The Royal Cambodian Navy (lit. 'Naval Force') is the naval warfare service branch of the Royal Cambodian Armed Forces and one of the three uniformed services of the Kingdom of Cambodia. It has an estimated of 4,000 active personnel and operates 228 boats/ships in active service. It is commanded by Admiral Tea Vinh and sails under the jurisdiction of the Ministry of National Defense.

History

The Royal Khmer Navy (French: Marine royale khmère, MRK) was originally an extension of the Khmer Royal Army (French: Armée Royale Khmère – ARK) but officially became its own separate service in 1954. Its role initially was only relegated to coastal & riverine patrols as well as ground support for internal security operations. By 1967, it had a strength of about 1400 officers & men including 200 men of the Naval Infantry Force.

Equipment

The navy possesses fifteen patrol craft and a further five patrol craft of the "fast attack" variety. There are also about 200 motorised and manual canoes. The country's seagoing capability was boosted in August 2005 when China handed over 5 patrol boats. In 2007 a further 10 were handed over worth $100,000,000. The craft were donated to Cambodia by China to help counter piracy, transnational crime, smuggling and to safeguard future oil installations. In 2007, Cambodia reported that it was increasing the strength of its navy from 1,000 to 3,000 sailors, apart from creating a force of 2,000 Marine infantry. Many officers of the Royal Cambodian Navy received their training at the Vietnam Naval Academy. The Royal Cambodian Navy also has many plans to strengthen their naval fleet with assistance from China, Germany, Vietnam, Indonesia, South Korea, and Japan.

Bases

Naval bases of the Royal Cambodian Navy include the following:

Fleet

Vessels stationed at The Naval Headquarters

Vessels stationed at Ream Naval Base

Under construction

Navy ranks and insignia

National Committee for Maritime Security (NCMS)

The NCMS was established in December 2010 on the initiative of Prime Minister Hun Sen and with support from international security partners. Part of its role is focusing on fighting against terrorism, piracy, human trafficking, cross-border crimes, drug trafficking as well as on preserving natural resources and conducting emergency rescue works. It is overseen by Admiral Tea Vinh and has bases in Sihanoukville, Ream and Phnom Penh, working with and for the Royal Cambodian Navy. NCMS is also responsible for the security of visiting navy's ships and personnel from neighbouring countries and allies, including China, Russia, Japan and the USA.