Army of the Republic of Viet Nam
The main ground force of the Republic of Viet Nam in the Vietnam War, was commonly called the Army of the Republic of Viet Nam (ARVN). There were smaller separate Air Force (e.g., RVNAF) and Navy branches, but ARVN was used generically for the RVN armed forces as well as for the Army. Its major U.S. counterpart headquarters was Military Assistance Command, Vietnam.
To varying extents, some of the leadership came from roles in the French military, or from groups that resisted the World War II Japanese invasion.
Command
- Joint General Staff
Ground forces and organization
ARVN forces in the field were organized as four Corps, although these were geographically organized rather than the more common use of corps as an operational headquarters commanding several divisions.
- I Corps tactical zone: Northern areas
- II Corps tactical zone: Central areas, including the Montagnard Central Highlands
- III Corps tactical zone: Saigon capital area
- IV Corps tactical zone: Mekong delta
Special units
Rangers, Airborne, and Marines were elite troops under headquarters control; there were small specialized units such as the LDNN (combat divers, comparable to U.S. Navy SEALs of the Navy.
The Lac Luong Dac Biet, Vietnamese Special Forces did have a conceptual politicomilitary and village-oriented function similar to United States Army Special Forces, but, especially under Diem, they acted as a political police. Even so, there were competent individuals that improved specific situations. Later, they worked with
The Vietnamese Navy operated small coastal and river patrol craft.
They had a small but competent naval special operations unit modeled after the United States Navy SEALs, the Lien Doc Nguoi Nhia (LDNN).