Vietnam People’s

Army, 1976-2023
Carlyle A. Thayer

Thayer Consultancy Bibliography No. 4,

October 2023
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Vietnam People’s Army, 1976-2023
Carlyle A. Thayer

Table of Contents
Introduction ............................................................................................................... 3
Monographs .............................................................................................................. 3
Published in 2023 ...................................................................................................... 4
Published in 2022 ...................................................................................................... 4
Published in 2021 ...................................................................................................... 5
Published in 2019 ...................................................................................................... 6
Published in 2018 ...................................................................................................... 6
Published in 2017 ...................................................................................................... 6
Published in 2015 ...................................................................................................... 8
Published in 2014 .................................................................................................... 10
Published in 2013 .................................................................................................... 11
Published in 2012 .................................................................................................... 12
Published in 2011 .................................................................................................... 13
Published in 2010 .................................................................................................... 13
Published in 2008 .................................................................................................... 13
Published in 2007 .................................................................................................... 14
Published in 2005 .................................................................................................... 14
Published in 2004 .................................................................................................... 15
Published in 2003 .................................................................................................... 15
Published in 2002 .................................................................................................... 15
Published in 2001 .................................................................................................... 16
Published in 2000 .................................................................................................... 16
Published in 1999 .................................................................................................... 17
Published in 1998 .................................................................................................... 17
Published in 1997 .................................................................................................... 17
Published in 1996 .................................................................................................... 17
Published in 1995 .................................................................................................... 18
Published in 1994 .................................................................................................... 18
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Published in 1992 .................................................................................................... 18
Published in 1991 .................................................................................................... 19
Published in 1990 .................................................................................................... 19
Published in 1989 .................................................................................................... 19
Published in 1988 .................................................................................................... 19
Published in 1987 .................................................................................................... 19
Published in 1986 .................................................................................................... 20
Published in 1985 .................................................................................................... 20
Published in 1984 .................................................................................................... 20
Published in 1983 .................................................................................................... 20
Published in 1982 .................................................................................................... 20
Published in 1976 .................................................................................................... 20
Carlyle A. Thayer Biography .................................................................................... 21

Introduction
This Bibliography brings together Carlyle A. Thayer’s life-time published works and
unpublished conference papers, lectures and seminars on the Vietnam People’s Army
from 1976 to September 2023. The entries are listed in reverse chronological order,
from the most recent to the oldest.
These publications focus on a number of issues including the military’s history and
evolution, intervention in Cambodia, demobilization, two strategic tasks, defence
budget, military professionalism, commercial activities, civil-military relations, arms
procurements, force modernization, national defence industry, defence cooperation,
defence diplomacy, and UN peacekeeping.
This Bibliography includes only a small selection of relevant Thayer Consultancy
Background Briefs; readers are referred to two Thayer Consultancy Readers issued in
April 2023 that cover the period from 2016-2023 and a bibliography covering 2017-
2021 (Thayer Consultancy Background Brief, July 25, 2021). Thayer Consultancy
Background Briefs are archived at Scribd.com. Revised October 17, 2023.
Monographs
Vietnam People’s Army: Development and Modernization. Armed Forces Lecture
Paper Series Paper No. 4. Bandar Seri Begawan: Sultan Haji Hassanal Bolkiah Institute
of Defence and Strategic Studies, 2009. 43pp. Archived at
https://www.scribd.com/document/17313967/Thayer-Vietnam-People-s-Army-
Modernization-and-Development.
The Vietnam People’s Army Under Doi Moi, Pacific Strategic Paper no. 7, Singapore:
Institute of Southeast Asian Studies, 1994. 122pp.
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Published in 2023
“Russia Presses Its Case to Sell Arms to Vietnam,” Thayer Consultancy Background
Brief, August 20, 2023. https://www.scribd.com/document/666069072/Thayer-
Russia-Presses-Its-Case-to-Sell-Arms-to-Vietnam.
“Vietnam’s Military: Wooer or Wooed?” Thayer Consultancy Background Brief, July
6, 2023. https://www.scribd.com/document/657812134/Thayer-Vietnam-s-Military-
Wooer-or-Woed.
“USS Ronald Reagan Visits Vietnam – 3,” Thayer Consultancy Background Brief, June
25, 2023. https://www.scribd.com/document/655374304/Thayer-USS-Ronald-
Reagan-Visits-Vietnam-3.
“USS Ronald Reagan to Visit Vietnam – 2,” Thayer Consultancy Background Brief,
June 23, 2023. https://www.scribd.com/document/655200124/Thayer-USS-Ronald-
Reagan-to-Visit-Vietnam-2.
“USS Ronald Reagan to Visit Vietnam – 1,” Thayer Consultancy Background Brief,
June 21, 2023. https://www.scribd.com/document/654875742/Thayer-USS-Ronald-
Reagan-to-Visit-Vietnam-1
Vietnam People’s Army, 2021-2023: A Reader, Thayer Consultancy Reader No. 3, April
12, 2023. https://www.scribd.com/document/637735394/Thayer-Vietnam-People-s-
Army-Reader-2021-2023.
Vietnam People’s Army, 2016-2020: A Reader, Thayer Consultancy Reader No. 2, April
12, 2023. https://www.scribd.com/document/637734455/Thayer-Vietnam-People-
Army-Reader-2016-2020.
Published in 2022
“The Role of the Military and Public Security in Contemporary Vietnam,” in Jonathan
London, ed., Handbook of Contemporary Vietnam (Routledge, 2022), 88-103.
“The Roles of the Vietnam Coast Guard, Fisheries Surveillance Force and Maritime
Militia in the Blue Economy,” Presentation to Workshop on Beyond Borders: Security,
Economy, and Fisheries in the Maritime Spaces of Southeast Asia, co-sponsored by
Southeast Asia Research Initiative, Research Initiative on Taiwan Studies and the
Department of Political Science and International Relations, University of Canterbury,
Christchurch, New Zealand, October 14, 2022.
https://www.scribd.com/document/600566113/Thayer-The-Roles-of-the-Vietnam-
Coast-Guard-Fisheries-Surveillance-Force-and-Maritime-Militia-in-the-Blue-
Economy.
“Force Modernisation in Vietnam: Reply to Queries Received,” Thayer Consultancy
Background Brief, August 20, 2022.
https://www.scribd.com/document/588006839/Thayer-Force-Modernisation-in-
Vietnam-Reply-to-Queries-Received.
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“Force Modernization in Vietnam,” Thayer Consultancy Background Brief, August 8,
2022. https://www.scribd.com/document/588131449/Thayer-Background-Brief-
Force-Modernization-Vietnam.
“Force Modernization in Vietnam: Building a Streamlined and Strong Army by 2025
and a Revolutionary, Regular, Advanced and Modern People’s Army by 2030,”
Presentation to U.S.-Vietnam Security Dialogue, co-hosted by Pacific Forum
International, with support from the U.S. Defense Threat Reduction Agency, and the
Diplomatic Academy of Vietnam, Hanoi, Vietnam, August 3-5, 2022.
“Is Vietnam Going to Hold a Military Exercise with Russia?” The Diplomat, April 27,
2022.
https://thediplomat.com/2022/04/is-vietnam-going-to-hold-a-military-exercise-
with-russia/
“Is Vietnam Going to Hold a Military Exercise with Russia?” Thayer Consultancy
Background Brief, April 26, 2022.
https://www.scribd.com/document/571951127/Thayer-Is-Vietnam-Going-to-Hold-a-
Military-Exercise-With-Russia.
“Does Vietnam Risk U.S. Sanctions for its Military Ties with Russia?” Thayer
Consultancy Background Brief, April 20, 2022.
https://www.scribd.com/document/571172267/Thayer-Does-Vietnam-Risk-U-S-
Sanctions-for-Its-Military-Ties-With-Russia.
Published in 2021
“Vietnam’s National Defence Industry,” Thayer Consultancy Background Brief,
December 15, 2021. https://www.scribd.com/document/548098201/Thayer-
Vietnam-s-National-Defense-Industry.
“Vietnam People’s Army’s ‘Double Mission’ (nhiệm vụ kép),” Thayer Consultancy
Background Brief, November 8, 2021.
https://www.scribd.com/document/538833243/Thayer-Vietnam-People-s-Army-s-
Double-Mission.
“If Vietnam’s Military Has Grown in Influence, Why Have Defence Expenditures
Declined?” Thayer Consultancy Background Brief, August 16, 2021.
https://www.scribd.com/document/520476876/Thayer-if-Vietnam-s-Military-Has-
Grown-in-Influence-Why-Have-Defence-Expenditures-Declined
“Bibliography on the Vietnam People’s Army & Defence Cooperation with the U.S.,”
Thayer Consultancy Background Brief, July 25, 2021.
https://www.scribd.com/document/517177377/Bibliography-on-the-Vietnam-
People-s-Army-Defence-Cooperation-with-the-U-S-2017-2021.
Published in 2020
“Flights of Fancy: Vietnam to Use Military Force to Stand Up to China?” Thayer
Consultancy Background Brief, June 17, 2020.
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https://www.scribd.com/document/466406560/Thayer-Flights-of-Fancy-Vietnam-to-
Use-Military-Force-to-Stand-Up-to-China.
“Vietnam in Action: Proactive Measures against COVID-19 & Defence Posture in the
South China Sea,” Zoom Conversation Podcast with Chester Cabalza, International
Development and Security Cooperation, Manila, The Philippines, May 18, 2020.
https://drive.google.com/file/d/1zfjPmpLoa-trX0ZldFf2MnOhwoM9ioaN/view.
“Vietnam’s Military Budget,” Thayer Consultancy Background Brief, May 6, 2020.
https://www.scribd.com/document/460583426/Thayer-Vietnam-s-Military-Budget.
Published in 2019
“The Expanding Roles of the Vietnam People’s Army, 1975-2018,” in Volker Grabowsky
and Frederik Retting, eds., Armies and Societies in South-East Asia (Chiang Mai:
Silkworm Books, 2019). 305-335.
Published in 2018
“Force Modernization: Vietnam,” in Malcolm Cook and Daljit Singh, editors, Southeast
Asian Affairs 2018 (Singapore ISEAS Yusof Ishak Institute, 2018), 429-444.
http://www.viet-studies.net/kinhte/Thayer_ForceModernizationVN.pdf
“Submarine Acquisition in Vietnam,” in Geoffrey Till and Colin Koh Swee Lean, eds.,
Naval Modernization in Southeast Asia, Part Two, Submarine Issues for Small and
Medium Navies (London: Palgrave Macmillan, 2018), 109-118.
Published in 2017
“Defence Economics: Vietnam,” in The Military Balance 2017 (London: Routledge and
Taylor & Francis Group for The International Institute for Strategic Studies, 2017),
pp.264-268.
“Military Modernization and Capacity Building in the Philippines and Vietnam,” in
Murray Hiebert, Gregory B. Poling and Conor Cronin, eds. In the Wake of Arbitration:
Papers form the Sixth Annual CSIS South China Sea Conference, A Report of the CSIS
Southeast Asia Program and the Asia Maritime Transparency Initiative (Lanham,
Boulder, New York and London: Rowman & Littlefield, 2017), 95-109.
“The Political Economy of Military-Run Enterprises in Vietnam,” in Paul Chambers and
Napisa Waitoolkiat, eds., Khaki Capital: The Political Economy of the Military in
Southeast Asia. (Copenhagen: Nordic Institute of Asian Studies Press, 2017), 130-160.
“Viet Nam and Cambodia: Security and Prospects,” Presentation to the Defence and
Strategic Studies Course, Centre for Defence and Strategic Studies, Australian Defence
College, Weston Creek, Canberra, A.C.T., Australia, June 21, 2017.
“Vietnam: Acoustic Signatures and Kilo Submarines,” Thayer Consultancy Background
Brief, May 8, 2017. Archived at Scribd.com.
“Vietnam Commissions Sixth Kilo-class Submarine,” Thayer Consultancy Background
Brief, February 28, 2017. Archived at Scribd.com.
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“Vietnam: Evaluating its Fleet of Six Kilo-class Submarines,” Thayer Consultancy
Background Brief, February 25, 2017. Archived at Scribd.com.
“Russia: A Military Base at Cam Ranh Bay?” Thayer Consultancy Background Brief,
February 20, 2017. Archived at Scribd.com.
Published in 2016
“Vietnam’s Proactive International Integration: Case Studies in Defence Cooperation,”
Tạp Chí Khoa Học [Journal of Science, Vietnam National University], 32(1S), 2016, 25-
48.
“Vietnam’s Strategy of ‘Cooperating and Struggling’ with China over Maritime
Disputes in the South China Sea,” Journal of Asian Security and International Affairs,
3(2), 2016, 200-220.
“Vietnam’s Proactive International Integration: Case Studies in Defence Cooperation,”
Presentation to Sustainable Development in the Context of Global Change, Fifth
International Conference on Vietnamese Studies, Section 1 Foreign Relations,
International Cooperation and Integration, National Convention Center, Hanoi,
Vietnam, December 15-16, 2016.
“Vietnam: Chinese Warships Visit Cam Ranh Bay,” Thayer Consultancy Background
Brief, October 20, 2016.
Senior Reviewer, “Vietnam: Military Facing Hurdles in Pursuit of Counter-Intervention
Strategy,” Expert Workshop on Vietnam’s Military Modernization, Conference Room,
The RAND Corporation, Arlington, Virginia, United States, October 7, 2016.
“Challenges in Renewing Maritime Capabilities: Viet Nam,” Presentation to Maritime
Security Challenges 2016: Pacific Seapower, co-sponsored by the Navy League of
Canada, in association with the Royal Canadian Navy and the Daniel K. Inouye Asia-
Pacific Center for Security Studies, The Fairmont Empress, Victoria, British Columbia,
Canada, October 3-6, 2016. http://www.mscconference.com/wp-
content/uploads/2016/10/3-Thayer-Vietnam.pdf
“China-Vietnam Relations: Visits by Vietnam’s Defence Minister and Prime Minister,”
Thayer Consultancy Background Brief, August 29 and 31, 2016.
“Vietnam: Defence and Foreign Policy Overview,” CENTRA Technology, Inc., Arlington,
Virginia, United States, August 23, 2016.
“Vietnam’s Strategy of ‘Cooperating and Struggling’ With China Over Maritime
Disputes in the South China Sea,” Chennai Centre for China Studies, C3S Paper No.
0112/2016, August 5, 2016. http://www.c3sindia.org/foreign-policy/5702.
“Military Modernization and Capacity Building in the Philippines and Vietnam,”
Presentation to the 6th International Conference on the South China Sea, Center for
Strategic and International Studies, Washington, D.C., U.S.A., July 12, 2016.
https://www.csis.org/events/sixth-annual-csis-south-china-sea-conference
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“Cambodia and Viet Nam: Security and Prospects,” Presentation to Defence and
Strategic Studies Course, Centre for Defence and Strategic Studies, Australian Defence
College, Weston Creek, A.C.T., Australia, June 29, 2016.
“Vietnam: Two Aircraft Lost,” Thayer Consultancy Background Brief, June 20, 2016.
“Vietnam and the Major Powers: Multilateralising International Defence and Security
Cooperation,” Presentation to Vietnamese Studies Programme Seminar, Yusof Ishak
Institute of Southeast Asian Studies, Singapore, June 6, 2016.
“Vietnam: President Obama Lifts Arms Embargo- Significance,” Chennai Centre for
China Studies, CAS Article no. 0081/2016, May 26,
2016. http://www.caschennai.org/?p=417.
“Vietnam: Arms Embargo Lifted, What Next?” Thayer Consultancy Background Brief,
May 24, 2016.
“Vietnam and the Lifting of the U.S. Arms Embargo,” Thayer Consultancy Background
Brief, May 7, 2016.
“Vietnam’s Submarine Fleet: What Impact on the South China Sea?” Chennai Centre
for China Studies, CAS Article No: 0007/2016, January 8, 2016.
http://www.caschennai.org/?p=212.
“Vietnamese Diplomacy, 1975-2015: From Member of the Socialist Camp to Proactive
International Integration,” Chennai Centre for China Studies, C3S Paper No.
0003/2016, January 6, 2016. http://www.c3sindia.org/economyandtrade/5337.
“Vietnam’s Submarine Fleet: What Impact on the South China Sea?” Thayer
Consultancy Background Brief, January 5, 2016.
Published in 2015
“Submarine Acquisitions in South East Asia: Vietnam Case Study,” Chennai Centre for
China Studies, C3S Paper No. 0203/2015, November 19, 2015.
http://www.c3sindia.org/submarines/5299.
“Submarine Acquisitions in Southeast Asia: Vietnam Case Study,” Presentation to
Submarine Acquisitions in Southeast Asia: Problems and Prospects Maritime Security
Programme Workshop, Rajaratnam School of International Studies, Marina Mandarin
Hotel, Singapore, November 13, 2015.
“Vietnam is Changing…And So Is the Balance of Power in Asia,” The Diplomat, October
2, 2015. http://thediplomat.com/2015/10/vietnam-is-changing-and-so-is-the-
balance-of-power-in-asia/.
“Armati Fino Al Collo Per Spaventare i Cinesi [Armed to the Teeth to Deter China],”
LIMES: Rivista Italiana Di Geopolitica, no. 8, September 2015, 199-206.
“Vietnam: Armed to the Teeth to Deter China,” Chennai Centre for China Studies, C3S
Paper No. 0176/2015, September 11, 2015. http://www.c3sindia.org/military/5235.
 9
“Vietnam’s Advanced Kilo-class Submarines & South China Sea,” Chennai Centre for
China Studies, C3S Paper No. 0166/2015, August 25, 2015.
http://www.c3sindia.org/china/5212.
“Is Vietnam Pivoting Toward the United States?,” The Diplomat, July 6, 2015.
http://thediplomat.com/2015/07/is-vietnam-pivoting-toward-the-united-states/.
“Is Vietnam pivoting toward the US?” The Manila Times, July 6, 2015.
http://www.manilatimes.net/is-vietnam-pivoting-toward-the-us/198148/.
“Security Sector Responses to Climate Change and the Political Economy of the
Military: The Case of Vietnam,” Presentation to Regional Conference on The Impact
and Implications of Climate Change: Strategies and Security for ASEAN Member States,
organized by the Cambodian Institute for Cooperation and Peace and funded by the
Konrad Adenauer Stiftung, Sokha Hotel, Phnom Penh, Cambodia, July 2-3, 2015.
“Cambodia and Vietnam: Security and Prospects,” Presentation to Centre for Defence
and Strategic Studies, Australian Defence College, Weston Creek, Australia, May 27,
2015.
“The Present Role and Position of Unified Vietnam in the International System,” Paper
presented to International Conference on “40 Years of National Unification with the
Cause of Reform (Doi Moi), Development and International Integration of Vietnam,”
sponsored by the Vietnam Academy of Social Sciences, Hanoi, Vietnam, April 27, 2015.
“Vietnamese Diplomacy, 1975-2015: From Member of the Socialist Camp to Proactive
International Integration,” Paper presented to International Conference on “Vietnam
1975-2015: Reunification, Integration and Development,” sponsored by the University
of Social Sciences and Humanities-Hanoi, University of Social Sciences and Humanities-
Hue, University of Social Sciences and Humanities-Ho Chi Minh City, and Thu Dau Mot
University, Binh Duong City, Vietnam, April 24-25, 2015.
“Vietnam’s Cam Ranh Bay Caught in US-Russia Crossfire,” The Diplomat, March 13,
2015. http://thediplomat.com/2015/03/vietnams-cam-ranh-bay-caught-in-us-russia-
crossfire/.
“The Philippines and Vietnam Forge a Strategic Partnership,” The Diplomat, March 10,
2015. http://thediplomat.com/2015/03/the-philippines-and-vietnam-forge-a-
strategic-partnership/.
“Philippines, Vietnam Expand Ties to Counter China Threat,” World Politics Review,
February 13, 2015. http://www.worldpoliticsreview.com/trend-
lines/15087/philippines-vietnam-expand-ties-to-counter-china-threat.
“The Philippines, Malaysia and Vietnam Race to South China Sea Defense
Modernization,” The Diplomat, January 23, 2015.
http://thediplomat.com/2015/01/the-philippines-malaysia-and-vietnam-race-to-
south-china-sea-defense-modernization/ .
 10
Published in 2014
“The Contrasting Cases of Cambodia and Vietnam: Active Engagement and
Considering Engagement in United Nations Peacekeeping Operations,” in Chiuki Aoi
and Yee-Kuang Heng, eds., Asia-Pacific Nations in International Peace Support and
Stability Missions. London: Palgrave Macmillan, 2014. 211-244.
“U.S.-Vietnam: From Comprehensive to Strategic Partners?” cogitASIA, March 20,
2014, http://cogitasia.com/u-s-vietnam-from-comprehensive-to-strategic-partners/.
“Vietnam Commits to UN Peacekeeping,” Policy Brief, No. 1 (2014), University of Social
Sciences and Humanities (Hanoi), 23-28.
“Vietnam’s Maritime Forces,” in Murray Hiebert, Phuong Nguyen and Gregory B.
Poling, eds., Perspectives on the South China Seas: Diplomatic, Legal, and Security
Dimensions of the Dispute. A Report of the CSIS Sumitro Chair for Southeast Asian
Studies (Lanham, MD: Rowman & Littlefield, 2014), 136-148.
“India and Vietnam Advance Their Strategic Partnership,” The Diplomat, December 11,
2014. http://thediplomat.com/2014/12/india-and-vietnam-advance-their-strategic-
partnership/.
“Vietnam’s Navy Crosses the Line,” The Diplomat, December 2, 2014.
http://thediplomat.com/2014/12/vietnams-navy-crosses-the-line/.
“How Vietnam Woos China and India Simultaneously,” The Diplomat, October 28,
2014. http://thediplomat.com/2014/10/how-vietnam-woos-china-and-india-
simultaneously/.
“China-Vietnam Establish Defense Hot Line – What’s Next?,” cogitAsia, October 23,
2014. http://cogitasia.com/china-vietnam-establish-defense-hot-line-whats-next/.
“China-Vietnam Defense Hotline Agreed: What Next?” The Diplomat, October 20,
2014. http://thediplomat.com/2014/10/china-vietnam-defense-hotline-agreed-
what-next/.
“Why the Upcoming China-Vietnam Defense Ministers Meeting is Immensely
Important,” The Diplomat, October 17, 2014. http://thediplomat.com/2014/10/why-
the-upcoming-china-vietnam-defense-ministers-meeting-is-immensely-important/
“Vietnam’s Extensive Strategic Partnership with Japan,” The Diplomat, October 14,
2014. http://thediplomat.com/2014/10/vietnams-extensive-strategic-partnership-
with-japan/.
“The US Lifts Arms Embargo: The Ball Is in Vietnam’s Court,” The Diplomat, October 6,
2014. http://thediplomat.com/2014/10/the-us-lifts-arms-embargo-the-ball-is-in-
vietnams-court/.
“Can Vietnam's Maritime Strategy Counter China?” The Diplomat, September 29,
2014. http://thediplomat.com/2014/09/can-vietnams-maritime-strategy-counter-
china/.
 11
“US Arms to Vietnam?” The Nelson Report, July 16, 2014.
“Vietnam’s Maritime Forces,” Presentation to Conference on Recent Trends in the
South China Sea and U.S. Policy, 4th CSIS Conference on the South China Sea, Center
for Strategic and International Studies Washington, D.C., U.S.A., July 10-11, 2014.
“Vietnam Mulling New Strategies to Deter China,” The Diplomat, May 28, 2014.
http://thediplomat.com/2014/05/vietnam-mulling-new-strategies-to-deter-china/.
“Vietnam Commits to Peacekeeping,” Presentation to Vietnam National Seminar,
Contributing to Peace Operations: Experiences, Challenges and Priorities, co-
sponsored by the Friedrich Ebert Stiftung, Stockholm International Peace Research
Institute, and the University of Social Sciences and Humanities Vietnam National
University, Hanoi, Vietnam, April 14, 2014.
“Is a Philippine-Vietnam Alliance in the Making?” The Diplomat, March 28, 2014.
http://thediplomat.com/2014/03/is-a-philippine-vietnam-alliance-in-the-making/.
“Cambodia and Vietnam: Security and Prospects,” Presentation to Defence and
Strategic Studies Course, Centre of Defence and Strategic Studies, Australian Defence
College, Weston Creek, Australia, March 26, 2014.
“U.S.-Vietnam Defence Relations: Convergence Not Congruence,” China Policy
Institute Blog, March 12, 2014.
https://blogs.nottingham.ac.uk/chinapolicyinstitute/2014/03/12/u-s-vietnam-
defence-relations-convergence-not-congruence/
Published in 2013
“Vietnam,” in The Military Balance 2013. London: Routledge for The International
Institute for Strategic Studies, 2013. 275-277.
“Vietnam’s Strategic Outlook,” in Security Outlook of the Asia Pacific Countries and Its
Implications for the Defense Sector, The NIDS International Workshop on Asia Pacific
Security, NIDS Joint Research Series No. 7. Tokyo: The National Institute for Defense
Studies Japan, 2013. 69-88.
“The Bear is Back: Russia Returns to Vietnam,” The Diplomat, November 26, 2013.
http://thediplomat.com/2013/11/the-bear-is-back-russia-returns-to-vietnam/.
“Vietnam Gradually Warms Up to US Military,” The Diplomat, November 6, 2013.
http://thediplomat.com/flashpoints-blog/.
“With Russia’s Help, Vietnam Adopts A2/AD Strategy,” The Diplomat, October 8, 2013.
http://thediplomat.com/flashpoints-blog/2013/10/08/with-russias-help-vietnam-
adopts-a2ad-strategy/.
“Vietnam and the United States: Convergence but Not Congruence of Strategic
Interests in the South China Sea,” ISN ETZ Zurich, International Relations and Security
Network, February 13, 2013. http://isn.ethz.ch/isn/Digital-Library/Articles/Special-
Feature/Detail/?lng=en&id=159647&contextid774=159647&contextid775=159646&
tabid=1453526659
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“Strategic Posture Review: Vietnam,” World Politics Review, January 15, 2013. 1-11.
Published in 2012
“Vietnam On the Road to Global Integration: Forging Strategic Partnerships Through
International Security Cooperation,” in Vietnam on the Road to Integration and
Sustainable Development, The Fourth International Conference on Vietnamese
Studies. Hanoi: Vietnam Academy of Social Sciences and Vietnam National University,
2012.
“Việt Nam Trên Con Đường Hội Nhập Toàn Cầu: Thúc Đẩy Quan Hệ Đối Tác Chiến Lược
Thông Qua Hợp Tác An Ninh Quốc Tế (Vietnam on the Path to Global Integration:
Promoting Strategic Partnership through International Security Cooperation),” in Việt
Nam Trên Đường Hội Nhập và Phát Triển Bền Vững (Vietnam On The Road To
Integration and Sustainable Development), Hội Thảo Quốc Tế Việt Nam Học Lần Thứ
IV (Fourth International Conference on Vietnamese Studies). Hanoi: Học Viện Khoa
Học Xã Hội Việt Nam and Đại Học Quốc Gia Hà Nội (Vietnam Academy of Social
Sciences and Hanoi National University), 2012. 197-205.
“Vietnam on the Road to Global Integration: Forging Strategic Partnerships Through
International Security Cooperation,” Keynote Paper to the Opening Plenary Session,
4th International Vietnamese Studies Conference, co-sponsored by the Vietnam
Academy of Social Sciences and Vietnam National University, Hanoi, Vietnam,
November 26-30, 2012.
“Vietnam and the United States: Convergence but not Congruence of Strategic
Interests in the South China Sea,” Keynote Address to The Fourth Engaging With
Vietnam – An Interdisciplinary Dialogue Conference, Australian Night, co-sponsored
by the Australian Consulate General, Monash University, and the East-West Center,
Wailana Room, The Hawai’i Imin International Conference Center, East-West Center,
Honolulu, Hawaii, U.S.A., November 8-9, 2012.
“Hạm đội tàu ngầm Việt Nam (Vietnam’s Submarine Fleet),” BBC Vietnamese Service,
August 25, 2012.
http://www.bbc.co.uk/vietnamese/vietnam/2012/08/120825_viet_submarines.shtm
l
“Tầu ngầm Nga tại Việt Nam (Russian Submarines in Vietnam),” Radio France
Internationale, August 22, 2012. http://www.viet.rfi.fr/viet-nam/20120822-tau-
ngam-nga-tai-viet-nam
“Russian Subs in Vietnam,” U.S. Naval Institute, August 21, 2012.
http://news.usni.org/news-analysis/news/russian-subs-vietnam
“The Contrasting Cases of Cambodia and Vietnam: Active Engagement and
Considering Engagement in United Nations Peace Support Operations,” Paper to
International Conference on Peace Stability Operations in Asia-Pacific Project, Lee
Kuan Yew School, National University of Singapore, July 20, 2012
 13
“Vietnam Seeks U.S. Equipment to Close Military Gaps,” Global Insider, World Politics
Review. July 6, 2012. http://www.worldpoliticsreview.com/trend-lines/12136/global-
insider-vietnam-seeks-u-s-equipment-to-close-military-gaps
“Hanoi and the Pentagon: A Budding Courtship,” U.S. Naval Institute, June 11, 2012.
http://news.usni.org/news-analysis/hanoi-and-pentagon-budding-courtship
“Political Role of the Vietnam People’s Army: Corporate Interests and Military
Professionalism,” Paper delivered to Panel on Understanding Vietnamese Politics,
New Approaches and Issues from the Field, Association for Asian Studies, Toronto,
Canada, March 15-18, 2012.
“Vietnam: Security and Prospects,” Presentation to Centre of Defence and Strategic
Studies, Australian Defence College, Weston Creek, Australia, May 15, 2012.
“Vietnam’s Security Outlook,” Presentation to International Workshop on Asia-Pacific
Security, National Institute for Defense Studies, Tokyo, Japan, January 17-18, 2012.
Published in 2011
“Military Politics in Contemporary Vietnam: Political Engagement, Corporate Interests
and Professionalism,” in Marcus Mietzner. ed., The Political Resurgence of the Military
in Southeast Asia: Conflict and Leadership. London: Routledge, 2011. 63-84.
Published in 2010
“The Vietnam People’s Army: Victory at Home (1975), Success in Cambodia (1989),”
in Peter Dennis and Jeffrey Grey, eds., Victory or Defeat: Armies in the Aftermath of
Conflict. Newport, NSW: Big Sky Publications, 2010. 149-175.
“The Vietnam People’s Army: Victory at Home (1975), Success in Cambodia (1989),”
Paper to Armies in Victory and Defeat: Armies in the Aftermath of Conflict, 17th Chief
of Army Military History Conference, National Convention Centre, Canberra, Australia
September 30-October 1, 2010.
“Vietnam’s Approach to Asia-Pacific Security,” Presentation to Strategic and Defence
Studies B Asia2030, Strategic and Defence Studies Centre, College of Asia & the Pacific,
The Australian National University, Canberra, Australia, August 31, 2010.
Published in 2009
“Vietnam People’s Army: Domestic and External Roles,” Presentation to School
Research Seminar, School of Humanities and Social Sciences, University College, The
University of New South Wales at the Australian Defence Force Academy, Canberra,
Australia, October 29, 2009.
Published in 2008
“Vietnam,” in Stuart Farson, Peter Gill, Mark Phythian, and Shlomo Shapiro eds., PSI
Handbook of Global Security and Intelligence: National Approaches, Vol. 1, The
Americas and Asia. Westport, CT and London: Praeger Security International, 2008.
300-317.
 14
“Vietnam’s Defence Relations with China and the United States,” Presentation to
Seminar co-hosted by the Rajaratnam School of International Studies and the Institute
of Southeast Asian Studies, Singapore, July 25, 2008.
“Vietnam People’s Army: Development and Modernization,” Presentation to Sultan
Haji Bolkiah Institute of Defence and Strategic Studies, Ministry of Defence, Bolkiah
Garrison, Bandar Seri Begawan, Brunei Darussalam, July 24, 2008.
“Vietnam’s Defence Policy and its Impact on Foreign Relations,” Paper delivered to
EuroViet 6, Asien-Afrika Institüt, Universität Hamburg, Hamburg, Federal Republic of
Germany, June 6-8, 2008.
“Vietnam and Cambodia: Strategic Situation and Future Prospects,” Presentation to
Centre for Defence and Strategic Studies, Australian Defence College, video
conference link Ohio University, Athens, Ohio, United States, May 22, 2008.
Published in 2007
“Vietnam: Air Force,” Jane’s Sentinel Risk Assessments, Jane's Sentinel Security
Assessment – Southeast Asia, August 10, 2007.
“Vietnam: Armed Forces,” Jane’s Sentinel Risk Assessments, Jane's Sentinel Security
Assessment – Southeast Asia, August 10, 2007.
“Vietnam: Army,” Jane’s Sentinel Risk Assessments, Jane's Sentinel Security
Assessment – Southeast Asia, August 10, 2007.
“Vietnam: Defence Budget,” Jane’s Sentinel Risk Assessments, Jane's Sentinel Security
Assessment – Southeast Asia, August 10, 2007.
“Vietnam: Navy,” Jane’s Sentinel Risk Assessments, Jane's Sentinel Security
Assessment – Southeast Asia, August 10, 2007.
“Vietnam: Procurement,” Jane’s Sentinel Risk Assessments, Jane's Sentinel Security
Assessment – Southeast Asia, August 10, 2007.
“Vietnam: Production and R&D,” Jane’s Sentinel Risk Assessments, Jane's Sentinel
Security Assessment – Southeast Asia, August 10, 2007.
“Vietnam: Strategic Situation and Prospects,” Presentation to the Defence and
Strategic Studies Course, Centre for Defence and Strategic Studies, Australian Defence
College, Weston Creek, A.C.T., Australia, June 1, 2007.
Published in 2005
“The Prospects for Strategic Dialogue,” in Catharin E. Dalpino editor, Dialogue on U.S.-
Vietnam Relations: Ten Years After Normalization. San Francisco: The Asia Foundation,
2005. 26-30.
“Vietnam’s Defence Diplomacy,” Presentation to Asia-Pacific Seminar Series, School
of Humanities and Social Sciences, University College, The University of New South
Wales, Australian Defence Force Academy, Canberra, Australia, September 12, 2005.
 15
Published in 2004
“The Army as a Political and Economic Actor in Vietnam,” in Christopher Goscha and
Benoît de Tréglodé, eds., Naissance d’un Etat-Parti: Le Viet Nam depuis 1945/The Birth
of a Party-State: Vietnam since 1945. Paris: Les Indes Savantes, 2004. 355-381. (with
Gérard Hervouet).
“Vietnam’s Foreign Relations: The Strategic Defence Dimension,” Paper to Vietnam
Update 2004 Strategic and Foreign Relations, jointly organised by The Australian
National University and Institute of Southeast Asian Studies, Singapore, November 25-
26, 2004.
“Vietnam’s Military Diplomacy,” Seminar presentation to l’École des Hautes Etudes en
Sciences Sociales and le Groupe de recherché sur le Viet Nam contemporain du Centre
d’Études et de Recherches Internationales, Sciences Po, Paris, France, October 20,
2004.
Published in 2003
“The Economic and Commercial Roles of the Vietnam People’s Army,” in Jörn
Brömmelhörster and Wolf-Christian Paes, eds., The Military as an Economic Actor:
Soldiers in Business. International Political Economy Series. London: Palgrave
Macmillan, 2003. 74-93 and 199-201.
“Life Stories: Colonel Bui Tin,” Presentation to Defence and Strategic Studies Course,
Centre for Defence and Strategic Studies, Australian Defence College, Weston Creek,
ACT, Australia, April 30, 2003.
“Vietnam in 2010: Key Political and Military Uncertainties,” Paper for Conference on
Vietnam Futures, co-sponsored by the Office of Asian-Pacific and Latin American
Analysis and the Strategic Assessments Group, Office of Transnational Issues,
Directorate of Intelligence, Central Intelligence Agency, organized by Centra
Technology, Inc., Langley, U.S.A., Virginia, United States, January 14, 2003.
Published in 2002
“Army, Party and Market in Vietnam,” in Albert Legault and Joel Sokolsky, eds, The
Soldier and the State in the Post-Cold War Era (Kingston and Montreal: The Queen's
Quarterly Special Edition published in cooperation with the l’Institut Québécois des
Hautes Études Internationales, Université Laval, l’Université du Québec à Montréal
and the Royal Military College of Canada, 2002), 145-161. (with Gérard Hervouet)
“Vietnamese Perspectives of the ‘China Threat’,” in Herbert Yee and Ian James Storey,
eds., The China Threat: Perceptions, Myths and Reality. London: RoutledgeCurzon
Taylor & Francis Group, 2002. 265-287.
“Socio-Economic Roles of the Militaries in Southeast Asia: Burma, Indonesia and
Vietnam,” Conference on Southeast Asia: The Changing Role of the Military in Politics,
co-sponsored by the Office of Asian-Pacific and Latin American Analysis and the
Strategic Assessments Group, Office of Transnational Issues, Directorate of
 16
Intelligence, Central Intelligence Agency, and Centra Technology Inc., Sheraton
Premier, Tyson’s Corner, Virginia, United States, September 23, 2002.
Published in 2001
“Vietnam: The Many Roles of the VPA,” in Muthiah Alagappa, ed., Military
Professionalism in Asia: Conceptual and Empirical Perspectives. Honolulu: East-West
Center, 2001. 137-149.
“Cam Ranh Bay: Past Imperfect, Future Conditional,” Contemporary Southeast Asia,
23(3), December 2001, 452-473 (with Ian James Storey).
“Scramble for Cam Ranh Bay as Russia prepares to withdraw,” Jane’s Intelligence
Review, December 2001, 34-37. (with Ian James Storey).
“The Role of the Vietnam People’s Army as a Political Constituency in the Political
System of the Socialist Republic of Vietnam,” Conference on Prospects for the
Constituencies of Vietnam in Changing Times, sponsored by the Vietnamese
Professionals of America, Inc., The Catholic University of America, Caldwell Hall,
Washington D.C., United States, November 16, 2001.
“Vietnam: Strategic Assessment Exercise,” Centre for Defence and Strategic Studies,
Australian Defence College, Weston Creek, ACT, Australia, August 14, 2001.
“Armée et Parti au Viêt-Nam: une symbiose au service de l’économie de marché,”
Études Internationales [Institut Québécois des Hautes Études Internationales,
Université Laval], 32(2), Juin 2001, 337-350. (with Gérard Hervouet).
Published in 2000
“Demobilization but not Disarmament—Personnel Reduction and Force
Modernization in Vietnam,” in Natalie Pauwels, ed., War Force to Work Force: Global
Perspectives on Demobilization and Reintegration. BICC Schriften zu Abrüstung und
Konversion. Baden-Baden: Nomos Verlagsgesellshaft, 2000. 199-219.
“The Economic and Commercial Roles of the Vietnam People’s Army,” Asian
Perspective, 2000, 24(2), 87-120.
“The Economic and Commercial Roles of the Vietnam People’s Army,” Paper to
conference on Soldiers in Business: The Military as an Economic Actor, co-sponsored
by Bonn International Center for Conversion and Institute for Policy and Community
Development Studies, Mandarin Oriental Hotel, Jakarta, Indonesia, October 17-19,
2000. http://www.bicc.de/budget/events/milbus/confpapers/thayer.pdf.
“Why Secretary Cohen’s Visit Mattered,” Vietnam Business Journal, May 2000,
internet version. http://www.viam.com/05-2000/cohen.htm.
“The Economic and Commercial Roles of the Vietnam People’s Army,” Paper to the
panel Soldiers of Fortune? - The Political Economy of Civil-Military Relations in Socialist
Asia, 52nd Annual Meeting of the Association of Asian Studies, San Diego, United
States, U.S.A., March 9-12, 2000.
 17
Published in 1999
Commentator/discussant on Thaveeporn Vasavakul, “The Vietnam People’s Army in
Transition” Paper delivered to the conference on "The State and the Soldier in Asia:
Investigating Change and Continuity in Civil-Military Relations", sponsored by the
East-West Center and Institute for Security and International Studies (ISIS-Thailand),
Bangkok, Thailand, April 13-17, 1999.
Published in 1998
“Vietnam’s Military and Security Policies,” Presentation to conference on Vietnam: At
the Crossroads, U.S. Central Intelligence Agency, held at the National Foreign Affairs
Training Center, Arlington, Virginia, United States, September 17-18, 1998.
“Marching Orders,” Vietnam Business Journal, 6(4), July/August 1998. 56-57.
“The Vietnam People’s Army”, Background Briefing to U.S. National Defense
University, National War College delegation to Vietnam, People’s Army Guest House,
Hanoi, Vietnam, May 13, 1998.
Published in 1997
“L’armée populaire vietnamienne, un acteur pour la sécurité de l’Asie du Sud-Est?”
Relations internationales et stratégiques [Institut de Relations Internationales et
Stratégiques], no. 27 Automne 1997, 120-128. (with Gérard Hervouet)
“International Relations and Security: A Rapid Overview of a Decade of Doi Moi.” in
Adam Fforde, ed., Doi Moi Ten Years after the 1986 Party Congress. Political and Social
Change Monograph 24, Canberra: Department of Political and Social Change,
Research School of Pacific and Asian Studies, The Australian National University, 1997.
25-46.
“Force Modernization: The Case of the Vietnam People’s Army,” in Contemporary
South East Asia. vol. 19, no. 1, June 1997. 1-28.
Published in 1996
“Indochina,” in Gary Klintworth, ed., Asia-Pacific Security: Less Uncertainty and New
Opportunities? Sydney: Longmann Cheshire and New York: St. Martin’s, 1996. 132-
147.
“Quân Sự và Kinh Tế [The Military and the Economy),” Diển đàn [Paris], no. 56,
October 1996, p. 16.
“People’s Army gets in step with era of friendly reform,” The Australian Special Survey,
The Australian, September 6, 1996. 18.
“General stood by his troops [Obituary: Tran Van Tra],” Time & Tide Section, The
Australian, May 7, 1996, 12.
“Armed Forces and Society in Vietnam,” Presentation to Australian Defence Studies
Centre and Inter-University Seminar on Armed Forces and Society, international
 18
conference on The Sociology of Armed Forces in Southeast Asia, Australian Defence
Force Academy, Canberra, A.C.T., Australia, May 6-7, 1996.
“Vietnam’s Military Modernisation,” British Broadcasting Corporation World Service,
Vietnamese Section, April 29, 1996.
Published in 1995
“Introduction,” Bui Tin, Following Ho Chi Minh: Memoirs of a North Vietnamese
Colonel. Honolulu: University of Hawaii Press, London: C. Hurst Publishers, 1995. vii-
xiv.
“Introduction,” Bui Tin, From Cadre to Exile: The Memoirs of a North Vietnamese
Journalist. Chiang Mai [Thailand]: Silkworm Books, 1995. vii-xiv.
“Vietnam’s Strategic Readjustment,” in Stuart Harris and Gary Klintworth, eds., China
as a Great Power: Myths, Realities and Challenges in the Asia-Pacific Region.
Melbourne: Longmann Australia Pty Ltd. and New York: St. Martin’s Press, 1995, 185-
201.
Published in 1994
“Vietnam: National Defence Policy and Strategic Perspectives,” Seminar presentation
to M.A. (Strategic Studies) Course, Strategic and Defence Studies Centre, The
Australian National University, Canberra, Australia, August 18, 1994.
Vietnam’s Developing Ties with the Region: The Case for Defence Cooperation. ADSC
Working Paper no. 24. Canberra: Australian Defence Studies Centre, Australian
Defence Force Academy, June 1994. 27pp.
“Vietnam’s Military Under Doi Moi,” Seminar, Division of Politics and International
Relations, The Australian National University, Canberra, Australia, May 19, 1994.
“Vietnam’s Military and the Region,” Lecture to the United Service Institution of the
A.C.T., held at the Joint Services Staff College, Weston, A.C.T., Australia, April 6, 1994.
Published in 1993
“All-People’s National Defence: The Vietnam People’s Army Under Doi Moi,” Paper
to Workshop on Arms & Defence Planning in Southeast Asia, sponsored by the
Institute of Southeast Asian Studies, Omni Marco Polo Hotel, Singapore, June 18–19,
1993.
Published in 1992
“Vietnam as a Regional Power,” Presentation to M.A. (Strategic Studies) Course,
Strategic and Defence Studies Centre, The Australian National University, Canberra,
Australia, August 14, 1992.
 19
Published in 1991
“Civil Society and the Soviet-Vietnamese Alliance,” in Chandran Kukathas, David Lovell
and William Maley, eds., The Transition from Socialism: State and Civil Society in
Gorbachev’s USSR. Sydney: Longman Cheshire, 1991. 198-218.
“Vietnam as a Regional Power,” Presentation to M.A. (Strategic Studies) Course,
Strategic and Defence Studies Centre, The Australian National University, Canberra,
ACT, Australia, August 8, 1991.
Published in 1990
“Indochina,” in Desmond Ball and Cathy Downes, eds., Security and Defence: Pacific
and Global Perspectives. Sydney, Wellington, Boston, and London: Allen and Unwin,
1990. 398-411.
“Vietnam as a Regional Power,” Presentation to M.A. (Strategic Studies) Course,
Strategic and Defence Studies Centre, The Australian National University, Canberra,
Australia, August 2, 1990.
Published in 1989
“Cooperation on All Fronts: Strengthening U.S.-Vietnam Defense Ties,” Vietnam
Business Journal 8(4), October 1989. http://www.viam.com/oct99/toc.html.
“Vietnam as a Regional Power,” Presentation to M.A. (Strategic Studies) Course,
Strategic and Defence Studies Centre, The Australian National University, Canberra,
Australia, August 3, 1989.
Published in 1988
“The Soviets in Cam Ranh Bay,” Joint Seminar Programme, Department of Politics
and the Australian Defence Studies Centre, University College, Australian Defence
Force Academy, Canberra, Australia, October 28, 1988.
“Vietnam as a Regional Power,” Presentation to M.A. (Strategic Studies) Course,
Strategic and Defence Studies Centre, The Australian National University, Canberra,
Australia, August 4, 1988.
Published in 1987
“Security Issues in Southeast Asia: The Third Indochina War,” Paper to Conference on
Security and Arms Control in the North Pacific, co-sponsored by the Peace Research
Centre, the Strategic and Defence Studies Centre and the Department of International
Relations, Research School of Pacific Studies, The Australian National University,
Canberra, A.C.T., Australia, August 12-14, 1987.
“The Vietnam People’s Army Today,” Indochina Issues [Washington, D.C.: Center for
International Policy], (January 1987), no. 72, 1-7.
 20
Published in 1986
“Regularization of Military Bureaucratic Regimes: From Symbiosis to Coalition — The
Case of Vietnam,” Paper to panel on Military Bureaucratic Regimes, Sixth Biennial
Conference of the Asian Studies Association of Australia, held at The University of
Sydney, Sydney, New South Wales, Australia, May 11-16, 1986.
Published in 1985
“Vietnam,” in Zakaria Haji Ahmad and Harold Crouch, eds., Military-Civilian Relations
in South-East Asia. Singapore and New York: Oxford University Press, 1985. 234-266.
“Vietnam and Cambodia: A Political-Military Assessment,” Seminar presentation to
Research Institute for Peace and Security, Tokyo, Japan, December 3, 1985.
Published in 1984
“Vietnamese Perspectives on International Security: Three Revolutionary Currents,” in
Donald H. McMillen, ed., Asian Perspectives on International Security. London:
Macmillan Press, 1984. 57-76.
Published in 1983
“Three Revolutionary Currents: Vietnamese Perspectives on International Security,”
Paper to a Conference on Asian Perspectives on International Security, sponsored by
the Strategic and Defence Studies Centre, The Australian National University,
Canberra, A.C.T., Australia, April 11-14, 1983.
Published in 1982
“The Political Role of the Military in Vietnam, 1975-81,” Paper to the 3rd New Zealand
Political Studies Association Conference, Salmond Hall, The University of Otago,
Dunedin, New Zealand, May 17-19, 1982.
“The Political Influence of the Military in Vietnam,” Paper to Inter-Regional Panel on
Political Influence of the Military in Asia, Fourth Biennial Conference of the Asian
Studies Association of Australia, held at Monash University, Clayton, Victoria,
Australia, May 10-14, 1982.
“Military and Military-Civilian Relations in Vietnam,” Lecture, Center for Asian and
Pacific Studies, The University of Hawaii at Manoa, United States, February 5, 1982.
Published in 1976
“This Document is Important [Van Tien Dung’s Our Great Spring Victory],” The
National Times [Sydney], November 15-20, 1976, no. 302 and November 22-27, 1976,
no. 303.
 21
Carlyle A. Thayer Biography
Professional Background
Carlyle (Carl) Alan Thayer is Emeritus Professor of Politics,
School of Humanities and Social Sciences, The University of New
South Wales (UNSW) at the Australian Defence Force Academy
(ADFA), Canberra. He is also Director of Thayer Consultancy, a
small business registered in Australia in 2002 that provides
political analysis of current regional security issues and other
research support to selected clients.
Professional Career
Carl Thayer was educated at Brown University where he majored in Political Science
(B.A. 1967). He holds an M.A. in Southeast Asian Studies from Yale (1971) and a PhD
in International Relations from The Australian National University (ANU, 1977). He
studied Thai language at The University of Missouri at Columbia (intensive summer
1966), Vietnamese language at Yale (1969-71) and Cornell (intensive summer 1970),
and Lao and Vietnamese languages at Southern Illinois University, Carbondale
(intensive summer 1971).
Thayer also holds a Certificate in National Security from the Institute of Political
Science, Christian Albrechts Universität, Kiel, Federal Republic of Germany (1987).
After graduating from Brown, Carl served in the Republic of Vietnam with the
International Voluntary Services (1967-68) and as a volunteer secondary school
teacher in the Republic of Botswana with the Unitarian Universalist Service Committee
(1968-69).
He began his professional career as a Tutor in the Department of Asian Civilisation at
the ANU (1973-74). He commenced his academic career as Lecturer at the Bendigo
Institute of Technology, Victoria in 1975 (renamed the Bendigo College of Advanced
Education in 1976).
In 1979, he joined The University of New South Wales (UNSW) and taught first in its
Faculty of Military Studies at The Royal Military College-Duntoon (1979-85) and then
at the Australian Defence Force Academy (1985-2010). He served as Head of the
School of Politics from 1995-97. In 1998, he was promoted to full Professor. During
2007-08 and 2010 he directed Regional Security Studies at the Australian Command
and Staff College while teaching at UNSW Canberra. Upon retirement in 2010 he was
conferred the title Emeritus Professor.
Thayer served three major periods away from UNSW@ADFA:
• From 1992-95, he was seconded to the Regime Change and Regime Maintenance
Project, Department of Political and Social Change, Research School of Pacific and
Asian Studies, ANU to conduct research on Vietnamese domestic politics.
• From 1999-2002, he was granted ‘leave in the national interest’ to take up the
position of Professor of Southeast Asian Security Studies and Deputy Chair of the
 22
Department of Regional Studies at the Asia-Pacific Center for Security Studies (APCSS),
U.S. Pacific Command, Hawaii. He revised the curriculum for the Executive Course and
was an original contributor to the Senior Executive Course (two-three star/vice-
ministerial level).
• From 2002 to 2004, Carl was seconded to Deakin University as On-Site Academic
Coordinator of the Defence and Strategic Studies Course, Australia’s senior defence
course, at the Centre for Defence and Strategic Studies (CDSS) at the Australian
Defence College, Weston Creek.
During his career, Professor Thayer undertook special study leave at the ANU’s
Strategic and Defence Studies Centre; Harvard’s Center for International Affairs;
International Institute of Strategic Studies in London; Institute of Strategic and
International Studies, Chulalongkorn University in Thailand; Institute of Southeast
Asian Studies in Singapore; and the Department of Political Science at Yale.
In 1993, in a career highlight, he was appointed a United Nations Observer for
elections in Cambodia.
Service to the Profession
Thayer was a founding member of the Vietnam Studies Association of Australia and
served three terms as National Secretary/Treasurer (1994-98). He also served as
National Secretary of the Asian Studies Association of Australia (1996-98).
Professional Recognition
In June 1971, Thayer was the Graduate School Flag Bearer for the 270th
commencement ceremonies at Yale University.
In 2003, Thayer was conferred the Joint Meritorious Service Award by the Chairman
of the Joint Chiefs of Staff for his contributions to the Asia-Pacific Center for Security
Studies, U.S. Pacific Command.
In 2005, Thayer was appointed the C. V. Starr Distinguished Visiting Professor of
Southeast Asian Studies at The Paul H. Nitze School of Advanced International Studies,
Johns Hopkins University in Washington, D.C.
In 2006, Thayer was awarded the Rector’s Commendation for Excellence in Classroom
Teaching at UNSW Canberra.
In 2008, Thayer was appointed the Inaugural Frances M. and Stephen H. Fuller
Distinguished Visiting Professor of Southeast Asian Studies conjointly at the Center for
International Affairs and Center for Southeast Asian Studies at Ohio University,
Athens, Ohio.
In 2014, Thayer was invited as a Subject Matter Expert to address the 2nd Expanded
ASEAN Maritime Forum in Da Nang, Vietnam.
In 2015, Thayer was invited as a Subject Matter Expert to address the ASEAN-China
Joint Working Group on the Implementation of the DOC Seminar-Workshop on the
 23
Implementation of the 2002 ASEAN-China Declaration on the Conduct of Parties in the
South China Sea (DOC-SCS) in Manila, The Philippines.
In April 2015, Thayer was appointed Eminent Person by the Department of Defence
Australian Civil-Military Centre, to facilitate the East Asia Summit mandated Rapid
Disaster Response: Lessons Learned Seminar held in Sydney in September that was
attended by senior officials= from fifteen countries. Thayer wrote the Seminar
Discussion Paper.
In April 2020, Professor Thayer was inducted into the Marquis Who’s Who
Biographical Registry and in Marquis Who’s Who Top Professionals.
In 2023, Professor Thayer was the Mace Bearer for graduation ceremonies at UNSW
Canberra.
 24
THAYER CONSULTANCY PUBLICATIONS

BIBLIOGRAPHIES
Australia-Vietnam Relations, 1973-2023: Papers and Presentations by Carlyle A.
Thayer, Thayer Consultancy Bibliography No 1, June 24, 2023.
South China Sea Code of Conduct, 2018-2023: A Bibliography, Thayer Consultancy
Bibliography No. 2, August 6, 2023.
Vietnam’s Relations with the Russian Federation, Thayer Consultancy Bibliography No.
3, August 16, 2023.
DISCUSSION PAPERS
Rough Waters Ahead for Vietnam-China Relations: A Critical Review, Thayer
Consultancy Discussion Paper No. 1, October 2020.
Vietnam Aligns with China and Plays the United States: A Critique, Thayer Consultancy
Discussion Paper No. 2, March 2023.
Recent Leadership Change in Vietnam: A Critique, Thayer Consultancy Discussion
Paper No. 3, March 2023.
READERS
Leadership Change in Vietnam: A Reader, Thayer Consultancy Reader No. 1, April 11,
2023.
Vietnam People’s Army, 2016-2020: A Reader, Thayer Consultancy Reader No. 2, April
12, 2023.
Vietnam People’s Army, 2021-2023: A Reader, Thayer Consultancy Reader No. 3, April
12, 2023.
Vietnam-United States Relations, 2021: A Reader, Thayer Consultancy Reader No. 4,
April 19, 2023.
Vietnam-United States Relations, 2022: A Reader, Thayer Consultancy Reader No. 5,
April 20, 2023.
Vietnam-United States Relations, 2023: A Reader, Thayer Consultancy Reader No. 6,
April 21, 2023.
Vietnam and Australia: Strategic Partners, 2018-2023: A Reader, Thayer Consultancy
Reader No. 7, April 22, 2023.
Revival of the Quad, 2017-2018: A Reader, Thayer Consultancy Reader No. 8, May 15,
2023.
The Quad and the Indo-Pacific, 2019-2013: A Reader, Thayer Consultancy Reader No.
9, May 15, 2023.
Cambodia, 2021-2023: A Reader, Thayer Consultancy Reader No. 10, July 25, 2023.