Military profile
Laos Military Strength
Laos ranks #115 of 145 in the Global Firepower military strength ranking, with 30,000 active personnel.
Laos armed forces in numbers
Personnel
- Active military personnel
- 30,000#81 of 145
- Reserve military personnel
- 0#84 of 145
- Paramilitary forces
- 100,000#22 of 145
- Army personnel
- 20,000#94 of 145
- Air force personnel
- 1,000#112 of 145
- Navy personnel
- 3,500#67 of 145
Air power
- Total military aircraft
- 34#102 of 145
- Fighter aircraft
- 0#95 of 145
- Attack aircraft
- 0#65 of 145
- Military helicopters
- 27#84 of 145
- Attack helicopters
- 0#79 of 145
Land forces
- Tanks
- 130#75 of 145
- Self-propelled artillery
- 45#62 of 145
- Towed artillery
- 87#68 of 145
- Rocket artillery
- 87#42 of 145
Finance
- Purchasing power parity (GDP, PPP)
- $55.0 billion#104 of 145
Equipment and personnel: Global Firepower 2023 military strength ranking (2023). Spending: World Bank / SIPRI military expenditure data (CC BY 4.0).
Laos military spending 2010–2013
Military spending of Laos grew by 48% between 2010 and 2013, from $15 million to $23 million (current US dollars), and stood at 0.2% of GDP in 2013.
Armed forces of Laos
Branches and forces
Lao People's Armed Forces (LPAF; aka Lao People's Army): Lao People's Army (LPA, includes Riverine Force), Lao People's Air Force (LPAF); Self-Defense Militia Forces (2025)
Personnel
information limited and varied; estimated 30,000 active Armed Forces; estimated 100,000 Self-Defense Militia Forces (2025)
Service age and conscription
18 years of age for voluntary military service; mandatory military service for men 18-35 with a minimum 18-month service obligation (2025)
Equipment and suppliers
the LPAF is armed with Chinese, Russian, and Soviet-era equipment and weapons (2025)
Good to know
the LPAF's primary missions are border and internal security, including counterinsurgency, counterterrorism, and counter-narcotics operations, as well as protecting the regime; its defense partners include Cambodia, China, Russia, and Vietnam (2025)
Military expenditure (% of GDP)
2019: 0.2% · 2018: 0.2% · 2017: 0.2% · 2016: 0.2% · 2015: 0.2%
Forces and service: CIA World Factbook (public domain).
Vietnam
Thailand
Cambodia
China
Myanmar