Surrender to the mercy of the rich

14


Three decades ago, Laos and Cambodia were considered socialist countries. Their “elder brother” was the USSR, the “middle one” was Vietnam (“Hanoi's Ark”).



Cambodia survived the dictatorship of Pol Pot with the total genocide of its own population, the invasion of the Vietnamese army, a long civil war, the overthrow and restoration of the monarchy. The internal situation has now stabilized, but it is one of the weakest economically and militarily ASEAN countries.

With Polpotovsky heritage

The army is very archaic, no own military-industrial complex. The military potential of Cambodia (especially the Air Force and Navy) is much lower than that of the main potential enemy - Thailand, with which there are serious border conflicts ("Siamese sly fellows"). However, a special relationship with Hanoi seems to guarantee security.

The armed forces of Cambodia are equipped mainly with the old Soviet weapons, deliveries from Eastern Europe and Vietnam continue to this day. In recent years, the import of machinery from China has resumed, its influence on the country is gradually increasing.

Ground forces are divided into 6 military districts. They include 4 infantry divisions (1 – 4-I), 11 infantry brigades (8, 9, 11, 31, 41, 42, 43, 51, 52, 90, 99). -I) and special forces (70-I).

Tank the fleet includes from 213 to 262 Soviet T-55 and Chinese Tour 59, as well as from 25 to 50 light PT-76. In service - up to 34 BRDM-2, up to 79 BMP-1, up to 150 armored personnel carriers (up to 26 Czechoslovakian OT-64, from 88 to 120 Soviet BTR-60PB). Artillery: up to 150 towed guns - Soviet ZIS-3 (up to 50 units), M-30 (12) and D-30 (13), American M101A1 (25), Chinese Ture 59-1, as well as several hundred mortars and more 250 MLRS - Chinese towed Toure 63 (up to 200) and Toure 81 (10), Soviet BM-21 (12) and BM-14 (up to 20), Czechoslovak RM-70 (25). There are 15 Soviet anti-tank missiles T-12. As part of the army air defense - 50 modern Chinese MANPADS FN-6 and up to 20 old HN-5A, about 400 anti-aircraft guns - Soviet ZU-23, 61-K, S-60 (about 100 of each brand), KS-19 (8 ), up to 100 Chinese Tour 65 and Tour 74.

In addition to Chinese MANPADS, all weapons are very outdated.

As part of the Air Force no more than 4 combat aircraft, Soviet fighter MiG-21 (2 bis and UM), 6 transporters (European A320, English BN-22 and 2 Chinese MA60 and Y-12-II), 11 training (to 7 Czechoslovak L-39C, 4 Italian Р-92). But there is 4 of the latest Chinese combat helicopters Z-9WЕ, created on the basis of the French AS365. Multipurpose and transport helicopters: 3 French AS350, 8 Chinese Z-9, to 6 Russian Mi-17, to 8 Soviet Mi-8. 2 Mi-26 are in storage. Ground defense includes the 1 division of the Soviet air defense system C-125 (4 PU).

The Navy consists of old patrol boats — the Soviet 205P project (4 units), the 206 project (2), the 206М project (2), and the Chinese 062 project (4). Samples of projects 206 and 206М were originally torpedo, but TAs were dismantled. In addition, there are 3 small boats built in China.

Marines include 7 infantry and 1 artillery battalions.

Conditionally combat-capable

Of the ASNEAN 10 countries, only Brunei is inferior to Laos in terms of its military potential. Due to the extremely low solvency, Vientiane is unable to acquire any modern weapons. In the presence of only a small amount of Soviet equipment obtained from the USSR and Vietnam, as well as the long-outdated American in even smaller quantities, plus some weapons from the Middle Kingdom. While Laos remains mainly in the sphere of influence of Vietnam, but Chinese penetration into the country is growing.

The ground forces are divided into 4 military districts, which include 5 infantry divisions and several separate regiments and battalions.

The tank fleet includes up to 15 old Soviet T-54 and up to 15 T-55, up to 10 quite ancient T-34-85, up to 10 light PT-76 and up to 10 Chinese 62 Tour. It has up to 10 BRDM-2 and up to 90 BTR, mostly Soviet (up to 20 BTR-152, up to 35 BTR-60P, American М8 and 20 М113 - up to 35). Artillery: up to 95 towed guns - English M116A (10), American M101 (25) and M114 (10), Soviet M30 (20), D-30 (20), M46 (10), as well as mortars 70 - 50 Soviet M-43 (82- and 120-mm), 20 American М2А1. In the composition of the military air defense around 120 Soviet Strela-2 and 25 Russian Igla-1, up to 10 Soviet ZSU-23-4 Shilka and 84 anti-aircraft guns (48 ZU-23-2-XNXX-18-61-18-60-XNUMX-XNUMX-XNUMX-XNUMX). XNUMX C-XNUMX).

In addition to the Igla-1 MANPADS, all the equipment of the ground forces is very outdated, the level of maintenance is low, so the above quantitative values ​​are very conditional, there is almost no practically operational equipment.

The air force is in even worse condition than the ground forces. There are no combat aircraft in service, in storage up to 23 of Soviet fighters MiG-21 (up to 7 PFM, up to 14 bis, up to 2 FF). There are transport workers - 1 Ukrainian An-32, Chinese MA60 (3) and LE-500 (4), training aircraft - up to 8 of old Soviet Yak-18 (apparently, already withdrawn from the Air Force) and, possibly, 2 – 3 Russian IL-103. There are also no combat helicopters, there are only multipurpose and transport helicopters - up to 6 Russian Ka-32T and up to 15 Mi-17, up to 4 American UH-1 (possibly withdrawn from the Air Force), 2 European EU 155 and 4 Chinese Z-9. Ground defense includes the 2 division of the Soviet air defense system C-125 (8 PU).

Vietnam is trying to keep Cambodia and Laos in the sphere of its influence, but China is slowly but surely moving it aside. The military and economic potential of Beijing and Hanoi is incomparable, for the poor and the weak Phnom Penh and Vientiane is a decisive factor. It is Cambodia and Laos, along with Myanmar, becoming the main conductors of the interests of the PRC in Southeast Asia.
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  1. +10
    20 January 2018 07: 20
    Thank you for the article! There, China is playing its first fiddle, which uses the principle of divide and conquer! They are ready to deliver weapons to ALL countries in the region, but some will receive a new one at a discount - those who are pro-Chinese. Others will buy more expensive and junk - those whom the Chinese do not really trust! And the bottom line is that there is almost no influence in the region! We pass by there, without benefit for ourselves!
    1. +4
      20 January 2018 09: 30
      It’s bad that China plays the first skip. He is certainly closer than we are and it is more convenient for him to conduct trade and sell obsolete weapons. But our Vladivostok is looking at the other side of the Earth. It is time to develop cooperation for us. They have something to sell and we have something to buy. And vice versa.
      1. +2
        21 January 2018 00: 51
        seti They have something to sell.

        Where did the rogue get money?
        Venezuela needs us one 50 billion US dollars ... for the supply of B and BT ... under Hugo Chavez ...
    2. +1
      21 January 2018 00: 48
      Herculesic They are ready to deliver weapons to ALL countries in the region, but some will receive a new one at a discount - those who are pro-Chinese. Others will buy more expensive and junk - those whom the Chinese do not really trust!

      Not at all. The PLA is declining, so the supply can only be armament from the disbanded divisions of the PLA of equipment, the other question is what is its price, the more loyal to the PRC state, the cheaper B and BT ...
  2. +2
    20 January 2018 07: 22
    Interesting..
    The military and especially the economic potential of Beijing and Hanoi are not comparable

    Indeed, it’s more economic ... But I don’t think that the PRC is overwhelming Cambodia and Laos with free equipment, building dams, roads and hospitals at its own expense ... wink
    1. +6
      20 January 2018 07: 32
      China once granted Cambodia a loan of $ 700 million, which greatly outraged the Americans. In addition, the yuan began to circulate in Cambodia to attract Chinese tourists. So, China is ready to help for supporting its position in this region.
      1. +7
        20 January 2018 09: 32
        Oh, this "yuan" ... I found a time (very recent) when cash yuan was forbidden to be exported from China. And then one day, at the exit from Beijing, during an inspection at the airport, they asked me to get everything from my pockets, I climb into my pocket, and with horror I get a bundle of yuan, a small one, but still ... I forgot to exchange it at the exit. Well, I think that's it, the "polar animal" is sitting somewhere in the corner and smiling .... However, instead of arrest, I was offered to go to an exchanger which was just nearby (probably for such cases) and exchange the yuan for any currency ...
  3. +2
    20 January 2018 10: 06
    Quote: Herkulesich
    Thank you for the article! There, China is playing its first fiddle, which uses the principle of divide and conquer! They are ready to deliver weapons to ALL countries in the region, but some will receive a new one at a discount - those who are pro-Chinese. Others will buy more expensive and junk - those whom the Chinese do not really trust! And the bottom line is that there is almost no influence in the region! We pass by there, without benefit for ourselves!

    The divide and conquer method is more suitable for the situation. when one country (more powerful) got into another (less powerful. At the very first stage, the Chinese will act on the poorest countries such as Laos and Cambodia in a different way - to tie them to themselves with massive deliveries. But then it will be possible to "regulate" - type "I will not give new equipment"
    In any case, even now, deliveries of outdated Chinese equipment (not the newest, but from the stores of the mobile reserve) are in any case “new”, compared with what these countries now have
    1. +1
      20 January 2018 12: 39
      Quote: Old26
      The divide and conquer method is more suitable for the situation. when one country (more powerful) got into another (less powerful).
      Again, if there is a “victim” in the country, such as factors such as multinationality and multiconfessionality, when it can be divided according to national, linguistic, and religious grounds. All recent conflicts have been developed using these factors and the development of contradictions between them. Russia in this regard is a much more vulnerable country (198 peoples) than the same Laos and Cambodia. So the issue of influence in these countries really depends on the financial capabilities of the potential Patron, in which China significantly exceeds the same Vietnam and Russia.
      1. +2
        21 January 2018 01: 57
        Laos is multinational and multiconfessional. In Cambodia, a tenth of the population is not Khmer. We have about 80% of Russians in the Russian Federation, slightly more than 10% of other indigenous peoples (a significant part of their representatives, especially among Finno-Ugric peoples and northern peoples, has completely Russified), about 10% are representatives of peoples from near and far abroad countries living in the Russian Federation ( Again, among them is also a significant part of Russified). The vast majority of Belarusians and Ukrainians of the Russian Federation is no different from Russians, but they are not included in 80% of Russians. In addition, in most national subjects, Russians make up either the absolute majority of the population, or the largest group, or are the second largest group of the population. A significant part of the indigenous non-Russian citizens of the Russian Federation lives either outside these entities, or does not have any form of territorial autonomy due to scattered or small numbers. And most of the peoples you mentioned make up from several hundred to several tens of thousands of people. I do not see any particular vulnerability of the Russian Federation in this regard. Now in the world there are many countries with much greater ethnic diversity than in the Russian Federation. Another thing, if we had the USSR preserved, there would undoubtedly be more problems in the field of interethnic relations, but there would also be more opportunities in the sphere of economics and geopolitics. And there would be more pros than cons. Still, the collapse of the USSR is great stupidity and crime.
        1. 0
          24 January 2018 12: 34
          Quote: Sergej1972
          I do not see any particular vulnerability of the Russian Federation in this regard.

          you are blind smile
  4. +4
    20 January 2018 10: 09
    That's right, economic power to a large extent determines the influence of the country. There is no means, no modern army. But there are exceptions.
    The Saudis and / or Qatar have enough money, but where is that army? North Korea has “romances sing finance”, and where are the exceptional mattresses with their screams?
  5. +1
    20 January 2018 18: 49
    Two next dirty holes.
    1. 0
      23 January 2018 18: 26
      Well, now there are holes everywhere where Russia is not. But before I remember the best carifans for us were. Somewhere in the seventies they even sent our dockers from Korsakov to help. Well, about the stew, condensed milk and sausage on their meager stalls, like the dockers who returned to us reported so in general I am silent ..

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