The Royal Lao Navy (; – MRL) was the naval component of the
Royal Lao Armed Forces (FAR), the official military of the
Royal Lao Government
The Royal Lao Government was the ruling authority in the Kingdom of Laos from 1947 until the communist seizure of power in December 1975 and the proclamation of the Lao People's Democratic Republic. The Franco-Lao Treaty of 1953 gave Laos full i ...
and the
Kingdom of Laos
The Kingdom of Laos was the form of government in Laos from 1947 to 1975. Located in Southeast Asia at the heart of the Indochinese Peninsula, it was bordered by Burma and China to the northwest, North Vietnam to the east, Cambodia to the sou ...
during the
Laotian Civil War
The Laotian Civil War was waged between the Communist Pathet Lao and the Royal Lao Government from 23 May 1959 to 2 December 1975. The Kingdom of Laos was a covert Theatre (warfare), theater during the Vietnam War with both sides receiving heavy ...
between 1960 and 1975.
History
The Laotian Navy () was first formed on August 1, 1952, as the "naval" wing of the
Laotian National Army (ANL) and designated the Lao River Squadron ( – EFL) or River Squadron () for short. An exclusively
brown-water force since Laos is a
landlocked country
A landlocked country is a country that has no territory connected to an ocean or whose coastlines lie solely on endorheic basins. Currently, there are 44 landlocked countries, two of them doubly landlocked (Liechtenstein and Uzbekistan), and t ...
, the new ANL River Squadron was provided at the time with eleven ex-
French Navy
The French Navy (, , ), informally (, ), is the Navy, maritime arm of the French Armed Forces and one of the four military service branches of History of France, France. It is among the largest and most powerful List of navies, naval forces i ...
FOM escort crafts, which had seen service during the
First Indochina War
The First Indochina War (generally known as the Indochina War in France, and as the Anti-French Resistance War in Vietnam, and alternatively internationally as the French-Indochina War) was fought between French Fourth Republic, France and Việ ...
, ten ''Mytho''- class flat-bottomed wooden boats and six outboard canoes for light transportation duties.
[Conboy, ''The Erawan War – Volume 3: The Royal Lao Armed Forces 1961-1974'' (2022b), p. 64.] Initially headquartered at the
French Air Force
The French Air and Space Force (, , ) is the air force, air and space force of the French Armed Forces. Formed in 1909 as the ("Aeronautical Service"), a service arm of the French Army, it became an independent military branch in 1934 as the Fr ...
's
Wattay Airbase near
Vientiane
Vientiane (, ) is the capital city, capital and largest city of Laos. Situated on the banks of the Mekong, Mekong River at the Thailand, Thai border, it comprises the five urban districts of Vientiane Prefecture and had a population of 840,000 ...
, with small elements stationed in
Savannakhet
Savannakhet (, ; ), officially named Kaysone Phomvihane (); since 2005 and previously known as ''Khanthaboury'' (; ), is a city in western Laos. It is the capital of Savannakhet Province. With a population of 125,760 (2018), it is the second-l ...
and
Pakse
Pakse (or ''Pakxe''; French: ''Paksé''; Laotian: ປາກເຊ 'mouth of the river') is the capital and most populous city of the southern Laotian province of Champasak. Located at the confluence of the Xe Don and Mekong Rivers, the distri ...
, EFL strength in 1952 stood at just 80 all-ranks, including three French naval officers, three ANL officers, five French senior Petty Officers and 18 ANL
Non-commissioned officer
A non-commissioned officer (NCO) is an enlisted rank, enlisted leader, petty officer, or in some cases warrant officer, who does not hold a Commission (document), commission. Non-commissioned officers usually earn their position of authority b ...
s (NCOs). Most of the Laotian EFL junior ranks were immediately sent for four months of riverine training in
Saigon
Ho Chi Minh City (HCMC) ('','' TP.HCM; ), commonly known as Saigon (; ), is the most populous city in Vietnam with a population of around 14 million in 2025.
The city's geography is defined by rivers and canals, of which the largest is Saigo ...
,
South Vietnam
South Vietnam, officially the Republic of Vietnam (RVN; , VNCH), was a country in Southeast Asia that existed from 1955 to 1975. It first garnered Diplomatic recognition, international recognition in 1949 as the State of Vietnam within the ...
, manned by French Officers and senior Petty Officers seconded from the naval forces component of the
French Far East Expeditionary Corps
The French Far East Expeditionary Corps (, CEFEO) was a colonial expeditionary force of the French Union Army that was initially formed in French Indochina in 1945 during the Pacific War. The CEFEO later fought and lost in the First Indochina Wa ...
(CEFEO).
In
July 1959, the ANL River Flotilla was re-designated Laotian Navy and became an independent branch, now part of the newly created Laotian Armed Forces ( – FAL), renamed
Royal Lao Armed Forces ( – FAR) in
September 1961.
The MRL in the Laotian civil war
Expansion and early operations 1960–1970
Like the ANL, the fledgling Laotian Navy soon found itself involved in the political turmoil that engulfed the
Kingdom of Laos
The Kingdom of Laos was the form of government in Laos from 1947 to 1975. Located in Southeast Asia at the heart of the Indochinese Peninsula, it was bordered by Burma and China to the northwest, North Vietnam to the east, Cambodia to the sou ...
in the early 1960s. During
Major general Phoumi Nosavan
Major General Phoumi Nosavan (; 27 January 1920 – 3 November 1985)Stuart-Fox, pp. 258–259. was a Laotian military officer who served as the military strongman of Laos during the Laotian Civil War in the 1960s.
Early life
Phoumi Nosavan w ...
November 1960 counter-coup against Captain
Kong Le
Captain Kong Le (Laotian language, Lao: ກອງແລ; 6 March 1934 – 17 January 2014) was a Laotian Officer (armed forces), military officer and prominent military figure in Laos during the 1960s.
He led the premier unit of the Royal Lao ...
's
rebel Neutralist airborne units, four pro-Neutralist Laotian Navy river gunboats blocked the
Mekong river
The Mekong or Mekong River ( , ) is a transboundary river in East Asia and Southeast Asia. It is the world's List of rivers by length, twelfth-longest river and List of longest rivers of Asia, the third-longest in Asia with an estimated l ...
at
Ban Sot in an effort to halt the advance northwards from
Savannakhet
Savannakhet (, ; ), officially named Kaysone Phomvihane (); since 2005 and previously known as ''Khanthaboury'' (; ), is a city in western Laos. It is the capital of Savannakhet Province. With a population of 125,760 (2018), it is the second-l ...
of Maj. Gen. Nosavan's rebel troops towards
Vientiane
Vientiane (, ) is the capital city, capital and largest city of Laos. Situated on the banks of the Mekong, Mekong River at the Thailand, Thai border, it comprises the five urban districts of Vientiane Prefecture and had a population of 840,000 ...
. Other Laotian Naval units however, supported the coup by transporting up the Mekong in landing crafts from Savannakhet
Lieutenant colonel Siho Lamphouthacoul and his
Directorate of National Coordination (DNC) elite para-commando regiment, the 1st Special Mobile Group ( – GMS 1), on 21 November to join the
Battle of Vientiane.
[Conboy and Morrison, ''Shadow War: The CIA's Secret War in Laos'' (1995), p. 37.]
In 1970, a US-funded Royal Lao Navy Jungle School (''MRL École de la Jungle'') was established at
Thakhek
Thakhek (, ; , ), the capital of Khammouane Province, is a town in south-central Laos on the Mekong River and the administrative centre of the district with the same name. The Third Thai–Lao Friendship Bridge, linking Thakhek and Nakhon Phano ...
in
Khammouane Province, which offered courses for MRL students in basic infantry amphibious tactics and river patrolling techniques. Graduation exercises had the Laotian naval cadets assault beaches from landing craft, though these tactics were never used in actual operations.
Final operations 1971–1975
Besides training programs and technical assistance, what no country agreed to provide was new hardware. A 1971
US Navy
The United States Navy (USN) is the naval warfare, maritime military branch, service branch of the United States Department of Defense. It is the world's most powerful navy with the largest Displacement (ship), displacement, at 4.5 millio ...
assessment of the MRL flotilla included a recommendation that four
PBR Mk 1/2 "Bibber" river patrol boats be handed over, but these were never forthcoming. Meantime, attrition was taking a heavy toll. By 1970, all the ''Privat'' gunboats had been effectively decommissioned and most of the landing crafts were down for repairs.
Rather than combat operations, the MRL more often found itself saddled with ceremonial duties and VIP protection. Taking
a page from the
Royal Thai Navy
The Royal Thai Navy (Abbreviation, Abrv: RTN, ทร.; , ) is the Navy, naval warfare force of Thailand. Established in 1906, it was modernised by the Admiral Prince Abhakara Kiartiwongse (1880–1923) who is known as the father of the Royal N ...
, the MRL was tasked with augmenting the Laotian Royal Guard; when the Laotian King
Savang Vatthana
Sisavang Vatthana () or sometimes Savang Vatthana (full title: ''Samdach Brhat Chao Mavattaha Sri Vitha Lan Xang Hom Khao Phra Rajanachakra Lao Phengdara Parama Sidha Khattiya Suriya Varman Brhat Maha Sri Savangsa Vadhana''; 13 November 1907 � ...
was in residence at his
Palace in Luang Prabang, eight MRL sailors on guard duty were split among the Palace's four entrances. During the King's official trips around the country, 31 guards from the MRL were among his bodyguard detail.
In
November 1972, the MRL carried out its third and final combat operation, when it was called to participate in the defence of the river town of
Thakhek
Thakhek (, ; , ), the capital of Khammouane Province, is a town in south-central Laos on the Mekong River and the administrative centre of the district with the same name. The Third Thai–Lao Friendship Bridge, linking Thakhek and Nakhon Phano ...
, the capital of
Khammouane province in the
Military Region 3 (MR 3), threatened by a
North Vietnamese Army
The People's Army of Vietnam (PAVN), officially the Vietnam People's Army (VPA; , , ), also recognized as the Vietnamese Army (), the People's Army () or colloquially the Troops ( ), is the national Military, military force of the Vietnam, S ...
(NVA) ground offensive. Several FOM 11 gunboats were dispatched up the Mekong from
Savannakhet
Savannakhet (, ; ), officially named Kaysone Phomvihane (); since 2005 and previously known as ''Khanthaboury'' (; ), is a city in western Laos. It is the capital of Savannakhet Province. With a population of 125,760 (2018), it is the second-l ...
and promptly arrived near Thakhek, providing heavy-weapons fire in support of a combined RLA counter-offensive that successfully repulsed the North Vietnamese assaults.
There were no further combat assignments, and for the remaining three years of the War, the MRL's flotilla was largely inactive apart from occasionally escorting supply convoys. This situation lasted until August 23, 1975, when the
Pathet Lao
The Pathet Lao (), officially the Lao People's Liberation Army, was a communist political movement and political organization, organization in Laos, formed in the mid-20th century. The group ultimately gained control over the entire country of ...
entered Vientiane and dissolved the FAR. On 2 November that year the MRL was disbanded, with Commander
Sinthanavong Kindavong being forced to resign and sent to a re-education camp in
Sam Neua
Xam Neua (, , sometimes transcribed as ''Sam Nuea'' or ''Samneua'', literally 'northern swamp'; ), is the capital of Houaphanh Province, Laos.
History
After fleeing from Phrae, deposed king Phiriya Thepphawong escaped from Northern Thailand ...
. All former MRL assets – 36 boats in total, including the handful of vessels that were still operable – were seized by the Pathet Lao government and repurposed to equip the new
Lao People's Navy
The Lao People's Navy (LPN) is the navy of Laos. In 1975 the Lao People's Navy (LPN) was established with the remnants of the Royal Lao Navy. As Laos is a landlocked country, the Lao People's Navy operates vessels on the Mekong River, a major featu ...
(LPN).
Structure
The MRL, along with the
Royal Lao Air Force
The Royal Lao Air Force (; – AVRL), best known to the Americans by its English acronym RLAF, was the air force component of the Royal Lao Armed Forces (FAR), the official military of the Royal Lao Government and the Kingdom of Laos during t ...
(RLAF) and the
Royal Lao Army
The Royal Lao Army (; – ARL), also designated by its anglicized title RLA, was the land component of the Royal Lao Armed Forces (FAR), the official military of the Kingdom of Laos during the North Vietnamese invasion of Laos and the Laotian C ...
(RLA), was subordinated to the Ministry of Defence in
Vientiane
Vientiane (, ) is the capital city, capital and largest city of Laos. Situated on the banks of the Mekong, Mekong River at the Thailand, Thai border, it comprises the five urban districts of Vientiane Prefecture and had a population of 840,000 ...
; its administrative headquarters was allocated at
Camp Chinaimo, a major FAR military base in the southern outskirts of the Laotian capital, whose facilities also housed the main repair yard, the Fleet Command and the Independent Directorate of Laotian River Transports ( – RATFL), which handled military logistics and monotorized commercial shipping along the
Mekong river
The Mekong or Mekong River ( , ) is a transboundary river in East Asia and Southeast Asia. It is the world's List of rivers by length, twelfth-longest river and List of longest rivers of Asia, the third-longest in Asia with an estimated l ...
.
Fleet organization
By
April 1975, Royal Lao Navy strength peaked at 500 Ratings and enlisted men led by
Commander
Commander (commonly abbreviated as Cmdr.) is a common naval officer rank as well as a job title in many army, armies. Commander is also used as a rank or title in other formal organizations, including several police forces. In several countri ...
Sinthanavong Kindavong, who manned a single river flotilla totalling 42 light vessels, divided since the mid-1950s into a patrol squadron ( – EFHM) and a squadron-sized transport section ( – STFL).
Throughout its existence, the MRL received technical and training assistance mainly from
France
France, officially the French Republic, is a country located primarily in Western Europe. Overseas France, Its overseas regions and territories include French Guiana in South America, Saint Pierre and Miquelon in the Atlantic Ocean#North Atlan ...
and the
United States
The United States of America (USA), also known as the United States (U.S.) or America, is a country primarily located in North America. It is a federal republic of 50 U.S. state, states and a federal capital district, Washington, D.C. The 48 ...
, who also supplied river patrol boats and transportation craft to equip their patrol and transport squadrons respectively.
Most of the Laotian Navy river assets were stationed permanently at Chinaimo Naval Base, with secondary riverine stations set along the Mekong at
Luang Prabang
Luang Prabang (Lao language, Lao: wikt:ຫຼວງພະບາງ, ຫຼວງພະບາງ, pronounced ), historically known as Xieng Thong (ຊຽງທອງ) and alternatively spelled Luang Phabang or Louangphabang, is the capital of Lu ...
,
Pak Lay
Pak Lay is a town in Sainyabuli Province, in the west of Laos. It is built around a sandy road, so people can get there by bus from Vientiane or Sainyabuli. It is popular for tourists because there are opportunities of free walking through the ra ...
,
Thakhek
Thakhek (, ; , ), the capital of Khammouane Province, is a town in south-central Laos on the Mekong River and the administrative centre of the district with the same name. The Third Thai–Lao Friendship Bridge, linking Thakhek and Nakhon Phano ...
,
Savannakhet
Savannakhet (, ; ), officially named Kaysone Phomvihane (); since 2005 and previously known as ''Khanthaboury'' (; ), is a city in western Laos. It is the capital of Savannakhet Province. With a population of 125,760 (2018), it is the second-l ...
,
Paksé
Pakse (or ''Pakxe''; French: ''Paksé''; Laotian: ປາກເຊ 'mouth of the river') is the capital and most populous city of the southern Laotian province of Champasak. Located at the confluence of the Xe Don and Mekong Rivers, the distri ...
and
Khong Island
Khong Island or Don Khong () is the largest island and the seat of administration in the Si Phan Don riverine archipelago located in the Mekong River, Khong District, Champasak Province, southern Laos
Laos, officially the Lao People's De ...
. Besides its tiny surface fleet, the MRL was also unique in its genre for not maintaining a permanent
Naval Infantry
Marines (or naval infantry) are military personnel generally trained to operate on both land and sea, with a particular focus on amphibious warfare. Historically, the main tasks undertaken by marines have included raiding ashore (often in supp ...
branch or even specialist
combat diver
A frogman is someone who is trained in scuba diving or swimming underwater. The term often applies more to professional rather than recreational divers, especially those working in a tactical capacity that includes military, and in some Europea ...
/
Marine Commando units.
List of Laotian Navy commanders
*
Commander
Commander (commonly abbreviated as Cmdr.) is a common naval officer rank as well as a job title in many army, armies. Commander is also used as a rank or title in other formal organizations, including several police forces. In several countri ...
Soulignet Chounramany (1954–1957)
*
Commander
Commander (commonly abbreviated as Cmdr.) is a common naval officer rank as well as a job title in many army, armies. Commander is also used as a rank or title in other formal organizations, including several police forces. In several countri ...
Mok Kouvongsavanh (1960–1964)
*
Commander
Commander (commonly abbreviated as Cmdr.) is a common naval officer rank as well as a job title in many army, armies. Commander is also used as a rank or title in other formal organizations, including several police forces. In several countri ...
Sinthanavong Kindavong (1957–1960; 1964–1975)
Deputy Laotian Navy commanders
*
Lieutenant Commander Souk Dary[Conboy, ''The Erawan War – Volume 3: The Royal Lao Armed Forces 1961-1974'' (2022b), p. 68.]
Equipment
Escort and combat patrol craft
*Nine Wizard-class river gunboats (a.k.a. ''Privats'')
[Conboy, ''The Erawan War – Volume 3: The Royal Lao Armed Forces 1961-1974'' (2022b), pp. 64-65.]
*Eight FOM 11 patrol and escort boats
*Three FOM 8 patrol and escort boats
Troop transport, amphibious assault, and logistical operations craft
*Five
Landing Craft Vehicle Personnel (LCVP)
[Conboy, ''The Erawan War – Volume 3: The Royal Lao Armed Forces 1961-1974'' (2022b), p. 67.]
*Seven
Landing Craft Mechanized Mk 6 Mod 1-LCM (6) Landing Craft Utility
A Landing Craft Utility (LCU) is a type of boat used by amphibious forces to transport equipment and troops to the shore. They are capable of transporting tracked or wheeled vehicles and troops from amphibious assault ships to beachheads or pi ...
(LCU)
MRL uniforms and insignia
The Laotian Navy owed its origin and traditions to the
French Far East Naval Forces ( – FMEO) of the
First Indochina War
The First Indochina War (generally known as the Indochina War in France, and as the Anti-French Resistance War in Vietnam, and alternatively internationally as the French-Indochina War) was fought between French Fourth Republic, France and Việ ...
, and even after the United States took the role as the main foreign sponsor for the Royal Laotian Armed Forces at the beginning of the 1960s, French military influence was still perceptible in their uniforms and insignia.
Service dress and field uniforms
Upon the formation of the MRL at the early 1950s, Laotian naval senior officers and petty officers adopted a unique
Beige
Beige ( ) is variously described as a pale sandy fawn color, a grayish tan, a light-grayish yellowish brown, or a pale to grayish yellow. It takes its name from French, where the word originally meant natural wool that has been neither ble ...
-
Khaki
The color khaki (, ) is a light shade of tan (color), tan with a slight yellowish tinge.
Khaki has been used by many armies around the world for uniforms and equipment, particularly in arid or desert regions, where it provides camouflage rela ...
service uniform of French pattern, which consisted of a double-breasted reefer jacket () with open collar and lapels, and featuring two internal skirt pockets with external flaps. The jacket had a double row of six gilt metal anchor motif buttons, and was worn with a white shirt and black tie, completed with matching Beige-Khaki trousers.
Enlisted personnel also received a French-style Beige-Khaki service uniform or
Sailor suit
A sailor suit is a uniform that originated in the United Kingdom, traditionally worn by enlisted seamen in a navy or other governmental sea services. It later developed into a popular clothing style for children, especially as dress clothes a ...
, consisting of a Navy jumper (or pullover shirt) and trousers flared as "bell bottoms". A French-style Navy blue striped long sleeve T-shirt was worn under the jumper.
For formal occasions, Laotian Navy officers retained the earlier ANL white summer cotton full dress, which consisted of a French-style eight-buttoned tunic with a standing collar and two built-in side pockets closed by straight flaps, worn with matching white slacks. The tunic's front fly was secured by gilt metal buttons initially bearing the ANL ''
Airavata
Shachi.html" ;"title="Indra (alias Sakra) and Shachi">Indra (alias Sakra) and Shachi riding the five-headed Divine Elephant Airavata, Folio from a Jain text, Panch Kalyanaka (Five Auspicious Events in the Life of Jina Rishabhanatha), c. 1670� ...
'' crest (''Erawan''), replaced after 1959-60 by a FAR wreathed "Vishnu" trident motif.
Most Laotian Navy personnel received the standard
French Navy
The French Navy (, , ), informally (, ), is the Navy, maritime arm of the French Armed Forces and one of the four military service branches of History of France, France. It is among the largest and most powerful List of navies, naval forces i ...
's tropical working and service dress, consisting of a light khaki cotton shirt and pants. The French Navy's M1948 shirt () featured a six-buttoned front and two pleated breast pockets closed by pointed flaps, was provided with shoulder straps () and had long sleeves with buttoned cuffs. It was worn with matching khaki M1945/52 slacks (), which featured two pleats at the front hips, side slashed pockets and an internal pocket at the back, on the right side.
The
French Army
The French Army, officially known as the Land Army (, , ), is the principal Army, land warfare force of France, and the largest component of the French Armed Forces; it is responsible to the Government of France, alongside the French Navy, Fren ...
's tropical light khaki cotton shirt and pants (), modelled after the
World War II
World War II or the Second World War (1 September 1939 – 2 September 1945) was a World war, global conflict between two coalitions: the Allies of World War II, Allies and the Axis powers. World War II by country, Nearly all of the wo ...
U.S. Army
The United States Army (USA) is the primary land service branch of the United States Department of Defense. It is designated as the Army of the United States in the United States Constitution.Article II, section 2, clause 1 of the United Stat ...
tropical "Chino" working dress was also issued. While the cut of the matching khaki trousers was virtually identical to the Navy pattern, the shirt had two patch breast pockets closed by clip-cornered straight flaps and shoulder straps.
In alternative, the short-sleeved M1946 () – whose cut was almost identical to the M1948 variant – and the "Chino"-style M1949 () khaki shirts could be worn with the matching M1946 khaki shorts () in hot weather.
[Conboy, ''The Erawan War – Volume 3: The Royal Lao Armed Forces 1961-1974'' (2022b), p. 7.] On active service, Laotian Navy boat crewmen wore French all-arms M1947 drab green fatigues (), standard issue in the FAL in the 1950s.
[Conboy and Greer, ''War in Laos 1954–1975'' (1994), p. 6.]
Reflecting the increasing American influence, a new set of distinctive uniforms was introduced for the MRL in the early 1960s. Senior officers and petty officers were given a Navy blue overseas service uniform, which consisted of a double-breasted reefer jacket with a double row of six gilt metal buttons bearing the
Royal Lao Armed Forces (FAR) wreathed "Vishnu" trident, and was worn with a white shirt and Navy blue tie, completed with matching Navy blue trousers. Enlisted ranks received a Navy blue Sailor suit as their overseas service uniform. MRL personnel also began to wear U.S.-supplied
OG 107 jungle fatigues, standard issue in the FAR;
Thai and South Vietnamese versions, as well as Laotian-made copies were also worn. All these variants of the OG-107 fatigues often featured modifications to the original design such as shirts with shoulder straps and pockets closed by dual-buttoned straight flaps or pen pockets added on the left sleeve above the elbow, an affection common to all Laotian, South Vietnamese and Cambodian military officers, and additional side "cargo" pockets on the trousers. Olive Green
M1967 Jungle Utility Uniforms also came into use in 1970-71.
[Conboy, ''The Erawan War – Volume 3: The Royal Lao Armed Forces 1961-1974'' (2022b), p. 66.]
Camouflage fatigues were sometimes worn, consisting of
Tigerstripe
Tiger stripe is the name of a group of camouflage patterns developed for close-range use in dense jungle during jungle warfare by the Army of the Republic of Vietnam, South Vietnamese Armed Forces and adopted in late 1962 to early 1963 by US Spe ...
patterns from the United States,
Thailand
Thailand, officially the Kingdom of Thailand and historically known as Siam (the official name until 1939), is a country in Southeast Asia on the Mainland Southeast Asia, Indochinese Peninsula. With a population of almost 66 million, it spa ...
(''Thai Tadpole'' and the so-called 'Rubber' Tigerstripe variant) and
South Vietnam
South Vietnam, officially the Republic of Vietnam (RVN; , VNCH), was a country in Southeast Asia that existed from 1955 to 1975. It first garnered Diplomatic recognition, international recognition in 1949 as the State of Vietnam within the ...
(''Tadpole Sparse''), and
Highland
Highlands or uplands are areas of high elevation such as a mountainous region, elevated mountainous plateau or high hills. Generally, ''upland'' refers to a range of hills, typically from up to , while ''highland'' is usually reserved for range ...
patterns (''ERDL 1948 Leaf pattern'' or "Woodland pattern"), the latter being either supplied by the same sources or locally produced.
Olive green U.S.
M-1951 field jacket
The M-1951 field jacket was a U.S. Army four pocket jacket made of 9-ounce wind resistant, water repellent treated cotton sateen cloth in OG-107, Olive Green Shade 107 (OG 107). It was redesignated as the M-1951 field coat in November 1956.
Descr ...
s were also issued to all-ranks.
Headgear

Laotian Navy Officers and Petty Officers initially received a service peaked cap copied after the French M1927 pattern () in both
Navy blue
Navy blue is a dark shade of the color blue.
Navy blue got its name from the dark blue (contrasted with naval white) worn by officers in the Royal Navy since 1748 and subsequently adopted by other navies around the world. When this color name, ...
and white summer top versions with a black lacquered leather peak and gold cord chinstrap, to wear with the Beige-Khaki service dress and the white high-collared full dress uniforms, respectively, and later with the Navy blue overseas service uniform.
The peaked caps were worn with a gold wreathed fouled anchor embroidered on black, set on a black round-shaped background patch based on the standard
French Navy
The French Navy (, , ), informally (, ), is the Navy, maritime arm of the French Armed Forces and one of the four military service branches of History of France, France. It is among the largest and most powerful List of navies, naval forces i ...
cap badge. After
September 1961, the MRL replaced the earlier wreathed fouled anchor badge with a gilt metal cap badge featuring a anchor superimposed on a spinning
Buddhist
Buddhism, also known as Buddhadharma and Dharmavinaya, is an Indian religion and List of philosophies, philosophical tradition based on Pre-sectarian Buddhism, teachings attributed to the Buddha, a wandering teacher who lived in the 6th or ...
"Wheel of Law" (''
Chakra
A chakra (; ; ) is one of the various focal points used in a variety of ancient meditation practices, collectively denominated as Tantra, part of the inner traditions of Hinduism and Buddhism.
The concept of the chakra arose in Hinduism. B ...
'') whose design recalled a
circular saw
A circular saw or a buzz saw, is a power-saw using a toothed or Abrasive saw, abrasive disk (mathematics), disc or blade to cut different materials using a rotary motion spinning around an Arbor (tool), arbor. A hole saw and ring saw also use ...
. French M1946 and M1957 light khaki
sidecap
A side cap is a military cap that can be folded flat when not being worn. It is also known as a garrison cap or flight cap in the United States, wedge cap in Canada, or field service cap in the United Kingdom. In form the side cap is comparable ...
s ( and ) were also worn by all-ranks. A French-style Navy blue
Sailor cap
A sailor cap is a round, flat visorless hat worn by sailors in many of the world's navies. A tally, an inscribed black silk ribbon, is tied around the base which usually bears the name of a ship or a navy. Many navies (e.g. Germany) tie the ta ...
(''Bachi'') with a distinctive
scarlet red
Sudan IV (C24H20N4O) is a lysochrome (fat-soluble dye) diazo dye used for the staining of lipids, triglycerides and lipoproteins on frozen paraffin sections. It has the appearance of reddish brown crystals with melting point 199 °C and maximu ...
pompom on top and an inscribed black silk ribbon (
tally) tied around the base bearing the 'MRL' title in
Lao script
Lao script or Akson Lao ( ) is the primary script used to write the Lao language and other languages in Laos. Its earlier form, the Tai Noi script, was also used to write the Isan language, but was replaced by the Thai script. It has 27 co ...
, was worn with both the Beige-Khaki and Navy blue overseas service uniforms by enlisted personnel.
Laotian Navy personnel frequently wore in the field a mixture of French M1946 "Gourka" light Khaki tropical berets (), baseball cap-style Khaki cotton field caps,
and
French M1949 bush hats () in Khaki or Drab green cotton cloth.
During the 1960s and early 1970s, a wide range of OG
Boonie hat
A boonie hat or booney hat is a type of wide-brim sun hat commonly used by military forces in hot tropical climates. Its design is similar to a bucket hat but with a stiffer brim.
The Australian giggle hat has a thinner brim. Often a fabric ta ...
s and baseball caps from the United States,
South Vietnam
South Vietnam, officially the Republic of Vietnam (RVN; , VNCH), was a country in Southeast Asia that existed from 1955 to 1975. It first garnered Diplomatic recognition, international recognition in 1949 as the State of Vietnam within the ...
and
Thailand
Thailand, officially the Kingdom of Thailand and historically known as Siam (the official name until 1939), is a country in Southeast Asia on the Mainland Southeast Asia, Indochinese Peninsula. With a population of almost 66 million, it spa ...
were adopted by MRL Ratings and enlisted men.
[Conboy, ''The Erawan War – Volume 3: The Royal Lao Armed Forces 1961-1974'' (2022b), pp. 66-67.] The RLA general service beret made of
scarlet red
Sudan IV (C24H20N4O) is a lysochrome (fat-soluble dye) diazo dye used for the staining of lipids, triglycerides and lipoproteins on frozen paraffin sections. It has the appearance of reddish brown crystals with melting point 199 °C and maximu ...
wool was also adopted by some MRL officers. It was worn pulled to the left in typical French fashion with the standard MRL beret badge placed above the right eye, which consisted of a simple metal circle bearing a fouled anchor, issued in gilt metal for officers.
A miniature pin-on silver metal version of the FAR cap badge edged scarlet red was worn placed on the front panel of OG baseball caps by both Ratings and enlisted ranks.
The steel helmet models worn by Laotian Navy vessel crews in the mid-1950s were the WWII-vintage
U.S. M-1 or the newer
French M1951 NATO () models, standard issue in the ANL. In the later 1960s, the MRL standardized on the M-1 1964 model provided with the
U.S. Army
The United States Army (USA) is the primary land service branch of the United States Department of Defense. It is designated as the Army of the United States in the United States Constitution.Article II, section 2, clause 1 of the United Stat ...
Mitchell "Clouds" camouflage pattern cover (usually removed on the field), though many boat crewmen retained the older American and French steel helmets throughout the War.
Footwear
Brown low laced leather shoes were prescribed to wear with the Laotian Navy Beige-Khaki service/work uniform for all-ranks and white ones with the earlier ANL white cotton full dress for formal occasions, whilst black shoes were worn with the MRL Navy blue overseas service uniforms. On the field, Laotian seamen initially wore brown leather U.S.
M-1943 Combat Service Boots, French M1953 brown leather "Rangers" (
French
French may refer to:
* Something of, from, or related to France
** French language, which originated in France
** French people, a nation and ethnic group
** French cuisine, cooking traditions and practices
Arts and media
* The French (band), ...
: ''Rangers modéle 1953'') and French M1917 brown leather hobnailed ankle boots (
French
French may refer to:
* Something of, from, or related to France
** French language, which originated in France
** French people, a nation and ethnic group
** French cuisine, cooking traditions and practices
Arts and media
* The French (band), ...
: ''Brodequins modéle 1917''), or
French Pataugas olive canvas-and-rubber jungle boots,
replaced by
flip-flops
Flip-flops are a type of light sandal-like shoe, typically worn as a form of casual footwear. They consist of a flat sole held loosely on the foot by a Y-shaped strap known as a toe thong that passes between the first and second toes and around ...
and leather
peasant sandals while in garrison. After 1960, the MRL adopted as regulation footwear black leather combat boots – the early U.S. Army M-1962 "McNamara" model and the later M-1967 model with DMS "ripple" pattern rubbler sole, together with limited quantities of U.S.
Jungle boot
Jungle boots are a type of combat boot designed for use in jungle warfare or in hot, wet, and humid environments where a standard leather combat boot would be uncomfortable or unsuitable to wear. Jungle boots have vent holes in the arches and som ...
s, and local copies of both the Canadian
Bata tropical boots and the
South Vietnamese
South Vietnam, officially the Republic of Vietnam (RVN; , VNCH), was a country in Southeast Asia that existed from 1955 to 1975. It first garnered international recognition in 1949 as the State of Vietnam within the French Union, with i ...
black canvas-and-rubber Indigenous Combat Boots.
Navy ranks
Initially, the Laotian Navy wore the same rank insignia as their French and ANL counterparts, whose sequence followed closely the
French Navy pattern. Junior officers () and petty officers' () ranks were worn on black removable shoulder boards () or shoulder strap slides () similar to the Army pattern, with the addition of a fouled anchor on the inner end.
NCOs and enlisted men () wore metal or cloth chevrons on both upper sleeves or pinned to the chest.
In 1959 the
Royal Lao Army
The Royal Lao Army (; – ARL), also designated by its anglicized title RLA, was the land component of the Royal Lao Armed Forces (FAR), the official military of the Kingdom of Laos during the North Vietnamese invasion of Laos and the Laotian C ...
(RLA) adopted a new distinctively Laotian-designed system of military ranks, which became in
September 1961 the standard rank chart for all branches of service of the newly created
Royal Lao Armed Forces. Under the new regulations, MRL officers were now entitled to wear on their service or dress uniforms stiffened red shoulder boards edged with gold braid identical to the standard RLA pattern. Junior officers added an appropriate number of five-pointed gold stars to their boards whilst petty officers' wore chevrons on the upper sleeve or diagonal bars on the lower sleeve. Enlisted men wore no insignia.
In the field, Laotian naval officers had their shoulder boards initially replaced by either shoulder strap slides or a single chest tab () buttoned or pinned to the shirt's front fly following French Army practice. By the late 1960s, the MRL adopted the same American-style system as their RLA counterparts, in which metal pin-on or embroidered cloth rank insignia – either in yellow-on-green full-colour or black-on-green subdued form – were worn on both collars by Ratings and on the right collar only by enlisted ranks.
Rank insignia
Branch and unit insignia
There were no arm-of-service designations as such in the Royal Lao Navy, although when wearing Beige-Khaki service dress or U.S. OG jungle fatigues, naval personnel skills and trades were identified by collar badges, in either metal pin-on or cloth embroidered versions. These were worn on the left collar only by Ratings and on both collars by enlisted ranks as per in the RLA.
[Conboy and McCouaig, ''The War in Laos 1960-75'' (1989), p. 14.]
Following the French example, Laotian Navy officers initially wore metal riverine squadron insignia suspended from pocket hangers over their right breast button; enlisted personnel wore cloth versions on the left shoulder. By the 1960s, pocket hangers had been phased out in the MRL and all ranks wore cloth embroidered or printed shoulder riverine squadron insignia.
Yellow and subdued nametapes were occasionally worn above either the left or the right shirt (or jacket) pocket on field dress; black plastic nameplates with white lettering were worn with the service and dress uniforms.
See also
*
Brown-water navy
A brown-water navy or riverine navy, in the broadest sense, is a naval force capable of military operations in inland waters (rivers, lakes and inland seas) and nearshores. The term originated in the United States Navy during the American Ci ...
*
Khmer National Navy
The Khmer National Navy (; , MNK) was the naval component of the Khmer National Armed Forces (FANK), the official military of the Khmer Republic during the Cambodian Civil War between 1970 and 1975.
History
The Royal Khmer Navy (, MRK) was o ...
*
Lao People's Navy
The Lao People's Navy (LPN) is the navy of Laos. In 1975 the Lao People's Navy (LPN) was established with the remnants of the Royal Lao Navy. As Laos is a landlocked country, the Lao People's Navy operates vessels on the Mekong River, a major featu ...
*
Laotian Civil War
The Laotian Civil War was waged between the Communist Pathet Lao and the Royal Lao Government from 23 May 1959 to 2 December 1975. The Kingdom of Laos was a covert Theatre (warfare), theater during the Vietnam War with both sides receiving heavy ...
*
List of weapons of the Laotian Civil War
The Laotian Civil War was a military conflict of the Cold War in Asia that pitted the guerrilla forces of the Marxist-oriented Pathet Lao against the armed and security forces of the Kingdom of Laos ( French: ''Royaume du Laos''), led by the conse ...
*
Mobile Riverine Force
In the Vietnam War, the Mobile Riverine Force (MRF) (after May 1967), initially designated Mekong Delta Mobile Afloat Force, and later the Riverines, were a joint US Army and US Navy force that comprised a substantial part of the brown-water n ...
*
Republic of Vietnam Navy
The Republic of Vietnam Navy (RVNN; - ''HQVNCH''; was the naval branch of the South Vietnamese military, the official armed forces of the former Republic of Vietnam (or South Vietnam) from 1955 to 1975. The early fleet consisted of boats f ...
*
Vietnam People's Navy
The Vietnam People's Navy (VPN; ), internally the Naval Service (), also known as the Vietnamese People's Navy or simply Vietnam/Vietnamese Navy (), is the naval branch of the Vietnam People's Army and is responsible for the protection of the ...
*
Vietnam War
The Vietnam War (1 November 1955 – 30 April 1975) was an armed conflict in Vietnam, Laos, and Cambodia fought between North Vietnam (Democratic Republic of Vietnam) and South Vietnam (Republic of Vietnam) and their allies. North Vietnam w ...
Notes
References
*Andrea Matles Savada (ed.), ''Laos: a country study'' (3rd ed.), Federal Research Division, Library of Congress, Washington, D.C. 1995. , �
* Brig. Gen. Soutchay Vongsavanh, ''RLG Military Operations and Activities in the Laotian Panhandle'', Indochina monographs series,
United States Army Center of Military History
The United States Army Center of Military History (CMH) is a directorate within the United States Army Training and Doctrine Command. The Institute of Heraldry remains within the Office of the Administrative Assistant to the Secretary of the Arm ...
, Washington D.C. 1981. , 9780923135058 for 1989 reprint. �
* Kenneth Conboy and Don Greer, ''War in Laos 1954-1975'', Squadron/Signal Publications, Inc., Carrollton, Texas 1994. , 0897473159
* Kenneth Conboy and Simon McCouaig, ''The War in Laos 1960-75'', Men-at-arms series 217, Osprey Publishing Ltd, London 1989.
* Kenneth Conboy and James Morrison, ''Shadow War: The CIA's Secret War in Laos'', Boulder CO: Paladin Press, 1995. , 1581605358
*Ken Conboy, ''The Erawan War – Volume 1: The CIA Paramilitary Campaign in Laos, 1961-1969'', Asia@War Volume 24, Helion & Company Limited, Warwick UK 2021.
*Ken Conboy, ''The Erawan War – Volume 2: The CIA Paramilitary Campaign in Laos, 1969-1974'', Asia@War Volume 28, Helion & Company Limited, Warwick UK 2022a.
*Ken Conboy, ''The Erawan War – Volume 3: The Royal Lao Armed Forces 1961-1974'', Asia@War Volume 37, Helion & Company Limited, Warwick UK 2022b.
* Maj. Gen.
Oudone Sananikone, ''The Royal Lao Army and U.S. Army advice and support'', Indochina monographs series,
United States Army Center of Military History
The United States Army Center of Military History (CMH) is a directorate within the United States Army Training and Doctrine Command. The Institute of Heraldry remains within the Office of the Administrative Assistant to the Secretary of the Arm ...
, Washington D.C. 1981. �
*Martin Stuart-Fox, ''Historical Dictionary of Laos'', Third Edition, Historical Dictionaries of Asia, Oceania, and the Middle East, No. 67, Scarecrow Press, Inc., Lanham, Maryland, Toronto, Plymouth, UK 2008. , 0-8108-5624-7 �
* Timothy Castle, ''At War in the Shadow of Vietnam: United States Military Aid to the Royal Lao Government, 1955–1975'', Columbia University Press, 1993. �
Secondary sources
* Denis Lassus, ''Les marques de grade de l'armée française, 1945-1990 (1er partie-introduction)'', in Militaria Magazine No. 159, October 1998, Histoire & Collections, Paris. (in
French
French may refer to:
* Something of, from, or related to France
** French language, which originated in France
** French people, a nation and ethnic group
** French cuisine, cooking traditions and practices
Arts and media
* The French (band), ...
)
* Denis Lassus, ''Les marques de grade de l'armée française, 1945-1990 (2e partie-les differents types de galons)'', in Militaria Magazine No. 161, December 1998, Histoire & Collections, Paris. (in
French
French may refer to:
* Something of, from, or related to France
** French language, which originated in France
** French people, a nation and ethnic group
** French cuisine, cooking traditions and practices
Arts and media
* The French (band), ...
)
*Gordon L. Rottman and Hugh Johnson, ''Vietnam Riverine Craft 1962-75'', New Vanguard series 128, Osprey Publishing Ltd, Oxford 2006.
* Paul Gaujac, ''Officiers et soldats de l'armée française d'après le TTA 148 (1943-1956)'', Histoire & Collections, Paris 2011. (in
French
French may refer to:
* Something of, from, or related to France
** French language, which originated in France
** French people, a nation and ethnic group
** French cuisine, cooking traditions and practices
Arts and media
* The French (band), ...
)
External links
Country Study - Kingdom of LaosSIPRI Arms Transfers Database{{Authority control
Royal Lao Armed Forces
Military units and formations established in 1955
Military units and formations disestablished in 1975
Disbanded navies
Riverine warfare
1955 establishments in Laos
1975 disestablishments in Laos