Royal Thai Air Force
| Royal Thai Air Force กองทัพอากาศไทย |
|
|---|---|
 Emblem of the Royal Thai Air Force
|
|
| Founded | November 2, 1913 |
| Country | Thailand |
| Allegiance | King Maha Vajiralongkorn of Thailand |
| Type | Air Force |
| Size | 45,000 Active personnel 288 Aircraft |
| Part of | Royal Thai Armed Forces |
| HQ | Don Muang Air Base, Bangkok |
| Colours | Sky blue |
| March |
มาร์ชกองทัพอากาศ (Royal Thai Air Force March) |
| Anniversaries | 9 April 1937 (Royal Thai Air Force Day) |
| Engagements |
World War I Franco-Thai War World War II Korean War Vietnam War Vietnamese border raids in Thailand Thai–Laotian Border War |
| Commanders | |
| Commander-in-Chief | Air Chief Marshal Johm Rungswang |
| Insignia | |
| Royal Thai Air force Flag |  |
| Unit Colour |  |
| Roundel |  |
| Aircraft flown | |
| Attack | L-39, Alpha Jet, AU-23 |
| Fighter | Gripen, F-16, F-5 |
| Helicopter | UH-1, Bell 412, S-92, Eurocopter EC725 |
| Reconnaissance | Lear 35A, Arava, Saab 340 AEW&C |
| Trainer | CT/4, PC-9, DA42 |
| Transport | C-130, BT-67, Nomad, ATR-72, 737-400/800, A319, A310, RRJ-95LR |
The Royal Thai Air Force or 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 had engaged in numerous major and minor battles. During the Vietnam War era, the air force was supplied with USAF-aid equipment.
In February 1911 Belgian pilot Charles Van Den Born displayed the first aircraft in Siam at Bangkok's Sapathum Horse Racing Course. King Rama VI was sufficiently impressed that on 28 February 1912 he sent three Army officers to France to learn to fly. After receiving their wings, the officers returned to Siam in November 1913, bringing with them eight aircraft: four Breguets and four Nieuport IVs). In March 1914, Thai aviation moved from Sapathum to Don Muang then north of Bangkok.
The Ministry of Defence placed the Siamese Flying Corps under the Army Engineer Inspector General Department. Prince Purachatra Jayakara, Commander of the Army Engineers, and his brother Prince Chakrabongse Bhuvanath, were instrumental in the development of the Royal Siamese Aeronautical Service as it was renamed in 1919. In 1937, it became an independent service known as the Royal Siamese Air Force. Two years later, when the kingdom's name was changed to Thailand, it became the Royal Thai Air Force.
During the French-Thai War, the Thai Air Force achieved several air-to-air-victories in dogfights against the Vichy Armée de l'Air. During World War II, the Thai Air Force supported the Royal Thai Army in its occupation of the Shan States of Burma as somewhat reluctant allies of the Japanese and took part in the defense of Bangkok against allied air raids in the latter part of the war. Other RTAF personnel took an active part the anti-Japanese resistance movement. The Thai Air Force sent three C-47s to support the United Nations in Korean War. The Wings Unit, operating the C-47, also joined the anti-communist forces in the Vietnam War. Along the border, the Thai Air Force launched many operations against communist forces, including the Ban Nam Ta Airfield Raid in Laos, and clashes between Thai and communist Vietnamese troops along the Thai-Cambodian border. When the Cold War ended, the Thai Air Force participated in Operation Border Post 9631 along the Thai-Burmese border in 1999, and launched the evacuation of foreigners during the 2003 Phnom Penh riots in Cambodia.
...
Wikipedia