Vietnam Air Defence – Air Force
The Vietnam Air Defence – Air Force (Quân chủng Phòng không – Không quân) is the single service that guards Vietnam’s airspace with both missiles and aircraft: it grew from a 1949 study group and a 1959 air department into the MiG force that fought the US air war over the North, took over most of the collapsing Republic of Vietnam Air Force in 1975, and today flies about 35 Su-30MK2s alongside ageing Su-22s while buying its first Western trainers.
The Vietnamese air force story: MiGs over the North, captured jets in 1975 and Sukhois on Western trainers
1949–1964: from a study group to the first MiG regiment
The service dates its roots to 9 March 1949, when the Việt Minh set up a small air research bureau with no aircraft to speak of. In the war against France its real air arm was on the ground: anti-aircraft Regiment 367, formed on 1 April 1953, fought at Điện Biên Phủ, where the French lost 62 aircraft and had 167 damaged according to the battle’s standard account. After 1954 Hanoi sent trainees to the Soviet Union and China, set up an Air Force Department on 24 January 1959 and a transport regiment, the 919th, on 1 May 1959. The Soviets gave 36 MiG-17s and MiG-15UTI trainers in February 1964, and Regiment 921 flew home to North Vietnam on 6 August 1964. By then the air force and the air defence troops had already been joined: the combined service was created on 22 October 1963, the date it still keeps as its founding day.
1965–1968: MiG-17s and MiG-21s against Rolling Thunder
The first fight came on 3 April 1965 over the Thanh Hóa bridge. Vietnamese pilots Phạm Ngọc Lan and Phan Văn Túc claimed two F-8 Crusaders; the US Navy says all its aircraft returned, though one was so badly damaged it was written off at Đà Nẵng. The next day MiG-17s shot down two F-105s, while losing all their fighters engaged and three pilots. MiG-21s arrived by ship in April 1966, and the force grew from 36 MiG-17s in 1965 to about 180 MiGs and 72 pilots by 1968. It was never large, and it paid heavily: on 2 January 1967 Colonel Robin Olds’s Operation Bolo lured MiG-21s into F-4s flying like F-105s; the US claims seven, Vietnamese sources admit five. Vietnamese figures credit most US losses to the ground defences: 60 per cent to guns and 31 per cent to SA-2s, against 9 per cent to MiGs.
1972: Linebacker, Linebacker II and the war of claims
The claims of both sides are still irreconcilable, and this page gives both. The United States says it shot down 196 confirmed MiGs (100 MiG-17s, 10 MiG-19s, 86 MiG-21s); the service, for its part, admits 154 MiGs lost to all causes, 131 in air combat, and claims 266 US aircraft in air-to-air fighting. On 10 May 1972 the VPAF claimed seven F-4s and the US confirmed five lost, while Randy Cunningham and William Driscoll became the first American aces. In the December 1972 bombing of Hanoi, Linebacker II, Hanoi claims 81 aircraft including 34 B-52s and the US admits 15 B-52s shot down. MiG-21 pilots Phạm Tuân and Vũ Xuân Thiều are credited in Vietnam with a B-52 each; US records put both losses down to missiles. Phạm Tuân later became the first Asian in space, aboard Soyuz 37 in July 1980.
1975–1989: captured jets, Cambodia and the northern border
In spring 1975 the northern army overran the South and, with it, most of the Republic of Vietnam Air Force, which had counted 2,075 aircraft at the 1973 ceasefire. About 877 aircraft were captured. On 28 April 1975 five captured A-37s led by the defector Nguyễn Thành Trung bombed Tân Sơn Nhất, the North’s first successful air attack on Saigon. Former RVNAF A-37s and F-5s then flew most of the ground-attack missions against the Khmer Rouge from 1978, and captured UH-1s, T-41s and U-17s trained a new generation. When China invaded the northern border in February 1979, both sides kept their fighters out of direct combat. On 31 May 1977 the service was split into an air force and an air defence force. In 1988 Vietnam lost 64 men at Johnson South Reef, a naval clash with China in which no air role is recorded.
1999–2023: one service again, and the Sukhoi generation
The two services were merged again on 3 March 1999 by presidential decree. The MiG-21, the aircraft of the American war, gave way to Russian Sukhois: about ten Su-27SK and Su-27UBK two-seaters, then Su-30MK2s ordered in several batches from the early 2000s, with 12 more for delivery in 2014 and 2015 under a reported US$450 million contract. Around 35 were in service in 2024. The fleet has not been free of loss: a Su-30MK2 went down off Nghệ An on 14 June 2016, and one of its two pilots survived. The Su-22M4 fighter-bombers delivered in the 1980s were kept flying by Factory A32, which overhauled and life-extended 20 of them between 2019 and 2024.
2024–2026: trainers from three countries, and the question of what comes next
What has changed since 2024 is where the pilots learn to fly. Vietnam bought 12 Yak-130s from Russia in 2019, 12 Czech L-39NGs under a 2021 contract, all delivered by June 2025, and 12 American T-6C Texan IIs, the first five of which landed in November 2024. Two Yak-130s have crashed, in November 2024 and January 2026, and in July 2026 the Irkutsk factory said it was signing for 18 more. The fighter question is open. RFA reported in November 2024 that analysts were unsure whether Vietnam would go on to buy F-16s; no fighter contract has been announced, and no replacement for the Su-22 has been announced. The service still exercises with live bombs every year and still flies Su-30MK2s over the national parades; its challenge is to keep a mostly Russian fleet flying while diversifying suppliers.
The Vietnam Air Defence – Air Force in numbers
Dienst
- Inheemse naam
- Quân chủng Phòng không – Không quânLiterally "Air Defence – Air Force Service", as the service newspaper spells it. The flying arm is also called Không quân Nhân dân Việt Nam (Vietnam People’s Air Force)
- Opgericht
- 22 October 1963The date the combined service keeps as its founding day. Roots: an air research bureau on 9 March 1949 and an Air Force Department on 24 January 1959. Wikipedia gives 3 March 1955 for the air force itself
- Split and re-merger
- Split 1977, re-merged 3 March 1999Separated into an air force and an air defence force on 31 May 1977 (Wikipedia); re-merged by decree 03/L-CTN of President Trần Đức Lương
- Onderdeel van
- People’s Army of VietnamOne of the services under the Ministry of National Defence
- Commandant
- Lt Gen Vũ Hồng SơnNamed as commander in October 2025 and August 2026; his predecessor Lt Gen Nguyễn Văn Hiền was in post in June 2024
- Political commissar
- Lt Gen Trần Ngọc QuyếnIn post from at least June 2024
- Honours
- Hero of the People’s Armed ForcesAwarded to the service on 3 October 2025 and presented at its 62nd anniversary
Kracht
- Personeel
- About 35,000Wikipedia’s 2023 figure for the whole service, air defence included. The People’s Army as a whole has about 450,000 active personnel
- Gevechtsvliegtuigen
-
- Su-30MK2 — about 35
- Su-27SK/UBK — about 10
- Su-22M4/UM3K — 25–30+
Counts are not published by the Ministry of National Defence; figures are from Wikipedia and RFA, which disagree on the Su-22 (more than 30 in 2024 per RFA, 25 in 2026 per Wikipedia)
- Trainers
-
- Yak-130 — 12 delivered, two lost
- L-39NG — 12
- T-6C Texan II — 12 ordered
The L-39NG (now L-39 Skyfox) delivery was completed by June 2025; the T-6C deliveries were to run from 2024 to 2027
- Transport en helikopters
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- CASA/Airbus C-295M — 3
- Antonov An-26
- Mil Mi-8 and Mi-17 families
No official count found; Wikipedia’s equipment list gives the types. Ten helicopters led the 30 April 2025 flypast
- Defensiebudget
- 273 trillion dong (2025)About US$10.4 billion for the whole People’s Army; no separate figure for the service is published
Infrastructuur
- Air divisions
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- Division 370
- Division 371
- Division 372
The service newspaper names Divisions 370, 371 and 372 as air divisions; regiments named in 2025–2026 include 915, 918, 920, 927 and 940
- Air defence divisions
-
- Divisions 361, 363, 365, 375 and 377 (per Wikipedia)
Missile, gun and radar divisions; Division 365 has marked 60 years and Regiment 292 belongs to Division 377
- Pilot training
- Air Force Officer SchoolRegiment 920 was founded under the school at Nha Trang in 1975; RFA reported the T-6C going to Regiment 920 at Phan Thiết
- Maintenance
- Factory A32Overhauls Su-22, Su-27 and Su-30MK2 airframes in Vietnam
- Luchtbases
- See the stations listBiên Hòa launched the 2025 parade flypast; Gia Lâm hosts the defence expo; Yên Bái was the MiG-19 base in 1972 and Phan Thiết is the T-6C base reported by RFA
How the Vietnam Air Defence – Air Force is organised
One service of the People’s Army of Vietnam for both aircraft and air defence, with three air divisions, the air defence divisions and an Air Force Officer School. The Su-30MK2, about 35 in service, is the front-line fighter; Regiment 935 of Division 370 flies it from Biên Hòa, alongside about ten Su-27s and ageing Su-22 fighter-bombers in the fleet. The air force and the air defence force were split on 31 May 1977 and merged again on 3 March 1999.
Air Defence – Air Force Service
One of the services of the People’s Army of Vietnam under the Ministry of National Defence, guarding the airspace with both missiles and aircraft. The service newspaper named Maj Gen Vũ Hồng Sơn as commander in October 2025 and gave him the rank of lieutenant general by August 2026; the exact date of his appointment was not found on an official page. The political commissar is Lt Gen Trần Ngọc Quyến.
Division 370
One of the three air divisions the service newspaper names, with 371 and 372. Its Regiment 935 flies the Su-30MK2, Vietnam’s most capable fighter, from Biên Hòa; the newspaper reported more than 700 sorties in 2026 by August, including night flying and maritime interception training.
Fighter and fighter-bomber regiments
Regiments whose bases rest on Wikipedia: 923 with Su-30MK2s at Thọ Xuân, 927 at Kép, 921 with Su-22M4s at Yên Bái since 2018 and 937 with Su-22s at Phan Rang. Which division each belongs to is not stated in the sources for this page; an Australian delegation in October 2025 visited Regiment 927 and Division 371.
Air Force Officer School
Regiment 920, formed under the school at Nha Trang on 12 November 1975 to fly captured T-41s, U-17s and UH-1s, now flies the Yak-130 and L-39NG and, according to RFA, is the planned home of the T-6C at Phan Thiết. Regiment 940 flies Yak-130s at Phù Cát and trained at Kép from October 2023.
Regiments 918 and 917
Regiment 918, the transport regiment the Australian air chief visited in October 2025, flies from Gia Lâm according to Wikipedia; the service has three C-295Ms and An-26s. Regiment 917, of Division 370, left Tân Sơn Nhất in 2017 for Cần Thơ (Trà Nóc), where Wikipedia places its Mi-8 and Mi-17 helicopters.
Air defence divisions
The missile, gun and radar divisions of the same service: Wikipedia lists Divisions 361, 363, 365, 375 and 377. Division 365 has marked 60 years, and Regiment 292 belongs to Division 377. Factory A32 overhauls the Su-22, Su-27 and Su-30MK2 fleets in Vietnam.
What the Vietnam Air Defence – Air Force flies today
Elk type is gekoppeld aan de bijbehorende pagina in het Boek der Beesten, indien aanwezig. Het aantal vliegtuigen betreft de geregistreerde vliegtuigen, niet de vliegtuigen die op een bepaalde dag beschikbaar zijn.
| Type | Rol | In dienst | Sinds | Eenheden | Notities | |
|---|---|---|---|---|---|---|
| Sukhoi Su-30MK2 (Su-30MK2V)In dienst | Multifunctionele gevechtsvliegtuig | 35 | 2004 | — | About 35 in 2024 (Wikipedia’s operator list; RFA also gives 35).
MeerWikipedia describes four received in 2004, about 20 more under contracts of 2009 and 2010 and 12 under a reported US$450 million contract for delivery in 2014–2015; one was lost in 2016. The ministry publishes no count. |
|
| Sukhoi Su-27SK and Su-27UBKIn dienst | luchtsuperioriteitsjager | 10 | — | Wikipedia counted five single-seat Su-27SKs and five two-seat Su-27UBKs in January 2013; the VPAF article says 12 were received. Factory A32 overhauled five between 2019 and 2024. | ||
| Sukhoi Su-22M4 en Su-22UM3KIn dienst | Jachtbommenwerper | — | 1981 | — | 25–30+. Wikipedia gives 25 in service as of 2026; RFA wrote of more than 30 in November 2024. Wikipedia’s equipment list says 70 were transferred in 1981–1984. | |
| Yakovlev Yak-130In dienst | Advanced jet trainer and light attack | 10 | — | 12 delivered; two lost, on 6 November 2024 and 28 January 2026, leaving ten if none has been added. | ||
| Aero L-39NG (L-39 Skyfox)In dienst | Straaltrainer | 12 | 2024 | — | 12 ordered in 2021; six passed acceptance in Vietnam by 16 August 2024 and the last three (nos. 10–12) completed the contract by June 2025. | |
| Aero L-39 Albatros (older models)In dienst | Straaltrainer | — | — | Wikipedia’s equipment list gives 17; not confirmed by an official source. | ||
| Beechcraft T-6C Texan IIIn dienst | Hoofdtrainer | — | 2024 | — | 5–12. Twelve ordered in 2021; the first five arrived at Tân Sơn Nhất in November 2024, with deliveries planned to 2027 (RFA).
MeerWikipedia says all 12 have been delivered; an official Vietnamese count was not found. |
|
| Yakovlev Yak-52In dienst | Hoofdtrainer | — | — | Wikipedia’s list gives 30; not confirmed. | ||
| CASA/Airbus C-295MIn dienst | Tactisch transport | 3 | — | Three, per Wikipedia. | ||
| Antonov An-26In dienst | Vervoer | — | — | In service according to Wikipedia; its figure could not be corroborated and is not repeated here. | ||
| Mil Mi-8 and Mi-17 familyIn dienst | Transport and search-and-rescue helicopter | — | — | Wikipedia lists 16 Mi-8 and 14 Mi-17; no official count. |
Op bestelling
| Type | Besteld | Eerste levering | Notities | |
|---|---|---|---|---|
| Yakovlev Yak-130 (Yak-130M)Op bestelling | 18 | Reported, not confirmed by Vietnam: in July 2026 Andrei Soynov, head of the Irkutsk aircraft plant, was quoted saying a contract for 18 aircraft with Vietnam was being signed.
MeerNo delivery date published. |
||
| Beechcraft T-6C Texan IIOp bestelling | — | 2024 | Twelve ordered in 2021; five arrived in November 2024 with deliveries planned to 2027 (RFA). Whether any remain outstanding could not be confirmed: Wikipedia says all 12 have arrived. |
Every type the Vietnam Air Defence – Air Force has retired
10 types, from the de Havilland Tiger Moth to the Mikoyan-Gurevich MiG-21 (MiG-21F-13, PF, PFM, MF, bis and others). De piekcijfers hebben betrekking op het aantal vliegtuigen dat gedurende de gehele levensduur in gebruik is genomen, niet op de vlootsterkte op een bepaalde datum.
| Type | Rol | Piek | Geserveerd | Vervangen door | Notities | |
|---|---|---|---|---|---|---|
| Mikoyan-Gurevich MiG-21 (MiG-21F-13, PF, PFM, MF, bis and others) | Interceptor and fighter | — | 1966–2015 | Su-27, Su-30MK2 | Total delivered not confirmed. | |
| Antonov An-2 | Light transport and improvised bomber | — | — | — | Wikipedia’s list gives six still active; not confirmed. | |
| Shenyang J-6 (MiG-19) | Vechter | 68 | 1969– | — | 68 delivered: 44 in 1968–1969 and 24 in 1974 (Wikipedia); seldom more than 54 at a time. | |
| Mikoyan-Gurevich MiG-17 and Shenyang J-5 | Vechter | — | 1964– | MiG-21 | From 36 in 1965 to about 180 MiGs of all types by 1968; total not confirmed. | |
| Mikoyan-Gurevich MiG-15UTI | Straaltrainer | — | 1964– | — | Aantal niet bevestigd. | |
| Cessna A-37B Dragonfly (captured) | Lichte aanval | 95 | 1975– | — | 95 of the RVNAF’s roughly 187 A-37Bs of April 1975; 33 intact at Đà Nẵng alone. | |
| Northrop F-5A and F-5E (captured) | Light fighter | 41 | 1975– | — | 41 used operationally out of 87 F-5A and 27 F-5E captured (Wikipedia). | |
| Bell UH-1 Iroquois (captured) | Hulphelikopter | — | 1975– | — | Aantal niet bevestigd. | |
| Cessna T-41 Mescalero and U-17 (captured) | Trainer en contactpersoon | — | 1975– | — | Aantal niet bevestigd. | |
| de Havilland Tiger Moth | Trainer | — | 1949– | — | Aantal niet bevestigd. |
Where the Vietnam Air Defence – Air Force flies from
Zwarte pinnen geven actieve bases aan, holle pinnen de vliegvelden die gesloten zijn. Many of today’s bases were built by France or the United States and passed to the People’s Army in 1975, among them Biên Hòa, Phan Rang and Đà Nẵng; Kép and Yên Bái were the North’s wartime MiG bases. The military side of Phúc Yên, beside Nội Bài airport, has been largely inactive since November 2018 according to Wikipedia. Several resident regiments rest on Wikipedia alone. Entries with no published aerodrome data carry no pin.
| Baseren | ICAO | Status | Startbaan | Eenheden en vliegtuigen |
|---|---|---|---|---|
| Đà NẵngĐà Nẵng city | VVDN | Actief | 17L/35R3.500 m17R/35L3.048 m |
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| Biên HòaĐồng Nai province, about 25 km north-east of Ho Chi Minh City | VVBH | Actief | 09L/27R3.048 mconcreet09R/27L3.048 mconcreet |
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| Cần ThơTrà Nóc7 km north-west of Cần Thơ | Actief | — |
|
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| Cam RanhCam Ranh peninsula, Khánh Hòa province | Actief | — |
|
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| Gia LâmLong Biên district, Hanoi | VVGL | Actief | 02/202.001 m |
|
| KépBắc Giang area, about 60 km north-east of Hanoi (Bắc Ninh province after the 2025 merger of provinces) | Actief | — |
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| Phù CátAbout 24 km north of Quy Nhơn (Bình Định, merged into Gia Lai province in 2025) | Actief | — |
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| Phan RangThành SơnNorth-north-west of Phan Rang–Tháp Chàm (Khánh Hòa province since 2025) | Actief | — |
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| Phan ThiếtPhan Thiết, south-central coast | Actief | — |
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| Tân Sơn NhấtHo Chi Minh City | VVTS | Actief | — |
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| Thọ XuânSao VàngSao Vàng, Thanh Hóa province, 40 km north-west of Thanh Hóa city | VVTX | Actief | 13/313200 mconcreet |
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| Yên BáiNorth-north-west of Yên Bái town (Yên Bái province, merged into Lào Cai in 2025) | Actief | — |
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| Phúc YênNội BàiHanoi, about 30 km north of the city centre; the northern part of Nội Bài International Airport | Closed 2018 | — |
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Geen enkele luchtmachtbasis voldoet aan die zoekopdracht.
Who is stationed where in the Vietnam Air Defence – Air Force
Vliegende eenheden per basis, met de huidige eenheden eerst. Vietnamese flying units are regiments (trung đoàn) numbered in the 900s, under air divisions numbered 370 to 372; Regiment 921, which brought the first MiG-17s home in August 1964, was the first MiG regiment. South Vietnamese, American, Australian, Soviet and North Korean units are listed and marked as not part of the present service. Where a regiment’s base rests on Wikipedia alone, the entry says so.
- Regiment 935 (Trung đoàn 935)Fighter regiment · active
- Sukhoi Su-30MK2
- Republic of Vietnam Air Force units1955–1975
- Douglas A-1 Skyraider, Cessna A-37 Dragonfly
- USAF Farm Gate detachment1961–
- B-26 Invader, T-28 Trojan, SC-47
- USAF B-57 Canberra squadrons (deployed from Clark Air Base)1964–
- Martin B-57B Canberra
- Regiment 927 (Trung đoàn 927)Fighter regiment · active
- Sukhoi Su-30MK2 (per Wikipedia)
- Regiment 940 (Trung đoàn 940) detachment, Air Force Officer School2023–
- Yakovlev Yak-130
- Group Z (Đoàn Z), Korean People’s Air Force1967–1969
- Mikoyan-Gurevich MiG-17
- Regiment 940 (Trung đoàn 940), Air Force Officer SchoolAdvanced jet training regiment · active
- Yakovlev Yak-130
- 37th Tactical Fighter Wing (USAF; 12th Tactical Fighter Wing from 1970)1967–1971
- —
- Regiment 923 (Trung đoàn 923)Fighter regiment · active
- Sukhoi Su-30MK2
- Regiment 921 (Trung đoàn 921, Sao Đỏ)Red Star · Fighter-bomber regiment · active
- Sukhoi Su-22M4 en Su-22UM3K
- Regiment 925 (Trung đoàn 925)1969–
- MiG-17F, Shenyang J-6 (MiG-19)
- Regiment 918 (Trung đoàn 918)Air transport regiment · active
- —
- Quyết Thắng Squadron1975–1975
- Cessna A-37 (captured)
- 5th Tactical Control Group (USAF) and later US units1962–1973
- F-102, C-130
- Regiment 937 (Trung đoàn 937)Fighter-bomber regiment · active
- Sukhoi Su-22
- 35th Tactical Fighter Wing (USAF)1966–1971
- F-100D/F Super Sabre
- No. 2 Squadron RAAF1967–1971
- Canberra B.20
- Soviet aviation group, Cam Ranh1979–2002
- MiG-23, Tu-16, Tu-95, Tu-142
- 12th Tactical Fighter Wing (USAF)1965–1970
- F-4 Phantom II
- Regiment 917 (Trung đoàn 917), Division 370—
- Mil Mi-8/Mi-17 family and transports
- Regiment 917 (Trung đoàn 917)Mixed air transport regiment · active
- Mil Mi-8/Mi-17 family
- Regiment 920 (Trung đoàn 920), Air Force Officer SchoolTraining regiment · active
- Beechcraft T-6C Texan II, Aero L-39NG, Yakovlev Yak-130
Geen enkel apparaat voldoet aan die zoekopdracht.
Vietnam Air Defence – Air Force milestones, 1914 to today
9 March: an air research bureau is set up, the root the service claims today.
1 April: anti-aircraft Regiment 367 is formed; it fights at Điện Biên Phủ in 1954.
24 January: the Air Force Department (Cục Không quân) is created; 1 May: Transport Regiment 919, the first flying unit, according to Wikipedia.
22 October: the Air Defence – Air Force Service is founded, the date it still celebrates.
February: the Soviet Union gives 36 MiG-17s and MiG-15UTIs; 6 August: Regiment 921 arrives in North Vietnam with them.
3–4 April: first air combat over the Thanh Hóa bridge; each side’s account differs.
April: the first MiG-21s arrive by ship from the Soviet Union.
2 January: Operation Bolo; the US claims seven MiG-21s, Vietnamese sources admit five.
Regiment 925 forms at Yên Bái with Chinese-built J-6 (MiG-19) fighters.
10 May: the largest air battle of the war; 18–29 December: Linebacker II, with Hanoi claiming 34 B-52s and the US admitting 15.
28 April: captured A-37s bomb Tân Sơn Nhất; about 877 RVNAF aircraft are captured; 12 November: Regiment 920 formed at Nha Trang.
31 May: the service is split into an air force and an air defence force (Wikipedia).
From June the air force bombs Khmer Rouge positions; the invasion of Cambodia follows on 25 December.
17 February – 16 March: the border war with China; neither air force flies direct combat.
3 March: the two services are merged again by presidential decree 03/L-CTN.
14 June: a Su-30MK2 is lost off Nghệ An; one of the two pilots survives.
August: the first six L-39NGs are accepted; November: the first five T-6C Texan IIs arrive.
30 April: Su-30MK2s and Yak-130s fly over Ho Chi Minh City for the 50th anniversary; 3 October: the service receives the Hero of the People’s Armed Forces title.
Every war the Vietnam Air Defence – Air Force has fought
Uitvallen en verliezen waar de gegevens die vermelden, en een eerlijke blanco waar die ontbreken.
- First Indochina War 1946–1954 No aircraft flew in combat; the predecessor units were anti-aircraft gunners, notably Regiment 367 (formed 1 April 1953)
- Operation Rolling Thunder 1965–1968 Intercepted US strike packages with MiG-17s and, from 1966, MiG-21s, alongside the guns and SA-2 missiles of the air defence divisions
- Raid on Lima Site 85 1968 Attacked the US TSQ-81 radar site with An-2 biplanes dropping mortar shells and firing rockets
- Operation Linebacker 1972 Intercepted the renewed US bombing campaign with MiG-21s, MiG-19s and MiG-17s
- Operation Linebacker II 1972 Defended Hanoi and Hải Phòng against B-52 night raids with SA-2 missiles, guns and a small number of MiG-21 night sorties
Vietnam Air Defence – Air Force news from Afterburner
Everything MiGFlug’s magazine has published on the Vietnam Air Defence – Air Force and the aircraft it flies. Deze lijst wordt automatisch vernieuwd — nieuwe Afterburner-verhalen verschijnen hier automatisch.
Everything people ask about the Vietnam Air Defence – Air Force
What is the Vietnamese air force called?
Which fighter jets does Vietnam fly?
When was the Vietnam Air Defence – Air Force founded?
How many US aircraft did the North Vietnamese air force shoot down?
Who was the top North Vietnamese ace?
Did MiGs shoot down B-52s?
What happened to the South Vietnamese air force?
Is Vietnam buying F-16s?
Has Vietnam retired the Su-22?
Read the aircraft the Vietnam Air Defence – Air Force flew
Elk type met een pagina in het Boek der Dieren, eerst op basis van de periode dat het in dienst was, daarna op basis van het jaar waarin het de vloot verliet.
Alle feiten gecontroleerd
- Báo Phòng không – Không quân: Quân chủng Phòng không – Không quân 25 năm hợp nhất, phát triển (Lt Gen Nguyễn Văn Hiền, 24 July 2024)Lineage dates: air research bureau 9 March 1949, AA Regiment 367 1 April 1953, radar 15 June 1956, Air Force Department 24 January 1959, service founded 22 October 1963, split 1977, re-merged 3 March 1999 by decree 03/L-CTN.
- Báo Phòng không – Không quân (the service newspaper), home pageOfficial newspaper of the Air Defence – Air Force Service; unit news for Division 370, Division 372, Factory A32, regiments 915, 224 and 263.
- Báo PK-KQ: live bombing and firing exercise for the air force, 2026 (12 August 2026)Exercise of 11-12 August 2026 at National Military Training Centre 2 with Su-30MK2, Su-27 and helicopters; names Lt Gen Vũ Hồng Sơn as commander, Lt Gen Trần Ngọc Quyến as political commissar, Maj Gen Bùi Thiên Thau as deputy commander.
- Báo PK-KQ: MiG-19 chủ động xuất kích bắn rơi 2 máy bay Mỹ (17 August 2026)Vietnamese account of Regiment 925 MiG-19s from Yên Bái on 8 May 1972, claiming two F-4s in about eight minutes.
- Báo PK-KQ: Đại đội ra đa 22 bảo đảm cho không quân bắn rơi B-52 (4 September 2026)Vietnamese account of the B-52 claims by Phạm Tuân (27 December 1972) and Vũ Xuân Thiều (28 December 1972, killed).
- Báo PK-KQ: Thi đua là động lực để Nhà máy A32 hoàn thành xuất sắc nhiệm vụ (29 May 2024)Factory A32, 2019-2024: major overhaul and life extension of 20 Su-22s, preventive repair of 23 Su-22s, overhaul of 5 Su-27SK/UBK and work on Su-30MK2s.
- Báo PK-KQ: Hero of the People’s Armed Forces title and 62nd anniversary ceremony (21 October 2025)Title awarded 3 October 2025; Prime Minister Phạm Minh Chính attended; Vietnamese claims of 2,635 US aircraft downed by the service (of 4,181 downed by "army and people"), 64 B-52s and 13 F-111s, and 81 aircraft including 34 B-52s in December 1972; lists Maj Gen Vũ Hồng Sơn as commander.
- Báo PK-KQ: State President Tô Lâm visits the Air Defence – Air Force Service (4 June 2024)Visit of 3 June 2024; names Lt Gen Nguyễn Văn Hiền as commander and Lt Gen Trần Ngọc Quyến as political commissar.
- Báo PK-KQ: 50th anniversary of the liberation of the South and national reunification (30 April 2025)Flypast over Ho Chi Minh City: 10 helicopters, 7 Su-30MK2 and 6 Yak-130, taking off from Biên Hòa.
- Báo PK-KQ: Vietnam International Defence Expo 2024 opens (19 December 2024)Gia Lâm, Hanoi; 242 exhibitors, 36 international delegations; Su-30MK2 and helicopter display by the service.
- Báo PK-KQ: Air Regiment 920 marks 50 years (12 November 1975 – 12 November 2025)Regiment 920 founded by Decision 834 on 12 November 1975 under the Air Force Officer School at Nha Trang to take over captured T-41, U-17 and UH-1; now flies Yak-130 and L-39NG.
- Báo PK-KQ: Chief of the Royal Australian Air Force visits the service (13 October 2025)Air Marshal Stephen Chappell received by Vũ Hồng Sơn; delegation visited Regiment 918, Regiment 927 and Division 371.
- Radio Free Asia: report on the first T-6C deliveries to Vietnam (19 November 2024)Five T-6C arrived at Tân Sơn Nhất; 12 ordered in 2021 for delivery 2024-2027 to Regiment 920 at Phan Thiết; RFA counts 35 Su-30s and more than 30 Su-22s; 12 Yak-130 bought in 2019; F-16 purchase uncertain.
- Aero Vodochody: Successful handover of the L-39NG to the first customer (16 August 2024)Six L-39NG passed site acceptance in Vietnam; 12 ordered under a 2021 contract.
- Aero Vodochody: Vietnamese pilots complete basic training (24 June 2025)All 12 aircraft delivered with the handover of nos. 10-12; two groups of six pilots trained (November 2024 and 2025). The type was renamed L-39 Skyfox in October 2024.
- Acepilots.com: Vietnamese aces (Diego Zampini, 2002, updated 2012)Sixteen VPAF aces (13 MiG-21, 3 MiG-17), with each pilot’s claims set against US records.
- Báo Phòng không – Không quân: Chắc từng khâu, vững từng chuyến bay (4 September 2026)Service newspaper; Regiment 935, Division 370, Su-30MK2 at Biên Hòa; 700+ sorties in 2026.
- Báo PK-KQ: Ministry of National Defence and US Embassy sign Biên Hòa dioxin and disability project agreements (23 September 2026)Excavation figures to May 2026.
- VnExpress: Một ngày huấn luyện của phi công trên máy bay Yak-130 (25 November 2023)Regiment 940 and its 12 Yak-130s at Kép from mid-October 2023.
- VnExpress: Tiêm kích, chiến đấu cơ luyện tập xếp hình trên bầu trời miền Bắc (14 August 2025)A80 rehearsals at Kép; Regiment 940 stationed at Phù Cát.
- Merle Pribbenow, North Korean Pilots in the Skies over Vietnam, NKIDP e-Dossier no. 2 (Wilson Center, November 2011)Group Z at Kép: 87 personnel, 14 dead, 26 claims, 2002 repatriation.
- ProPublica: Trump Halted an Agent Orange Cleanup. That Puts Hundreds of Thousands at Risk for Poisoning (17 March 2025)Biên Hòa clean-up cost, scope and 2025 halt.
- Smithsonian Magazine: This Fighter Jet Helped Turn the Tide During Vietnam’s Decisive Tet Offensive (Alice George, 23 January 2018)Tet 1968 attack on Biên Hòa; the NASM F-100D.
Figures verified 2026-09-30. Order of Battle pages are regenerated from a single dataset; if a number here disagrees with a Book of Beasts page, this page is the more recent of the two.
Photographs: Photo: Cougr / Wikimedia Commons (CC BY-SA 4.0) · Photo: AlfvanBeem / Wikimedia Commons (CC0) · Photo: Admiralis-generalis-Aladeen / Wikimedia Commons (CC BY-SA 4.0) · Photo: Articseahorse / Wikimedia Commons (CC BY-SA 4.0) · Photo: Pacific Air Forces / Wikimedia Commons (Public domain) · Photo: Jakub Hałun / Wikimedia Commons (CC BY-SA 4.0) · Photo: Blue Stahli Luân / Wikimedia Commons (CC BY 2.0) · Photo: calflier001 / Wikimedia Commons (CC BY-SA 2.0) · Photo: Eric Salard / Wikimedia Commons (CC BY-SA 2.0) · Photo: Ross Huggett / Wikimedia Commons (CC BY 2.0) · Photo: U.S. Air Force photo / Wikimedia Commons (Public domain) · Photo: US Air Force / Wikimedia Commons (Public domain)