Vietnam Border Guard Bộ đội Biên phòng
Logo
Insignia
Flag
Abbreviation	BĐBP
Motto	Đồn là nhà, Biên giới là quê hương, Đồng bào các dân tộc là anh em ruột thịt lit. 'The post is our home, the frontier is our motherland, the compatriots are our siblings'
Agency overview
Formed	3 March 1959
Jurisdictional structure
Operations jurisdiction	Vietnam
Governing body	Ministry of Defence (Vietnam)
General nature	Military police
Specialist jurisdiction	National border patrol, security, integrity
Operational structure
Overseen by	Vietnam Border Guard Command
Headquarters	Hanoi, Vietnam
Agency executives	Lieutenant General Lê Đức Thái, Commander Lieutenant General Đỗ Danh Vượng, Political Commissar Major General Hoàng Hữu Chiến, Chief of Staff
Parent agency	Vietnam People's Army
Commands	Vietnam Border Guard Command
Notables
Significant Border Guard	Vietnam War Cambodian-Vietnamese War Sino-Vietnamese War MT Orkim Harmony hijacking
Anniversary	3 March (date of establishment)
Website
www.bienphongvietnam.gov.vn
Decoration: Hero of the People's Armed Forces x2 Gold Star Order (Vietnam) Ho Chi Minh Order Order of Independence Military Exploit Order Colour:    Forest Green Ensign:

The Vietnam Border Guard (Vietnamese: Bộ đội Biên phòng Việt Nam - BĐBP or BP) is the border security branch of the Vietnam People's Army.

It is responsible for the management and protection of the sovereignty, territorial integrity, security, order and national boundaries on the mainland, islands, sea and at the gate as shall by law and is force member in provincial areas of defence, border districts of the Socialist Republic of Vietnam.^[1]

On 19 November 1958, the Politburo of the Workers' Party of Vietnam decided to unite national defence forces and army units whose missions were domestic protection, border protection, beach defence, boundary security, and other forces in charge of guarding domestic international borders, under the management of the Police Department, and named them the Guard forces. Guard forces including Border Guard and Homeland Guard.^[1][2]

According to the resolution of the Politburo, the Border Guard is responsible for:

• Repressing spies, commandos, bandits, sea pirates and small cliques participating in destructive activities in border and coastal regions;
• Attacking any army that infringes on national borders, and to cope with all activities of war while awaiting army reinforcement;
• Preventing and punishing smugglers in border areas;
• Implementing regulations on cross-border traffic promulgated by the government of Socialist Republic of Vietnam and control cross-border traffic, including cars, people, baggage, goods, works and cultural objects;
• Protecting life and property, including State property, in the border areas.

The Homeland Guard is responsible for (this task was transferred to police protection under the General Department of Police, Ministry of Public Security):

• Suppress all destructive activities of the small fee, parachuting spies and violence, destruction of the other counter-revolutionary cliques;
• Protect the headquarters, the leader of the Party and State, the diplomatic missions, international leaders and foreign guests visiting to Vietnam;
• Protect factories, mines, warehouses important, the centre of important contact information, clues and important transport axis, and an important transport, cultural facilities, science and Art is important;
• Protect Capital, cities and towns is important, protecting the rallies by the central government regulations, executive orders curfew as needed and the people's police to maintain order general security;
• Guarding the camps, prisons, escorting political prisoners and criminal matter, the hearing protection.

On 3 March 1959, the Prime Minister of Vietnam signed Decision No. 100 - TTg on the establishment of an armed force in charge of border protection and domestic, to be known as the People's Armed Police, set under the leadership of the Ministry of Public Security. This date is taken as the date of establishment of the Vietnam Border Guard.

Ceremony set up the People's Armed Police was held on the evening of 28 March 1959, at 19 hours, at the Military Club, Hanoi.

By the end of 1979 the People's Armed Police was renamed Border Guard and transferred under the Ministry of Defence (Vietnam). In 1988, the Border Guard moved to directly under the Ministry of Interior until late in 1995, then moved to the Ministry of Defence (Vietnam).^[1]

Border Guard is the core force in charge, in co-ordination with other armed forces, localities and departments concerned and depend on people to manage, protect borders, maintaining security political, social order and safety in the border areas, maintaining the external border. Border Guard operates under the laws of the Socialist Republic of Vietnam, the international treaties relating to the sovereignty, national security and border on the mainland, islands, seas and border gates that the Socialist Republic of Vietnam has signed or acceded to.^[1]

The organisational system of Border Guard includes:

• Command of Border Guard
  • General Staff
  • Political Department
  • Department of Logistics - Technicals
  • Department of Reconnaissance
  • Department of Drug Prevention
  • Border Crossings Department
  • Office of the Command
  • 21st Signal Regiment
  • Border Guard Academy
  • Border Guard College
  • 24th Border Guard Intermediate Technical School
  • Northwest Training - Mobile Troop Center

• Border Guard Command of Provincial Military Command^[3]
  • Border Guard Posts
  • Border Gate Commands
  • Border Guard Flotillas

The rank insignia of commissioned officers.

Rank group	General / flag officers										Senior officers						Junior officers
Vietnam Border Guard[4]
							Trung tướng		Thiếu tướng		Đại tá	Thượng tá	Trung tá		Thiếu tá		Đại úy		Thượng úy		Trung úy		Thiếu úy

The rank insignia of non-commissioned officers and enlisted personnel.

Rank group	Senior NCOs																						Junior NCOs						Enlisted
Vietnam Border Guard[4]
							Thượng sĩ				Trung sĩ												Hạ sĩ						Binh nhất						Binh nhì

Model	Image	Type	Variant	Quantity	Origin	Notes
VUA-SC-3G		Reconnaissance		3 UAV systems	Vietnam	Currently, the VUA SC-3G is being used by the Vietnam Border Guard.[5]

Model	Image	Type	Variant	Caliber	Origin	Notes
Pistols
K14VN		Semi-automatic pistol		7.62×25mm Tokarev	Vietnam
TT-33		Semi-automatic pistol		7.62×25mm Tokarev	Soviet Union
Type 54/K54		Semi-automatic pistol		7.62×25mm Tokarev	China Vietnam
Assault rifles
AK-47		Assault rifle	AKMS AKM	7.62×39mm M43	Soviet Union Vietnam	[6]
Galil ACE		Assault rifle		7.62×39mm	Israel Vietnam
STV rifle		Assault rifle	STV-022 STV-215 STV-380	7.62×39mm	Vietnam	Since 2022, the STV215/380 began to be officially equipped for the 10th Division, 3rd Corps (now the 34th Corps), following the model of a strong, uniformly equipped division. Subsequently, it was gradually equipped for units in the 12th Corps, infantry divisions in various military regions, and some border guard units.[7][8]
Machine guns
PKM		General-purpose machine gun	PKM PKMS	7.62×54mmR	Soviet Union Vietnam	[9]
RPD		Light machine gun	RPD-44 STrL-D	7.62×39mm	Soviet Union Vietnam	[10]
DShK		Heavy machine gun	DShK-38 DShK 38/46	12.7×108mm	Soviet Union	[11]

Model	Image	Type	Variant	Quantity	Origin	Details
UAZ-469		Military light utility vehicle		2[12]	Soviet Union
KamAZ-43253		Military truck		4[12]	Russia Vietnam
Hyundai County		Utility Vehicle		2[12]	South Korea
ZIL-130		Military truck		4[12]	Soviet Union
KamAZ-43266		Military truck		1[12]	Russia

Class	Image	Type	Ships	Origin	Quantity	Notes
Damen Stan Patrol 4207		Patrol vessels	BP48-19-01 BP29-19-01 BP28-19-01 BP27-19-01	Netherlands Vietnam	4
High-Speed Guard Boat	[13];[14]	Patrol vessels	BP 07-01-01 BP 29-01-02 BP 29-01-07 BP 29-01-01 BP 29-01-06 BP 29-06-02	India Vietnam	12	Five ships will be built at the Kattupalli shipyard, while the remaining seven in the project will be constructed at Vietnam's Hong Ha Shipyard with technical assistance from L&T. The shipbuilding design center of the Indian group is responsible for the design and engineering of the project.[15]
MS-50S	[16];[17]	Patrol vessels	BP 01-15-01,BP 20-15-01,BP 31-15-01,BP 57-15-03,BP-07-15-01,BP-08-15-01,BP-09-15-01,BP-33-15-01,BP-15-15-01,BP-19-15-01	Vietnam	23	The Technical Equipment Procurement Council of the Border Guard Command conducted technical acceptance testing and handed over these 13 boats at the end of November 2025.[18]
CN-09	[19] [20] [21] [22]	Patrol vessels	BP 14-19-01 BP 14-19-02 BP 02-19-01 BP 11-19-01 BP 30-19-01	Netherlands Vietnam	5	Ho Chi Minh City Border Guard received BP 14-19-01 and BP 14-19-02. Hai Phong Border Guard received BP 02-19-01. Phu Quy Port Border Guard Station received BP 11-19-01. Quang Tri Border Guard received BP 02-19-01.

• Official website