In 1975 the Lao People's Navy (LPN) was established with the remnants of the Royal Lao Navy.
As Laos is a landlocked country, the Lao People's Navy operates vessels on the Mekong River, a major feature of the country's geography.
Because the Mekong makes up a considerable portion of the Lao border, the Navy is significantly involved in border control work.
The navy as of the mid-1990s had a personnel strength of around 500 and around fifty river patrol boats.
Almost all officers of the Lao People's Navy were trained in the Vietnam Naval Academy.