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PAVN Military Regions / Corps

Military Regions / Military Zones
1	Northeastern	Dong Bac
2	Northwestern	Tay Bac
3	Red River North Delta	Dong Bang Song Hong
4	North Central Coast	Bac Trung Bo
	South Central Coast	Nam Trung Bo
5	Central Highlands	Tay Nguyen
7	Southeastern	Dong Nam Bo
9	Mekong River Delta	Dong Bang Sông Cuu Long

The Vietnamese army consists of military regions, Army corps, combined arms and armed units such as artillery, sapper, signal, chemical, armor, and special forces attached to the Ministry of National Defense. The military regions are organized according to strategic direction and incorporate regular troops directly under the military regions as well as units of provincial and district local forces within the military regions.

In the Vietnamese People's Army, there were two types of headquarters immediately above the division level: Military regions (MR) and fighting (military) corps. Military regions have an administrative, training, and area coverage responsibility, but probably no combat functions. MRs 1 to 3 are clustered on the northern frontier. Several MRs may be grouped together in a Military Theater. On a tactical level, all the armed units in several provinces (or MRs) may be grouped together in fighting (military) corps.

In 1987, the PAVN command structure was divided geographically into four military theaters and nine military regions or zones, including a Capital Military Region around Hanoi and Quang Ninh Province Special Region. It was also divided tactically into military units ranging in descending order from corps to divisions, brigades, regiments, battalions, companies, platoons and squads. The military-theater designation was introduced in the midst of a postwar buildup when PAVN increased its regular force from 400,000 to about 1.2 million members and its divisions from 25 to 51 (38 infantry divisions and 13 support or economic construction divisions). The number of PAVN corps was also increased from six to eight.

Creation of the military theater and the military corps was designed to facilitate what was called the combined arms strategy, meaning larger and more complex military operations that might include use of indigenous military forces from Cambodia and Laos. A corps ranged in size from 30,000 to 50,000 troops and normally consisted of 4 infantry divisions plus service and support elements.

By 2005 the army was deployed in nine military regions (including Hanoi), consisting of headquarters, 58 infantry divisions, 3 mechanized infantry divisions, 10 armored battalions, 15 independent infantry regiments, special forces and airborne brigades, 10 field artillery brigades, 8 engineering divisions, 10 to 15 economic construction divisions, and 20 independent engineering brigades.

The Ground Forces consisted in 2009 of seven Military Regions (1, 2, 3, 4, 5, 7 and 9) and Hanoi Capital High Command, six arms (Artillery, Tank and Armour, Engineering, Signal, Chemical, and SOF) and four corps (1, 2, 3, and 4). Each military region, Army corps and arm has Commander and Vice Commanders, Commissar and Deputy Commissar, functional agencies responsible for staff, political, logistics, and technical affairs and other subordinate units. The military regions are organized in strategic directions and areas. Each military region consists of affiliated regular divisions and regiments. A military region commands The PAVN was organized in 2009 into 14 Corps HQ. The breakdown of these Corps into divisions was as follows:

36+ Infantry Divisions
-3 mechanized divisions (includes 308th strategic reserve) (13,000 troops)
-3 high readiness infantry divisions (12,000 troops, )
-30+low-readiness infantry divisions (5-6,000 troops in peacetime)

15 independent infantry regiments (high and low readiness)
10 armored brigades (high readiness)
10 field artillery brigades
1 Special Forces Airborne Brigade

8 engineer divisions
10-16 economic construction divisions (5,000 troops, static defense in wartime)
20 independent engineer brigades (high and low readiness)

The main force, the core of the VPA, comprises the mobile force of the corps, services, arms, the main force of the military regions and technicians and professional personnel. Besides readiness-training units and combat units, there is a complete system of logistic support units, technical support units, academies, research institutes, officer-training institutions and professional and vocational schools at various levels.

Army corps, the largest mobile units in the Ground Forces, are positioned to protect the country’s vital strategic local areas. An Army corps is composed of divisions and other affiliated units. The arms participate in joint and combined operations as assigned and also exercise the function of technical support and officer and technical personnel training in professional branches for the whole VPA. Each arm has its own combat units, officer-training colleges and professional technical schools.

First organized on October 24, 1973 during the Vietnam War, 1st Corps had a major role in the Ho Chi Minh Campaign that ended the war. The 1st Corps is presently stationed in Tam Diep District, Ninh Binh. First organized on May 17, 1974 during the Vietnam War, 2nd Corps had a major role in the Ho Chi Minh Campaign that ended the war. The 2nd Corps is presently stationed in Lang Giang District, Bac Giang. First organized on March 26, 1975 during the Vietnam War, 3rd Corps had a major role in the Ho Chi Minh Campaign and the Cambodian–Vietnamese War. The 3rd Corps is presently stationed in Pleiku, Gia Lai. First organized July 20, 1974 during the Vietnam War, 4th Corps had a major role in the Ho Chi Minh Campaign and the Cambodian–Vietnamese War. The 4th Corps is presently stationed in Di An, Bình Duong.