASA C295

The Vietnam People's Air Force (Vietnamese: Không quân Nhân dân Việt Nam) is the air force of Vietnam. It is the successor of the former North Vietnamese Air Force and absorbed the Republic of Vietnam Air Force following the re-unification of Vietnam in 1975. The Vietnam People's Air Force (VPAF) is one of three main branches in the Vietnam People's Army which is a part of the Ministry of Defence. The main mission of the VPAF is the defence of Vietnamese airspace and the provision of air cover for operations of the Vietnam People's Army.

History

Beginning–1964 (North Vietnam)

The first aircraft in service for the Vietnamese Armed Forces were two trainers, a de Havilland Tiger Moth and a Morane-Saulnier, which were initially the private property of the emperor Bảo Đại. In 1945, Bảo Đại gave the aircraft to the Vietnamese government. Until 1950, even though the Vietnam People's Army (VPA) had acquired credible offensive capabilities on the ground, it was almost powerless against reconnaissance or attacking operations from the French Expeditionary Air Force. On 9 March 1949, General Vo Nguyen Giap was authorised to establish the Air Force Research Committee (Ban Nghiên cứu Không quân) under the General Staff to study ways to deal with the air war. The first Vietnamese service aircraft flight was made by the Tiger Moth on 15 August 1949. A small-scale training was carried out in the following years.

Further development of aviation in North Vietnam began in 1956, when a number of trainees were sent to the USSR and China for pilot training. They were organised into two groups, for pilots and mechanics, respectively; and among others, utilised the Czechoslovak Zlín Z-226 and Aero Ae-45. The first unit of the VPAF was the No. 919 Transport Regiment (Trung đoàn Không quân Vận tải 919), organised on 1 May 1959, with An-2, Li-2, Il-14 aircraft, followed by the No. 910 Training Regiment (Trung đoàn Không quân 910) with Yak-18 trainers. In 1963 the Air Force and Air Defence Force were merged into the Air and Air Defence Force (Quân chủng Phòng không – Không quân).

1964–74 (North Vietnam)

Anti-aircraft systems the North used against US aircraft during Operation Linebacker and Linebacker II

The first North Vietnamese combat plane was a T-28 Trojan trainer, whose pilot defected from the Royal Lao Air Force; it was utilised from early 1964 by the North Vietnamese as a night fighter. The T-28 was the first North Vietnamese aircraft to shoot down a US aircraft, a C-123, on 15 February 1964.

The North Vietnamese Air Force (NVAF) received its first jet fighter aircraft, the MiG-17 in February 1964, but they were initially stationed at air bases on Mainland China, while their pilots were being trained. On 3 February 1964, the first fighter regiment No. 921 (Trung đoàn Không quân Tiêm kích 921), aka "Red Star squadron", was formed, and on 6 August it arrived from China in North Vietnam with its MiG-17s. On 7 September, the No. 923 fighter regiment, aka "Yen The Squadron", led by Lt. Col. Nguyen Phuc Trach, was formed. In May 1965, No. 16 bomber company (Đại đội Không quân Ném bom 16) was formed with Il-28 twin engine bombers. Only one Il-28 sortie was flown in 1972 against Royal Laotian forces.

USAF's F-105 Thunderchief bomber was hit and crashed by VPAF's SA-2 missile

The North Vietnamese Air Force's first jet air-to-air engagement with US aircraft was on 3 April 1965. The NVAF claimed the shooting down of two US Navy F-8 Crusader, which was not confirmed by US sources, although they acknowledged having encountered MiGs. Consequently, 3 April became "North Vietnamese Air Force Day". On 4 April the VPAF (NVAF) scored the first confirmed victories to be acknowledged by both sides. The US fighter community was shocked when relatively slow, post-Korean era MiG-17 fighters shot down advanced F-105 Thunderchief fighters-bombers attacking the Thanh Hóa Bridge. The two downed F-105s were carrying their normal heavy bomb load, and were not able to react to their attackers.

In 1965, the NVAF were supplied with supersonic MiG-21s by the USSR which were used for high speed GCI controlled hit and run intercepts against American air strike groups. The MiG-21 tactics became so effective, that by late 1966, an operation was mounted to especially deal with the MiG-21 threat. Led by Colonel Robin Olds on 2 January 1967, Operation Bolo lured MiG-21s into the air, thinking they were intercepting a F-105 strike group, but instead found a sky full of missile armed F-4 Phantom IIs set for aerial combat. The result was a loss of almost half the inventory of MiG-21 interceptors, at a cost of no US losses. The VPAF (NVAF) stood down for additional training after this setback.

Meanwhile, the disappointing performances of US Air Force and US Navy (USN) airmen, even though flying the contemporary advanced aircraft of those times, combined with a legacy of successes from World War II and the Korean War, resulted in a total revamping of aerial combat training for the USN in 1968 (Top Gun school; established 1969). The designs for an entire generation of aircraft, with engineering for optimised daylight air-to-air combat (dog fighting) against both older, as well as for emerging MiG fighters, were being put to the drawing board. US forces could not consistently track low flying MiGs on radar, and were hampered by restrictive rules of engagement (ROE) which required pilots to visually acquire their targets, nullifying much of the advantage of radar guided missiles, which often proved unreliable when used in combat.

The VPAF (NVAF) was a defensive air arm, with the primary mission of defending North Vietnam, and until the last stages of the war, did not conduct air operations into South Vietnam; nor did the NVAF conduct general offensive actions against enemy naval forces off the coast. However it did conduct limited attacks on the opposing naval vessels, notably damaging the United States destroyer USS Higbee in 1972. In a separate incident, MiG-17s that ventured over water were shot down by surface-to-air missiles (SAMs) fired by US warships. The VPAF also conducted an air attack mission against a USAF radar and navigation installation in Laos.

President Ho Chi Minh congratulates his highest ranking ace, Capt. Nguyen Van Coc, who flew MiG-21s during the war

The VPAF (NVAF) did not engage all US sorties. Most US aircraft were destroyed by SA-2 surface-to-air missiles or anti-aircraft artillery (AAA), and in some cases, even small arms. Typically, VPAF MiGs would not engage unless it was to their advantage. Some of the aerial tactics used were similar to Operation Bolo, which lured the NVAF to the fight.

On 24 March 1967, regiments Nos. 921, 923 and 919 were incorporated into the 371st Air Division "Thăng Long" (Sư đoàn Không quân 371). In 1969, No. 925 fighter regiment was formed, flying the Shenyang J-6 (the Chinese-built MiG-19). In 1972 the fourth fighter regiment, No. 927 "Lam Son", was formed.

VPAF flew their interceptors with superb guidance from ground controllers, who positioned the MiGs in perfect ambush battle stations. The MIGs made fast and devastating attacks against US formations from several directions (usually the MiG-17s performed head-on attacks and the MiG-21s attacked from the rear). After shooting down a few American planes and forcing some of the F-105s to drop their bombs prematurely, the MiGs did not wait for retaliation, but disengaged rapidly. This "guerrilla warfare in the air" proved very successful. In December 1966 the MiG-21 pilots of the 921st FR downed 14 F-105s without any losses.

The U.S Air Force and the US Navy continued to lay down great expectations on the F4 Phantom, assuming that the massive arms, the perfect on-board radar, the highest speed and acceleration properties, coupled with the new tactics would provide "Phantoms" an advantage over the MiGs. But in encounters with lighter VPAF's MiG-21, F-4 began to suffer defeat. From May to December 1966, the US lost 47 aircraft in air battles, destroying only 12 enemy's fighters. From April 1965 to November 1968, in 268 air battles conducted over North Vietnam, VPAF claimed to have shot down 244 US or ARVN's aircraft, and they lost 85 MiGs (including 27 F-4s and 20 MiG-21s).

In one of their few offensive air attacks by the VPAF during the entire conflict, on 12 January 1968 a four aircraft formation of Antonov An-2 biplanes was reported flying towards a secret USAF TACAN and radar site in Laos guiding American bombers over Northern Vietnam. Two aircraft flew on to the strike, while the other two split off. As the two continuing An-2s flew over, their crews dropped 120 mm mortar shells as bombs through the aircraft's floor and also strafed their targets with 57 mm rockets from the wing pods. However, as the two aircraft flew back and forth attacking the facility, one aircraft was heavily damaged by ground fire from the facility and crashed. Meanwhile, crew at Lima Site 85 managed to call in a nearby Air America helicopter; a crew member aboard the helicopter armed with an assault rifle fired on the last biplane and caused it to crash. The site was eventually overrun by People's Army of Vietnam commando climbers.

In the spring and summer of 1972, to illumine the theatre of war 360 tactical fighters of the US Air Force and 96 Navy fighter, a great number of which were F4 Phantom of recent modifications, opposed only 71 VPAF's aircraft (including 31 MiG-21).

The culmination of the struggle in the air in the spring of 1972 was 10 May, when the VPAF's aircraft completed 64 sorties, engaging in 15 air battles. VPAF claimed 7 F-4s were shot down (U.S confirmed five F-4s were lost). Those, in turn, managed to shoot down two MiG-21s, three MiG-17s and one MiG-19. On 11 May, two MiG-21, which played the role of "bait", brought the four F-4 to two MiG-21s circling at low altitude. MiGs quickly stormed the "Phantoms" and 3 missiles shot down two F-4. On 18 May, Vietnamese aircraft made 26 sorties in eight air engagements, which cost the 4 F-4 Phantom;Vietnamese fighters on that day did not suffer losses. On 13 June, a MiG-21 unit intercepted a group of F-4, the second pair of MiGs made a missile attack and was hit by two F-4 and did not suffer losses.

Over the course of the air war, between 3 April 1965 and 8 January 1973, each side would ultimately claim favourable kill ratios. A total of 201 air battles took place between American and Vietnamese planes in 1972 sorties. VPAF lost 54 MiGs (including 36 MiG-21s and one MiG-21US) and they claimed 90 U.S aircraft were shot down (including 73 F-4 fighter and two spy RF-4C)

Pilots walk past MiG-17s on the flight line

US Navy ace Randy Cunningham believed that he shot down a Mig-17 piloted by the mythical "Nguyen Toon" or "Colonel Tomb" while flying his F4 Phantom. However, no research has been able to identify Col. Tomb's existence; Cunningham most likely downed a flight leader of the 923rd Regiment. Legend states Col. Toon had allegedly downed 13 US aircraft during his tenure. Many North Vietnamese pilots were not only skilled but unorthodox, as Cunningham found out after making elementary tactical errors. The resulting dogfight became extended. Cunningham climbed steeply, and the MiG pilot surprised Cunningham by climbing as well. Using his Top Gun training, Cunningham finally forced the MiG out ahead of him and destroyed it. In fact, there wasn't any pilot in VPAF named Nguyễn Toon, he was a fictional character of the American pilots and they often made jokes with the dissertation. An invention of the American pilots, Colonel Toon was a combination of good pilots in Vietnam, like the "solo artist" lonely night bombing in World War II was called Washing Machine Charlie.

There were several times during the war that the US bombing restrictions of North Vietnamese Airfields were lifted. Many VPAF (NVAF) aircraft were destroyed on the ground, and those that were not, were withdrawn to a sanctuary in the north west of the country or in China. In December 1972, the North Vietnamese air defences nearly exhausted their supply of surface-to-air missiles trying to down the high-flying B-52 raids over the North. The North Vietnamese Air Defence Network was degraded by electronic countermeasures (ECM) and other suppression of Enemy Air Defences (SEAD) measures. Though the North Vietnamese forces claim over 81 US aircraft as shot down during Operation Linebacker II, (including 34 B-52s, two attributed to the VPAF),, U.S sources acknowledge only 27 aircraft lost by the Americans (including 15 B-52s).

Within 12 days of the operation "Linebacker-2" (18–29 December), during the eight air battles seven US aircraft (including four F4 Phantom) and three Vietnamese MiG-21 were shot down.

After the negotiated end of American involvement in early 1973, the No. 919 transport air group (Lữ đoàn Không quân vận tải 919), was formed; and equipped with fixed-wing aircraft, as well as helicopters (rotor-wing) in November.

During the 1975 Spring Offensive, the bombing of Tan Son Nhut Air Base, the only airstrike conducted by the VPAF, occurred on 28 April 1975, just two days before the Fall of Saigon. The operation was carried out by the VPAF's Quyet Thang Squadron, using captured A-37 aircraft flown by VPAF pilots and RVNAF defectors led by Nguyen Thanh Trung who had bombed the Presidential Palace in Saigon, less than one month earlier before defecting to the north.

A MiG-21 flown during the War sits on display

During the Vietnam War, NVAF used the MiG-17F, PF (J-5); MiG-19 (J-6), MiG-21F-13, PF, PFM and MF fighters. They claimed to have shot down 266 US aircraft, and US claimed to have shot down or destroyed 204 MiG aircraft and at least six An-2s, of which 196 were confirmed with solid evidence (100 MiG-17s, 10 MiG-19s and 86 MiG-21s). However, VPAF admits only 154 MiGs were lost through all causes, including 131 in air combat (63 MiG-17s, 8 MiG-19s and 60 MiG-21s)). Using those figures, total kill ratio would be 1:1.3 to 1:2. With the number of losses to MiGs confirmed by US (121 aircraft shot down and 7 damaged), the kill ratio turns 1.6:1 against the MiGs, or 1.1:1 even accepting the VPAF's figure of only 131 in air combat. However, this ratio does not include the number of ARVN's aircraft shot down by VPAF (One source claims 72 ARVN's aircraft were shot down by VPAF)

1975–present (reunified Vietnam)

The VPAF did not play a major role during the Ho Chi Minh Campaign in 1975. The only sorties flown were conducted by five captured VNAF A-37s. SA-2s were transported into South Vietnam to counter possible US military air strikes. The US could not bring back their air power during the 1975 offensive, which had proven decisive in 1972, and the VNAF did not have the capability to strike targets in the north nor to defend against the onslaught in the south.

After the end of the Vietnam War (called the American War in Vietnam) in May 1975, more regiments were formed. No. 935 fighter regiment "Đồng Nai" and no. 937 fighter-bomber regiment "Hậu Giang", followed by no. 918 transport regiment "Hong Ha" and no. 917 mixed transport regiment "Đồng Tháp" were created in July 1975. In September 1975, the four newly created regiments were formed into the 370nd Air Division "Lê Lợi" and the 372nd Air Division "Hai Van" was formed, including among others the 925th fighter regiment.

On 31 May 1977, the Vietnam People's Air Force (Không quân Nhân dân Việt Nam) was separated from the Air Defence Force (Quân chủng Phòng không).

When South Vietnam was overrun by PAVN forces on 30 April 1975, approximately 877 aircraft were captured by PAVN. Of that number, 41 were F-5s and 95 were A-37s. When Vietnam invaded Cambodia in 1979, former VNAF A-37s flew most of the ground support missions. These aircraft were more suited to the role than the MiGs. Former VNAF F-5Es, C-123s, C-130s, and UH-1s were used by the VPAF for many years after the end of the War.

In the years between 1953 and 1991, approximately 700 warplanes, 120 helicopters, and 158 missile complexes have been supplied to North Vietnam by the USSR and PR China (primarily the MiG-19 (J-6 series). Even today, three-quarters of Vietnamese weaponry has been made in post-Cold-War Russia.

Today the VPAF is in the midst of modernisation. It still operates late model MiG-21s, Su-22s, aircraft of the Cold War era. However, it has recently been modernising its air force with models of the Su-27-SK air superiority fighter following closer military ties, and an array of arms deals with Russia. To date, Vietnam has ordered and received 12 of these aircraft. In 2004, it also acquired 4 modified variants of the Su-30 MK2V, newer models of the Su-27. In May 2009, they inked a deal to procure additional 12 aircraft from the Russians to bolster their ageing fleet. The Vietnamese air force has also acquired new advanced air defence systems, including two S-300 PMU1 (NATO designation: SA-20) short-to-high altitude SAM batteries in a deal worth $300 million with Russia.

Aerial aces

In the Vietnam War, many Vietnamese pilots had notable achievements, and were honoured in as "aces".

Nguyen Van Bay's MiG-17 number 2047 which was used to bomb USS Oklahoma City 19 April 1972

The MiG-21 number 5121 was flown by Pham Tuan 26 December 1972, during Operation Linebacker II and shot down B-52 Stratofortress

Name	Victories	VPAF Aircraft	Regiment	Service
Nguyễn Văn Cốc	11 (nine aircraft and two UAV)	MiG-21	921st Fighter Regiment	1967–69
Mai Văn Cường	8	MiG-21	921st Fighter Regiment	1966–68
Nguyễn Hồng Nhị	8	MiG-21	921st/927th Fighter Regiment	1966–72
Phạm Thanh Ngân	8	MiG-21	921st Fighter Regiment	1967–69
Đặng Ngọc Ngự	7	MiG-21	921st Fighter Regiment	1966–72
Nguyễn Văn Bảy	7	MiG-17	923rd Fighter Regiment	1966–72
Lê Hải	6	MiG-17	923rd Fighter Regiment	1967–72
Lê Thanh Đạo	6	MiG-21	927th Fighter Regiment	1971–72
Lưu Huy Chao	6	MiG-17	923rd Fighter Regiment	1966–68
Nguyễn Đăng Kỉnh	6	MiG-21	921st Fighter Regiment	1967–68
Nguyễn Đức Soát	6	MiG-21	921st/927th Fighter Regiment	1969–72
Nguyễn Ngọc Độ	6	MiG-21	921st Fighter Regiment	1967–68
Nguyễn Nhật Chiêu	6	MiG-17/MiG-21	921st Fighter Regiment	1965–67
Nguyễn Tiến Sâm	6	MiG-21	921st/927th Fighter Regiment	1968–72
Vũ Ngọc Đỉnh	6	MiG-21	921st Fighter Regiment	1966–70
Nguyễn Văn Nghĩa	5	MiG-21	927th Fighter Regiment	1972

Organisational structure

Air Force and Air Defence Divisions

The organisational levels of Vietnam People's Air Force, from highest to lowest are:

• High Command of Vietnam People's Air Force
• Air Division (Vietnamese: Sư đoàn không quân)
• Air Regiment (Vietnamese: Trung đoàn không quân)
• Air Flight (Vietnamese: Phi đội)
• Air Section (Vietnamese: Biên đội)

Air Division and Regimental Names of the VPAF Recent base information is from the Vietnamese Wikipedia VPAF article.

Command	Division	Regiment	Name	Equipment	Base
High Command of Air Defence and Air Force	371st Air Force Division (Thăng Long Air Wing)	931st Fighter	Yên Bái Squadron	Su-22M4/UM3K	Yên Bái Air Base
		921st Fighter	Red Star Squadron	Su-22M4/UM3K	Phúc Yên Air Base
		923rd Fighter-bomber	Yen The Squadron	Su-30MK2	Tho Xuan Airport
		927th Fighter	Lam Son Squadron	Su-30MK2	Kép Air Base
		916th Helicopter	Ba Vi Squadron	Mi-6, Mi-8, Mi-24D, Mi-171	Hòa Lạc Air Base
		918th Air Transport	Hong Ha Squadron	An-2, An-26, An-30, M-28, C-295M	Gia Lam Airport
	372nd Air Force Division (Hải Vân Air Wing)	929th Fighter-Bomber	Son Tra Squadron	Su-22M4	Da Nang International Airport
		930th Helicopter		Mi-8, Mi-171	Da Nang International Airport
		940th Fighter/Air Training	Tây Sơn Squadron	Su-27SKM/UBK/PU	Phu Cat Airport
	370th Air Force Division (Lê Lợi Air Wing)	937th Fighter-Bomber	Hậu Giang Squadron	Su-22M4/UM3K	Thanh Son Air Base
		935th Fighter	Đồng Nai Squadron	Su-30MK2	Bien Hoa Air Base
		917th Mixed Air Transport	Đồng Tháp Squadron	UH-1H, Mi-8, Mi-171	Tan Son Nhat International Airport
	Air Force Officer School	910th Air Training		L-39C	Dong Tac Airport
		920nd Air Training		Yak-52	Nha Trang Air Base
	361st Air Defence Division (Ha Noi Air Defence Division)	218th SA Artillery	Hoa Lư Regiment	ZSU-23-4, SA-2 Guideline, SA-3 Goa, SA-9 Gaskin, SA-13 Gopher, SA-17 Grizzly, SA-20 Gargoyle, SA-22 Greyhound	Ha Noi
		280th SA Artillery	Hong Linh Regiment
		236th SA Missile	Song Da Regiment
		250th SA Missile	Thăng Long Regiment
		257th SA Missile	Red Flag Regiment
		64th SA Missile
	363rd Air Defence Division (Hai Phong Air Defence Division)	240th AA Artillery		ZSU-23-4, SA-2 Guideline, SA-3 Goa, SA-9 Gaskin, SA-13 Gopher	Hai Phong
		213th SA Missile
		238th SA Missile	Hạ Long Regiment
		285th SA Missile	Nam Trieu Regiment
	365th Air Defence Division (Bac Thai Air Defence Division)	228th SA Artillery	Ham Rong Regiment	ZSU-23-4, SA-2 Guideline, SA-3 Goa, SA-9 Gaskin, SA-13 Gopher, SA-6 Gainful	Bắc Giang
		267th SA Missile	Dien Bien Regiment
		284th SA Missile	Song La Regiment
	375th Air Defence Division (Da Nang Air Defence Division)	224th SA Artillery	To Vinh Dien Regiment	SA-2 Guideline, SA-3 Goa, SA-6 Gainful	Da Nang
		275th SA Missile	Soc Son Regiment
		282nd SA Missile	Tam Giang Regiment
	377th Air Defence Division (Khanh Hoa Air Defence Division)	591st SA Artillery	Truong Son Regiment	SA-2 Guideline, SA-3 Goa, SA-6 Gainful, SA-17 Grizzly, SA-22 Greyhound	Cam Ranh
		274th SA Missile	Hung Vuong Regiment
	367th Air Defence Division (HCMC Air Defence Division)	230th SA Artillery	Thong Nhat Regiment	SA-2 Guideline, SA-3 Goa, SA-6 Gainful, SA-20 Gargoyle	Ho Chi Minh city
		261st SA Missile	Thanh Loa Regiment
		263th SA Missile	Quang Trung Regiment
		276th SA Missile
		93rd SA Missile

Bases

Vietnam Fighter Regiments

Some airbases in the south were built by the French, Japanese* (World War II), United States Air Force or United States Navy for South Vietnam. The northern bases were likely built with assistance and/or use by the French, China or Soviet Union during the Vietnam War.

• Kép Air Base (VVKP)
• Bien Hoa Air Base (VVBH/VBH)
• Đồng Hới Airport (VVDH/VDH)
• Hòa Lạc Air Base (VVHL/VHL)
• Gia Lam Airbase (VVGL/VGL)
• Anh Son Airfield
• Thanh Son Airbase (VVPR/VPR)
• Tho Xuan Airport – (VVTX) training school for Vietnam fighter pilot.
• Truong Sa Airfield (VVSA)
• Tan Son Nhut Air Base (VVTS)
• Yên Bái Air Base – (VVYB) training school for Vietnam fighter pilot.
• Cam Ranh Airport (VVCR/CXR) – open for commercial flights in 2005
• Vũng Tàu Airfield (VVVT) operates for offshore helicopter services
• Cần Thơ Airfield – (VVCT/VCA) open and upgrade for logistic support air group.
• Phúc Yên Air Base – 921st Fighter Regiment
• Nha Trang Air Base

Air Force Museum

There are two Air Force museums in Vietnam: Vietnam People's Air Force Museum, Hanoi and Vietnam People's Air Force Museum, Ho Chi Minh City.

Service branches

Aircraft	Air Defence Missiles	Air Defence Artillery	Paratroops	Radar Surveillance

Ranks

	Flag Officers			Field Grade Officers				Company Grade Officers
	Thượng tướng	Trung tướng	Thiếu tướng	Đại tá	Thượng tá	Trung tá	Thiếu tá	Đại úy	Thượng úy	Trung úy	Thiếu úy
	Colonel General	Lieutenant General	Major General	Senior Colonel	Colonel	Lieutenant Colonel	Major	Captain	Lieutenant	Sub-lieutenant	Ensign

	Officer cadet	NCOs			Airmen
	Học viên Sĩ quan	Thượng sĩ	Trung sĩ	Hạ sĩ	Binh nhất	Binh nhì
	Officer Cadet	Sergeant Major	Sergeant	Corporal	Airman First Class	Airman

Aircraft

A VPAF MiG-21

A Mi-24 fly over

An Antonov An-26 lands at Tan Son Nhat Int’l

Most of the aircraft were supplied by the Soviet Union, but hundreds were left over by the United States via the Republic of Vietnam, most which are no longer in service.

Current inventory

Aircraft	Origin	Type	Variant	In service	Notes
Combat Aircraft
Sukhoi Su-22	Soviet Union	fighter-bomber		36
Sukhoi Su-27	Russia	multirole		37
Sukhoi Su-30	Russia	multirole	Su-30MMK		6 on order
Maritime Patrol
PZL M28	Poland	maritime patrol		1
Transport
CASA C-295	Spain	transport		3
Antonov An-26	Ukraine	transport		30
Helicopters
Mil Mi-8	Russia	utility	Mi-8/17	87
Mil Mi-24	Russia	attack		25
Bell UH-1	United States	utility	UH-1H	15	retained from the South Vietnamese Air Force
Kamov Ka-27	Russia	utility	Ka-32	2
Trainer Aircraft
Aero L-39	Czech Republic	jet trainer		25

Retired

Some notable combat aircraft that were operated by the air force consisted of the MiG-15UTI, MiG-17F, MiG-23, the American F-5 Tiger II, and the A-37B Dragonfly. Transport aircraft were the C-47 Dakota, C-130 Hercules , An-2 Colt, and the Beriev Be-12 amphibious aircraft. Helicopters consisted of the Ka-25 Hormone, Mil Mi-6, Mil Mi-4, and the CH-47A Chinook Most of these aircraft have now been sold off or scrapped, due to loss of parts. Vietnam's rapid economic development is opening the country to foreign investment and has resulted in Hanoi’s new acquisition of more modern equipment. The air force is deemed efficient but financial problems mean

Armament

A Kh-59 (AS-13) Anti-ship missile on display at MAKS 2009

Name	Origin	Type	Notes
Air-to-air missile
AA-11	Russia	air-to-air missile	375 short range missiles
AA-2	Soviet Union	air-to-air missile	2,300 missiles of which 750 were the AA-2C’s
AA-8	Soviet Union	air-to-air missile	400 missiles
RVV-AE	Russia	air-to-air missile	unknown number
Anti-ship missile
AS-13	Russia	anti-surface missile	200 missiles
AS-17	Russia	anti-surface missile	100 missiles
AS-14	Russia	anti-surface missile	100 missiles

The VPAF use the S-125 Pechora like this one

A S-300 anti-aircraft missile system

Air Defence

Name	Origin	Type	In service	Notes
SAM
S-300	Russia	SAM system	12 launchers
S-125 Pechora 2TM	Russia	SAM system	40
S-75 Dvina	Soviet Union	SAM system	65	received 30 updated S-75M Volga
2K12 Kub	Soviet Union	SAM system	10	tracked medium-range surface-to-air missile system
9K35 Strela-10	Soviet Union	SAM system	20	tracked short-range surface-to-air missile system
SA-7	Russia	MANPADS	80
SA-16/18	Russia	MANPADS	400 (SA-16) 50 (SA-18)
Air Defence Artillery
ZSU-23-4	Soviet Union	Mobile anti-aircraft	100
ZSU-57-2	Soviet Union	Mobile anti-aircraft	100

See also

• Battle of Phou Pha Thi, (Northeastern Laos, 12 January 1968)
• Republic of Vietnam Air Force
• Vietnam People's Air Force Museum, Hanoi
• Vietnam People's Air Force Museum, Ho Chi Minh City
• Colonel Nguyen Toon

References

Published Government Documents

• Boyne, Walter J. (May 1997). "Linebacker II". Air Force Magazine. 80 (11). 
• Gilster, Herman L. The Air War in Southeast Asia: Case Studies of Selected Campaigns. Maxwell Air Force Base AL: Air University Press, 1993.
• Head, William P. War from Above the Clouds: B-52 Operations During the Second Indochina War and the Effects of the Air War on Theory and Doctrine. Maxwell AFB AL: Air University Press, 2002.
• McCarthy, Brig. Gen. James R. and LtCol. George B. Allison, Linebacker II: A View from the Rock. Maxwell Air Force Base AL: Air University Press, 1979.
• Nalty, Bernard C. Air War Over South Vietnam: 1969–1975. Washington, D.C.: Center of Air Force History, 1995.
• Schlight, John, A War Too Long. Washington, D.C.: Center of Air Force History, 1993.
• Tilford, Earl H. Setup: What the Air Force Did in Vietnam and Why. Maxwell Air Force Base AL: Air University Press, 1991.
• Thompson, Wayne, To Hanoi and Back: The US Air Force and North Vietnam, 1966–1973. Washington, D.C.: Smithsonian Institution Press, 2002.

Secondary Sources

• Asselin, Pierre, A Bitter Peace: Washington, Hanoi and the Making of the Paris Agreement, Chapel Hill: University of North Carolina Press, 2002.
• Ambrose, Stephen E., The Christmas Bombing in Robert Cowley, ed. The Cold War: A Military History, New York: Random House, 2005.
• Casey, Michael, Clark Dougan, Samuel Lipsman, Jack Sweetman, Stephen Weiss, et al., Flags Into Battle. Boston: Boston Publishing Company, 1987.
• Dorr, Robert. Boeing's Cold War Warrior: B-52 Stratofortress. Osprey Publishing, 2000. ISBN 978-1-84176-097-1
• Drendel, Lou, Air War over Southeast Asia: Vol. 3, 1971–1975. Carrollton TX: Squadron/Signal Publications, 1984.
• Hobson, Chris, "Vietnam Air Losses USAF/NAVY/MARINE, Fixed-wing aircraft losses Southeast Asia 1961–1973. 2001. ISBN 978-1-85780-115-6
• Karnow, Stanley, Vietnam: A History. New York: Viking Books, 1983.
• Lipsman, Samuel, Stephen Weiss, et al., The False Peace: 1972–74. Boston: Boston Publishing Company, 1985.
• Littauer, Raphael and Norman Uphoff, The Air War in Indochina. Boston: Beacon Press, 1972.
• McCarthy, Donald J. Jr. MiG Killers: A Chronology of US Air Victories in Vietnam 1965–1973. North Branch, Minnesota: Speciality Press, 2009. ISBN 978-1-58007-136-9.
• Morocco, John, Rain of Fire: Air War, 1969–1973. Boston: Boston Publishing Company, 1985.
• Pribbenow, Merle L.(trans) Victory in Vietnam: The Official History of the People's Army of Vietnam. University Press of Kansas, 2002. ISBN 0-7006-1175-4
• Zaloga, Steven J. Red SAM: The SA-2 Guideline Anti-Aircraft Missile. Osprey Publishing, 2007. ISBN 978-1-84603-062-8

External links

• Vietnamese's Air-to-Air Victories
• Vietnamese Aces
• Vietnam Air Force Museum
• Ace Pilots North Vietnam Aces