Operation Black Lion III

Operation Black Lion III
Part of Laotian Civil War; Vietnam War
Date18 October 1972 – 22 February 1973
Location
Southern Laotian panhandle
Result Royalist capture Salavan, fail to take Paksan
Belligerents
 Kingdom of Laos
Supported by
 United States
 North Vietnam
Supported by:
 Soviet Union
 People's Republic of China
Units involved
Commando Raiders
Groupement Mobile 41
Groupement Mobile 42
Groupement Mobile 43
Groupement Mobile 33
21st Special Operations Squadron
9th PAVN Regiment
Strength
Regimental-size Regimental-size
Casualties and losses
Unknown Unknown

Operation Black Lion III (18 October 1972 – 22 February 1973) was one of the last Royal Lao Army offensives of the Laotian Civil War. Aimed at regaining the Lao towns of Paksong and Salavan and their associated airfields for Lao usage, the three regiment offensive captured Salavan on 20 October 1972, and Paksong shortly thereafter. Although the besieged Royalists would hold through early February 1973, they would be routed by PAVN tanks and infantry just before the 22 February 1973 ceasefire ended the war.