Royal Cambodian Army
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| Royal Cambodian Army | |
|---|---|
 Royal Cambodian Army |
|
| Active | 1953 |
| Country |  Cambodia |
| Type | Army |
| Size | 3 counter guerrilla brigades 9 independent infantry regiments 3 armored battalions 1 special forces regiment 4 engineer regiments (3 × field and 1 × construction) 1 protection brigade (4 × battalions) 17 border battalions (forming) |
| Part of | Royal Cambodian Armed Forces |
| Garrison/HQ | Phnom Penh |
| Motto | Defending the Kingdom of Cambodia |
| Anniversaries | 9 November 1953 |
| Engagements | Cambodian Civil War Cambodian-Vietnamese War |
| Commanders | |
| Current commander |
General Meas Sophea
Deputy Commander-in-Chief of the RCAF and Chief of Army |
| Notable commanders |
General Meas Sophea |
The Royal Cambodian Army is a part of the Royal Cambodian Armed Forces. It has ground forces which probably number about 70,000 (including some 40,000 provincial forces), divided into seven divisions of infantry, with integrated armor and artillery support.
Contents |
[edit] Military organisation
Under the current military plan, divisions, each with a full strength of 3,500, will be based in military regions (one per region). Each division will be supplemented by a mobile reinforcement division at 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 at 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 |
[edit] Special forces
Special forces of the army include:
The 911 Para-Commando Battalion, which is based west of Phnom Penh. Most of the 911 Para Commando battalion graduated from the Indonesian army's special force, Kopassus, so the 911 Para Commando Battalion is very similar to the Kopassus Battalion. In order to graduate from the school, all cadets have to pass the test set. On passing, cadets receive their own red beret and a badge wing. The Battalion has a Navy Seal unit, a Sniper unit and an anti-terrorist unit.
[edit] Military Police
The Gendarmarie, or "Military Police", is a paramilitary unit with about 7,000 soldiers deployed in all provinces. It is headquartered in Phnom Penh, with the unit's chain of command through the Royal Cambodia Armed Force High Command. The Gendarmerie is under the direct supervision of a commander with an equivalent rank to Lieutenant-General. The military police headquarters are in Phnom Penh, and are responsible for monitoring all of the units of Gendarmerie as well as general training.
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, with bases in Phnom Penh. The Gendarmerie training school is located in Khum Kombol, Kandal Province.
The following table describes the number of soldiers in the army's special forces:
| Bodyguard Unit | 4,000 soldiers |
| 911 Parachute Regiment | 3,000+ |
| Gendarmarie "Military Police" | 7,000 soldiers |
[edit] Gallery
 Cambodian military policeman with an AK-47 |
 911th Special Forces Para Commando in black uniform |
 Cambodian AK-47. An M16 and an AK-47 is a main Cambodian assault rifle |
 Insignia of the Military Police |
[edit] Equipment
The main combat weapons used by the army are illustrated in the table below. As of February 2006, it is assessed that only about 140 of the APCs are likely to be fully operational.
[edit] Main military
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.
Equipment for the main force units was furnished by Vietnam and by the Soviet Union. Armaments consisted of small arms of Soviet origin, including the AKM (updated version of the AK-47) 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 light amphibious tank; and the Type-59, an older Chinese main battle tank, probably handed down from Vietnamese stocks. 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 M-113 armored personnel carriers, either bequeathed by Vietnam or left behind from the days of the Khmer Republic.
[edit] 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 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.
The small arms in use are covered in the following table:
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[edit] External links
- Royal Cambodian Army
- Ministry of National Defence
- Gun World - Cambodian QBZ-97
