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Royal Thai Air Force - History

Aviation in Thailand came into being during the reign of King Rama VI. On February 6, 1911, Mr.Charles Van Den Born, a Belgian pilot made the first flight demostration of the biplane "Henry Farman IV" at Sra Pathum Racecourse. Field Marshal His Royal Highness Prince Nakhon Jaisri Suradej, the Minister of War, and Field Marshal His Royal Highness Prince Chakrabongse Bhuvanath, Army Chief of Staff, realized the importance of military aviation in France and also confirmed the necessity for Thailand to have the airplane as a military tool. The Aviation Unit was then established in the Army at Sra Pathum Airfield and three Army officers were selected to attend aviation course in France.

While they were in training, the Ministry of War ordered three Breguet biplanes and four Nieuport monoplanes from France. Later, Chao Phraya Apai Bhubet (Chum Aphaivong) donated a fourth Breguet to the Ministry of War, bringing the number to eight aircraft. The test flight was made in France by the first three Thai pilots and the aircraft were shipped to Thailand. After the three officers graduated and returned to Thailand on November 2, 1913, the Ministry of War set up the Aviation Section (Army Aviation Unit) in December of the same year, under the command of General Prince Purachatra Jayakara, Inspector General. The foundation in aviation both in flying training and aeronautical engineering was laid by these three officers.

As the aviation developped, Sra Pathum Airfield was deemed too small and inconvenient. The Army Aviation Unit was decided to relocate from a small and swampy Sra Pathum Airfield to higher ground at Don Muang. Thus, in early 1915, the Army supply Department began construction of hangars, airfields and housing as well as all necessary facilities. After completion, all these facilities were transfered to Lieutenant Colonel Phraya Chalerm Arkas for use as the new home of the Aviation Unit. The relocation of the Aviation Unit was completed and resumed operations on March 17, 1915. By the order of the Ministry of War dated March 27, 1915, the Aviation Unit was upgraded to the Army Air Corps.

In the early period of the Great War, His Majesty King Vajiravudh wished to remain neutral. However, after a thorough considerations of the national interests, he then decided to send an expeditionary force to join with the Allied Forces on July 22, 1917. The expeditionary force headed by Major Thayanpikart (Thip Ketudat) composed of 1,250 men from the Army Air Corps and Transport Corps in which the Army four hundred were from the Army Air Corps. At last the Allied Forces won the war on November 11, 1918 and the Peace Treaty was then signed. After the war, procurement of approximately 15 aircraft such as the new Nieuports (23 m2, 18 m2, 15 m2, 13 m2), Spad and Breguet 24 was made to lay down a strong foundation for the Royal Thai Air Force.

On December 8, 1941, at dawn, the Japanese forces invaded the eastern part of Thailand. Sentoki fighter aircraft attacked Wattana Nakhon Airfield, damaing the control tower, buildings and the runway. The other point of invasion was Wing 5, Prachuap Khiri Khan Province. Officers, enlisted men and conscripts numbering 120 under the command of Wing Commander Mom Luang Prawas Jumsai withstood the attack with bravery. Over four hundred Japanese soldiers were killed while fourty men at Thai side died in the battle and only four suffered casualties. The fighting went on until the Government ordered a cease fire.

The decision of Thailand to participate actively in the defense of Vietnam represented a departure from the country's traditional policy of non-intervention. At first this participation was minimal, but as the situation in South Vietnam worsened Thailand reappraised its role in Southeast Asian affairs. Thailand's interest in increasing the size of its contribution to South Vietnam was in part a desire to assume a more responsible role in the active defense of Southeast Asia; it was also an opportunity to accelerate modernization of the Thai armed forces. Equally important, from the Thai point of view, was the domestic political gain from the visible deployment of a modern air defense system, and the international gain from a stronger voice at the peace table because of Thai participation on the battlefield.

For the United States the increased force strength was desirable, but the real significance of the increase was that another Southeast Asian nation was accepting a larger role in the defense of South Vietnam. Some officials in Washington also believed that public acceptance of a further buildup of US forces would be eased as a result of a Thai contribution. Secretary of Defense Robert S. McNamara was even more specific when he stated that from a political point of view a Thai contribution was almost mandatory.

On July 21, 1964, the Thai Government decided to render military assistance to the Vietnamese Government sending 17 RTAF pilots and personnel to conduct missions in the Republic of Vietnam. The contingent departed Thailand on September 29, 1964. This first contingent was named the "Victory Flying Unit" and the Thai pilots flew the C-47 aircraft and worked with Squadron 413, Wing 33 of the Vietnames Air Force.

The cabinet later ordered the RTAF to despatch an additional group of pilot and other personnel assigned to the Victory Flying Unit on July 29, 1966. They flew the C-123 aircraft and also conducted operational mission with USAF pilots of the 19th Tactical Airlift Squadron of the United States Air Force. The team continuously conduct the mission until the seventh team returned to Thailand on December 15, 1971.

During the Vietnam War, about 80% of all USAF air strikes over North Vietnam originated from air bases in Thailand. At its peak in 1969 a greater number of Airmen were serving in Thailand than were serving in South Vietnam. Under Thailand's "gentleman's agreement" with the US, the bases were considered Royal Thai Air Force bases and were commanded by Thai officers. Thai air police controlled access to the bases; US air police that helped them did carry guns. Command of the American units, however, remained with US wing commanders and their Seventh Air Force/Thirteenth Air Force headquarters.

At the height of American participation in the Vietnam war effort, more than 50,000 soldiers, sailors and airmen were stationed at the seven major air bases and many smaller posts scattered throughout the Kingdom of Thailand. Aside from support forces for the Vietnam effort, American military presence in Thailand was also bolstered by the operation of a very large Joint US Military Advisory Group Thailand —— JUSMAG—THAI -— which implemented US security assistance objectives.

By 1980 the picture had changed dramatically. The air bases were fully manned by Royal Thai Air Force (RTAF) units. F—5s and A-37s raced down runways where once there were bomb—laden F—l05s and F—4s bound for targets in lndo—China. Most of the uniformed Americans were gone.

The Royal Thai Air Force was the most recently formed of the three services. The air force had a command structure in the 1980s consisting of five groups: headquarters, logistics support, education, special services, and combat forces. The headquarters group in Bangkok performed the usual general staff functions, including planning and directing operations of the combat elements. The logistics support group provided engineering, communications, ordnance, transportation, quartermaster, and medical services support. The education group coordinated and supervised all air force training programs. The special service group was responsible for the welfare of air force personnel and coordinated the activities of Thai civil aviation with those of the air force.

The operational units of the air force were organized in the 1980s into two functional elements: a tactical air command structured and equipped for conventional warfare and an aerial security force trained and geared for counterinsurgency and other internal security missions. In 1987 the tactical air command had a combat force of one squadron committed to forward ground attack, two squadrons of fighter-interceptors also used for armed reconnaissance, a separate reconnaissance squadron that also served in a training role, three transport squadrons, one utility squadron, two helicopter squadrons, and one training squadron. The security force consisted of seven counterinsurgency squadrons, equipped with helicopter gunships, and other light aircraft suitable for counterinsurgency operations. Airfield security was provided by four battalions of troops trained in perimeter defense tactics.

The air force maintained a number of modern bases from which it conducted its administrative, transport, and training operations. The bases, which were constructed between 1954 and 1968, had permanent buildings, sophisticated ground support equipment, and some of the best runways in Asia. All but one were part of the network of airfields built and used by United States forces until their withdrawal from Thailand in 1976. Consolidating the equipment left by the departing units in accordance with government-to-government agreements, the Thai air force assumed use of the installations at Ta Khli and Nakhon Ratchasima. In the late 1980s, these bases and Don Muang Air Base outside Bangkok, which the air force shared with civil aviation, remained the primary operational holdings. Maintenance of the facilities at other bases abandoned by the United States proved too costly and exceeded Thai needs. Nonetheless, all runways were still available for training and emergency use.

The American withdrawal had quickly revealed to the Thai Supreme Command the inadequacy of its air force in the event of a conventional war in Southeast Asia. Accordingly, in the 1980s the government allotted large amounts of money for the purchase of modern aircraft and spare parts. Thirty-eight F-5E and F-5F fighter-bombers purchased from the Northrop Corporation formed the nucleus of the air force's defense and tactical firepower. The F-5Es were accompanied by training teams of American civilian and military technicians, who worked with members of the Thai air force. In addition to the F-5E and F-5F fighter-bombers, OV-10C aircraft, transports, and helicopters were added to the air force equipment inventory. In 1985 the United States Congress authorized the sale of the F-16 fighter to Thailand. A total of twelve of these aircraft were scheduled for delivery in 1988.