Viet Cong and Vietnam People's Army Logistics and Equipment - VC/NVA Equipment and Weapons

VC/NVA Equipment and Weapons

For more details on Vietnam war weapons of both sides, see Weapons of the Vietnam War.

Overall, the supplies and equipment of communist units were adequate, and their infantry small-arms were a match for those of their opponents. Contrary to some popular impressions of simple peasant farmers armed with pitchfork and machetes, the VC/NVA main units (as well as the local forces in the latter years) were well equipped with excellent modern arms either from Soviet bloc or Chinese sources. In the early years of the insurgency in the South a larger variety of weapons were used, ranging from World War I-era bolt-action rifles to World War II-era weapons, with procurement via a wide range of methods. Such variation and diversity continued throughout the conflict. By 1970 however, the communist inventory was increasingly standardized, even at the village guerrilla level. The following outline shows major weapons categories:

• Rifles – The standard infantry weapon of the VC/NVA was the Soviet 7.62mm AK-47 assault rifle or, more commonly, its Chinese copy, the Type 56 assault rifle. The Soviet SKS carbine/semi-automatic rifle or its Chinese version (Type 56 Carbine) was also widely used. Compared to the early American M16 the rugged AK-47 in particular was, although less accurate, more reliable and easier to maintain. The American M16 also saw service, obtained through capture or black market purchase, the Viet Cong also used the Russian Mosin–Nagant rifle and captured German rifles,such as Mauser Kar98k and Sturmgewehr StG-44.

• Submachine guns – The Viet Cong used a variety of submachine guns early in the conflict, either inherited from the Viet Minh, captured on the battlefield, or received from the north via Chinese or Soviet donors. These included the ex-German MP 40, the US Thompson submachine gun, the French MAT 49, the Soviet PPSh-41 and its licensed copy, the Chinese Type 50, the Soviet PPS-43, and a conversion of the Type 50 produced in North Vietnam arsenals, the K-50M.

• Machine guns, mortars and interchangeable ammo. Also of key importance to communist units was the interchangeability of the 7.62mm ammunition between the AK-47 and other types of weapons. The 7.62mm round not only chambered in the SKS carbine but also could be used in the Soviet RPD light machine gun, another standard infantry weapon of the VC/NVA, capable of 650 rounds per minute. Heavier machine guns were sometimes used but often in set piece assaults, or in fixed mode such as anti-aircraft weapons, due to their weight. Communist units also employed mortars frequently, with the Soviet 82mm and its Chinese variants being the most common. French 60mm mortars also saw some use.

• Rockets and RPGs. The VC/NVA also made extensive use of the excellent Soviet designed anti-tank grenade launcher, the RPG. Originally designed to fight against armor, it was adapted for anti-personnel use to good effect. They also made use of the Soviet/Chinese 122mm rocket which was used effectively against populated areas and large installations such as airfields. While inaccurate compared to more sophisticated weapons, the 122mm rocket made an effective terror weapon when deployed against civilian targets. Other rocket types included tube-launched Chinese 107mm and Soviet 140mm variants.

• Anti-aircraft missiles and batteries. The VC/NVA relied heavily on heavy machine guns and standard Soviet designed anti-aircraft batteries like the ZPU-series for air defense functions. In the latter year of the conflict, field units of the VC/NVA deployed hand-held Soviet designed anti-aircraft missiles that presented a significant challenge to US air dominance, particularly helicopters. For strategic aerial defense, the North deployed one of the densest and most sophisticated air-defense systems in the world based on Soviet surface-to-air missile missiles and radar batteries.

• Grenades, booby traps and mines. The VC/NVA used a wide variety of grenades from explosives inserted into discarded American C-ration cans to modern Chicom types. Booby traps were the province of guerrilla level forces more so than the VC/NVA regulars. The infamous punji sticks soaked in excrement and urine received much press, but they were of negligible effect compared to the massive quantity of anti-personnel and anti-vehicle mines deployed by main communist units. These quantities increased vastly as the North stepped up infiltration into the South. Mines and booby traps applied significant psychological pressure on US/ARVN forces and slowed and disrupted both military operations and civilian life.

• Tanks and artillery. Fighting a mobile guerrilla war much of the time, the VC/NVA could not deploy large quantities of heavy artillery or tanks. Exceptions were the set piece siege battles such as at Khe Sanh or heavy artillery duels against US batteries across the DMZ. It was only after the shift to conventional warfare in the 1972 Easter Offensive, and the final conventional campaign in 1975 (when US airpower had vacated the field) that tanks and heavy batteries were openly used in significant numbers. When using heavy artillery, the VC/NVA relied on high quality Soviet-supplied heavy 122mm and 130mm guns that outranged American and ARVN opposition.