Royal Cambodian Army

Royal Cambodian Army

Emblem of the Royal Cambodian Army
Founded 1953
Country  Cambodia
Allegiance HM The King
Type Army
Size 85,000[1]
Part of Royal Cambodian Armed Forces
Garrison/HQ Phnom Penh
Motto(s) Defending the Kingdom of Cambodia
Colours Red, Blue
Anniversaries 9 November 1953
Engagements First Indochina War
Cambodian Civil War
Cambodian–Vietnamese War
1997 clashes in Cambodia
Cambodian–Thai border dispute
Commanders
Current
commander		 General Meas Sophea
Notable
commanders		 General Meas Sophea
General Tea Banh
General Srey Doek
General Hun Manet
General Hing Bun Hieng

The Royal Cambodian Army (Khmer: កងទ័ពជើងគោក, Kangtorp Cheung Kork) is a part of the Royal Cambodian Armed Forces. It has ground forces which numbered 85,000 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 organisation

Royal Cambodian Army Soldiers

Under the current military plan and divisions, every military region has a full division size. 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:

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.

Special Forces Airborne

Army ranks

Equipment

As of June 2010, it is assessed that 500 of the Tanks are to be fully operational.

Main military

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 reorganisation will provide integrated armoured support for each of the regional infantry divisions. However, much of Cambodia's terrain does not lend itself to armoured 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, to make the army more mobile and mechanised, there was a steady influx of new tanks, self-propelled artillery, armoured 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 modernisation 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 calibres. Tanks in the RCAF armoured 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 ageing American equipment, such as: M106 armoured carriers and M113 armoured personnel carriers, either bequeathed by Vietnam or left behind from the days of the Khmer Republic.

Vehicles

Armoured fighting vehicles

Name Type Quantity Origin Notes
T-55 Main battle tank 350[2]  Soviet Union
Type 62/63 Light Tank 150[2]  China
BMP-1 Infantry fighting vehicle 200[3]  Soviet Union/ Ukraine
BTR-60PB Wheeled Amphibious Armored Personnel Carrier 300[2]  Soviet Union/ Bulgaria
BTR-152 Armoured Personnel Carrier 50[2]  Soviet Union Maybe already retired
OT-64 SKOT Armoured Personnel Carrier 50[2]  Poland/ Czech Republic
BRDM-2 Amphibious Armoured Scout Car 50[2]  Bulgaria
PT-76 Light tank 50[2]  Soviet Union

Artillery

Name Type Quantity Origin Notes
ZiS-3[3] 76 mm anti-tank field gun 50  Soviet Union
T-12[2] 100 mm anti-tank field gun 50  Soviet Union
D-74[2] 122 mm towed howitzer 50  China
M-30[2] 122 mm towed howitzer 50  Soviet Union
D-30[3] 122 mm towed howitzer 50  Soviet Union
M-46[2] 130 mm towed field howitzer 100  Soviet Union
Type 59-1[3] 130 mm towed howitzer 200  China
Type 63[2] 107 mm towed multiple rocket launcher 200  China
Type 81 SPRL[2] 122 mm self-propelled multiple rocket launcher 100  China
BM-21 Grad[2] 122 mm self-propelled multiple rocket launcher 200  Soviet Union
RM-70 122 mm self-propelled multiple rocket launcher 50 Czechoslovakia
BM-13/16[2] 132 mm self-propelled multiple rocket launcher 100  Soviet Union
BM-14[2] 140 mm self-propelled multiple rocket launcher 100  Soviet Union

Anti-aircraft artillery

Name Type Quantity Origin Notes
ZPU-1/-2/-4[3] 14.5mm towed anti-aircraft gun 100  Soviet Union
Bofors 40 mm[4] anti-aircraft autocannon 50  Sweden
ZU-23-2 23 mm towed twin-barrel anti-aircraft gun 100  Soviet Union
61-K[3] 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[3] 57mm towed anti-aircraft gun 100  Soviet Union
KS-19[2] 100 mm towed anti-aircraft gun 50  Soviet Union

After severals brief border clashes with Thai black clad rangers which RCAF saw a weakness of its air defense. Under Cambodian PM Hun Sen ordered to strengthening Cambodia armed forces. An unconfirmed severals orders and arrived in 2011 of a modern PRC Norinco made short ranges Manpads capable of shoot down attack helicopters and low flying attacking fighter bombers. RCAF already had several older Manpads from U.S.S.R in the mid 80's but these proved inferiors to modern counter measures from helicopters and fighter bombers. RCAF also strengthening it's armors divisions with new ordered of BTR-64 and T-55 MBT. Several of 130mm towed artillery and DK-75, 120mm mortars supports with orders from Checoslovaksia and Ukrainian. Tons of artillery and small arms ammo were shipped from PRC the same time. Again these are unconfirmed.

Infantry weapons

OriginSmall ArmsTypeRemark
 Soviet Union Tokarev TT33[5] Semi-automatic pistol Standard issue
 China Type 54[5] Pistol Standard issue
 China QSZ-92 Pistol Standard issue
 Soviet Union Makarov PM Pistols Standard issue
 Soviet Union AKM[5] Assault Rifle Standard issue
 Soviet Union AKMS[5] Assault Rifle Standard issue
 China Type 56[6] Assault Rifle Standard issue
 China Type 56-1[6] Assault Rifle Standard issue
 China Type 56-2[7] Assault Rifle Standard issue, Recently received and deployed to troops near the Cambodian-Thai border.
 China Type 81-1 Assault Rifle Recently received.
 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.
 Indonesia Pindad SS1-V1[8] Assault Rifle Used by 911 Para-Commando Special Forces, Military Police, and Bodyguard Unit.
 United States M16A1[9] Assault Rifle Former FANK's main assault rifle.
 South Korea Daewoo K2 Assault Rifle Used by 911 Para-Commando Special Forces.
 South Korea Daewoo K1A Assault Carbine Used by 911 Para-Commando Special Forces.
 China QBZ-97[10] Bullpup Assault Rifle Used by 911 Para-Commando Special Forces and Bodyguard Unit. Decommissioned and replaced by QBZ-97B.
 China QBZ-97A[10] Bullpup Assault Rifle Standard issue Used by 911 Para-Commando Special Forces.
 China QBZ-97B[10] Bullpup Assault Carbine Standard issue Used by 911 Para-Commando Special Forces and Bodyguard Unit and Cambodian Royal Guards.
 Soviet Union SKS[5][6] Semi-Automatic Carbine Used by Cambodian Royal Guards. Decommissioned and replaced by QBZ-97B.
 China Type 56 Carbine[5][6] 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 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.
 China Type 79/85 Sniper Rifle Recently received.
 China KBU-97A Sniper Rifle Recently received.
 Soviet Union RPK[6] Light Machine Gun
 Soviet Union RPD[5][6] Light Machine Gun
 China Type 56 LMG[5][6] Light Machine Gun Standard issue
 China QBB-97 LSW Light Machine Gun Used by 911 Para-Commando Special Forces.
 Soviet Union PKM[6] General-purpose machine gun
 China Type 80[11] General Purpose Machine Gun Standard issue
 Soviet Union DShKM[5] 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[5] 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[11] Heavy Machine Gun Standard issue
 Soviet Union RPG-2[6] Rocket-Propelled Grenade Standard issue
 Soviet Union RPG-7V2[5] Rocket-Propelled Grenade
 China Type 56 RPG Rocket-Propelled Grenade Standard issue
 China Type 69 RPG Rocket-Propelled Grenade Standard issue
 China PF-89[7] Light Anti-tank Rocket Standard issue New infantry Anti-tank Rocket Launcher
 Germany Armbrust[5] Light Anti-tank Rocket Standard issue
 Soviet Union SA-7 Grail[2] Man-Portable Air-Defense Systems Standard issue
 China HN-5[2] Man-Portable Air-Defense Systems Standard issue
 China FN-6[2][7] Man-Portable Air-Defense Systems Standard issue
 China FN-12/16[2][7] Man-Portable Air-Defense Systems Standard issue, Advance version of the FN-6.
 United States M79[6] Grenade Launcher FANK's main grenade launcher.
 United States M203 Grenade Launcher Attach on the M16A1 rifle, former FANK's grenade launcher.

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:

[12]

See also

References

  1. ↑ Anthony H. Cordesman; Robert Hammond (16 May 2011), THE MILITARY BALANCE IN ASIA: 1990-2011 (PDF), Center for Strategic and International Studies, p. 70, retrieved 27 June 2011
  2. 1 2 3 4 5 6 7 8 9 10 11 12 13 14 15 16 17 18 19 20 21 SIPRI Trade Registers, Stockholm International Peace Research Institute, retrieved 27 June 2011
  3. 1 2 3 4 5 6 7 "Cambodian Army Land Forces Equipment". ArmyRecognition.com. Retrieved 27 June 2011.
  4. ↑ Bofors 40 mm#Users
  5. 1 2 3 4 5 6 7 8 9 10 11 12 Jones, Richard D. Jane's Infantry Weapons 2009/2010. Jane's Information Group; 35 edition (27 January 2009). ISBN 978-0-7106-2869-5.
  6. 1 2 3 4 5 6 7 8 9 10 Christina Wille, How Many Weapons are there in Cambodia? (PDF), Small Arms Survey
  7. 1 2 3 4 http://china-defense.blogspot.com/2009/10/cambodias-chinese-weapon-on-parade.html
  8. ↑ "Cikal Bakal Senapan Serbu Nasional". Alutsista Dalam Negeri (in Indonesian). Indonesia: 38–39.
  9. ↑ "Report: Profiling the Small Arms Industry - World Policy Institute - Research Project". World Policy Institute. November 2000. Retrieved 15 July 2010.
  10. 1 2 3 "QBZ97自动步枪". Retrieved 16 January 2008.
  11. 1 2 http://china-defense.blogspot.com/2011/05/mini-pla-in-making.html
  12. ↑ http://www.un.org.kh/index.php?option=com_content&view=article&id=203:moving-from-conflict-to-peacekeeping-42-cambodian-peacekeepers-sent-to-chad-and-central-african-republic-for-first-time&catid=43:latest-press-releases&Itemid=76
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