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WEEKLY NEWSLETTER
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Laos
Index
Armed Forces: Total strength approximately
37,000 in
1994: 33,000 Lao People's Army; 3,500 Lao People's Air
Force; 500
Lao People's Navy. Approximately 49,000 reach military age
annually
(1994 estimate).
Internal Security Forces: Paramilitary
self-defense
force, or Irregular People's Army act as lightly armed
local
defense force organized at provincial level for
territorial defense
and at local levels. Most members retired military
personnel;
approximately 100,000 persons. Also acts as reserve for
regular
armed forces. Police force under jurisdiction of Ministry
of
Interior.
Major Equipment and Military Expenditures: End
of
military support from Russia and Vietnam combined with
lack of
domestic funding inhibit needed modernization of aging
equipment,
much of it from former Soviet Union and Vietnam. Military
expenditures--including public security
budget--approximately
US$104.9 million (1993 estimate). Degenerating
capabilities because
of poor state of equipment and personnel skills.
Data as of July 1994
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