ប្រវត្តិសាស្រ្តបិទមុខ

Cambodia, 1954 - 1999; Part 3
By Albert Grandolini, Tom Cooper, & Troung
Jan 25, 2004, 06:25

Reorganization of Vietnamese and Cambodian Military

By mid-March 1979, the Vietnamese were in control of all the major towns and cities in Cambodia and about to install a puppet regime in Phnom Penh. However, despite brilliant planning and opportunities, they eventually failed to use every single opportunity to maul the Khmer Rouge and destroy its combat capability: instead they allowed a considerable number to retreat to their traditional strongholds in the Cardamom Mountains. It remains unclear how could this happen, but many observers concluded that this was an excellent reason for Hanoi to justify the continued presence of her troops in Cambodia. Additionally, the new regime in Phnom Penh was largely consisting of former Khmer Rouge members: the new president, Heng Samrin, for example, had held a high rank in the Rouge and was one of the politicians directly responsible for the implementation of the genocidal politics. Hun Sen (later Prime minister), Chea Sim, and Math Ly (members of the national assembly), Kang Sarin, Ney Penna, Nou Beng and others were all former Khmer Rouge, and responsible for some of the worst atrocities in the Eastern Province. The new regime also utilized the same methods like the Khmer: torture and arbitrary executions remained a feature of life for many Cambodians, just like thousands were forced to work in massive communal defence projects, reminiscent of the labour-intensive programmes of the Rouge. Probably the worst abuse of human rights was perpetrated by the colossal “K-5 Plan”, the intention of which was to seal the border to Thailand by a combination of deforestation, dykes, canals, strategic fences, and minefields. This ambition not only brought a change in the Thai standpoint in regards to Cambodia, but also caused thousands of deaths: out of the labour force of some 120.000 used for the realization of this plan, over 50.000 died because of working in some of the worst terrain in Cambodia, containing not only dangerous minefields (laid by the Khmer), but also thick forests, full of malaria.
Without surprise, already by 1980 there was an organized armed resistance against the new government and its foreign “advisors”. While the Vietnamese still had an army of 180.000-224.000 troops in ten divisions (including the 2nd, 4th, 5th, 7th, 8th, 9th, 302nd, 309th, 330th, and 339th, together with the 950th and 126th Marine brigades) deployed in Cambodia, the Khmer Rouge recovered, assembling again some 23.000 and 30.000 fighters. Soon enough there were also two non-communist groups, the Khmer People’s National Liberation Front (KPNLF, evolving from the remnants of the old Lon Nol regime, and growing to between 55.000 and 75.000 fighters), and the Armée Nationale Sihanoukist (ANS, composed of supporters of Prince Sihanouk, numbering between 7.000 and 8.500 fighters). Most of the oppositional groups were poorly equipped, lacking in weapons and supplies. Because of this they seldom operated in any groups larger than 20 or 30: largest raids were undertaken by groups of 100 or 200 men, against outposts, farms, supply convoys and any other soft targets considered worth an attack.

The Vietnamese also reorganised the official Cambodian Army, now called “Khmer People’s Revolutionary Armed Forces (KPRAF), which with the time grew to between 40.000 and 75.000 troops, equipped with between 60 and 80 T-54/55 tanks (all ex Vietnamese), two dozens of PT-76s, BT-60s, V-100s, K-63 and M-113 APCs, and some 155/130/122mm artillery – as well as a new, meanwhile fourth in sequence, People’s Kampuchean Air Force (PKAF).

The PKAF was resurrected during 1984 and 1985, and initially had a mixed air-transport regiment, operating a dozen of Mi-8s and some An-24s. Despite some rumours, no former Khmer Rouge F-6Cs were ever again made operational, and it was also only in 1988 that the Vietnamese permitted the PKAF to set up a new fighter component: this unit became known as the 701st Fighter Regiment, and was equipped with 24 MiG-21bis and three MiG-21UMS. The first 13 of its mounts were delivered by the Soviets to Bien Hoa AB, in Vietnam, where the training of their crews took place and one aircraft was lost in a training accident. The unit was not declared operational before 1989, however, and would therefore not return to Cambodia in time to participate in the ongoing war the Vietnamese were waging.


PKAF MiG-21bis from the 701st Regiment seen while refuelling at Pochentong AB in 1989. During the last phase of the Vietnamese occupation war they were engaged in ground-support operations, notably against NKPLF forces around Battambang, However, with the departure of the Vietnamese adviser and the disbandement of the PKAF in the face of the UN arrival, the Cambodian MiG-21's operational service was to be of a very short duration. (A. Grandolini collection)

Otherwise, the main task of the PKAF was to lower the burden on the Vietnamese Army, foremost by establishing strongholds and patrolling areas in which different insurgent groups were active. Originally, the PKAF consisted of several battalions, but these were later expanded into regiments and finally into divisions: by the mid-1980s the PKAF consisted of seven infantry, four tank, and two engineer battalions. While not facing any real outside threat this Army, however, started suffering from a large number of deserters who joined the ANS, the Khmer Rouge and other groups.

In the early 1980s the SRVAF also went through a series of reorganizations, initiated foremost because of increasing problems with operations of US-built aircraft. With Soviet support – that meanwhile increase to approximately $500 million annually - several Air Regiments were equipped with new aircraft. Elements of the 901st Air Group were some of the leading in this process, its regiments re-equipping as follows:

- 935, equipped with F-5As and F-5Bs, has got MiG-21bis from 1982;

- 937, equipped with A-37Bs, was re-equipped with some 45 Su-22M-3Ks in 1980 and A-37s were progressively retired; the unit was to be re-equipped with Su-22M-4Ks in 1989, and reinforced by 25 refurbished and upgraded Su-22M-4Ks in 1995.
- 938, equipped with a mix of C-130s, C-119Ks, and C-47s, was re-equipped with An-2s and An-26s;
- 917, equipped with U-17s, L-19s, UH-1s, and CH-47s, was re-equipped with Mi-8s;
- 916 remained equipped with Mi-24As.


The only interceptor deployed in Cambodia in the 1980s was the dependable MiG-21 of the Socialist Republic of Vietnam Air Force (SRVAF). These MiG-21bis from the 935th Regiment were seen at Bien Hoa in mid-1980s. The unit had flown F-5As and F-5Es previously. (A. Grandolini collection)

Two additional units were added to the 901st Air Group, both equipped with MiG-21bis: the 931 and 933 Regiments, both of which became operational with a total of some 25 MiG-21bis supplied by the USSR since 1979. Most of this aircraft were based at Chang and Battambang as well as Kompong Son air bases, all of which were considerably enlargened and fortified by the Vietnamese. Most of the helicopters were based in Ban Nimit, however, where a large helicopter base was developed.

At the time, the SRVAF actually operated some 270 fixed-wing fighters, 200 helicopters, and 127 transport aircraft, but much of this force was busy containing the Chinese threat in the north of the country. Therefore, the 901st Air Group remained the sole large unit deployed in Cambodia.


The SRVAF 937th Regiment exchanged its Cessna A-37Bs for Su-22M-3Ks between 1980 and 1983. A group of pilots discussed their coming sortie over a map when this photograph was taken. (A. Grandolini collection)

Reference: http://www.acig.org/artman/publish/article_411.shtml