Royal Lao Armed Forces

Royal Lao Armed Forces
Forces Armées du Royaume
ກອງທັບຣາຊອານາຈັກລາວ
Flag of the Royal Lao Armed Forces (1952–1975)
Founded1949
Disbanded1975
Service branchesRoyal Lao Army
Royal Lao Air Force
Royal Lao Navy
HeadquartersPhone Kheng (Vientiane)
Leadership
Commander-in-ChiefSoulivong Savang
CommanderPhasouk Somly Rasaphak
Personnel
Active personnel100,000 men (at height)
Reserve personnel96,000 men
Industry
Foreign suppliers France
 Australia
 Indonesia
 Thailand
 Japan
 Burma
 South Korea
 South Vietnam
 Taiwan
 Philippines
 Singapore
 Malaysia
 United Kingdom
 United States
Related articles
HistoryMilitary history of Laos
RanksMilitary ranks of the Royal Lao Armed Forces

The Royal Lao Armed Forces (Lao: ກອງທັບຣາຊອານາຈັກລາວ; French: Forces Armées du Royaume), best known by its French acronym FAR, were the official armed defense forces of the Kingdom of Laos, a state that existed from 1949 to 1975 in what is now the Lao People's Democratic Republic. First created under the French protectorate of Laos on July 1, 1949, the FAR was responsible for the defense of the Kingdom since its independence in October 1953 from France, until its dissolution on December 2, 1975. It operated notably during the North Vietnamese invasion of Laos and the Laotian Civil War from 1960 to 1975.