Covert sites of the Laotian Civil War

Covert sites of the Laotian Civil War were clandestine U.S. military installations for conducting covert paramilitary and combat operations in the Kingdom of Laos. Airstrips within the Kingdom of Laos were originally designated by Air America as "Site XX" (with XX being a number). In September 1961, the designation changed to "VS XX", meaning "Victor Site XX". On 16 May 1964, the airstrips received their final designation; the site names then used the abbreviation "LS"—Lima Site—for unimproved strips, or "L"—Lima—for paved runways. The terms "Victor" and "Lima" were taken from the existing military phonetic code.[1]

These sites typically were centered on a dirt landing strip for STOL aircraft such as the Air America Helio Courier or Pilatus Porter. These strips were often carved out along ridge lines, and were seldom flat, straight, or of sufficient length. However, they were crucial for resupply and personnel transport, including medical evacuations. To quote one source: "Some of these defied all the safety rules even of military aviation."[2] A U.S. Air Force inspection team noted that even the best of the Lima strips was inferior to any air strips in Vietnam.[3] Listing follows.

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Lima sites of the Laotian Civil War
No. Name Width × length Elevation Coordinates Remarks
LS2 San Tiau 100 × 800 ft 5,000 ft 19°28′30″N 103°34′05″E / 19.475°N 103.568°E / 19.475; 103.568 Used as base for Kou Kiet[4]
LS03 Nong Het 100 × 1,200 ft 4,700 ft 19°29′40″N 103°59′35″E / 19.4944°N 103.993°E / 19.4944; 103.993
L 05 Paksong 3,445 ft
LS5 Ban Pa Dong 70 × 1,670 ft 4,600 ft 19°06′13″N 103°07′03″E / 19.1036°N 103.1175°E / 19.1036; 103.1175 Original site of Operation Momentum
L08 Vientiane 561 ft Air operations center for Military Region 5
L10 Attopeu 344 ft.
LS10 Ban Ban 100 × 1,500 ft. 1,888 ft 19°38′02″N 103°34′42″E / 19.634°N 103.5783°E / 19.634; 103.5783
L11 Pakse 330 ft Air operations center for Military Region 4
LS15 Ban Na 75 X 1,200 ft 5,050 ft 19°19′54″N 102°57′35″E / 19.3316°N 102.9597°E / 19.3316; 102.9597
LS19 Phou Khe 6,200 ft 19°18′52″N 103°15′56″E / 19.3144°N 103.2656°E / 19.3144; 103.2656
LS20 Sam Thong 50 X 1,900 ft 3,800 ft 19°11′02″N 102°52′21″E / 19.1839°N 102.8725°E / 19.1839; 102.8725 Center for USAID refugee relief
LS20A Long Tieng 60 X 4,450 ft 3,250 ft 19°06′30″N 102°55′31″E / 19.1083°N 102.9253°E / 19.1083; 102.9253 Air operations center for Military Region 2
LS22 Xieng Khouang 32 X 3,030 ft 3,444 ft 18°34′24″N 103°09′18″E / 18.5732°N 103.1551°E / 18.5732; 103.1551
L25 Ban Huoeisay Airport 1,380 ft
LS26 Xieng Dat 150 × 4,000 ft 2,350 ft 19°24′57″N 102°42′42″E / 19.4158°N 102.7117°E / 19.4158; 102.7117
LS30 See LS20A.
LS32 Bouamlong 75 X 1,300 ft 4,000 ft 19°27′12″N 103°11′43″E / 19.4532°N 103.1953°E / 19.4532; 103.1953
LS36 Na Khang 4,400 ft 19°58′36″N 103°38′22″E / 19.9766°N 103.6394°E / 19.9766; 103.6394
L39 Savannakhet 509 ft Air operations center for Military Region 3
L44 Salavan 550 ft.
L54 Luang Prabang International Airport 997 ft Air operations center for Military Region I
LS61 Muang Phalan TACAN Site 16°39′29″N 105°33′40″E / 16.658°N 105.561°E / 16.658; 105.561
LS69 Ban Xieng Lom 1,900 ft
LS85 Phou Pha Thi 4,500 ft 20°25′55″N 103°43′27″E / 20.4319°N 103.7242°E / 20.4319; 103.7242 TACAN was overrun on 11 March 1968
LS88 Bouam Long 40 × 800 ft 5,000  ft 19°45′32″N 103°19′53″E / 19.7589°N 103.3314°E / 19.7589; 103.3314 Used as base for Kou Kiet[4]
LS98 Long Tieng 3,120 ft 19°06′30″N 102°56′07″E / 19.1083°N 102.9353°E / 19.1083; 102.9353
L108 Muang Soui 3,600 ft 19°31′15″N 102°53′10″E / 19.5208°N 102.886°E / 19.5208; 102.886
L118A Nam Yu 1,900 ft
LS178 Phou Saly 3,200 ft
LS189 Ban Houei Sane 480 ft
LS 289 Khong Sedone 450 ft UTM WC8524[5]
LS 449 Toong Set 4,100 ft UTM XB3781 Alternative designation PS 49[6]

Online sources:

  • Chance FAC website:

http://www.chancefac.net/A-cs_pgs_rebuild/Lima_Sites/LS_Pg1.htm
http://www.chancefac.net/A-cs_pgs_rebuild/Lima_Sites/LS_Pg2.htm
http://www.chancefac.net/A-cs_pgs_rebuild/Lima_Sites/LS_Pg3.htm
http://www.chancefac.net/A-cs_pgs_rebuild/Lima_Sites/LS_Pg4.htm
http://www.chancefac.net/A-cs_pgs_rebuild/Lima_Sites/LS_Pg5.htm

  • Laos list website

Laos Lima Site (LS) Information, 7 March 2006
  • All web pages retrieved 26 December 2014.
    •
  • Textual sources as noted.

See also

Notes

  1. ↑ Conboy, Morrison, pp. 103–104.
  2. ↑ Ahern, p. 64.
  3. ↑ Ahern, p. 98.
  4. 1 2 Conboy, pp. 213–215.
  5. ↑ Hukle, et al, p. 30>
  6. ↑ Hukle, et al, p. 25.

Bibliography

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