The Royal Cambodian Navy ( km, កងទ័ពជើងទឹក, ) is the naval warfare service branch of the
Royal Cambodian Armed Forces and one of the three uniformed services of the
Kingdom of Cambodia. It has an estimated of 4,000 active personnel and operates 228 boats/ships in active service. It is commanded by
Admiral Tea Vinh
Tea is an aromatic beverage prepared by pouring hot or boiling water over cured or fresh leaves of ''Camellia sinensis'', an evergreen shrub native to East Asia which probably originated in the borderlands of southwestern China and northe ...
and sails under the jurisdiction of the
Ministry of National Defense.
History
Equipment
The navy possesses fifteen
patrol craft and a further five patrol craft of the "fast attack" variety. There are also about 200 motorised and manual
canoe
A canoe is a lightweight narrow water vessel, typically pointed at both ends and open on top, propelled by one or more seated or kneeling paddlers facing the direction of travel and using a single-bladed paddle.
In British English, the term ...
s.
[articles.janes.com/articles/Janes-Sentinel-Security-Assessment-Southeast-Asia/Navy-Cambodia.html]
The country's seagoing capability was boosted in August 2005 when
China handed over 5 patrol boats. In 2007 a further 10 were handed over worth $100,000,000. The craft were donated to Cambodia by China to help counter
piracy
Piracy is an act of robbery or criminal violence by ship or boat-borne attackers upon another ship or a coastal area, typically with the goal of stealing cargo and other valuable goods. Those who conduct acts of piracy are called pirates, v ...
,
transnational crime Transnational crimes are crimes that have actual or potential effect across national borders and crimes that are intrastate but offend fundamental values of the international community. The term is commonly used in the law enforcement and academic c ...
,
smuggling and to safeguard future oil installations.
In 2007, Cambodia reported that it was increasing the strength of its navy from 1,000 to 3,000 sailors, apart from creating a force of 2,000 Marine infantry.
Many officers of the Royal Cambodian Navy received their training at the
Vietnam Naval Academy.
Royal Cambodian Navy also have many plans to strengthen their naval fleet with assistance from China,
Germany
Germany, officially the Federal Republic of Germany (FRG),, is a country in Central Europe. It is the most populous member state of the European Union. Germany lies between the Baltic and North Sea to the north and the Alps to the sou ...
,
Vietnam
Vietnam or Viet Nam ( vi, Việt Nam, ), officially the Socialist Republic of Vietnam,., group="n" is a country in Southeast Asia, at the eastern edge of mainland Southeast Asia, with an area of and population of 96 million, making it ...
,
Indonesia
Indonesia, officially the Republic of Indonesia, is a country in Southeast Asia and Oceania between the Indian and Pacific oceans. It consists of over 17,000 islands, including Sumatra, Java, Sulawesi, and parts of Borneo and New Guine ...
,
South Korea
South Korea, officially the Republic of Korea (ROK), is a country in East Asia, constituting the southern part of the Korea, Korean Peninsula and sharing a Korean Demilitarized Zone, land border with North Korea. Its western border is formed ...
, and
Japan.
Fleet
Vessels
Bases
Naval bases of the Royal Cambodian Navy include the following:
*
Ream Naval Base
Ream Naval Base is a facility operated by the Royal Cambodian Navy on the coast of the Gulf of Thailand in the province of Sihanoukville, Cambodia. The base, which covers approximately 190 acres, is located on a peninsula just southeast of the p ...
*
Sihanoukville (civilian port)
*
Phnom Penh (river base formerly of the
Khmer Rouge
The Khmer Rouge (; ; km, ខ្មែរក្រហម, ; ) is the name that was popularly given to members of the Communist Party of Kampuchea (CPK) and by extension to the regime through which the CPK ruled Cambodia between 1975 and 197 ...
)
Navy ranks and insignia
National Committee for Maritime Security (NCMS)
The NCMS was established in December 2010 on the initiative of Prime Minister
Hun Sen and with support from international security partners. Part of its role is focusing on fighting against terrorism, piracy, human trafficking, cross-border crimes, drug trafficking as well as on preserving natural resources and conducting emergency rescue works.
It is overseen by Admiral Tea Vinh and has bases in Sihanoukville, Ream and
Phnom Penh, working with and for the Royal Cambodian Navy.
NCMS is also responsible for the security of visiting navy's ships and personnel from neighbouring countries and allies, including China, Russia, Japan
and the USA.
See also
*
Ministry of Defense, Cambodia
*
Royal Cambodian Armed Forces
*
Royal Cambodian Army
*
Royal Cambodian Air Force
References
{{Asia topic, Navy of, title=Navies of Asia
Military of Cambodia
Navies by country
Military units and formations established in 1953