The Royal Thai Air Force (RTAF) (Thai: กองทัพอากาศไทย; RTGS: Kong Thap Akat Thai) is the air force of the Kingdom of Thailand. Since its establishment in 1913 as one of the earliest air forces of Asia, the Royal Thai Air Force has engaged in numerous major and minor conflicts. During the Vietnam War era, the RTAF was supplied with USAF-aid equipment.
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Main article: Military history of Thailand |
A French pilot performed a flying demonstration over Bangkok in January 1911, greatly impressing Prince Chakrabongse Bhuvanath, brother of King Vajiravudh, and he even accepted an invitation for a flight. Chakrabongse sent three army officers to France, who began flight training at Vélizy-Villacoublay in July 1912. The officers became qualified aviators a year later. In late 1913, the three new aviators returned home after arranging for the purchase of four Nieuport monoplanes and a Bréguet biplane. The aviation section put on a demonstration in January 1914, gaining the support of the King and a permanent aviation group was established and an air base at Don Muang was assigned, as the Royal Aeronautical Service, under Army control.[2][3]
Siam entered World War I with the Allies in July 1917, and a Siamese Expeditionary Force of around 1,200 men was sent to France, arriving in June 1918. Among them were 370 pilots and groundcrew, including more than 100 officers who were sent to flight school first at Istres and Avord, and then at Istres, Le Crotoy, La Chapelle-la-Reine, Biscarosse and Piox. Eventually, The 95 pilots who qualified as military aviators flew a few operational sorties in the closing weeks of the war but suffered no casualties, nor scored any kills. Their training did mean that Siam entered the post-World War I period with one of the best equipped and trained air forces in Asia.[4][5]
In the 1930s the Royal Aeronautical Service began to replace French aircraft with American designs, purchasing more than 95 aircraft, including the Boeing P-12E, Curtiss Hawks, and Vought Corsairs. The air force was formally separated into its own branch, the Royal Siamese Air Force, in April 1937 and five operational wings were established. In 1939, when Siam became Thailand, the service was renamed the Royal Thai Air Force.[3] At the end of 1940, the RTAF once again saw combat, this time in the Franco-Thai War, a border conflict against French Indochina. The RTAF operated in the Mekong Delta, attacking ground forces and gunboats and defending against French bombing raids, until a ceasefire was arranged in January 1941. Later that year, on 7 December, Thailand was invaded by Japan. The RTAF took an active role in the resistance. Combat Wings 1 and 5 engaged significantly more advanced Japanese aircraft over Thailand's eastern border, but suffered heavy losses, including almost 30 percent of Wing 5, before a cease-fire took effect the following day.[6]
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See also: List of commanders-in-chief of the Royal Thai Air Force |
The Air Force is commanded by the Commander of the Royal Thai Air Force (ผู้บัญชาการทหารอากาศไทย). The Royal Thai Air Force Headquarters is located in Don Muang Airbase, Bangkok, Thailand.
The RTAF consists of headquarters and five groups: command, combat, support, education and training, and special services.[7]
The Royal Thai Air Force Combat Group is divided into 11 wings plus a training school, plus a few direct-reporting units.[7]
| Wing | Role | Province | Base | Notes |
| Directorate of Air Operations Control | ||||
| Security Force Command | ||||
| Space Operation Center | ||||
| Royal Thai Air Force Academy | Training | |||
| Flying Training School | Training | Nakhon Pathom | Kamphang Saen | Composed of 1st, 2nd and 3rd Flying Training Squadrons |
| Wing 1 | Interceptor/fighter | Nakhon Ratchasima | Korat | |
| Wing 2 | Helicopter transport/SAR | Lopburi | Khok Kathiam | |
| Wing 3 | Unmanned aerial vehicle | Sa Kaeo | Watthana Nakhon | |
| Wing 4 | Light attack/interceptor | Nakhon Sawan | Takhli | |
| Wing 5 | Transport/special mission | Prachuap Khiri Khan | Prachuap Khiri Khan | |
| Wing 6 | Non-combat multi-role | Bangkok | Don Muang | Provides transport, mapping, communications, surveying |
| Wing 7 | Interceptor/fighter | Surat Thani | Surat Thani | Nicknamed "Ferocious Shark of the Andaman" and "House of Gripen" as they fly Gripen aircraft.[8][9] |
| Wing 21 | Interceptor | Ubon Ratchathani | Ubon Ratchathani | |
| Wing 23 | Attack | Udon Thani | Udon | |
| Wing 41 | Light attack | Chiang Mai | Chiang Mai | |
| Wing 46 | Transport/rainmaking | Phitsanulok | Phitsanulok | |
| Wing 56 | Forward operating base | Songkhla | Hat Yai |
The following squadrons are currently active with the Royal Thai Air Force.[7]
| Squadron | Equipment | Wing | RTAF Base | Notes |
| 101st Fighter Squadron | - | Wing 1 | Korat | |
| 102nd Fighter Squadron | F16A/B Block 15 ADF | Wing 1 | Korat | |
| 103rd Fighter Squadron | F-16A/B Block 15 OCU | Wing 1 | Korat | |
| 201 Helicopter Squadron | S-70i, S-92 | Wing 2 | Khok Ka Thiam | Former Royal Guard |
| 202 Helicopter Squadron | Bell 412/SP/HP/EP | Wing 2 | Khok Ka Thiam | |
| 203 Helicopter Squadron | EC 725 | Wing 2 | Khok Ka Thiam | SAR detachments at many locations. UH-1H replaced by EC 725[10] |
| 301 UAV Squadron | Aerostar BP, RTAF U-1 | Wing 3 | Watthana Nakhon | |
| 302 UAV Squadron | Aerostar BP, RTAF U-1 | Wing 3 | Watthana Nakhon | |
| 303 UAV Squadron | Aerostar BP, RTAF U-1 | Wing 3 | Watthana Nakhon | |
| 401 Light Attack Squadron | T-50TH | Wing 4 | Takhli | |
| 402 Elint Reconnaissance Squadron | P.180 Avanti | Wing 4 | Takhli | |
| 403 Fighter Squadron | F-16AM/BM Block 20 MLU | Wing 4 | Takhli | |
| 501 Light Attack Squadron | Fairchild AU-23 | Wing 5 | Prachuap Khiri Khan | |
| 601 Transport Squadron | C-130H/H-30 | Wing 6 | Don Muang | |
| 602 Royal Flight Squadron | A319CJ, A320CJ, A340-500 | Wing 6 | Don Muang | Former Royal Guard |
| 603 Transport Squadron | ATR72-600, SSJ100-95LR | Wing 6 | Don Muang | |
| 604 Civil Pilot Training Squadron | PAC CT-4A, T-41D, Diamond DA42 |
Wing 6 | Don Muang | |
| Dechochai 3 Flight Unit | B737-400, B737-800 | Wing 6 | Don Muang | Royal Flight Unit |
| 701 Fighter Squadron | JAS-39 C/D | Wing 7 | Surat Thani | Total 12 Gripens delivered (4 Gripen D and 8 Gripen C),[11] replacing F-5E/F.[12][13] |
| 702 Air Control Squadron | Saab 340, S-100B Argus |
Wing 7 | Surat Thani | Saab 340 70201 and S-100B Argus AEW 70202[14] |
| 211 Fighter Squadron | F-5TH Super Tigris | Wing 21 | Ubon | |
| 231 Attack Squadron | Alpha Jet A | Wing 23 | Udorn | |
| 411 Fighter Squadron | Wing 41 | Chiang Mai | To be replaced by AT-6TH[15] | |
| 461 Transport Squadron | Basler BT-67 | Wing 46 | Phitsanulok | Also conducts rainmaking flights. |
| 561 Fighter Squadron | - | Wing 56 | Hat Yai | Forward operating base for 701 Fighter Sqn. |
| 904 Aggressor Squadron | F-5E | - | Don Muang | Former unit of King Vajiralongkorn Mahidol. |
| 1st Flying Training Squadron | PAC CT/4E | Flying Training School | Kamphang Saen | Primary flight training. |
| 2nd Flying Training Squadron | Pilatus PC-9M | Flying Training School | Kamphang Saen | Basic flight training. |
| 3rd Flying Training Squadron | Eurocopter EC135T3H | Flying Training School | Kamphang Saen | Helicopter training. |
First set up in 1913 in the same year as the Air Force, providing nursing services only, and over the years has gradually expanded. It operates Bhumibol Adulyadej Hospital and Royal Thai Air Force Hospital in Bangkok, as well as smaller hospitals at each wing. The directorate has made a teaching agreement with the Faculty of Medicine, Chulalongkorn University to train students at Bhumibol Adulyadej Hospital, accepting about 30 students per academic year.
The RTAF Security Force Command (Thai: หน่วยบัญชาการอากาศโยธิน) is a Division size unit in the Royal Thai Air Force. It has been in existence since 1937. They are based near Don Mueang International Airport. The RTAF Security Force Command is the main air force ground forces and special forces which providing light infantry for anti-hijacking capabilities, protecting air bases and high value assets, protecting international airport in insurgent areas. It also serves as the Royal Thai Air Force Special Operations Regiment (RTAF SOR) which consists of various units such as Combat Control Team (CCT), Pararescue Jumpers (PJs), Tactical Air Control Party (TACP).[16] Royal Thai Air Force Security Force Command consist of 3 main regiments and multiple support units. Additionally, one separated air base protection battalions and one separated anti-aircraft battalions are station in each air bases.
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Main article: Royal Thai Air Force Bases |
The Royal Thai Air Force maintains a number of modern bases which were constructed between 1954 and 1968, have permanent buildings and ground support equipment.
All but one were built and used by United States forces until their withdrawal from Thailand in 1976 when the RTAF took over the installations at Takhli and Nakhon Ratchasima (Korat). In the late 1980s, these bases and Don Muang Air Base outside Bangkok, which the air force shares with civil aviation, remain the primary operational installations.
Maintenance of base facilities abandoned by the United States (Ubon, Udorn) proved costly and exceeded Thai needs; they were turned over to the Department of Civil Aviation for civil use. Nonetheless, all runways were still available for training and emergency use.
By 2004 the Royal Thai Air Force had its main base at Don Muang airport, adjacent to Don Mueang International Airport. The RTAF also had large air fields and facilities at Nakon Ratchasima Ubon Ratchathani, and Takhli.
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| Name | Origin | Type | Notes | |||
|---|---|---|---|---|---|---|
| Air-to-air missile | ||||||
| Python 4/3 | Israel | beyond-visual-range missile | 120 obtained[25] | |||
| AIM-120C AMRAAM | United States | beyond-visual-range missile | initial 50 missiles[25] | |||
| AIM-9E/J/P/M Sidewinder | United States | short range infrared homing missile | 600 missiles obtained[25] | |||
| IRIS-T | Germany | short range infrared homing missile | 40 units – employs a thrust vector control motor[25] | |||
| Air-to-surface missile | ||||||
| RBS-15F | Sweden | anti-ship missile | 25 missiles obtained[25] | |||
| AGM-65D/G Maverick | United States | infrared imaging AGM | 200 missiles obtained[25] | |||
RTAF budgets are shown below by fiscal year (FY):[26]
| FY | Million (baht) | % GDP |
|---|---|---|
| 2018 | 39,931 | 0.243% |
| 2019 | 41,609 | 0.237% |
| 2020 | 42,539 | 0.240% |
| 2021 | 40,081[27] |
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Main article: Military ranks of the Thai armed forces |
| Rank group | General/flag officers | Senior officers | Junior officers | Officer cadet | ||||||||||||||||||||||||||||||||
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 Royal Thai Air Force[28] |
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| จอมพลอากาศ Chom phon akat |
พลอากาศเอก Phon akat ek |
พลอากาศโท Phon akat tho |
พลอากาศตรี Phon akat tri |
นาวาอากาศเอก Nawa akat ek |
นาวาอากาศโท Nawa akat tho |
นาวาอากาศตรี Nawa akat tri |
เรืออากาศเอก Ruea akat ek |
เรืออากาศโท Ruea akat tho |
เรืออากาศตรี Ruea akat tri |
นักเรียนนายเรืออากาศ Nak-rian nairuea akat | ||||||||||||||||||||||||||
| Rank group | Senior NCOs | Junior NCOs | Enlisted | |||||||||||||||||||||||||||||||||
|---|---|---|---|---|---|---|---|---|---|---|---|---|---|---|---|---|---|---|---|---|---|---|---|---|---|---|---|---|---|---|---|---|---|---|---|---|
| Royal Thai Air Force[28] |
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| พันจ่าอากาศเอก Phan cha akat ek |
พันจ่าอากาศโท Phan cha akat tho |
พันจ่าอากาศตรี Phan cha akat tri |
จ่าอากาศเอก Cha akat ek |
จ่าอากาศโท Cha akat tho |
จ่าอากาศตรี Cha akat tri |
พลทหาร Phon thahan | ||||||||||||||||||||||||||||||
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| 1919 — 1940 1945 — present |
1940 — 1941 | 1941 — 1945 |
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| 1919 — 1941 1945 — present |
1941 — 1945 |
The Siam Cup BJJ (Brazilian jiu-jitsu) International tournament was held at the Show DC stadium in Bangkok from 2017 in cooperation with the Arete BJJ dōjō, hosted by the Royal Thai Air Force.[29][30][31][32][33] Each year, the tournament brings together more than 400 fighters from more than 50 countries to compete.[34][35][36] The Siam Cup BJJ 2021 was scheduled to take place on May 8, but due to restrictions imposed for COVID-19 during the coronavirus pandemic, the Thai government temporarily postponed all sporting events.[37]
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