Cambodian Para-Commando Battalion

Cambodian Para-Commando Battalion
Battaillon de Commandos Parachutistes
Active March 1972 - March 1975
Country  Cambodia
Allegiance Khmer Republic
Branch Khmer National Armed Forces
Type Airborne Infantry
Size 400-500 (at height)
Headquarters Phnom Penh
Nickname(s) BCP (PCB in English)
Engagements Fall of Phnom Penh
Commanders
Notable
commanders		 (unknown)

The Cambodian Para-Commando Battalion (French: Battaillon de Commandos Parachutistes – BCP) was one of the main elite military units of the Khmer National Armed Forces (French: Forces Armées Nationales Khmères – FANK), which fought in the final phase of the Cambodian Civil War of 1970-75.

Origins

The BCP had its origins in a 60-man contingent sent in March 1972 to Indonesia to attend the Para-Commando course at the Batujajar Airborne Commando School, near Bandung in West Java. Interestingly, a significant number of the contingent was made of recruits drawn from the Muslim Cham ethnic minority of Cambodia. After a nine-month course conducted by Indonesian Kopassus instructors, the contingent returned to Phnom Penh in November 1972. Upon their return, however, two dozen of its members were posted to the FANK 5th Infantry Brigade, a predominantly Muslim formation; the remaining 36 Cham graduates were assigned to a ceremonial unit allocated in the Cambodian Capital until 1974.

Operations

They were then used as the cadre for the BCP and in March 1975, loosely under assignment to the Khmer SF, the Para-Commandos were sent to man the defensive perimeter north-west of Phnom Penh.[1][2]

Weapons and equipment

The BCP employed the standard weaponry and equipment of US origin issued to all FANK formations, though it remains unclear if they ever used captured Soviet or Chinese small-arms like other Cambodian elite units.

See also

Notes

  1. ↑ Conboy and Bowra (1989), pp. 17 and 46.
  2. ↑ Conboy and McCouaig (1991), p. 15.

References

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