The Lao People's Navy (LPN) is the navy of Laos. In 1975 the Lao People's Navy (LPN) was established with the remnants of the Royal Lao Navy. As Laos is a landlocked country, the Lao People's Navy operates vessels on the Mekong River, a major feature of the country's geography. This makes Lao People's Navy one of the most prominent examples of a navy that is exclusively brown-water. Because the Mekong makes up a considerable portion of the Lao border, the Navy is significantly involved in border control work. The navy as of the mid-1990s had a personnel strength of around 500 and around fifty river patrol boats.
Almost all officers of the Lao People's Navy were trained in the Vietnam Naval Academy.[1]
Vessel type | Origin | Quantity | |
---|---|---|---|
Inshore Patrol Craft | Vietnam | 12 | |
Landing Craft, Mechanized | Vietnam | 4 | |
Patrol Boats | China | 20-30 | |
Patrol Boats | Soviet Union | ? |