Royal Cambodian Army

Royal Cambodian Army
Royal Arms of Cambodia
Active	1953-Present
Country	Cambodia
Allegiance	Kingdom of Cambodia
Branch	Royal Cambodian Armed Forces
Type	Army
Size	75,000 (2010)
Part of	Royal Cambodian Armed Forces
Garrison/HQ	Phnom Penh
Motto(s)	Defending the Kingdom of Cambodia
Colors	Red, White, Blue
Anniversaries	9 November 1953
Engagements	First Indochina War Cambodian Civil War (as part of the Vietnam War) Cambodian-Vietnamese War 1997 clashes in Cambodia Cambodian–Thai border dispute
Commanders
Current commander	General Meas Sophea Deputy Commander-in-Chief of the RCAF and Chief of Army
Notable commanders	General Meas Sophea General Tea Banh General Srey Doek General Hun Manet General Hing Bun Hieng

The Royal Cambodian Army is a part of the Royal Cambodian Armed Forces. It has ground forces which numbered about 75,000 divided into eleven divisions of infantry, with integrated armour and artillery support. The Royal Army is under the jurisdiction of the Ministry of National Defence.

Military organization

Under the current military plan and divisions, every military region (one per region)has a full strength of 3,500 soldiers. Each division will be supplemented by a mobile reinforcement division in Phnom Penh. The country is divided into six, until recently five, military regions, each comprising three or four provinces. There are garrisons in major cities and major army bases.

General Meas Sophea is the commander of the Royal Cambodian Army. He is also the Deputy Commander in Chief of the Royal Cambodian Armed Forces.

The forces are deployed as required across the country and in operations, with bases as follows:

• Royal Cambodian Armed Forces Headquarters, Phnom Penh
• First Military Region HQ, Stung Treng
• Second Military Region HQ, Kompong Cham
• Third Military Region HQ, Kampong Speu
• Fourth Military Region HQ, Siem Reap
• Fifth Military Region HQ, Battambang
• Sixth (Special) Military Region HQs, Phnom Penh/Pailin/Kompong Thom
• Seventh Military Region HQs, Preah Vihear

Every Military Region is under the command of a Major General, assisted by a Chief of staff with a rank of a Brigadier General. In every province, there is a military base called Military Operation Zone under the command of a Colonel. In 2009, several three-star Generals, including General Hing Bun Hieng, were promoted to four-star Generals, along with the promotion of provincial commanders of Gendarmerie,military and police commissioner to Brigadier Generals. It has been noted that such promotion was an honor bestowed by the government for their effort in the Cambodian-Thai military standoff.

Special Forces Airborne

Uniform of the 911st Special Force Para-Commando.

Royal Cambodian National Counter-Terrorism Special Forces training exercise.

The Operation Base of the special forces airborne 911 unit (SF-911) is near the takethmey village, Kambol Commune, Angsnoul District, Kandal Province. This Unit is under direct command of the High Command Headquarter of Royal Cambodian Armed Forces. The SF-911 have seven branches with 14 battalions under their control.

Following units is distributed in the Battalions:

• Commando 1 to Commando 4 (Airborne Commando)
• Commando 5 to Commando 9 (Attack Commando)
• Commando 10 to Commando 12 (Support Commando)
• Special Group 13 Close Protection
• Counter terrorist 14 Group

Total staff 6,500 Counter terrorist 14 Group is Cambodians first specialized anti terrorist unit. And is SF-911 SWAT component. Counter terrorist 14 Group support law enforcement in anti terrorist operations

The SF regularly conduct trainings and joint exercises such as:

• Special forces 6 course (commando Red Barret)

• Airborne 11 Course (para)

• Freefall 3 Course

• Scuba 3 Course (Chhak Sea)

• Terrorist Counter 3 Course (T.O)

• Training has also been conducted in Indonesia under a special program at Batujajar. Batujajar military training center is located 22 kilometers from Bandung (West Java), where SF soldiers have been trained in parachute jumping and Landing zone tactics.

CHHAB PEAKDEY is the Commanding officer for the SF-911.

Army ranks

• Senior General
• General
• Lieutenant General
• Major General
• Brigadier General
• Colonel
• Lieutenant Colonel
• Major
• Captain
• Lieutenant
• Second Lieutenant
• Chief Warrant Officer
• Warrant Officer
• Command Sergeant Major
• First Sergeant
• Staff Sergeant
• Sergeant
• Corporal
• First Class Soldier
• Second Class Soldier

Military Police

Main article: Royal Gendarmerie of Cambodia

AK-47 and Type 56 are rifles used in the military.

The Gendarmarie, or "Military Police (PM)", is a paramilitary unit about 10,000 soldiers deployed in all 24 provinces of Cambodia, and is responsible for monitoring all of the units of Gendarmerie including general training. Its headquarters is located in Phnom Penh, with the unit's chain of command under the Royal Cambodia Armed Forces High Command, The Gendarmerie is under the direct supervision of a commander with an equivalent rank to Lieutenant-General. The current commander of Gendarmerie is General Sao Sokha, a fomer bodyguard and personal advisor to Cambodian Prime minister Hun Sen. As a branch of Royal Cambodian Armed Forces, Gendarmerie is under the direct control of the Ministry of National Defense and the Royal Cambodian High Command. Although, the Gendarmarie does not have a regional division like the military, it does have provincial division.

The Gendarmerie monitors all the 24 provinces and 186 districts, working with the local people. The Gendarmerie includes: a mobile team, consisting of six intervention units; an intervention vehicle battalion, a cavalry and other 4 infantries, based in Phnom Penh. The Gendarmerie training school is located in Khum Kombol, Kandal Province.

The number of soldiers in the army's special forces is as follows

• Bodyguard Unit: 5,000 soldiers
• 911 Parachute Regiment: 5,000 soldiers
• Gendarmarie "Military Police": 10,000 soldiers

Equipment

The main combat weapons used by the army are illustrated in the table below. As of June 2010, it is assessed that about 300 of the APCs are to be fully operational.

Main military

PKM machine gun are in military service.

RPG-7 (top) and RPG-2 (bottom) are anti-tank weapon in the military service.

T-55AM2BP variants.

BM-21 Grad multiple rocket launcher.

Operational art and tactical doctrine is still being defined as the process of reform continues. Ostensibly, the continuing military reorganization will provide integrated armored support for each of the regional infantry divisions. However, much of Cambodia's terrain does not lend itself to armored operations and tanks are rendered unusable during the rainy season. All the OT-64 APCs have apparently gone to the Phnom Penh reserve force. In the 1990s, in order to make the army more mobile and mechanized, there was a steady influx of new tanks, self-propelled artillery, armored personnel carriers (APCs), and trucks. The ground forces seldom retire old models of weapons and tend to maintain a large equipment stock, keeping old models along with upgraded ones in the active force or in reserve. The army remains largely an infantry force, although a decade-long modernization program has significantly improved the mobility and firepower of its active forces.

Equipment for the main force units was furnished by Vietnam, China, and by the Soviet Union. Armaments consisted of small arms of Soviet origin, including the AKM (updated version of the AK-47) assault rifle, RPD light machine gun, PKM general-purpose machine gun, RPG-2 82mm rocket-propelled grenade, RPG-7 85mm rocket-propelled grenade, Chinese Type 56 assault rifle, and various crew-served weapons, including towed medium howitzers, and air-defense weapons in several calibers. Tanks in the RCAF armored battalions included the T-54/55, an old, but capable, main battle tank of Soviet origin; the obsolete PT-76/Type 63 light amphibious tank; and the Type-59, an older Chinese main battle tank, probably handed down from Vietnamese stocks. Multiple rocket launcher in main force included BM-14 and BM-21. Armored fighting vehicles in the main force inventory consisted of the Soviet BTR series of wheeled vehicles, and some aging American equipment, such as: M106 armored carriers and M113 armored personnel carriers, either bequeathed by Vietnam or left behind from the days of the Khmer Republic.

Special forces

The special forces' equipment varies from that of the rest of the army. For example, the AK-47 (Type 56) rifle, although reliable and abundant, is not accurate, and is too powerful for safe use by elite units specializing in close quarters combat and hostage situations.

The forces are the first confirmed foreign user of the new Chinese QBZ-95 series of a bullpup assault rifles. Technically this rifle is a QBZ-97, a Type 97A added 3-round burst mode and bolt hold-open device, with a different casing made by Jian She Group for export.

Vehicles

Armoured fighting vehicles

Name	Type	Quantity	Origin	Notes
T-54/55	Main battle tank	200	Soviet Union
T-55AM2 T-55	Main battle tank	100 100	Czech Republic/Poland/Serbia
Type 62	Light tank	100	China
BMP-1	Infantry fighting vehicle	50	Soviet Union
BTR-60PB	Wheeled Amphibious Armored Personnel Carrier	50	Soviet Union/Bulgaria
BTR-152	Armoured Personnel Carrier	30	Soviet Union	Maybe already retired
OT-64 SKOT	Armoured Personnel Carrier	50	Poland/Czech Republic
BRDM-2	Amphibious Armoured Scout Car	50	Bulgaria
PT-76	Light tank	25	Soviet Union
M113 armored personnel carrier	Armored personnel carrier	50	United States

Artillery

Name	Type	Quantity	Origin	Notes
ZiS-3	76 mm anti-tank field gun	50	Soviet Union
T-12	100 mm anti-tank field gun	50	Soviet Union
D-74	122 mm towed howitzer	50	China
M-30	122 mm towed howitzer	50	Soviet Union
D-30	122 mm towed howitzer	50	Soviet Union
M-46	130 mm towed field howitzer	50	Soviet Union
Type 59-1	130 mm towed howitzer	50	China
Type 63	107 mm towed multiple rocket launcher	200	China
Type 81 SPRL	122 mm self-propelled multiple rocket launcher	100	China
BM-21 Grad	122 mm self-propelled multiple rocket launcher	100	Soviet Union
BM-13/16	132 mm self-propelled multiple rocket launcher	100	Soviet Union
BM-14	140 mm self-propelled multiple rocket launcher	100	Soviet Union

Anti-aircraft artillery

Name	Type	Quantity	Origin	Notes
ZPU-1/-2/-4	14.5mm towed anti-aircraft gun	100	Soviet Union
Bofors 40 mm	anti-aircraftautocannon	50	Sweden
ZU-23-2	23 mm towed twin-barrel anti-aircraft gun	100	Soviet Union
61-K	37 mm towed anti-aircraft gun	100	Soviet Union
Type 65/74	37 mm towed twin-barrel anti-aircraft gun	100	China
AZP S-60	57mm towed anti-aircraft gun	100	Soviet Union
KS-19	100 mm towed anti-aircraft gun	50	Soviet Union

Infantry weapons

Origin	Small Arms	Type	Remark
Soviet Union	Tokarev TT-33	Semi-automatic pistol	Standard issue
China	Type 54	Pistol	Standard issue
China	QSZ-92	Pistol	Standard issue
Soviet Union	Makarov PMM	Pistols	Standard issue
Belgium	FN GP35	Pistols	Used in small number.
Soviet Union	AKM	Assault Rifle	Standard issue
Soviet Union	AKMS	Assault Rifle	Standard issue
China	Type 56	Assault Rifle	Standard issue
China	Type 56-1	Assault Rifle	Standard issue
China	Type 56-2	Assault Rifle	Standard issue, Recently received and deployed to troops near the Cambodian-Thai border.
China	CQ 311	Assault Rifle	Some are seen in use along with the M16A1 rifle.
China	CQ 5.56mm Type A	Assault Rifle	Chinese variant of the M4A1. Used by 911 Para-Commando Special Forces and Bodyguard Unit.[1]
Indonesia	Pindad SS1-V1	Assault Rifle	Used by 911 Para-Commando Special Forces, Military Police, and Bodyguard Unit.
United States	M16A1	Assault Rifle	Used by urban forces, military police, and a training rifle. FANK's main assault rifle.
South Korea	Daewoo K1A	Assault Carbine	Used by 911 Para-Commando Special Forces.
China	QBZ-97	Bullpup Assault Rifle	Used by 911 Para-Commando Special Forces and Bodyguard Unit. Decommissioned and replaced by QBZ-97B.
China	QBZ-97A	Bullpup Assault Rifle	Standard issue Used by 911 Para-Commando Special Forces.
China	QBZ-97B	Bullpup Assault Carbine	Standard issue Used by 911 Para-Commando Special Forces and Bodyguard Unit and Cambodian Royal Guards.
Soviet Union	SKS	Semi-Automatic Carbine	Used by Cambodian Royal Guards. Decommissioned and replaced by QBZ-97B.
China	Type 56 Carbine	Semi-Automatic Carbine	Used by Cambodian Royal Guards and reserve training rifle.
China	Type 85	Submachine Gun	Used by 911 Para-Commando Special Forces.
South Korea	Daewoo K7	Submachine Gun	Used by 911 Para-Commando Special Forces.
Israel	Mini Uzi	Submachine Gun	Standard issue Used by the Bodyguard Unit.
Germany	HK MP5A4	Submachine Gun	Used in small number by 911 Para-Commando Special Forces and by small number of Bodyguard Unit.
Soviet Union	SVD	Sniper Rifle	Standard issue
China	Type 79/85	Sniper Rifle	Standard issue
Soviet Union	RPK	Light Machine Gun	Standard issue
Soviet Union	RPD	Light Machine Gun	Standard issue
China	Type 56 LMG	Light Machine Gun	Standard issue
China	QBB-97 LSW	Light Machine Gun	Used by 911 Para-Commando Special Forces.
Russia	PKM	General-purpose machine gun	Standard issue
China	Type 80	General Purpose Machine Gun	Standard issue
Soviet Union	DShKM	Heavy Machine Gun	Being replaced by W85 machine gun on ground troops, tripod mount. Remain in use on main battle tank.
China	Type 54 HMG	Heavy Machine Gun	Being replaced by W85 machine gun on ground troops, tripod mount. Remain in use on main battle tank.
China	Type 77	Heavy Machine Gun
China	W85	Heavy Machine Gun	Standard issue
Soviet Union	RPG-2	Rocket-Propelled Grenade	Standard issue
Russia	RPG-7V2	Rocket-Propelled Grenade	Standard issue
China	Type 56 RPG	Rocket-Propelled Grenade	Standard issue
China	Type 69 RPG	Rocket-Propelled Grenade	Standard issue
China	PF-89	Light Anti-tank Rocket	Standard issue New infantry Anti-tank Rocket Launcher
Germany	Armbrust	Light Anti-tank Rocket	Standard issue
Soviet Union	SA-7 Grail	Man-Portable Air-Defense Systems	Standard issue
China	HN-5	Man-Portable Air-Defense Systems	Standard issue
China	FN-6	Man-Portable Air-Defense Systems	Standard issue
China	FN-12/16	Man-Portable Air-Defense Systems	Standard issue, Advance version of the FN-6.
United States	M79	Grenade Launcher	Standard issue FANK's main grenade launcher.
United States	M203	Grenade Launcher	Attach on the M16A1 rifle, also uses by FANK's.

Peacekeeping Operations

The RCAF has sent RCAF personnel to various hotspots as part of the Kingdom of Cambodia's role as a member of the United Nations. Mostly engineers and logistical units, as well as Military Police and members of the paramilitary Armed Police have been sent to peacekeeping operations such as:

• Central African Republic
• Congo
• Sudan
• Chad
• Haiti

See also

• Royal Cambodian Armed Forces
• Royal Cambodian Air Force
• Royal Cambodian Navy
• Weapons of the Cambodian Civil War

References

• http://www.manager.co.th/IndoChina/ViewNews.aspx?NewsID=9520000121559

External links

• Royal Cambodian Army
• Ministry of National Defence
• Ministry of National Defence - Photo gallery
• Gun World - Cambodian QBZ-97
• PhnomPenhPost