Republic of Vietnam Navy

*Hải quân Việt Nam Cộng hòa*

Emblem of the Republic of Vietnam Navy

**Founded**
1802

**Country**
Vietnam

**Type**
Navy

**Role**
Sea control
Power projection
Deterrence
Maritime security
Sealift

**Size**
250,000 personnel
249 ships
2,626 aircraft

**Part of**
Republic of Vietnam Military Forces

**Headquarters**
National Defence Building

**Nickname(s)**
RVNN
HQVNCH

**Motto(s)**
 Tổ quốc — Đại dương
("The Fatherland — The Ocean")

**March**
Hải quân Việt Nam hành khúc

**Anniversaries**
20 August (RVNN Day)

**Engagements**
Vietnamese Civil War
Cold War
Gulf War (1991)
Kosovo War
War on Terror

**Commanders**

**RVNN Chief of Staff**
Admiral Ngô Châu Việt

**Secretary of the Navy**
Nguyễn Trung Việt

**Insignia**

**Flag**

**Jack**

**Ensign**

**Pennant**

**Ships**

**Aircraft carriers**

**Amphibious warfare vessels**

**Cruisers**

**Destroyers**

**Frigates**

**Mine countermeasures ships**

**Patrol boats**

**Submarines**

**Aircraft**

**Fighter**

**Transport**

**Helicopter**

The **Republic of Vietnam Navy** (RVNN) (Vietnamese: *Hải quân Việt Nam Cộng hòa; HQVNCH*), also called the **Vietnamese Navy** is the maritime service branch of the Republic of Vietnam Military Forces and one of the four uniformed services of Vietnam. It has the largest and most powerful navy in the Asia. Since 2012, it has doubled its aircraft carrier fleet, with its own indigenous carrier (*Imperial*-class) after using purchased American carriers for more than four decades.

The Republic of Vietnam Navy traces its origins to the Imperial Navy founded by Emperor Gia Long after the purchase of 10 Chinese junk ships from the Chinese emperor, which was established during the beginning of the Nguyễn dynasty in an effort to create formidable maritime force. During the Vietnamese Civil War, the Republic of Vietnam Navy was used extensively as a river force and to block supplies coming in by sea to North Vietnam. The modern Republic of Vietnam Navy from 2012 onwards, due to years of researching, training, and developing its own nuclear-powered aircraft carrier fleet. It therefore maintains a sizable global and especially regional presence, deploying in strength in such areas as the Western Pacific, the Mediterranean, and the Indian Ocean. It is a blue-water navy with the ability to project force onto the littoral regions of the world, engage in forward deployments during peacetime and rapidly respond to regional crises, making it a frequent actor in Vietnamese foreign and military policy.

The fleet size and scope is comparable to that of the US Navy—of which its modern development was based on. The Vietnamese Navy is an important player in Southeast and East Asia as despite the country's fairly small size—compared to northern neighbour China—it possesses the most modern fleet outside of the US Navy. The fleet consists of aircraft carriers, various amphibious warfare ships, destroyers, frigates, littoral combat ships, mine countermeasures ships, patrol ships, and submarines.

## History

The first ships of the eventual Republic of Vietnam Navy were Chinese junk warships that Emperor Gia Long purchased in 1802 after securing power after the Tay Son War. A royal edict would be proclaimed in 1803 to develop a naval academy and further develop the sea worthiness of Vietnamese sailors.

Under French occupation, the Nguyễn dynasty navy was used to supplement the French Navy in maritime peacekeeping in French Indochinese waters up and during the Second World War. It was during this time that the navy focused more on destroyers and frigates than battleships. After the French granted independence in 1947, the fleet of destroyers and frigates would prove crucial to defeating the North Vietnamese in the Vietnamese Civil War.

After the war, the newly formed republic and its navy built their first landing carrier, the VNS *Độc Lập* in 1959, capable of carrying and launching 34 planes. By 1969, the Republic of Vietnam Navy acquired two *Midway*-class hulls that the Vietnamese government commissioned the builders Newport News Shipbuilding and New York Navy Yard to build, despite by this time United States Navy having moved onto to the *Kitty Hawk*-class*.* The two hulls the Vietnamese Navy bought, CVB-56 and CVB-57 became the VNS *Huế* and the VNS *Sài Gòn*. The only two aircraft carriers in the Vietnamese Navy until the unveiling of the *Presidential*-class aircraft carriers in 2012.

During the Gulf War in 1991, *Sài Gòn* was a key part of the coalition carrier group. During the height of the War on Terror, the *Huế* and *Sài Gòn* alternated tours into the Persian Gulf.

By 2017, the first of five planned nuclear-powered Vietnamese-built carriers was commissioned. The VNS *Nguyễn Văn Thiệu* (CNS-79) of the *Presidential*-class was commissioned in May 2017; with its sister ship, the VNS *Nguyễn Cao Kỳ* (CNS-80) commissioned in 2019 to finally relieve the aging *Huế*-class.

## Navy Bases

The Republic of Vietnam Navy has Navy bases along most coastal cities and the island of Phu Quoc. three on the island of Taiwan and one in Europe.

* Hue
* Da Nang
* Tam Ky
* Quang Ngai
* Qui Nhon
* Nha Trang
* Cam Ranh
* Vung Tau
* Saigon
* Can Tho
* Phu Quoc
* Haiphong
* Thanh Hoa
* Dong Hoi
* Baimajing
* Qionghai

## Coast Guard

The Vietnamese Coast Guard is responsible for search and rescue, pollution response, vessel traffic management, maritime safety, accident and disaster response, and maritime security, and coastal enforcement of customs/border control, fisheries control, and law enforcement, along Vietnam's eastern coast and its major river routes. While under the auspices of the Vietnamese Navy, it operates independently with its own command structure and fleet.

In a national emergency or in the event of a war under the War Powers Act, The president may draft the Coast Guard into military service, equipping ships and aircraft with munitions, and drafting units to secure the Republic's maritime borders.

## Blue water-capable

The Republic of Vietnam Navy became a blue-water navy with the introduction of the VNS *Huế* (CVS-41) aircraft carrier in 1969. Four more similar-sized ships were bought until 2012. The RVNN became a formidable global blue-water navy with the introduction of the *Imperial*-class of aircraft carriers comparable in technology and scale to the United States' *Ford*-class.

The Ministry of Defence has established foreign base of operations in South Africa, Taiwan, and the Iberian peninsula. In 2005, the Ministry of Defence and the U.S. Department of Defense agreed to joint-use of Naval Support Activity Bahrain as a logistics port for Vietnamese ships aiding in the War in Iraq and the War in Afghanistan. The move has solidified Vietnam's Navy's areas of interest and reach to include Asia, South America, Africa, and the Middle East.

In 2013, the Port of Lisbon in Portugal became a base for RVNN activities in Europe. In 2020, President Nguyễn Phú Trọng inaugurated Vietnamese Naval Support Operations Lisbon, formally establishing a naval presence in Europe.

## Fleet

Main article: Ships of the Republic of Vietnam Military Forces

### Ship Designations

All Vietnamese Navy ships, including submarines have the prefix VNS which stands for Việt Nam Ship. They are further broken down into eight subgroup designations for internal use only.

* Aircraft carriers - CVS, CNS
* Amphibious warfare vessels - TCDB
* Cruisers - TTD
* Destroyers -TKT, TKTN
* Frigates - KH
* Mine countermeasure ships - TDPM
* Patrol boats - TTT
* Submarines - TN, TTN

### Aircraft Designations

The RVNAF and RVNN share similar designations, with the exception of helicopters. The RVNN uses the ARVN's naming designations due to nearly RVNAF helicopters transferred to the Army in 1968.

* VA – Attack
* VB – Bomber
* VC/VP – Transport/VIP Transport
* VE – Special Electronic
* VF – Fighter
* VH – Search and rescue
* VK – Tanker
* VM – Multi-mission
* VCT - Helicopters (VMT - Navy)
* VO – Observation
* VR – Reconnaissance
* VT – Trainer
* VTG – Trainer gliders
* VU – Utility
* VUC – Unmanned combat

### Naming conventions

The Vietnamese Navy Name Recommendation Panel ultimately selects the name for new vessels, however, there are guidelines:

* The lead ship in a class can be named after an individual, if it is unlike certain navies it isn't called, "the *[person's name]*-class, but rather by the title they held. For example, the lead ship of the newest class of aircraft carriers is named after President *Nguyễn Văn Thiệu*, however, it is called the *Presidential*-class
* Cruiser, submarine, destroyer, and frigate naming conventions fall into two categories: a place in Vietnam or a notable Vietnamese Navy veteran; in the case a veteran, the proposed individual must not be subject to any felony crime; if it is a historical individual or a member of an indigenous tribe the Navy must first receive approval from descendants of that person/tribe, if possible