People’s Liberation Armed Forces

Vietnamese military organization

Also known as: PLAF

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Last updated

July 16, 2026

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The People's Liberation Armed Forces (PLAF) was the military arm of the National Liberation Front (NLF) in South Vietnam. The NLF was a political organization formed in 1960 with the goal of overthrowing the South Vietnamese government and reunifying Vietnam. While the NLF had a communist party as a central component, its membership included many non-communists. The PLAF consisted of village guerrilla units and larger, full-time regional and main force units. These forces engaged in combat against the South Vietnamese army and government forces, and also served to persuade or intimidate the local population into supporting the NLF. The PLAF was a key component of the Viet Cong.12

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Vietnam War
The Diem regime and the Viet Cong
…of the Viet Cong’s so-called People’s Liberation Armed Forces (PLAF). At the base of the PLAF were village guerrilla units, made up of part-time combatants who lived at home and worked at their regular occupations during the day. Their function was to persuade or intimidate their neighbours into supporting the…
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…of the Viet Cong’s so-called People’s Liberation Armed Forces (PLAF). At the base of the PLAF were village guerrilla units, made up of part-time combatants who lived at home and worked at their regular occupations during the day. Their function was to persuade or intimidate their neighbours into supporting the…
Read More