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"Royal Thai Air Force March" , mascot = , anniversaries = 9 April 1937
(Royal Thai Air Force Day) , equipment = , equipment_label = , battles = , decorations = , battle_honours = , battle_honours_label = , flying_hours = , website = , commander1 = Air Chief Marshal Alongkorn Wannarot , commander1_label = Commander-in-Chief , notable_commanders = , identification_symbol = , identification_symbol_label =
Roundel A roundel is a circular disc used as a symbol. The term is used in heraldry, but also commonly used to refer to a type of national insignia used on military aircraft, generally circular in shape and usually comprising concentric rings of dif ...
, identification_symbol_2 = , identification_symbol_2_label = Fin flash , identification_symbol_3 = , identification_symbol_3_label = Flag , aircraft_attack = Alpha Jet A, F-16A/B Block 15 OCU , aircraft_bomber = , aircraft_electronic = Saab 340 AEW&C , aircraft_fighter = JAS-39C/D, F-16AM/BM Block 20 MLU, F-5E/F/TH , aircraft_helicopter =
UH-1 The Bell UH-1 Iroquois (nicknamed "Huey") is a utility military helicopter designed and produced by the American aerospace company Bell Helicopter. It is the first member of the prolific Huey family, as well as the first turbine-powered helico ...
,
Bell 412 The Bell 412 is a utility helicopter of the Huey family manufactured by Bell Helicopter. It is a development of the Bell 212, with the major difference being the composite four-blade main rotor. Design and development Development began in the ...
, S-92,
EC725 The Eurocopter EC725 Caracal, now called Airbus Helicopters H225M, is a long-range tactical transport military helicopter developed from the Eurocopter AS532 Cougar for military use. It is a twin-engined aircraft and can carry up to 28 seated ...
, aircraft_helicopter_attack = , aircraft_helicopter_cargo = , aircraft_helicopter_multirole = , aircraft_helicopter_observation = , aircraft_helicopter_trainer = , aircraft_helicopter_utility = , aircraft_interceptor = F-16A/B Block 15 ADF , aircraft_patrol = , aircraft_recon = Saab 340B ELINT/COMINT, DA42 MPP, P.180 Avanti , aircraft_trainer = CT/4, T-41D, PC-9, DA42, T-50TH, T-6TH , aircraft_transport =
C-130 The Lockheed C-130 Hercules is an American four-engine turboprop military transport aircraft designed and built by Lockheed (now Lockheed Martin). Capable of using unprepared runways for takeoffs and landings, the C-130 was originally desi ...
, BT-67,
ATR-72 The ATR 72 is a twin-engine turboprop, short-haul regional airliner developed and produced in France and Italy by aircraft manufacturer ATR (french: Avions de transport régional or it, Aerei da Trasporto Regionale), a joint venture formed ...
, 737-400/800, A319/A320, A340-500, SSJ-100-95LR, AU-23 , aircraft_tanker = , aircraft_general = The Royal Thai Air Force or RTAF ( th, กองทัพอากาศไทย; ) is the
air force An air force – in the broadest sense – is the national military branch that primarily conducts aerial warfare. More specifically, it is the branch of a nation's armed services that is responsible for aerial warfare as distinct from an ...
of the Kingdom of
Thailand Thailand ( ), historically known as Siam () and officially the Kingdom of Thailand, is a country in Southeast Asia, located at the centre of the Indochinese Peninsula, spanning , with a population of almost 70 million. The country is b ...
. 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 The Vietnam War (also known by #Names, other names) was a conflict in Vietnam, Laos, and Cambodia from 1 November 1955 to the fall of Saigon on 30 April 1975. It was the second of the Indochina Wars and was officially fought between North Vie ...
era, the RTAF was supplied with USAF-aid equipment.


History

Thailand's history of aviation began in January 1911, when a French pilot performed a flying demonstration over
Bangkok Bangkok, officially known in Thai as Krung Thep Maha Nakhon and colloquially as Krung Thep, is the capital and most populous city of Thailand. The city occupies in the Chao Phraya River delta in central Thailand and has an estimated populati ...
. Prince
Chakrabongse Bhuvanath Field Marshal Chakrabongse Bhuvanath, the Prince of Bishnulok ( th, จักรพงษ์ภูวนาถ; ; 3 March 1883 – 13 June 1920), was the 40th child of King Chulalongkorn and the fourth child of Queen Sri Bajarindra. Biography ...
, brother of King Vajiravudh, was in attendance and was greatly impressed, even accepting an invitation to fly aboard the plane. Chakrabongse arranged to send three army officers to France, who began aviation training at Vélizy-Villacoublay in July 1912. The officers became qualified aviators a year later, with one pursuing further training. In late 1913, the three new aviators returned to Thailand after arranging for the purchase of four Nieuport monoplanes and a Bréguet Aviation. The fledgling aviation section put on a successful demonstration in January 1914, gaining the support of the King. A permanent aviation group under the Army was established and an air base at Don Muang was designated. After Thailand entered
World War I World War I (28 July 1914 11 November 1918), often abbreviated as WWI, was List of wars and anthropogenic disasters by death toll, one of the deadliest global conflicts in history. Belligerents included much of Europe, the Russian Empire, ...
on the side of the
Allies An alliance is a relationship among people, groups, or states that have joined together for mutual benefit or to achieve some common purpose, whether or not explicit agreement has been worked out among them. Members of an alliance are called ...
in July 1917, an expeditionary force of around 1,200 men was sent to France in June 1918. Among the expeditionary force were a total of 370 pilots and groundcrew, including more than 100 officers. The officers were sent to flight school at Istres and Avord, but many had to be retrained at Istres, Le Crotoy, La Chapelle-la-Reine,
Biscarosse Biscarrosse (; oc, Biscarròssa) is a commune in the Landes department in Nouvelle-Aquitaine in southwestern France. It is located southwest of Bordeaux, and inland from the seaside resort of Biscarrosse-Plage on the Atlantic coast. Near Bis ...
and Piox as they were deemed incapable of high altitude flight. Eventually, 95 pilots qualified as military aviators, and they few several operational
sorties A sortie (from the French word meaning ''exit'' or from Latin root ''surgere'' meaning to "rise up") is a deployment or dispatch of one military unit, be it an aircraft, ship, or troops, from a strongpoint. The term originated in siege warfare ...
in the closing weeks of the war. The Thai aviators suffered no casualties nor scored any kills, but their extensive training meant Thailand entered the post-WWI period with one of the best equipped and trained air forces in Asia. In the 1930s, Thailand began to replace its ageing French planes with American materiel, purchasing more than 95 planes including the Boeing P-12E, Curtiss Hawks, and Vought Corsairs. The air force was formally separated into its own branch, the Royal Thai Air Force, in 1937. Five operational wings were also established in the reorganization. At the end of 1940, the RTAF once again entered combat, this time in a border conflict against
French Indochina French Indochina (previously spelled as French Indo-China),; vi, Đông Dương thuộc Pháp, , lit. 'East Ocean under French Control; km, ឥណ្ឌូចិនបារាំង, ; th, อินโดจีนฝรั่งเศส, ...
. The RTAF operated in the
Mekong Delta The Mekong Delta ( vi, Đồng bằng Sông Cửu Long, lit=Nine Dragon River Delta or simply vi, Đồng Bằng Sông Mê Kông, lit=Mekong River Delta, label=none), also known as the Western Region ( vi, Miền Tây, links=no) or South-weste ...
, attacking ground forces and
gunboats A gunboat is a naval watercraft designed for the express purpose of carrying one or more guns to bombard coastal targets, as opposed to those military craft designed for naval warfare, or for ferrying troops or supplies. History Pre-stea ...
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, as the most openly anti-Japanese branch of the military, took an active role in the resistance. Combat Wings 1 and 5 engaged superior Japanese units at Thailand's eastern border, but suffered heavy losses (almost 30% in the case of Wing 5) before the cease-fire the following day.


Structure

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 Bangkok, officially known in Thai as Krung Thep Maha Nakhon and colloquially as Krung Thep, is the capital and most populous city of Thailand. The city occupies in the Chao Phraya River delta in central Thailand and has an estimated populati ...
,
Thailand Thailand ( ), historically known as Siam () and officially the Kingdom of Thailand, is a country in Southeast Asia, located at the centre of the Indochinese Peninsula, spanning , with a population of almost 70 million. The country is b ...
. The RTAF consists of headquarters and five groups: command, combat, support, education and training, and special services.


Headquarters Group

* Royal Flight Aircraft Administrative Center * Royal Flight Helicopter Administrative Center * Air Warfare Center * Office of Public Sector Development, RTAF * Office of Intellectual Development, RTAF


Command Group

* RTAF Secretariat * Directorate of Administrative Service * Directorate of Personnel * Directorate of Intelligence * Directorate of Operations * Directorate of Logistics * Directorate of Civil Affairs * Directorate of Information and Communications Technology * Office of the RTAF Comptroller * Directorate of Finance * Directorate of Inspector General * Office of RTAF Internal Audit * Office of RTAF Safety * Office of RTAF Judge Advocate


Combat Group

The Royal Thai Air Force Combat Group is divided into 11 wings plus a training school, plus a few direct-reporting units.


Squadrons

The following squadrons are currently active with the Royal Thai Air Force.


Support Group

* Directorate of Aeronautical Engineering * Directorate of Communications and Electronics * Directorate of Armament * Directorate of Quartermaster * Directorate of Civil Engineering * Directorate of Transportation


Directorate of Medical Services

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 Royal may refer to: People * Royal (name), a list of people with either the surname or given name * A member of a royal family Places United States * Royal, Arkansas, an unincorporated community * Royal, Illinois, a village * Royal, Iowa, a cit ...
in Bangkok, as well as smaller hospitals at each wing. The directorate has made a teaching agreement with the
Faculty of Medicine, Chulalongkorn University The Faculty of Medicine, Chulalongkorn University, the second oldest medical school in Thailand, was established in 1947 in accordance with the wishes of King Ananda Mahidol to educate a sufficient number of medical doctors to satisfy the publ ...
to train students at Bhumibol Adulyadej Hospital, accepting about 30 students per academic year.


Education and Training Group

* Directorate of Education and Training * Air War College * Air Command and Staff College * Senior Air Officer School * Squadron Officer School * Officer Training School * Academy Instructor School * Non-Commissioned Officer School * Air Technical Training School * RTAF Language Center * Personal Testing Center * Technical Service Division * Chaplain Division * Navaminda Kasatriyadhiraj Royal Thai Air Force Academy


Special Service Group

* Research and Development Center for Space and Aeronautical Science and Technology * Directorate of Welfare * Office of Don Mueang RTAF Base Commander * Institute of Aviation Medicine


Security Force Command

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). 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.


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 Bangkok, officially known in Thai as Krung Thep Maha Nakhon and colloquially as Krung Thep, is the capital and most populous city of Thailand. The city occupies in the Chao Phraya River delta in central Thailand and has an estimated populati ...
, 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 Ubon Ratchathani ( th, อุบลราชธานี, ) is one of the four major cities of Isan (with Khorat/Nakhon Ratchasima, Udon Thani, and Khon Kaen), also known as the "big four of Isan." The city is on the Mun River in the sout ...
, and Takhli.


Equipment


Aircraft


Armament


Budget

RTAF budgets are shown below by
fiscal year A fiscal year (or financial year, or sometimes budget year) is used in government accounting, which varies between countries, and for budget purposes. It is also used for financial reporting by businesses and other organizations. Laws in many ...
(FY):


Rank structure

NOTE: Rank on paper, not actually used in the Royal Thai Air Force.


Aircraft insignia


Roundels


Tail markings


Sports


Brazilian jiu-jitsu

The
Siam Cup BJJ Thailand ( ), historically known as Siam () and officially the Kingdom of Thailand, is a country in Southeast Asia, located at the centre of the Indochinese Peninsula, spanning , with a population of almost 70 million. The country is b ...
(
Brazilian jiu-jitsu Brazilian jiu-jitsu (BJJ; pt, jiu-jitsu brasileiro ) is a self-defence martial art and combat sport based on grappling, ground fighting (ne-waza) and submission holds. BJJ focuses on the skill of taking an opponent to the ground, control ...
) International tournament was held at the Show DC stadium in
Bangkok Bangkok, officially known in Thai as Krung Thep Maha Nakhon and colloquially as Krung Thep, is the capital and most populous city of Thailand. The city occupies in the Chao Phraya River delta in central Thailand and has an estimated populati ...
from 2017 in cooperation with the Arete BJJ dōjō, hosted by the Royal Thai Air Force. Each year, the tournament brings together more than 400 fighters from more than 50 countries to compete. The Siam Cup BJJ 2021 was scheduled to take place on May 8, but due to restrictions imposed for
COVID-19 Coronavirus disease 2019 (COVID-19) is a contagious disease caused by a virus, the severe acute respiratory syndrome coronavirus 2 (SARS-CoV-2). The first known case was identified in Wuhan, China, in December 2019. The disease quick ...
during the coronavirus pandemic, the Thai government temporarily postponed all sporting events.


See also

* Royal Thai Air Force Museum *
Royal Thai Armed Forces Headquarters The Royal Thai Armed Forces Headquarters ( th, กองบัญชาการกองทัพไทย) or the RTARF HQ, is the "mostly ornamental" joint headquarters of the Royal Thai Armed Forces, which is composed of the Royal Thai Army ...
* Military of Thailand * Royal Thai Army * Royal Thai Navy * Royal Thai Police * Napa-1


References

Notes Comments Bibliography * Wieliczko, Leszek A. and Zygmunt Szeremeta. ''Nakajima Ki 27 Nate'' (bilingual Polish/English). Lublin, Poland: Kagero, 2004. * .


External links

*
RTAF Official website (English version)Royal Thai Air Force Whitebook on Gripen program (Thai)Royal Thai Air Force Press Release on Gripen program (Eng)Royal Thai Air Force VDO on Gripen program (Thai)Royal Thai Air Force Museum
Many Historical Aircraft Here (English Page available)

* ttp://www.globalsecurity.org/military/world/thailand/rtaf.htm Globalsecurity.orgbr>Early history of the Airports of Thailand Authority
at j-aircraft.com {{Authority control Military units and formations established in 1913 1913 establishments in Siam Air forces by country Military of Thailand