The destruction of outdated weapons won’t have an impact on the Kingdom’s defense capabilities because those outdated weapons are no longer functional, according to Kin Phea, director of the International Relations Institute at the Royal Academy of Cambodia, but Cambodia must purchase replacements for the armed forces.
“The destruction of outdated weapons has little impact on Cambodia’s defense industry. I think the administration and the defense ministry will think about deciding which nation’s weaponry will serve as the cornerstone of our defense,” he said.
Months after the US imposed an arms embargo on Cambodia, the two countries collaborated on the project to destroy the weapons store.
Just two days after the US implemented an arms embargo against the Kingdom, in December 2021, Prime Minister Hun Sen ordered the RCAF to shelve or destroy all US-made equipment it owned, alleging “deepening Chinese military influence in Cambodia [that] undermines and threatens regional security.”
Arzate directed inquiries to the US Department of Commerce when asked for an update on these penalties.
Since the fall of the Khmer Rouge, according to Phea, Cambodia has never purchased US military equipment, making the 2021 arms embargo pointless.
