The Liberation Army of South Vietnam (LASV), or People's Liberation Armed Forces of South Vietnam (PLAF), was the official army of the National Liberation Front of South Vietnam (NLF), or more commonly known in the West as the Viet Cong (VC). The LASV forces were independent of the People's Army of Vietnam (PAVN) of North Vietnam, but were closely allied with each other in war against the US forces and South Vietnamese Army of the Republic of Vietnam (ARVN). The LASV was unofficially established after 1954 and was recognized as main battle forces in South Vietnam by North Vietnam in 1961. The LASV appeared to be outside of the control of the People's Army of Vietnam, but under the command of the Central Office for South Vietnam, politically and militarily controlled by Hanoi and functioned