Royal Lao Armed Forces

The Royal Lao Armed Forces (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. The FAR was responsible for the defense of the Kingdom since its independence in October 1953 from France.

History
The foundations of the Royal Lao Armed Forces were laid on May 11, 1947, when King Sisavang Vong granted a constitution declaring Laos an independent nation (and a Kingdom from 1949) within the colonial framework of French Indochina. This act signalled the creation of a Laotian government capable of building its own administration over the next few years, including the establishment of a national defense force. The new Laotian military was officially created in July 1949 from a collection of pre-existing Lao police and militarized constabulary units, regular colonial indigenous troops, and locally-raised irregular auxiliaries. However, the formation process was soon hampered by the developments of the ongoing First Indochina War in neighbouring Vietnam, and it was only in 1952 that the National Laotian Army (French: Armée Nationale Laotienne – ANL) – the predecessor of the Royal Lao Army – really began to take shape.

Regional Commands
Laos in the early 1960s was divided into five military regions (MR, Régions Militaires in French) roughly corresponding to the areas of the country’s 13 provinces, being organized as follows:


 * First Military Region (French: Région Militaire 1) – headquartered at Luang Prabang, the MR 1 was the largest, covering the whole of North-western Laos and encompassed the Luang Prabang, Xaignabouli, Oudomxai, Luang Namtha, and Phongsali provinces. The region was dominated by the Lao Royal family and the former Commander-in-Chief of the Royal Lao Army, General Ouane Rattikone. It was commanded by Brigadier-General Tiao Sayvong, a half-brother of the King.


 * Second Military Region (French: Région Militaire 2) – headquartered at Long Tieng northwest of the Plain of Jars in the Xiangkhoang Province, the MR 2 covered the North-eastern Laos comprising the Xiangkhoang and Houaphan provinces. It was under the command of Major-General Vang Pao, the Hmong (Meo) guerrilla war hero of Laos.


 * Third Military Region (French: Région Militaire 3) – headquartered at Savannakhet, capital of Savannakhet Province, the MR 3 covered the Upper Laotian Panhandle in central Laos comprising the Savannakhet and Khammouan provinces. This region was commanded by General Bounpon and later by Brigadier-General Nouphet Dao Heuang after July 1971. The real power in this Region was in the hands of the Insixiengmay family led by Royal Lao Government Minister Leuam Insixiengmay, Vice-Premier and Minister of Education (his wife was the elder sister of Mom bouanphan, herself the wife of Prince Chao Boun Oum na Champassak).


 * Fourth Military Region (French: Région Militaire 4) – headquartered at Pakse, capital of Champassak Province, the MR 4 covered the Lower Laotian Panhandle comprising the six provinces of southern Laos: Champassak, Saravane, Attapeu, Sedone, Khong Sedone, and Sithandone (Khong Island). It was dominated by the Nachampassak family led by Prince Boun Oum na Champassak. The commander of the Region was Major-General Phasouk S. Rassaphak, itself a member of the Champassak family, who held the command of this area for almost a decade and a half until July 1971, when he was replaced by Brigadier-General Soutchay Vongsavanh.


 * Fifth Military Region (French: Région Militaire 5) – headquartered at Camp Chinaimo, a major Army facility, located on the eastern outskirts of Vientiane, the MR 5 covered the Capital zone – which included the nation’s central government seat and the namesake Vientiane province – and the Borikhane province. The Region was led by Major-General Kouprasith Abhay until he was replaced in July 1971 by Brigadier-General Thongligh Chokbeng Boun.

Branches
In September 1961 the Royal Lao Armed Forces consisted of three conventional ground, air and naval branches of service. Their primarily roles were: guarantee the sovereignty of the King, ensure internal stability and security by maintaining the social and political order, and defend the Kingdom of Laos against external aggression. Placed under the control of the Ministry of Defense of the Royal Lao Government at the capital Vientiane, the FAR branches were organized as follows:


 * Royal Lao Army (French: Armée Royale du Laos – ARL)
 * Royal Lao Air Force (French: Aviation Royale Laotiènne – AVRL)
 * Royal Lao Navy (French: Marine Royale Laotiènne – MRL)

Elite formations

 * 7th Para Brigade
 * 2nd Strike Division
 * Military Region 5 Commandos
 * Commando Raider Teams
 * SPECOM
 * Special Guerrilla Units (SGU)

Airborne Training Centres
To train Laotian paratrooper battalions, airborne training centres were established by the French at Wattay Airbase just outside Vientiane in September 1948, followed later in February 1960 by Vang Vieng, located 17 km from Vientiane, set up with the help of US MAAG advisors, and at Seno, near Savannakhet. A fourth Parachute School was briefly established by the Neutralists at Muang Phanh in early May 1964, but the Pathet Lao offensive held that same month forced the training staff to relocate to Vang Vieng.

Commando and Infantry Training Centres
In the mist of the 1971 reorganization, two dual commando/infantry training centres were set up by the Americans at Phou Khao Khouai, north of Vientiane and Seno near Savannakhet for the Royal Lao Army (RLA) new strike divisions. A third one, the CIA-run PS 18 secret camp near Pakse in Champassak Province was used for two RLA battalions being raised in the Fourth Military Region (MR 4).

Foreign assistance
Laotian student candidate officers (French: Aspirants) were sent to France, Thailand, and the United States to receive basic officer training in their respective military Academies. The FAR had no Staff College so Laotian senior officers had to attend courses abroad, at the School of Advanced Military Studies (French: Centre des hautes études militaires) in Paris and at the U.S. Army Command and General Staff College in Fort Leavenworth, Kansas.