The Vietnam Border Guard ( - BĐBP or BP) is the border security branch of the Vietnam People's Army.

It is responsible for the management and protection of the sovereignty, territorial integrity, security, order and national boundaries on the mainland, islands, sea and at the gate as shall by law and is force member in provincial areas of defence, border districts of the Socialist Republic of Vietnam.

Origins On 19 November 1958, the Politburo of the Workers' Party of Vietnam decided to unite national defence forces and army units whose missions were domestic protection, border protection, beach defence, boundary security, and other forces in charge of guarding domestic international borders, under the management of the Police Department, and named them the Guard forces. Guard forces including Border Guard and Homeland Guard.Bộ đội Biên phòng Việt Nam – Wikipedia tiếng Việt, Retrieved 4 March 2012

According to the resolution of the Politburo, the Border Guard is responsible for: Repressing spies, commandos, bandits, sea pirates and small cliques participating in destructive activities in border and coastal regions; Attacking any army that infringes on national borders, and to cope with all activities of war while awaiting army reinforcement; Preventing and punishing smugglers in border areas; Implementing regulations on cross-border traffic promulgated by the government of Socialist Republic of Vietnam and control cross-border traffic, including cars, people, baggage, goods, works and cultural objects; Protecting life and property, including State property, in the border areas.

The Homeland Guard is responsible for (this task was transferred to police protection under the General Department of Police, Ministry of Public Security): Suppress all destructive activities of the small fee, parachuting spies and violence, destruction of the other counter-revolutionary cliques; Protect the headquarters, the leader of the Party and State, the diplomatic missions, international leaders and foreign guests visiting to Vietnam; Protect factories, mines, warehouses important, the centre of important contact information, clues and important transport axis, and an important transport, cultural facilities, science and Art is important; Protect Capital, cities and towns is important, protecting the rallies by the central government regulations, executive orders curfew as needed and the people's police to maintain order general security; Guarding the camps, prisons, escorting political prisoners and criminal matter, the hearing protection.

On 3 March 1959, the Prime Minister of Vietnam signed Decision No. 100 - TTg on the establishment of an armed force in charge of border protection and domestic, to be known as the People's Armed Police, set under the leadership of the Ministry of Public Security. This date is taken as the date of establishment of the Vietnam Border Guard.

Ceremony set up the People's Armed Police was held on the evening of 28 March 1959, at 19 hours, at the Military Club, Hanoi.

By the end of 1979 the People's Armed Police was renamed Border Guard and transferred under the Ministry of Defence (Vietnam). In 1988, the Border Guard moved to directly under the Ministry of Interior until late in 1995, then moved to the Ministry of Defence (Vietnam).

Mission

Border Guard is the core force in charge, in co-ordination with other armed forces, localities and departments concerned and depend on people to manage, protect borders, maintaining security political, social order and safety in the border areas, maintaining the external border. Border Guard operates under the laws of the Socialist Republic of Vietnam, the international treaties relating to the sovereignty, national security and border on the mainland, islands, seas and border gates that the Socialist Republic of Vietnam has signed or acceded to.

Structure The organisational system of Border Guard includes:

Command of Border Guard General Staff Political Department Department of Logistics - Technicals Department of Reconnaissance Department of Drug Prevention Border Crossings Department Office of the Command 21st Signal Regiment Border Guard Academy Border Guard College 24th Border Guard Intermediate Technical School Northwest Training - Mobile Troop Center Border Guard Command of Provincial Military Command Border Guard Posts Border Gate Commands Border Guard Flotillas

Ranks

Commissioned officer ranks The rank insignia of commissioned officers.

Other ranks The rank insignia of non-commissioned officers and enlisted personnel.

Equipment Personal equipment +ImageNameTypeOriginNoteHelmetType A2 helmetCombat helmet Used in training and law enforcement activityPith helmetHelmetUsed in trainingPASGT helmetCombat helmet CamouflageK20 Border GuardCamouflageStandard issueK20 NavyCamouflageUsed by Border Guard flottila in naval border area

Unmanned Aerial Vehicle ModelImageTypeVariantQuantityOriginNotesVUA-SC-3GReconnaissance3 UAV systemsCurrently, the VUA SC-3G is being used by the Vietnam Border Guard.

Infantry weapons ModelImageTypeVariantCaliberOriginNotesPistolsK14VNSemi-automatic pistol7.62×25mm TokarevTT-33Semi-automatic pistol7.62×25mm TokarevType 54/K54Semi-automatic pistol7.62×25mm Tokarev Assault riflesAK-47Assault rifleAKMSAKM7.62×39mm M43 Galil ACEAssault rifle7.62×39mm STV rifleAssault rifleSTV-022STV-215STV-3807.62×39mmSince 2022, the STV215/380 began to be officially equipped for the 10th Division, 3rd Corps (now the 34th Corps), following the model of a strong, uniformly equipped division. Subsequently, it was gradually equipped for units in the 12th Corps, infantry divisions in various military regions, and some border guard units.Machine gunPKMGeneral -purpose machine gun7.62x54mmRRPDLight machine gunRPD-44STrL-D7.62×39mm DShKHeavy machine gunDShK-38DShK 38/4612.7×108mm

Vehicle

Ground vehicles ModelImageTypeVariantQuantityOriginDetailsUAZ-469Military light utility vehicle2KamAZ-43253Military truck4Hyundai CountyUtility Vehicle2ZIL-130Military truck4KamAZ-43266Military truck1

Patrol Vessels ClassImageTypeShipsOriginQuantityNotesDamen Stan Patrol 4207Patrol vesselsBP48-19-01 BP29-19-01 BP28-19-01 BP27-19-014High-Speed Guard Boat;Patrol vesselsBP 07-01-01BP 29-01-02BP 29-01-07BP 29-01-01BP 29-01-06BP 29–06–0212Five ships will be built at the Kattupalli shipyard, while the remaining seven in the project will be constructed at Vietnam's Hong Ha Shipyard with technical assistance from L&T. The shipbuilding design center of the Indian group is responsible for the design and engineering of the project.MS-50S;Patrol vesselsBP 01–15–01, BP 20–15–01, BP 31–15–01, BP 57–15–03, BP-07-15-01, BP-08-15-01, BP-09-15-01, BP-33-15-01, BP-15-15-01, BP-19-15-0123The Technical Equipment Procurement Council of the Border Guard Command conducted technical acceptance testing and handed over these 13 boats at the end of November 2025.CN-09Patrol vesselsBP 14-19-01 BP 14-19-02 BP 02-19-01 BP 11-19-01 BP 30–19–015Ho Chi Minh City Border Guard received BP 14-19-01 and BP 14–19–02. Hai Phong Border Guard received BP 02–19–01. Phu Quy Port Border Guard Station received BP 11–19–01. Quang Tri Border Guard received BP 02–19–01.

Former

Infantry weapons +ModelImageTypeVariantCaliberOriginNoteRiflesSVT-40Semi-automatic rifle7.62*54mmRussiaSubmachie gunPPSh 41/Type 50Submachine gun7.62*25mmRussia/ChinaType 64Submachine gun7.62*25mm/9*19mmChina

References

External links