Covert sites of the Laotian Civil War

Covert Sites of the Laotian Civil War were clandestine U.S. military installations for conducting covert paramilitary/combat operations in the Kingdom of Laos. Airstrips within the Kingdom of Laos were originally designated by Air America as "Site XX" (with XX being a number). In September 1961, the designation changed to "VS XX", meaning "Victor Site XX". On 16 May 1964, the airstrips received their final designation; the site names then used the abbreviation "LS"—Lima Site—for unimproved strips, or "L"—Lima—for paved runways. The terms "Victor" and "Lima" were taken from the existing military phonetic code.[1]

These sites typically were centered on a dirt landing strip for STOL aircraft such as the Air America Helio Courier or Pilatus Porter. These strips were often carved out along ridge lines, and were seldom flat, straight, or of sufficient length. However, they were crucial for resupply and personnel transport, including medical evacuations. To quote one source: "Some of these defied all the safety rules even of military aviation."[2] A U.S. Air Force inspection team noted that even the best of the Lima strips was inferior to any air strips in Vietnam.[3] Listing follows.

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Lima Sites of the Laotian Civil War
No. Name Width/length Elevation Latitude Longitude Remarks
LS2 San Tiau 100 x 800 ft. 5,000 ft. 192830N 1033405E Used as base for Kou Kiet[4]
LS03 Nong Het 100 X 1,200 ft. 4,700 ft. 192940N 1035935E
LS05 Ban Pa Dong 70 X 1,670 ft. 4,600 ft. 190613N 1030703E Original site of Operation Momentum
L08 Vientiane 561 ft Air operations center for Military Region 5
L11 Pakse 330 ft Air operations center for Military Region 4
LS15 Ban Na 75 X 1,200 ft 5,050 ft 191954N 1025735E
LS19 Phou Khe 6,200 ft 191852N 1031556E
LS20 Sam Thong 50 X 1,900 ft 3,800 ft 191102N 1025221E Center for USAID refugee relief
LS20A Long Tieng 60 X 4,450 ft 3,250 ft 190630N 1025531E Air operations center for Military Region 2
L25 Ban Huoeisay Airport 1,380 ft
LS26 Xieng Dat 150 X 4,000 ft 2,350 ft 192457N 1024243E
LS30 See LS20A.
LS36 Na Khang 4,400 ft 195836N 1033822E
L39 Savannakhet 509 ft Air operations center for Military Region 3
L54 Luang Prabang International Airport 997 ft Air operations center for Military Region I
LS69 Ban Xieng Lom 1,900 ft
LS85 Phou Pha Thi 4,500 ft 202555N 1034327E TACAN was overrun on 11 March 1968
LS88 Bouam Long 40 X 800 ft 5,000  ft 194532N 1031953E Used as base for Operation Kou Kiet[4]
LS98 Long Tieng 3,120 ft 190630N 1025531E
L108 Moung Soui 3,600 ft
L118A Nam Yu 1,900 ft
LS178 Phou Saly 3,200 ft
LS189 Ban Houei Sane 480 ft

Online sources:

  • Chance FAC website:

http://www.chancefac.net/A-cs_pgs_rebuild/Lima_Sites/LS_Pg1.htm
http://www.chancefac.net/A-cs_pgs_rebuild/Lima_Sites/LS_Pg2.htm
http://www.chancefac.net/A-cs_pgs_rebuild/Lima_Sites/LS_Pg3.htm

  • Laos List website

http://www.angelfire.com/home/laoslist/limasitelistweb.html

  • All webpages retrieved 26 December 2014.
  • Textual sources as noted.

See Also

Notes

  1. ↑ Conboy, Morrison, pp. 103-104.
  2. ↑ Ahern, p. 64.
  3. ↑ Ahern, p. 98.
  4. ↑ 4.0 4.1 Conboy, pp. 213-215.

Bibliography

  • Ahern, Thomas L. Jr. (2006). Undercover Armies: CIA and Surrogate Warfare in Laos. Center for the Study of Intelligence. Classified control no. C05303949.
  • Conboy, Kenneth and James Morrison (1995). Shadow War: The CIA's Secret War in Laos. Paladin Press, ISBNs 0-87364-825-0, 978-1-58160-535-8.