Korat Royal Thai Air Force Base

Korat Royal Thai Air Force Base Camp Friendship
Part of Royal Thai Air Force (RTAF)
Near Nakhon Ratchasima, Thailand
Aerial photograph of Korat RTAFB, 23 July 1987
Korat RTAFB Location in Thailand
Coordinates	14°55′50″N 102°04′51″E / 14.93056°N 102.08083°E / 14.93056; 102.08083 (Korat RTAFB)Coordinates: 14°55′50″N 102°04′51″E / 14.93056°N 102.08083°E / 14.93056; 102.08083 (Korat RTAFB)
Site information
Owner	Royal Thai Air Force
Operator	Royal Thai Air Force United States Air Force
Controlled by	Pacific Air Forces (1964-1976) Royal Thai Air Force (1955-1964; 1976-Present)
Site history
Built	1955 (1955)
In use	1955-Present
Battles/wars	Vietnam War
Garrison information
Garrison	Thirteenth Air Force (PACAF)
Occupants	United States Advisory Forces (1964-1965) 6234th Tactical Fighter Wing (Provisional) (1965-1966) 388th Tactical Fighter Wing (1966-1976) 354th Tactical Fighter Wing (Deployed Tennant) (1972-1974) 347th Tactical Fighter Wing (Tennant) (1974-1975)
Airfield information
Identifiers	IATA: VTUN
Elevation	222 metres (728 ft) AMSL
Runways Direction Length and surface 06/24 9,843 yd (9,000 m) Concrete
Source: DAFIF

Korat Royal Thai Air Force Base is a base of the Royal Thai Air Force in northeast Thailand, approximately 250 km (157 mi) northeast of Bangkok and about 8 km (5 mi) south of the centre of Nakhon Ratchasima (also known as "Khorat" or "Korat"), the second largest city in Thailand.

During the Vietnam War, from 1962 through 1975, Korat RTAFB was the largest front-line facility of the United States Air Force (USAF) in Thailand.

During the 1980s and early-1990s, the airfield was jointly operated as a civil airport for Nakhon Ratchasima. This ended with the opening of Nakhon Ratchasima Airport in the early-1990s.

Korat RTAFB is the home of the 1st RTAF Wing, consisting of three (101, 102, 103) squadrons. The airfield has a single 9,800 + foot runway with a single, full-length parallel taxiway.

102 Squadron flies 15 F-16A-15ADF and one F-16B-15ADF Fighting Falcon air defense airplanes acquired from the USAF and delivered to the RTAF in 2003 and 2004. These airplanes were acquired under the code name "Peace Naresuan IV".

103 Squadron flies eight F-16A and four F-16B acquired under the code name "Peace Naresuan I", five F-16A (of six delivered) under the code name "Peace Naresuan XI", and three F-16A and four F-16Bs acquired from the Republic of Singapore Air Force and delivered in late 2004. All F-16s are the block 15 version.

A detachment of 1 UH-1H Iroquois helicopters from 203 Squadron, Wing 2 is also based at Korat.

Korat RTAFB is a major facility for the Cope Tiger exercises, an annual, multinational exercise conducted in two phases in the Asia-Pacific region.

Cope Tiger involves air forces from the United States, Thailand, and Singapore, as well as U.S. Marine Corps aircraft deployed from Japan. US naval aircraft have also been involved in Cope Tiger. The flying training portion of the exercise promotes closer relations and enables air force units in the region to sharpen air combat skills and practice interoperability with US forces. Pilots fly both air-to-air and air-to-ground combat training missions.