In 1985 the United States Congress authorized the sale of the F-16 fighter to Thailand.
In addition to the F-5E and F-5F fighter-bombers, OV-10C Bronco counterinsurgency aircraft, transports, and helicopters were added to the RTAF inventory. : 469Īlong 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. Following the end of the Vietnam War in April 1975 the Thai Air Force took possession of 117 aircraft of the former South Vietnamese, Cambodian and Laotian air forces that had evacuated to Thailand. The Wings Unit, operating the C-47, also joined the anti-communist forces in the Vietnam War. The Thai Air Force sent three C-47 Skytrains to support the United Nations in the Korean War. During these times, the RTAF was actively supplied by the Japanese with Imperial Japanese Army Air Force aircraft such as the Ki-43 "Oscar," and the Ki-27 "Nate." Other RTAF personnel took an active part the anti-Japanese resistance movement. 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, achieving some successes against state-of-the-art aircraft like the P-51 Mustang and the B-29 Superfortress.
The Air Force during the years before the Second World War was a moderately-well equipped force made up of a mixture of French, American, and Japanese types.ĭuring the French-Thai War, the Thai Air Force achieved several air-to-air-victories in dogfights against the Vichy Armée de l'Air. Two years later, when the kingdom was renamed Thailand, it became the Royal Thai Air Force. In October 1936, it became an independent service and was renamed the Royal Siamese Air Force in March 1937. 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 on 19 March 1919. In March 1914, they moved from Sapathum to Don Muang, north of Bangkok and it became the Royal Siamese Flying Corps under the Department of the Army Engineer Inspector General. After receiving their wings and qualification, the officers returned to Siam in November 1913, bringing with them eight aircraft: four Breguets and four Nieuport IVs), which formed the nucleus for the Aviation Section of the Army Engineering Division. King Rama VI was sufficiently impressed that on 28 February 1912 he sent three Army officers to France to learn to fly. In February 1911 Belgian pilot Charles Van Den Born was responsible for the first aircraft demonstration in Siam at Bangkok's Sapathum Horse Racing Course.
Main article: Military history of Thailand