Vietnam People's Navy

The Vietnam People's Navy (commonly, Vietnamese Navy - Vietnamese: Hải quân nhân dân Việt Nam) is part of the Vietnam People's Army and is responsible for the protection of national waters, islands, and interests of the maritime economy, as well as for the coordination of maritime police, customs service and the border defense force.

History

Origins

Vietnamese Navy was built very early in the 10th century. The largest battles recorded were three naval battles (all three are called Battle of Bạch Đằng): Ngô Quyền against Southern Han in 938 (killed over 100,000 and captured a thousands Chinese naval soldiers, killed Chinese Prince Liu Hongcao);^[1] Lê Hoàn against Song Dynasty in 981; and Trần Quốc Tuấn against Yuan Dynasty in 1288 (killed over 80,000 Yuan soldiers, destroyed more than 400 Yuan ships, captured Yuan General Omar).^[2]

In 1077, the Vietnamese Navy fought the Battle of Cầu River against Song Dynasty forces. This was the final battle China's Song Dynasty would fight on Vietnamese land. The battle lasted for several months, and ended with the victory of the Vietnamese Navy and the loss of many Song's soldiers. Modern researchers assess this as the biggest win and most fierce battle since the Battle of Bạch Đằng in 938 against China's invasions. This victory demonstrated the successful tactics of war and active defense of the famous general Lý Thường Kiệt who faced a naval force several times larger than his own.^[3] Song Dynasty lost a total of 80,000 soldiers and 5,19 million ounces of gold, including all costs of the war.^[4]

One of the greatest victories in Vietnamese Naval history was the Battle of Rạch Gầm-Xoài Mút, during which Nguyễn Huệ defeated the Siamese naval force. The battle occurred in present-day Tiền Giang Province on January 19, 1785. Nguyễn Huệ's forces completely destroyed over 50,000 Siamese soldiers and 300 warships.^[5]

In the Nguyễn Dynasty period, 19th century Emperor Gia Long used his new base to improve the Vietnamese Navy. Gia Long had first attempted to acquire modern naval vessels in 1781, when on the advice of Pigneau de Behaine, he had chartered Portuguese vessels of European design, complete with crew and artillery. This initial experience proved to be disastrous. For reasons that remain unclear, two of the vessels fled in the midst of battle against the Tay Son, while angry Vietnamese soldiers killed the third crew. In 1789, Pigneau de Behaine returned to Vietnam from Pondicherry with two vessels, which stayed in the Nguyễn Dynasty service long-term. Over time, Vietnamese sailors replaced the original French and Indian crew under the command of French officers. These vessels became the foundation for an expanded military and merchant Nguyễn Dynasty naval force, with Gia Long chartering and purchasing more European vessels to reinforce Vietnamese-built ships. However, traditional Vietnamese-style galleys and small sailing ships remained the majority of the fleet. In 1799, a British trader by the name of Berry reported that the Nguyễn Dynasty's fleet had departed Saigon along the Saigon River with 100 galleys, 40 junks, 200 smaller boats and 800 carriers, accompanied by three European sloops.^[6] In 1801, one naval division was reported to have included nine European vessels armed with 60 guns, five vessels with 50 guns, 40 with 16 guns, 100 junks, 119 galleys and 365 smaller boats.^[6][7]

In the middle of the 19th century, the Vietnamese Navy fought against the French in many battles. Due to disadvantages in technology, the Vietnamese Navy could not defeat the French Navy, but there were still several battles during which the Vietnamese Navy caused damage to the French. The Vietnamese were especially successful in the Battle of Nhat Tao canal held by Nguyen Trung Truc on December 10, 1861. Nguyen Trung Truc's naval forces ambushed the French battleship L'Esperancein at the Vam Co River, Mekong Delta. Truc's 150 men were grouped into three columns. The first group of 61 men under Hoang Khac Nhuong was to attack a nearby pro-French village in order to provoke an incident and lure the French forces into an ambush. Truc commanded the second group of 59 partisans along with Vo Van Quang, and was assigned to burn and sink the vessel. A third force of 30 men was commanded by Ho Quang and Nguyen Van Hoc.^[8] Due to the surprise attack, the French Navy suffered major damage: L'Esperance was sunk, 17 soldiers and 20 Vietnamese colleagues were killed, only eight people escaped, including two French soldiers and six soldiers Tagal.

Vietnam War

Following the Geneva Conference in 1954, the Democratic Republic of Vietnam went about creating its own naval forces. On May 7, 1955 the Vietnam People's Navy was created with the establishment of the General Directorate of Coastal Defence, it formed the basis for the Navy Operational Command (based on Decree of Ministry of Defence (Vietnam) No. 284/ND signed by General Võ Nguyên Giáp to established Naval Research Board, under the General Staff, on March 8, 1949). The primary mission of the Navy was to patrol the coastal areas and the inland waterways.

Throughout the Vietnam War the role played by the Vietnam People's Navy (or North Vietnamese Navy) was largely unknown to the public. However on August 2, 1964, two North Vietnamese Swatow class patrol boats attacked the USS Maddox (DD-731) in what became known as the Tonkin Gulf Incident². The second attack, which the United States claimed to have occurred on August 4, was dismissed by the North Vietnamese as a fabrication.

The North Vietnamese, however, had maintained their own version of the events which took place. According to official VPN accounts the Maddox penetrated North Vietnamese waters on July 31, 1964, and provoked a battle with the North Vietnamese¹. In response to American provocation, three 123K class torpedo boats from the 135th Torpedo Boat Battalion were dispatched to intercept the American destroyer. The resulting clash became known as the 'Battle of Thanh Hoa' in which North Vietnamese "torpedo boats succeeded in driving the Maddox out of Vietnam’s territorial waters, shooting down a U.S. aircraft and damaging another".¹

Apart from patrolling territorial waters, the Navy also had the mission of transporting military supplies to support the Vietnam People's Army and their NLF ally during the Vietnam War. On October 31, 1961, a sea route version of the Ho Chi Minh Trail was established by the North Vietnam Navy, with the 759th Transport Unit responsible for carrying military supplies and other goods for the Communist ground forces in South Vietnam³. In order to avoid detection by the South Vietnamese and U.S navies, North Vietnamese transport ships were often disguised as fishing trawlers. On February 16, 1965, a 100-ton North Vietnamese trawler from the Transportation Group 125 was discovered at Vung Ro Bay. This led to the creation of Operation Market Time by the US Navy to intercept disguised enemy ships.

On April 19, 1972, the North Vietnamese Navy and Air Force participated in the Battle of Dong Hoi off the coast of North Vietnam. During this battle it was believed that the U.S Navy destroyed a Soviet-made cruise missile for the first time. The USS Higbee (DD-806) was damaged after an VPAF MiG-17 dropped a 250 lb (110 kg) bomb, destroying a 5" aft gun mount.

In the years following the complete withdrawal of U.S and other allied forces, the North Vietnamese went back on the offensive. As part of the Ho Chi Minh Campaign, the North Vietnamese Navy increased the transportation of military supplies, food and uniform to the Communist forces in the South. When the North Vietnamese Army (NVA) occupied the northern provinces of South Vietnam in 1975, captured South Vietnamese vessels were pressed into service with the Vietnam People's Navy. On April 29, 1975, ex-South Vietnamese Navy vessels carried North Vietnamese troops to capture the Spratly Islands. At around the same time the Chinese Navy took over control of the Paracel Islands from the South Vietnamese Navy. These islands are also claimed by Vietnam, however they have no current presence there.

Prior to 1975, the North Vietnamese Navy operated fewer than forty patrol boats along with the coastal junk force. With the collapse of the Republic of Vietnam on April 30, 1975, the Vietnam People's Navy was expanded with ships from the defunct South Vietnamese Navy. Captured vessels included two patrol frigates, over one hundred patrol craft, and about fifty amphibious warfare ships. In the late 1970s the naval infantry (or marines) was formed to be stationed on the areas claimed by the Socialist Republic of Vietnam in the Spratly Islands. The naval infantry is equipped with PT-76 light tanks, BTR-60 personnel carriers and other weapons.

In 1988, Vietnam People's Navy fought against Chinese Navy at Johnson Reef of Spratly islands.

Organizational structure

Naval Regions

Naval Regions are inter-military campaign of naval tactics, territorial division, comprising the regions, fleets, naval air forces, marines, defense island soldiers, coastal artillery and combat units to ensure (radar, information technology, logistics ...).^[9]

October 26, 1975, Ministry of Defence (Vietnam) issued Decision No.141/QD-QP established five Coastal Areas of Naval Command and jurisdiction provisions of the five regions. In 1978, renamed become Naval Regions.

• 1st Regional Command (A Regional Command): Gulf of Tonkin, manage north coast from Quang Ninh to Ha Tinh and the islands in Gulf of Tonkin. Command Headquarters: Hai Phong.

• 3rd Regional Command (C Regional Command): manage north central coast, from Quang Binh to Binh Dinh, including the islands of Con Co, Ly Son,... Command Headquarters: Da Nang.

• 4th Regional Command (D Regional Command): manage sorth central coast including Paracel Islands, Spratly Islands, Phu Quy island and the south central coast, from Phu Yen to Binh Thuan. Headquarters Command: Cam Ranh military port, Khanh Hoa.

• 2nd Regional Command (B Regional Command): manage south coast from Binh Thuan to Bac Lieu, southern continental shelf, including the key areas are economic science service areas (called are DK1, DK2). Command Headquarters: Nhon Trach, Dong Nai.

• 5th Regional Command (E Regional Command): manage south coast in Gulf of Thailand from Ca Mau to Kien Giang. Command Headquarters: Phu Quoc, Kien Giang.

Service branches

Ranks in Vietnam People's Navy

In the Vietnam People's Navy system has no ranks of Fleet Admiral. Vietnam People's Navy ranks are divided into four basic steps: Commissioned Officer, Non-commissioned Officer, and Soldiers/Sailors.

Naval Academy

Vietnam Naval Academy, with its headquarters in Nha Trang, is a military institute belongs to Vietnam People's Navy for training naval commanding officers in division level and commanding staffs in tactical/campaign level, include undergraduates and postgraduates of military.

The forerunner of Vietnam Naval Academy is Coastal Training School, was established in April 26, 1955 by the General Staff. The school has changed name in several times such as the Naval Training School in 1959, the Naval School of Vietnam in 1961, the Naval Officers School in 1967, School of Commander Naval engineering in 1980. Finally, the school has named Naval Academy in 1993.

After 55 years of construction, combat and growth, Vietnam Naval Academy has trained thousands of officers and technical staffs for major specialized fields such as: control vessel; mines - anti-mine; missile anti-submarine; gunship; information; radar - sonar; coastal radar; ship factory and power; the commander of the Marine Police and Border Defense Force.

In addition, Vietnam Naval Academy has trained officers for Royal Cambodian Navy and Lao People's Navy.

Modernization

Today, the Vietnam People's Navy is responsible for protecting the sovereignty and economic activities at sea, and chase foreign boats intruding into Vietnamese waters. In general, Vietnam's policy has considered the modernization is a Navy priority tasks in modernization military plant. Vietnam People's Navy and Vietnam People's Air Force are preferred modernization fastest, constantly upgrading weapons, ammunition and combat capacity, the ability to master the equipment. Can see this plant through the reporter on August 5, 2011 by Minister of Defense Phung Quang Thanh: "The military build-up project towards revolution, formal elite, gradually modernized, including Navy, Air Force, contact information, electronic warfare ... forward to modernization to defend country".^[10]

• Frigates and Corvettes: Laid down two Gepard class frigate in 2011 by Zelenodolsk shipyard-Russia, named HQ-011 Dinh Tien Hoang and HQ-012 Ly Thai To; and two more order. Contract with Schelde Naval Shipbuilding-Netherlands to built two Sigma class corvette.^[11] Especially, Vietnam People's Navy has built itself many Tarantul class corvette (Molniya class) with Russia supervision; besides, Vietnam People's Navy has designed and built the first warship names TT-400TP gunboat.^[12]
• Submarines: In April 2011, Vietnam has ordered six Kilo class submarine, worth about 1.8 billion dollars, the contract is said to occupy the entire defense budget of Vietnam in 2009. With six submarines, to be delivered in 2014, Vietnam will own more modern submarines than any countries in Southeast Asia.^[13]
• Naval Air Force: Vietnam People's Navy prepared to build Naval Air Force to increase the capacity of coastal defense. Vietnam has purchased three CASA C-212 Aviocar aircraft Series 400 professional beach patrol and tracking. The aircraft equipped with radar MSS 6000 and Naval Air Force will use for general patrol purposes. Vietnamese Navy received two Eurocopter EC225 Super Puma to offshore patrol and search and rescue missions^[14]. Viking Air Company of Canada has contracted to sell to Vietnam six Seaplane DHC-6 Twin Otter Series 400 from 2012 to 2014. And 15 Kamov Ka-27 helicopters will be transferred to naval air force.^[15]
• Coastal defense missile force: Vietnam People's Navy is building Coastal defense missile force become the core force in maritime security strategy by equip Russian and Indian missile systems. Vietnamese Navy has already produced itself P-5 Pyatyorka/Shaddock anti-ships missile, range upgraded to 550 km. Russia has delivered two K-300P Bastion-P coastal defense system to Vietnam. The Bastion system uses the P-800 Oniks/Yakhont supersonic anti-ship missile, primarily used to attack targets on land and sea, attack range is 300 km, can be used to protect a coastline of over 600 km.^[16] Joint venture company Russia-India BrahMos Aerospace Private Limited will sold Vietnam 15 BrahMos stealth supersonic cruise missile, and become the first military in the world imports Brahmos defense missile, if compared with other types of missiles being used in the world, BrahMos missile has the advantages of speed faster 3 times, range longer 2.5 times, respond shorter time 3-4 times.^[17]

Fleet

Almost Vietnam People's Navy's ships named with the prefix HQ (abbreviated by Vietnamese words: Hải Quân - Navy).

Inshore Patrol:

•  Vietnam 8 (+24) HQ-56 class (Stolkraft; 22.4 meter) PB with 1x20mm
•  Vietnam 4 HQ-37 class (built by Vinashin)
•  Russia 14 Zhuk class patrol boats (Project 1400M)

Riverine Patrol:

•  United States 22 PBR Mark II and 6 PCF (Swift Boats). These riverine patrol boats are no longer in service.

Mine Warfare:

•  Russia 2 Yurka class fleet minesweepers (Project 266) class MSF
•  Russia 4 Sonya base minesweepers (Project 1265E) class MSC
•  Russia 2 Yevgenya (Project 1258) class MSI

Amphibious Landing Ships:

•  United States 3 amphibious LST-1/542 class LST
•  Poland 3 Polnocny-B (Project 771) class LSM
•  United States several LCU-1466 class
•  Russia 10-12 T-4 (Project 1785) class LCM

Transports:

•  Vietnam 1 HQ-966 class logistics ship AK
• 2 BD-621 class logistics ship AK
• 1 HQ-571 class logistics ship

Auxiliaries:

•  Russia 1 Sorum class logistics tug (Project 745) ATA
•  Russia 1 Voda (MTV-6/Project 561) AWT
•  Russia 2 Nyrat-2 (Project 376U) diving tenders (YDT)
• 2 floating drydocks (YFDL)
•  Russia 2 PO-2 (Project 376) YFL
•  United States 2 ex-US 53-meter harbor tankers (YO) - lilely ex-USN YOG-5 Class Gasoline Oiler
•  United States 2+ Chaolocco tugs (YTM)
• 9 or so harbour tubs (YTL)

Missiles: Air-launched:

•  Russia Kh-41 Moskit air-launched
•  Russia P-800 Oniks/Yakhont, air-launched version as Yakhont-M
•  Russia Kh-35 Uran
•  Russia Kh-31 AS-17 'Krypton'
•  Russia Kh-59 Kh-59M
•  Russia 3M-54 Klub

Manpower

The current total manpower of the navy is around 42,000 officers and enlisted personnel including naval infantry [i.e. marines] and other specialised units.

See also

• Vietnam Marine Police
• Republic of Vietnam Navy
• Tonkin Gulf Incident
• Vung Ro Bay Incident
• 1988 Spratly Islands naval battle

References

External links

• Tonkin Gulf Incident - A decisive battle in the Thanh Hoa Sea
• Gulf of Tonkin Incident: Reappraisal 40 Years Later
• Tonkin Gulf Incident – Meeting of heroes (continued)
• The legendary East Sea trail
• Task Force 115
• Analysis of the Battle of Dong Hoi
• Truong Sa Island celebrates 30th anniversary of liberation
• World Navies Vietnam