Although the Navy branch of the People's Army of Vietnam was established in 1955 after the end of the
Indochina War, but due to the
Vietnam War broke out and the United States bombing campaign in
northern Vietnam like
Operation Rolling Thunder, the Navy at that time did not have its own air wing. After the Vietnam War ended, the Vietnam People's Navy gradually regularized and established many new forces and branches following the model of the
Soviet Navy, including the naval aviation. On 24 July 1986, the Navy Commander issued Decision No. 1253/B0-31 on the establishment of the Air Defense – Air Force Department on the basis of merging the Naval Air Defense Department and the Naval Air Force Department. After established, some Vietnamese naval soldiers were selected to go to the
Soviet Union to train in the use of new weapons of the armed services. In the 1980s, the Vietnam Naval Aviation received 12 Soviet
Kamov Ka-25 submarine-hunting helicopters. In late 1980s, the Vietnam Naval Aviation continued to receive 4
Beriev Be-12 submarine-hunting seaplanes. The Be-12 squadron and the
Sukhoi Su-22 of the Vietnam People's Air Force often patrolled in the
Spratly Islands. Vietnam continuted to received new aircraft like the Kamov Ka-27PL anti-submarine helicopters from the Soviet Union. After the
Soviet Union collapse, Vietnam no longer received aid but continued to receive modern
Kamov Ka-28 anti-submarine helicopters through purchase from Russia. Currently, Kamov Ka-28 is the main anti-submarine weapon of the Naval Aviation force. In addition, Vietnam also purchased 10 Kamov Ka-32T helicopters designed similar to Ka-25/28 but for transport and rescue purposes. After the
United States Department of State withdrew the ban on exporting military helicopters to Vietnam through the long-term lobbying of the
Executive Decision Export Services Group, the
Ministry of Defence of Vietnam purchased many helicopters from
Eurocopter (France) to equip the armed service. In 2011, the Vietnam People's Navy received a fleet of
Eurocopter EC225 Super Puma transport-reconnaissance helicopters for the Navy. On 17 August 2012, the Navy held a groundbreaking ceremony for the construction of the Naval Aviation Regiment infrastructure project at
Cam Ranh Airport,
Khánh Hoà Province. In 2010, the Vietnamese Ministry of Defense ordered six
De Havilland Canada DHC-6 Twin Otter maritime patrol aircraft from Canada. The Navy has decided to send 12 pilots to Canada for training for a period of 17 months to enhance the ability to patrol at sea. On 3 July, at the
372nd Airborne Division (Đoàn Hải Vân), the Ministry of Defense held a ceremony to hand over the
954th Airborne Brigade (formerly known as the 954th Helicopter Regiment) from the
Vietnam People's Air Force to the Navy and announced the decision to establish the
930th Helicopter Regiment stationed at
Da Nang International Airport, under 372nd Division (
Vietnam People's Air Force). The 930th Regiment was established to replace the 954th Regiment transferred to the People's Navy. The regiment has the duty of observation flight; reconnaissance; in charge of military transport in the
central region – the
Central Highlands and the southern
Gulf of Tonkin; transport
Communist Party of Vietnam, State and
Army leaders; participate in search and rescue mission during natrual disater; provide air fire support; organize conversion flight training for students of helicopter pilots of the Air Force Officer's College. Based on its basic functions and current capabilities, the 954th Naval Air Brigade can perform the following tasks: Submarine hunting; military transport; reconnaissance, observation in the air, on the ground, on the water; search and rescue at sea, on land and during natrual disaster. == Equipment ==