Vietnam Army

Ground forces of the Vietnam People's Army fall under the direct command of the Ministry of National Defense and the General Staff. Vietnam does not maintain a separate administrative army branch; ground combat elements are organized under seven geographical military regions—1st, 2nd, 3rd, 4th, 5th, 7th, and 9th Military Regions—alongside the Capital High Command in Hanoi. Mobile strategic reserve forces are concentrated into two consolidated regular formations: the 12th Corps, headquartered in Tam Diep, Ninh Binh, and the 34th Corps, headquartered in Pleiku, Gia Lai. Subordinate units are structured into infantry divisions, armored brigades, artillery regiments, and specialized technical corps for chemical, engineer, signal, and special operations duties.

Armored units operate T-90S main battle tanks and T-90SK command tanks, supported by upgraded T-54M, T-62, and Type 59 tanks. Mechanized infantry units are equipped with BMP-1 and BMP-2 infantry fighting vehicles, while motorized units utilize BTR-60, BTR-152, and M113 armored personnel carriers. Ground artillery units field towed D-30 and M-46 guns, BM-21 Grad multiple launch rocket systems, and self-propelled systems including 2S1 Gvozdika and 2S3 Akatsiya. Tactical missile units retain Scud-B ballistic missile systems. Air defense assets integrated with land forces include S-300PMU-1, Spyder, and Strela-10 surface-to-air missile platforms, complemented by ZSU-23-4 Shilka self-propelled anti-aircraft guns.

Domestic modernization initiatives center on upgrading legacy Soviet-era equipment and producing indigenous combat platforms. State-owned defense enterprises, including Viettel, produce the XCB-01 infantry fighting vehicle, 152mm self-propelled howitzers, and air defense systems such as the A125-VT missile complex. Foreign procurement aims to diversify suppliers beyond traditional Russian sources by incorporating technology from European, Israeli, and Asian manufacturers. Operational responsibilities focus on land border defense, internal security, and natural disaster relief. International deployments consist of United Nations peacekeeping operations, where army engineering contingents serve with the United Nations Interim Security Force for Abyei and medical personnel operate field hospitals under the United Nations Mission in South Sudan.