Royal Lao Army

Royal Lao Army
Armée royale du Laos ກອງທັບລາດຊະອານາຈັກລາວ
Royal Lao Army Service Banner (1952–1975)
Active	1 July 1949 – 2 May 1975
Country	Kingdom of Laos
Allegiance	Royal Lao Government
Type	Army
Role	Air assault Anti-tank warfare Armored warfare Artillery observer Combined arms Counter-battery fire Counterinsurgency Counterintelligence Direct fire Fire support Force protection Indirect fire Jungle warfare Maneuver warfare Military engineering Military intelligence Military logistics Mountain warfare Patrolling PSYWAR Raiding Reconnaissance Screening Security checkpoint Tracking
Size	35,000 (at height)
Part of	Royal Lao Armed Forces
Garrison/HQ	Phone Kheng (Vientiane)
Nickname(s)	RLA (ARL in French)
Anniversaries	1 July – RLA Day
Engagements	First Indochina War Laotian Civil War Vietnam War
Commanders
Notable commanders	Sounthone Pathammavong Phoumi Nosavan Ouane Rattikone Kouprasith Abhay

The Royal Lao Army (Lao: ກອງທັບລາດຊະອານາຈັກລາວ; French: Armée royale du Laos – ARL), also designated by its anglicized title RLA, was the land component of the Royal Lao Armed Forces (FAR), the official military of the Kingdom of Laos during the North Vietnamese invasion of Laos and the Laotian Civil War between 1960 and 1975.