Vietnam People's Air Force

This article is about the current Vietnamese aerospace force. For the air force of South Vietnam, see Republic of Vietnam Air Force. For Non-valvular atrial fibrillation (NVAF), see Atrial fibrillation.

Air Defence - Air Force Service
Quân chủng Phòng không - Không quân
Insignia of the Air Defence - Air Force[1]
Founded24 January 1955; 69 years ago (1955-01-24)
Current formation: from 1999 (merger of Air Force Service and Air Defence Service)
Country Socialist Republic of Vietnam
AllegianceCommunist Party of Vietnam[2]
TypeAir force
Role
Size
  • 35,000 personnel (2023) 547 active aircraft
Part ofPeople's Army of Vietnam
Nickname(s)
  • Vietnam People's Air Force
  • Vietnam(ese) Air Force
Colours   Azure, Dark Green
MarchHành Khúc Không Quân Việt Nam (Air Force marches)
Anniversaries
  • 3 March 1955; 69 years ago (1955-03-03) (Founded)
Engagements
Decorations
Battle honours
Websitephongkhongkhongquan.vn
Commanders
Commander-in-ChiefPresident Lương Cường
CommanderLieutenant General Vũ Văn Kha
Political CommissarLieutenant General Lâm Quang Đại
Chief of StaffMajor General Nguyễn Văn Hiền
Insignia
Roundel
Flag
Aircraft flown
BomberSu-22
FighterSu-27, Su-30MK2
Multirole helicopterMi-8, Mi-17/-171
TrainerYak-52, L-39C, L-39 Skyfox, Yak-130, Su-22M3K, Su-27UBK
TransportNC212i, C-295M

The Vietnam People's Air Force (VPAF; Không quân nhân dân Việt Nam (KQNDVN)), officially the Air Defence - Air Force Service (ADAF Service; Vietnamese: Quân chủng Phòng không - Không quân (Quân chủng PKKQ)) or the Vietnam Air Force (Không quân Việt Nam (KQVN)), is the aerial and air defence service branch of Vietnam. It is the modern incarnation of the so-called North Vietnamese Air Force (NVAF) and absorbed the South Vietnamese Air Force (RVNAF/VNAF) following the reunification of Vietnam in 1975 and is one of three main branches of the People's Army of Vietnam, which is under the executive administration of the Ministry of National Defence. The main mission of the VPAF is the defence of Vietnamese aerospace and the provision of air and space cover for operations of the People's Army of Vietnam.

The modern VPAF consists of two core components: the Air Defence (Phòng không, mainly operating air-defence radars, anti-air artillery and missile systems) and the Air Force (Không quân, mainly operating aerial vehicles for combat and transport) that are currently organized as separate divisions under the ADAF Headquarters. From 1977 to 1999, the components were split into two different service branches, before being remerged as the existing unified ADAF Service since 1999, placing both components under a unified leadership to facilitate joint operations.[3]

  1. ^ "K-20 uniforms of PAVN | Việt Nam chính thức lựa chọn trang bị quân phục dã chiến K20 mới" (in Vietnamese). 1 February 2022.
  2. ^ Giap, Vo Nguyen (1970). Oath of Honor. NYU Press. ISBN 9780853451938. Retrieved 31 October 2015. To sacrifice himself undeservedly for the fatherland, fight for the cause of national independence and socialism, under the leadership of the Vietnam Workers Party...
  3. ^ Ltd, Ovem Co. "Quân chủng Phòng không - Không quân: 25 năm hợp nhất - phát triển". www.phongkhongkhongquan.vn. Retrieved 20 October 2024.