The Royal Lao Air Force (RLAF) was the air force branch of the Military of the Royal Lao Government in the Kingdom of Laos. The RLAF, along with the Royal Lao Navy, and the Royal Lao Army, were placed under the control of the Ministry of Defense in Vientiane.
The RLAF received assistance over the years from France, the USA and Thailand. Initially a transport organisation beginning operations with the Morane-Saulnier MS.500 Criquet and then the C-47, it acquired a light strike capability with the North American T-6 Texan and later the T-28 Trojan.[1] Operations were against the Communist Pathet Lao guerrilla forces, with also a number of attempted internal coups.
Contents |
An air unit for the Laotian military was first planned in May 1954. Proposed equipment consisted of French MS.500 Criquets, DHC L-20 Beavers, and helicopters, as well as C-47s. On 6 August 1954, as Laos became independent, the departing French military gave ten Criquets to the Lao Army. The treaty of independence granted France the right to have a military mission in Laos. This military mission supplied 132 instructors headed by a colonel to train 200 Lao in air operations. The Aviation Laotienne was founded at Wattay Airfield, Vientiane at this time; its initial unit was the First Observation and Liaison Squadron. It served a double purpose, as its Criquets were used for training Lao pilots, as well as ongoing military duties. Other than Wattay, available landing strips in the country consisted of rough runways at Xieng Khouang, Luang Prabang, Pakse, and the Plaine des Jarres. The French air force bequeathed four C-47s with French aircrews to the RLAF; three were repainted in RLAF insignia. Loan was conditional upon aircraft remaining incountry.[2]
Some 6,500 Royal Lao Army troops out of its 30,000 personnel were surrounded by North Vietnamese and Pathet Lao forces; the RLAF's first mission was aerial resupply of these besieged troops. The French air crews operated the transports while Laotians were being trained; 32 Lao students departed to France for training late in 1955. The first aggressive action by the new air force was the aerial movement of Royalist troops to the Plaine de Jarres in early 1955. These Royalist ground troops on the Plaine de Jarres became part of the air bridge resupply effort.[2]
The French-crewed C-47s were used for this operation, in conjunction with C-46 Commandos leased from Civil Air Transport. "Civilian" C-47s under contract were used to drop the Royalist Paratroop Battalion in Xieng Khouang to counter Pathet Lao expansion into the province. As part of this action, Lao pilots in training flew reconnaissance missions in the Criquets. The four Sikorsky H-19 helicopters of the new air force were insufficient for such duties as medevacing the ill and wounded, two additional H-19s were acquired from the Royal Thai Air Force in October 1955. The latter copters were supplied without markings, and were officially Thai Airways craft.[2]
In addition, French military intelligence had set up anticommunist guerrilla units throughout northern Laos, up to and over the North Vietnamese border. However, the loaner transports were not used for logistical support of the units in North Vietnam because they were not allowed to fly internationally. Instead, the "special missions" were entrusted to two private charter airlines flying under contract to the Lao military–Laos Air Lines and Lao Air Transport.[3]
In late 1956, the C-47 transports were crewed by newly trained Lao. In 1957, the last 85 French instructors left Laos. By the time of their departure, most of the Lao aircraft were grounded due to lack of maintenance.[4]
The United States of America took up the slack as the French departed, setting up the Programs Evaluation Office as a sub rosa military mission in January 1954. It supplied 100 instructors to replace the departing French mentors. It also supplied six C-47s, two DHC L-20s, and two L-19 Bird Dogs. They also began airfield construction thoroughout the country.[4]
In January 1956, PEO turned over four C-47s to the Lao, in the first direct U. S. support of the fledgling air force. The PEO's three year development plan for Aviation Laotienne called for a transport squadron of eight C-47s, an observation squadron 12 L-19 Bird Dogs, and a liaison squadron containing four Sikorsky H-19s and four L-20 Beavers. A light strike force of twelve AT-6 Texans was also envisioned.[5]
A few more DHC L-20s were delivered in 1957; its STOL capabilities well fitted it for the primitive conditions of Laotian airstrips. One or more of these L-20s arrived with a .50 caliber machine gun still mounted; the natural use for such an armed craft was as a gunship for strafing ground targets. Also in 1957, the first Lao commander was appointed to head the Aviation Laotienne.[4]
In July 1958, a coup brought Phoumi Nosavan to power in Laos; he subsequently requested additional aid from the United States. By the following year, PEO planned to reinforce the Lao air force with six North American T-28 Trojans. It also became apparent that the aviation support available for the Royalist government's war against the Communists was insufficient, even when augmented by Air America contract flights. The U.S. Air Force 315th Air Division sent a detachment incountry dressed in civilian clothing on a month's temporary duty to operate C-119G Flying Boxcars, C-123 Providers, and C-130 Hercules transports in support of the Royalists. After they flew 72 sorties, they were withdrawn on 27 April 1959 because of international political pressure.[6]
Two French Alouette helicopters were purchased for the Lao air force in 1960. In August, Kong Le's paratroopers launched a coup to unseat Nosavan; once he gained power, he requested aid from North Vietnam and the Soviet Union. Three months later, Nosavan launched an American-backed countercoup from his base in Savannakhet. When Kong Le retreated from Vientiane, he took with him two usable C-47s and two L-20 Beavers from Aviation Laotienne and formed the Neutralist Laotian Air Force. Nosavan's offensive followed Kong Le's forces to the Plaine des Jarres. Nosavan received aerial logistical support not only from the diminished Lao air force, but from four Air American H-34s and Royal Thai Air Force H-19s, as well as Bird & Son.[6]
In 1963, the Lao acquired a De Havilland Dove.[4]