List of equipment of the Vietnam People's Air Force

This is a list of equipment of the Vietnam Air Defence - Air Force. During the Cold War, it received equipment from the Soviet Union. After the Vietnam War, it also used equipment captured from South Vietnam which had been supplied by the United States. Russia became a supplier after the Cold War.

Aircraft

Combat Aircraft ImageModelTypeVariantQuantityOriginNotesSukhoi Su-22Fighter-bomberSu-22M4 Su-22UM3K16 9The Soviets transferred 70 Su-22s (including Su-22M-3R reconnaissance and Su-22UM versions) to Vietnam from 1981 to 1984. According to the Vietnam Air Force Air Defense newspaper, the A32 factory overhauled 20 aircraft from 2019 to 2024.Sukhoi Su-27FighterSu-27SK Su-27UBK5 5According to the Vietnam Air Force Air Defense newspaper, the A32 factory overhauled 5 aircraft from 2019 to 2024.Sukhoi Su-30MultiroleSu-30MK235According to the Vietnam Air Force Air Defense newspaper, the A32 factory overhauled 4 aircraft from 2019 to 2024.

Transport ImageModelTypeVariantQuantityOriginNotesAntonov An-2Transport6CASA C-212TransportNC-212i3The aircraft are equipped with MSS 6000 radar.Airbus C295TransportC-295M3

Helicopter ImageModelTypeVariantQuantityOriginNotesMil Mi-8UtilityMi-8Mi-8MT16Mil Mi-17UtilityMi-17 Mi-17-16 8 (incl 4 SAR)

Trainer ImageModelTypeVariantQuantityOriginNotesYakovlev Yak-130Jet trainerLight multirole10One aircraft crashed in November 2024, another in January 2026.Aero L-39 AlbatrosJet trainerL-39 L-39NG 17 12Flight International reported 43 aircraft in inventory, and three ordered, in 2025.Beechcraft T-6 Texan IITrainer aircraftT-6C Texan II12According to Vietnamese sources, all 12 orders have been delivered. Yakovlev Yak-52Trainer aircraft30According to the official Vietnamese press, the Yak-52 are still actively being used.

Unmanned aerial vehicle

ImageModelTypeVariantQuantityOriginNotesM-96CTUnmanned aerial vehicleM-96CTM-96DUsed for air defence training..M-100CTUnmanned aerial vehicleUsed for air defence training.

Air Defense The Military Balance of 2024 from the International Institute for Strategic Studies notes that Vietnam has a variety of towed anti-aircraft artillery in its arsenal, though the specific guns using the 85mm and 130mm calibers remain uncertain. It is possible that the 85mm gun is the KS-12/K-52, while the 130mm may be the KS-30. Vietnam has ~98+ SAM systems.

Surface-to-Air Defense

ImageModelTypeVariantQuantityOriginNotes S-300Long range air defense and anti-ballistic missile system.S-300PMU112 launchersTwo systems were acquired. Received upgrade to the command center and range of the missile. Said to be upgraded to S-300PMU2 standards.

Factory A31 capable of domestically manufacturing spare and critical parts for SAM missile.SPYDERMedium range air defense systemSPYDER-MR5-10 (approx.) systemsFive received in 2016–2018.SA-2 Dvina Short to medium range air defense system.Volga S-75M/M3~25 launchers ~27 to 35 km range. The Volga S-75M/M3 air defense missile complex (modern version of SAM-2) uses 5IA23 missiles and is a High-altitude air defense system. All SAM-2 complex systems have been modernized. Able to domestically produce complexes and equipment.

Factory A31 capable of domestically manufacturing spare and critical parts for SAM missile. Old missiles had certain analog parts replaced with digital systems.S-125 Neva/PechoraShort to medium range air defense system.S-125TM Pechora-2TM S-125M Pechora-M S-125-VT51 launchers (S-125-VT)~35 km range. 30 S-125TM Pechora-2TM and 21 S-125M Pechora-M batteries as of 2024. The S-125-VT domestic modernized variant was reported to be in service in July 2024.

Factory A31 capable of domestically manufacturing spare and critical parts for SAM missile. Old missiles had certain analog parts replaced with digital systems.9K35 Strela-10Short range air defense system.20 launchers~10 km range. Still being used according to official Vietnamese newspaper from 2024, but not mentioned in the Military Balance of 2024.

Anti-aircraft Artillery ImageModelTypeCaliberVariantQuantityOriginNotes61-KAutocannon37 mmType 65(partial production)37 mm automatic anti-air autocannon. Modernized with a fire-control system and radar.AZP S-60Autocannon57 mm (partial production)57 mm automatic anti-air autocannon. The Vietnamese heavily upgraded the AZP S-60 by equipping it with a fire-control system with radar, optoelectronic reconnaissance equipment, an electromechanical gun control complex, and a digital firing element identification system connected to a computer. Has an LCD screen. The upgraded AZP S-60 can operate without a gunner, is fully automatic, and no longer needs to be manually reloaded.

A part of the VPK-57 project. Fire-control system integrated with X-band AESA radar.KS-19Towed Anti-aircraft gun100 mmUsed during Vietnam war. Still in service according to Military Balance of 2024.

Self-propelled anti-aircraft +ImageModelTypeCaliberVariantQuantityOriginNoteZSU-23-4Self-propelled anti-aircraft weapon (Upgrade)Upgrade locally with MANPADS installed on the turret, new electronics and fire control system

Radar ImageModelTypeVariantQuantityOriginNotesEL/M-22883D solid-state long-range S-bandEL/M-2288 ER2Delivered in 2013.Kasta 2E2Low-altitude 3D air search radarKasta 2E2Acquired in the 2000s.KolchugaPassive radar44 bought in 2008 for $27 million per unit. Entered service by 2022.Nebo-SVMid-range 2D air search radar2Nebo-UVHF mobile, long-range, 3D digital phased array air surveillance Nebo-UE2P-18Acquisition radarP18MVariant developed in Vietnam using technology from the Czech Republic.RV-02Anti-stealth radarVietnemese development of the Belarus-Vietnam RV-01.VERAPassive radarVERA-NG4Delivered from 2014 to 2016.VRS-2DMLow-altitude radarBased on the P-19 radar. Developed by Viettel.VRS-M2D 2D VHF-Band Medium-Range Air-Defense Surveillance Radar Produced by Viettel.VRS-MRS (VRS-M55S)3D S-Band Medium-Range Air-Defense Surveillance Radar Produced by Viettel.

Munition ImageModelTypeVariantQuantityOriginNotesAir-to-air Missile K-13 (AA-2)Air-to-air missile2,550Used by former MiG-21 and Su-22M4/UM3K. 1000 R-3S, 800 R-3R, and 750 R-13M missiles.Trade Registers. Armstrade.sipri.org. Retrieved on 29 May 2015 R-60 (AA-8)Air-to-air missile400Used by Su-22M4/UM3K fighter-bombers. R-27 (AA-10)Air-to-air missile320Used by Su-30MK2 and Su-27SK/UBK fighters. R-73 (AA-11)Air-to-air missileR-73E375Used by Su-30MK2, Su-27SK/UBK and Yak-130. Short range missile.R-77 (AA-12)Air-to-air missileRVV-AERVV-AE is carried by Vietnamese Su-30MK2.Air-to-surface MissileKh-59 (AS-13)Air-to-surface missile200Kh-59 is carried by Vietnamese Su-30MK2. Kh-29 (AS-14)Air-to-surface missile100Used by Su-30MK2, Su-27SK/UBK and Su-22M4/UM3K fighter-bombers Kh-31 (AS-17)Air-to-surface missileKh-31A Kh-31P100Kh-31 is carried by Vietnamese Su-30MK2.Rocket S-5 rocketRocketS-5 is carried by Vietnamese Mi-8/17, Su-22 or L-39/L-39NG.. soha.vn. Retrieved on 26 June 2025 Additionally, the S-5 is also used on Yak-130, but it is rarely used. S-8 rocketRocketS-8 is carried by Vietnamese Mi-8/17, Su-22 or L-39/L-39NG. Additionally, the S-8 is also used on Yak-130 or Su-27SK/UBK, Su-30MK2. S-13 rocketRocketS-13 is carried by Vietnamese Su-22, Yak-130 or Su-27SK/UBK, Su-30MK2. Additionally, the S-13 is also used on L-39/L-39NG, but it is rarely used.Bomb KAB-500KRElectro-optical TV-guided fire and forget bomb200 KAB-1500LLaser-guided bomb OFAB-100-120Aerial bomb OFAB-250-270Aerial bombP-100P BombTraining bomb500The type purchased is the P-100P practice variant used on Su-30.

Former

Combat Aircraft ImageModelTypeVariantQuantityOriginNotes Shenyang J-6Fighter3010 units per year delivered in 1970, 1971, and 1972.Shenyang J-5Fighter10The Vietnamese Air Force used J-5s alongside the Soviet supplied MiG-17s for interception missions until the 1990s when they were retired, along with the remaining MiG-19s, being replaced with newer MiG-21s and Su-27s. MiG-21 FishbedFighterMiG-21bis MiG-21UM MiG-21PF MiG-21PFM MiG-21MF MiG-21F-13 645 Retired from service in November 2015. Replaced with Su-22. The MiG-21 fleet are in storage and some frames are still capable of flying. There are plans to turn these retired aircraft into UAVs.MiG-19 FarmerFighter3015 delivered in 1967; another 15 in 1973. MiG-17 FrescoFighterMiG17A MiG17P MiG17PF367 MiG-15 FagotFighterTrainer3Northrop F-5Light ground-attackLight fighterF-5AF-5E? (possibly 41 in 935th Fighter Regiment)114 possibly captured after Vietnam War, post 1975.Gordon 2008, pp. 403–410.Cessna A-37 DragonflyLight ground-attackA-37AA-37B? (likely in the 1970s and 80s)95 possibly captured after Vietnam War, post 1975.

Bomber ImageModelTypeVariantQuantityOriginNotes Ilyushin Il-28Medium bomberIlyushin Il-28Ilyushin Il-28UIlyushin Il-28R8Inactive.

Maritime patrol ImageModelTypeVariantQuantityOriginNotes PZL M28Maritime patrolM28B-1R2Inactive.

Transport ImageModelTypeVariantQuantityOriginNotes Antonov An-26Transport~50 Antonov An-24Transport7Beriev Be-12Transport6 Lockheed C-130 HerculesTransport7Captured during Vietnam War. Still serviced after 1975 and retired after 1980Fairchild C-119Transport4Captured during Vietnam War.de Havilland Canada C-7 CaribouSTOLtransport aircraftC-7ACaptured during Vietnam War.Douglas C-47 SkytrainMilitary transport aircraftCaptured during Vietnam War.

Helicopters ImageModelTypeVariantQuantityOriginNotesMil Mi-24Attack helicopterMi-24A Mi-24D~10 ~30In 2012, Mi-24As reportedly equipped with American-made rockets from captured American/South Vietnamese stockpiles after the Vietnam War.https://web.archive.org/web/20121031093459/http://quocphong.baodatviet.vn/Home/QPCN/Viet-Nam-cai-tien-rocket-My-trang-bi-tren-truc-thang-Nga/20129/235805.datvietMi-4Transport~10Mi-6 HookTransportMil Mi-6~15-26They were actively used during the Vietnam War to move aircraft at forward airstrips and also took part in delivering supplies along the Ho Chi Minh Trail. CH-47 ChinookTransportCH-47A5Captured during Vietnam War. UH-1 IroquoisUtilityUH-1H44Captured during Vietnam War.

Trainer ImageModelTypeVariantQuantityOriginNotes Aero L-29Trainer TL-1TrainerDesigned and manufactured from 1984 - 1985.

The TL-1 is said to be a 4 seater with side-by-side seating arrangement. The HL-1 is a 2 seater with tandem seating. The HL-2 is either a 2nd iteration of HL-1 or a new variation.

Also, seen at the Vietnam People's Air Force Museum in Hanoi.

Unmanned Aerial Vehicle (UAV) ImageModelTypeVariantQuantityOriginNotesSmall UVAITAD M-400ReconnaissanceNo longer in service. Designed in 2001 and produced in 2005. Produced and developed by Viettel.

Air Defense

Anti-aircraft Artillery ImageModelTypeCaliberVariantOriginNotesZU-23-2Twin Autocannon23 mm23mm-2M 23mm-2MLThe 23mm-2M variant upgrade included cabin for gunner, electromechanic turn system, modern control systems, and potentially a ballistic computer and fire-control system. This project was jointly carried out by Israel and Vietnam. Similar to the 23mm-2M, the 23mm-2ML additionally includes optronics sensor, laser rangefinder, and potentially a digital fire-control system Further modernization projects includes installing the platform on logistic trucks and adding an automatic control system that's being developed.

Potentially retired according to the Military Balance of 2024.

Likely transferred to the army.

Missile ImageModelTypeVariantQuantityOriginNotesAir-to-surface MissileKh-28 (AS-9)Anti-radiation missileKh-28E100Used by Su-22M4/UM3K fighter-bombers.Kh-25 (AS-10) Air-to-surface missileAnti-radiation missileKh-25ML Kh-25TEKh-25MRKh-25MP400

Radar System