Cambodian Para-Commando Battalion

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Cambodian Para-Commando Battalion Bataillon de Commandos Parachutistes
Active	March 1972 - March 1975
Country	Cambodia
Allegiance	Khmer Republic
Branch	Cambodian Army
Type	Special operations force
Role	Airborne force Counter-insurgency Direct Action Jungle warfare Raiding Reconnaissance Special operations Special reconnaissance Unconventional Warfare
Size	400-500 (at height)
Part of	Khmer National Armed Forces
Headquarters	Pochentong Airborne Base, Phnom Penh
Nickname(s)	BCP (PCB in English)
Engagements	Fall of Phnom Penh
Commanders
Notable commanders	(unknown)

The Cambodian Para-Commando Battalion (French: Bataillon de Commandos Parachutistes – BCP) was one of the main elite military units of the Cambodian Army (French: Armée Nationale Khmère – ANK), part 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 by the ANK Command in March 1972 to Indonesia to attend the Para-Commando course at the Airborne Commando School, near Bandung in West Java.^[1] 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 ANK's , 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 Special Forces, the Para-Commandos were sent to man the defensive perimeter north-west of Phnom Penh.^[2][3]

Weapons and equipment[]

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

•  Belgium FN GP35 Pistols
•  United States Colt.45 M1911A1 Pistols
•  United States Smith & Wesson Model 39 Pistols
•  United States Smith & Wesson Model 10 Revolver
•  United States CAR-15 Assault carbine
•  United States M16A1 Assault rifle
•  United States M1918A2 BAR Light machine gun
•  United States Browning M1919A4 .30 Cal Medium machine gun
•  United States Browning M2HB .50 Cal Heavy machine gun
•  United States M79 grenade launcher
•  United States M72 LAW Anti-tank rocket launcher
•  United States M19 Mortar 60 mm
•  United States M29 Mortar 81 mm
•  United States M18 Claymore anti-personnel mines

See also[]

• Cambodian Navy SEALs
• Khmer Special Forces

Notes[]

References[]

• Kenneth Conboy, FANK: A History of the Cambodian Armed Forces, 1970-1975, Equinox Publishing (Asia) Pte Ltd, Djakarta 2011. ISBN 978-979-3780-86-3
• Kenneth Conboy, Kenneth Bowra, and Mike Chappell, The War in Cambodia 1970-75, Men-at-arms series 209, Osprey Publishing Ltd, London 1989. ISBN 0-85045-851-X
• Kenneth Conboy and Simon McCouaig, South-East Asian Special Forces, Elite series 33, Osprey Publishing Ltd, London 1991. ISBN 1-85532-106-8

External links[]

• Khmer National Armed Forces veterans site