Khmer Air Force

Khmer Air Force Armée de l'air khmère
Khmer Air Force Service Banner (1970–75)
Active	8 June 1971 – 17 April 1975
Country	Cambodia
Allegiance	Khmer Republic
Branch	Air Force
Size	10,000 personnel (at height) 309 aircraft (at height)
Garrison/HQ	Pochentong Air Base, Phnom Penh
Nickname(s)	KAF, KhAF (AAK in French)
Anniversaries	22 April - AVRK Day 8 June - KAF Day
Engagements	Cambodian Civil War Vietnam War
Commanders
Notable commanders	So Satto Penn Randa Ea Chhong
Insignia
Roundel
Fin Flash
Aircraft flown
Attack	Fouga Magister, T-28, A-1, T-37, AU-24, AC-47, FD-25
Electronic warfare	EC-47D
Fighter	J-5, MiG-17
Reconnaissance	MS 500 Criquet, O-1 Bird Dog, U-6 (L-20), U-17
Trainer	T-6, T-28, T-41, MS 733 Alcyon, Socata Horizon, MiG-15UTI, FT-5, Fouga Magister, T-37, FD-25B
Transport	Dassault MD 315 Flamant, UTVA-60, An-2, Il-14, C-47, Douglas C-54B, Curtiss C-46F, C-123K, Alouette II, Alouette III, H-19, H-34, UH-1, Mi-4

The Khmer Air Force (French: Armée de l'air khmère; AAK), commonly known by its americanized acronym KAF (or KhAF) was the air force branch of the Khmer National Armed Forces (FANK), the official military of the Khmer Republic during the Cambodian Civil War between 1970 and 1975.

Although an air wing for the fledging Khmer Royal Army (ARK) was first planned in 1952, it wasn't until April 22, 1954, however that the Royal Khmer Aviation (French: Aviation royale khmère; AVRK) was officially commissioned by Royal decree. Commanded by Prince Norodom Sihanouk's personal physician, Colonel Dr. Ngo Hou and known sarcastically as the "Royal Flying Club", the AVRK initially operated a small fleet of four Morane-Saulnier MS 500 Criquet liaison aircraft, two Cessna 180 Skywagon light utility aircraft, one Cessna 170 light personal aircraft, and one Douglas DC-3 modified for VIP transport. At this stage, the AVRK was not yet an independent service; since its earlier personnel cadre was drawn from the Engineer Corps, the Ministry of Defense placed the AVRK under the administrative control of the Army Engineer's Inspector-General Department. The first flight training courses in-country were initiated in October 1954 by French instructors seconded from the airforce component of the French Far East Expeditionary Corps (CEFEO) at the newly founded Royal Flying School (French: École de l'Air Royale) at Pochentong airfield near Phnom Penh, though Khmer pilot students (French: Élèves pilotes Khmers – EPKs) were later sent to the École de l'air in France.