By this time the Navy numbered about 2,000 personnel, with 22 vessels. In 1954, following the Élysée Accords, the French handed control of the armed forces to the Vietnamese, but at the Vietnamese government's request, continued to be in charge of the Navy until 20 August 1955. The origins of the Viet Nam Navy (VNN) began in 1952 with the French Navy. Some of these RVNN vessels were scuttled upon reaching the open sea, while others continued their service with the Philippine Navy. Armitage of the Defense Attaché Office, Saigon, escaped to Thailand and surrendered themselves to American naval forces there. Most of its fleet was captured in port, but a small fleet of vessels, led by Captain Đỗ Kiếm and Richard L. The Republic of Vietnam Navy disbanded in 1975 with the collapse of South Vietnam, and North Vietnam's victory in the Vietnam War. The Republic of Vietnam Navy was responsible for the protection of the country's national waters, islands, and interests of its maritime economy, as well as for the co-ordination of maritime police, customs service and the maritime border defence force.

Other sources state that VNN was the ninth largest navy in the world. With American assistance, in 1972 the VNN became the largest Southeast Asian navy and, by some estimates, the fourth largest navy in the world, just behind the Soviet Union, the United States and the People's Republic of China, with 42,000 personnel, 672 amphibious ships and craft, 20 mine warfare vessels, 450 patrol craft, 56 service craft, and 242 junks. The early fleet consisted of boats from France after 1955, and the transfer of the armed forces to Vietnamese control, the fleet was supplied from the United States. The Republic of Vietnam Navy ( RVNN Vietnamese: Hải quân Việt Nam Cộng hòa HQVNCH) was the naval branch of the South Vietnamese military, the official armed forces of the former Republic of Vietnam (or South Vietnam) from 1955 to 1975. Note the M1 Garand rifles held by the sailors. Navy Chief of Naval Operations, (left center) inspect some of the South Vietnamese sailors who will take over river patrol operations from the U.S. Commodore Trần Văn Chơn, Chief of Naval Operations, (left) and Admiral Thomas H. Military unit South Vietnamese navy officers and CPOs board their new ship, the United States Coast Guard Cutter Bering Strait (WHEC-382), which was transferred to the Republic of Vietnam Navy as frigate RVNS Trần Quang Khải.

Us navy in vietnam war