The Kalashnikovs That Armed Vietnam

The Vietnam War drew in weapons from across the globe, as socialist nations rallied to support their revolutionary ally in the fight for reunification. Among the most significant contributions were the Kalashnikov-based rifles supplied by the Soviet Union and its allies. While traveling across Vietnam, I encountered many of these rifles on display, each representing a unique chapter of the war and international military aid. Here, I'll cover the AKs I could see and give a little overview of the Kalashnikov variants that found their way to the battlefields of Southeast Asia.

Across the Eastern Bloc, allies began producing licensed copies. In Poland, production of the AK Type III began around 1956 at the Fabryka Broni “Łucznik” plant in Radom. Designated the Kbk wz.1960, Poland also fielded a grenade-launching variant, the Kbkg wz.1960. Though Poland had recognized the DRV in 1950, military aid accelerated only after the mid-1960s, when Polish rifles began appearing in Vietnam.

Romania followed in 1963, after securing a license for the AKM. The result was the PM md. 63, built at the Cugir Arms Factory. Romanian arms shipments increased during the late 1960s, and while modest compared to Soviet or Chinese contributions, these rifles still played their part in Hanoi’s arsenal.

Meanwhile, the Soviets introduced the AKM (Avtomat Kalashnikova Modernizirovanniy) in 1959. Lighter, cheaper, and easier to produce, it returned to a stamped receiver, this time perfected. With additions like a slanted muzzle rise compensator and laminated furniture, the AKM became the most widely produced variant.

In East Germany, licensed production began in 1958 with the MPi-K. By the mid-1960s, East German solidarity shipments of weapons, ammunition, and technical equipment reached Hanoi. Many of these rifles remain in Vietnamese museums today, silent witnesses to East German support.

Two distinctive variants, the AKM-63 and the AMD-65, came from Hungary. In the late 1950s, Hungary first received a license to manufacture the milled Type III and permission to produce the stamped AKM in 1961. Both were manufactured at the FÉG factory in Budapest. After recognizing the DRV in 1950, Hungary initially offered only political support to it but began sending material aid in the mid-1960s as U.S. involvement escalated.

Bulgaria, too, entered the Kalashnikov brotherhood, receiving a Soviet license in the late 1950s. The AKK, a direct copy of the Type III, was its first standard-issue rifle, followed by stamped AKM variants produced at the Arsenal factory in Kazanlak from the early 1960s. Bulgaria recognized the DRV in 1950 and, by the mid-1960s, was contributing weapons, loans, and supplies alongside its Warsaw Pact allies.

Finally, no discussion of Vietnam War Kalashnikovs is complete without the Chinese Type 56. Licensed in 1955, China began production in 1956, first with milled receivers and later stamped versions. A folding-stock model, the Type 56-1, further expanded the line. The export version of the Type 56, the M22, was also used during the war. Chinese support to Vietnam began during the First Indochina War. It expanded massively after 1965, making the Type 56 one of the most recognizable weapons of the conflict, carried by both the People’s Army of Vietnam and the Viet Cong.

Final Thoughts

From Soviet first generation to Chinese mass production, the Kalashnikov family of rifles became a defining feature of the Vietnam War. Each national variant tells part of the story of how Cold War alliances shaped one of the 20th century’s most intense conflicts.

The Vietnam War was the proving ground where the Kalashnikov established its global reputation. From Soviet AKs to Eastern European licensed models and Chinese mass production, these rifles reflected not only Soviet engineering but also the solidarity of the socialist bloc. Flowing into Vietnam through intricate supply networks, they armed both the People’s Army and the Viet Cong with reliable, battlefield-proven weapons.

Though they differed in details, milled or stamped receivers, national markings, or unique adaptations like Hungary’s AMD-65, all Kalashnikovs shared a common lineage that made them a formidable asset on the battlefield. Their widespread presence in Vietnam reveals the globalization of the AK, transforming it from a Soviet service rifle into a worldwide symbol of revolution and resistance.

By the war's end, the Kalashnikov was more than a weapon; it was an instrument of ideology, a bond of solidarity, and an enduring icon of one of the Cold War’s defining struggles.