"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 Alongkorn Wannarot ( th, อลงกรณ์ วัณณรถ) is a Thai air force officer. he serves as commander-in-chief of the Royal Thai Air Force "Royal Thai Air Force March" , mascot = , anniversaries ...

, commander1_label = Commander-in-Chief , notable_commanders = , identification_symbol = Roundel of Thailand

, 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 differ ...

, identification_symbol_2 = Fin Flash of Thailand

, identification_symbol_2_label =

Fin flash Military aircraft insignia are insignia applied to military aircraft to identify the nation or branch of military service to which the aircraft belong. Many insignia are in the form of a circular roundel or modified roundel; other shapes such as ...

, identification_symbol_3 = Flag of the Royal Thai Air Force

, identification_symbol_3_label = Flag , aircraft_attack = Alpha Jet A, F-16A/B Block 15 OCU , aircraft_bomber = , aircraft_electronic =

Saab 340 AEW&C The Saab 340 AEW&C is a Swedish airborne early warning and control (AEW&C) aircraft; a variant of the Saab 340 aircraft is designated S 100B Argus by the Swedish Air Force. Radar Compared to the traditional circular radar on AWACS planes, such ...

, 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 The Pilatus PC-9 is a single-engine, low-wing tandem-seat turboprop training aircraft manufactured by Pilatus Aircraft of Switzerland. Designed as a more powerful evolution of the Pilatus PC-7, the PC-9's first flight was made in May 1984 afte ...

DA42 The Diamond DA42 Twin Star is a four seat, twin engine, propeller-driven airplane developed and manufactured by the Chinese-owned, Austria-based company Diamond Aircraft Industries. It was Diamond's first twin engine design, as well as the fir ...

, 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 desig ...

, 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 by ...

, 737-400/800, A319/A320,

A340-500 The Airbus A340 is a long-haul, long-range, wide-body passenger airliner that was developed and produced by Airbus. In the mid-1970s, Airbus conceived several derivatives of the Airbus A300, A300, its first airliner, and developed the A340 qu ...

, 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 a ...

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 bo ...

. 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 The United States Air Force (USAF) is the air service branch of the United States Armed Forces, and is one of the eight uniformed services of the United States. Originally created on 1 August 1907, as a part of the United States Army Sign ...

-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 language, 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 estima ...

. 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 Vajiravudh ( th, วชิราวุธ, , 1 January 188126 November 1925) was the sixth monarch of Siam under the Chakri dynasty as Rama VI. He ruled from 23 October 1910 until his death in 1925. King Vajiravudh is best known for his efforts ...

, 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 Vélizy-Villacoublay () is a commune in the Yvelines department in the Île-de-France in north-central France. It is located in the south-western suburbs of Paris from the center and east of Versailles. Its inhabitants are called Véliziens. ...

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 ''Société des Ateliers d'Aviation Louis Bréguet'' also known as Bréguet Aviation was a French aircraft manufacturer. The company was set up in 1911 by the aviation pioneer Louis Charles Breguet. Bréguet Aviation was extremely active durin ...

. 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 one of the deadliest global conflicts in history. Belligerents included much of Europe, the Russian Empire, the United States, and the Ottoman Empire, with fightin ...

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 In all forms of aviation, ground crew (also known as ground operations in civilian aviation) are personnel that service aircraft while on the ground, during routine turn-around; as opposed to aircrew, who operate all aspects of an aircraft whilst ...

, including more than 100 officers. The officers were sent to flight school at Istres and Avord, but many had to be retrained at

Istres Istres (; Occitan: Istre) is a commune in southern France, some 60 km (38 mi) northwest of Marseille. It is in the Provence-Alpes-Côte d'Azur region, in the Bouches-du-Rhône department, of which it is a subprefecture. Location Istr ...

Le Crotoy Le Crotoy () is a commune in the Somme department in Hauts-de-France in northern France. The inhabitants are known as ''Crotellois''. History Isabella of France, queen consort of England, and her son (later Edward III of England) embarked fro ...

La Chapelle-la-Reine La Chapelle-la-Reine () is a commune in the Seine-et-Marne department in the Île-de-France region in north-central France. Demographics The inhabitants are called ''Chapelains''. See also *Communes of the Seine-et-Marne department The foll ...

, Biscarosse 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 Borders are usually defined as geographical boundaries, imposed either by features such as oceans and terrain, or by political entities such as governments, sovereign states, federated states, and other subnational entities. Political borders ca ...

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 shore bombardment, bombard coastal targets, as opposed to those military craft designed for naval warfare, or for troopship, ferrying troops or au ...

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,

. 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. RTAF Basler BT-67

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 Bhumibol Adulyadej Hospital () is a hospital located in Sai Mai District, Bangkok, Thailand. It is a military hospital operated by the Directorate of Medical Services, The Royal Thai Air Force particularly for personnel of the Royal Thai Air Fo ...

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 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 The Navaminda Kasatriyadhiraj Royal Air Force Academy () (NKRAFA) is a military academy for officer cadets of the Royal Thai Air Force. History In 1950, the Royal Air Force (RTAF) started recruiting officers who completed their training from ...

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 The RTAF Security Force Command () 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 ...

(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 Takhli is a town in the province of Nakhon Sawan in northern Thailand. The population (2005) is 42,700. It is the site of the Takhli Royal Thai Air Force Base. The town lies on the train line between Bangkok and Chiang Mai Chiang Mai (, from ...

and Nakhon Ratchasima (Korat). In the late 1980s, these bases and Don Muang Air Base outside

, 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 Don Mueang International Airport ( th, ท่าอากาศยานดอนเมือง, , , or colloquially as , ) is one of two international airports serving the Bangkok Metropolitan Region, the other one being Suvarnabhumi Airp ...

. 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 south ...

, and

Equipment

Aircraft

Royal Thai Air Force Sikorsky S-92 (cropped)

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 (

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

from 2017 in cooperation with the Arete BJJ

dōjō A is a hall or place for immersive learning or meditation. This is traditionally in the field of martial arts, but has been seen increasingly in other fields, such as meditation and software development. The term literally means "place of the ...

, 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 COVID-19 pandemic in Hubei, identified in Wuhan, China, in December ...

during the

coronavirus pandemic The COVID-19 pandemic, also known as the coronavirus pandemic, is an ongoing global pandemic of coronavirus disease 2019 (COVID-19) caused by severe acute respiratory syndrome coronavirus 2 (SARS-CoV-2). The novel virus was first identified ...

, the Thai government temporarily postponed all sporting events.

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