Reorganization and expansion 1965.E2.80.931970 Royal Lao Army Airborne

on 1–3 february 1965, directorate of national coordination (dnc) paramilitary security agency led brigadier-general siho lamphouthacoul, had held de facto control on vientiane during previous year, defeated , disbanded rla in wake of coup d état led maj. gen. kouprasith abhay held same month. brig. gen. siho forced exile in thailand , after 2 days of negotiations, dnc s 3 airborne-qualified border police special battalions (french: bataillons speciales – bs) – bs 33, bs 11, , bs 99 – , commander, lieutenant-colonel thao ty agreed lay down arms option of transferring rla s airborne forces. mid-year had been moved seno , consolidated new parachute regiment, airborne mobile group 21 (french: groupement mobile 21 aeroportée – gm 21) under thao ty s command. gm 21 became best airborne regiment in rla. in november 1965 unit rushed thakhek after 2 nva infantry battalions came close overrunning town.

meanwhile, laotian airborne forces continued expand creation of additional parachute regiments. in october 1966, maj. gen. kong le went exile in indonesia , neutralist troops reorganized 2 mobile groups: gm 801, based @ muang soui, composed of newly formed 85e bp , 2 regular infantry battalions, , gm 802, formed @ pakse out of 2e bp, 5e bp, , reconstituted 4e bp. airborne-qualified 1st special commando battalion (french: 1er bataillon commando speciale – 1er bcs), had been trained in 1965 indonesian army @ airborne training centre located @ batujajar, near bandung, indonesia, disbanded , members dispersed other para battalions.

during 1967, gm 15 remained in static defense positions around muong phalane. 1 of battalions, 55e bp, briefly sent extreme north-western corner of country confront warring opium smugglers. gm 21 rotated 2 of para battalions military region 4 operations around khong sedone, saravane, , lao ngam.

in opening days of january 1968, laotian airborne forces faced perhaps greatest test @ battle of nam bac, when entire gm 15 rushed namesake valley reinforce local rla garrison, under heavy pressure nva s 316th division. on 8 january, pressure nearing breaking point, 99e bp landed north of garrison, failed prevent been encircled nva. following day, garrison fell when third of rla troops defending began withdrawing nam bac valley. however, withdrawal turned rout on january 13 when nva launched final assault on garrison, came out of heavy mist , hit rla command post, cutting radio communications defenders. nam bac debacle shattering defeat far, never managed recover, , severe blow prestige of airborne forces since resulted in total destruction of 99e bp , near disintegration of gm 15.

in august, mobile groups in laotian ground forces abolished , replaced independent battalions. 2 battalions of gm 21 , remnants of gm 15 consolidated 3 new independent para battalions, 101er, 102e, , 103e bps based @ seno. neutralist mobile groups not disbanded until following year after gm 801 crushed @ muang soui , brought thailand retraining. para elements of gm 801 regrouped new 208th commando battalion (french: bataillon commando 208 – bc 208), , sent vang vieng. gm 802, 5e bp converted 104e bp, , other airborne elements gathered 207th commando battalion (french: bataillon commando 207 – bc 207). both 104e bp , bc 207 stationed @ pakse.

during 1969, 3 airborne battalions of rla shuttled across country in reinforcement operations. in january, 3 bps launched successful attacks east of savannakhet north vietnamese-held territory. 1 battalion heli-lifted thateng in military region 4 on 4 april. 103e bp sent northern laos rla units briefly capture enemy-held town of xieng khouangville in xieng khouang province. in july, during operation off balance, 101er bp heli-lifted ban na, southeast of muang soui support hmong sgu , rla forces in unsuccessful counter-offensive recapture namesake rlaf airfield, had been seized nva s 312th division during campaign toan thang earlier in june. in august, during successful operation face, 101er bp assisted 2 rla infantry battalions in capture of moung phanh nva, , in september, 101er bp replaced 103e bp in north , used in unsuccessful attempt recapture town of muang soui.