List of aircraft of the Royal Thai Air Force

The following is a list of aircraft of the Royal Thai Air Force, past, present, and future.

Current

AircraftTypeOriginClassRoleIn ServiceTotalNotes
Combat Aircraft
Saab JAS 39 Gripen JAS-39C
JAS-39D		  Sweden Jet Multirole fighter 7
4		 11[1] Deliveries from 2011.7 Gripen C and 4 D.18 planned.1 JAS 39 Gripen C (701108) crashed during an air show on January 14, 2017
General Dynamics F-16A/B F-16A
F-16B		  USA Jet Multirole fighter 38
15		 53[1] 26 F-16A, 14 F-16B, 12 F-16A ADF and 1 F-16B ADF. 12 F-16A and 6 B to upgrade to Block 52+.
Northrop F-5 F-5E
F-5F		  United States Jet Multirole fighter 30
4		 34[1] 30 F-5E and 4 F-5F.Thailand version called F-5T/Tigris which had avionics and weapons upgrades.
Dornier Alpha Jet A  Germany Jet Light attack 18 18[1]
AEW&C & Reconnaissance
Saab 340 AEW&C S100B  Sweden Propeller Airborne early warning and control (AEWC) 2 2[1] Aircraft mounted with an Erieye radar.
Piaggio P.180  Italy Propeller Reconnaissance 1 1[1]
Tactical Airlift, Transport, Maritime Patrol Aircraft
Lockheed C-130 Hercules C-130H  United States Propeller Military transport aircraft 12 12[1]
Saab 340  Sweden Propeller Military transport aircraft 2 2[1]
Basler BT-67  USA Propeller Military transport aircraft 7 7[1] Used for firefighting/seeding. 1 lost in 2006.
Fairchild AU-23A Peacemaker  USA Propeller Armed gunship, counter-insurgency, utility transport 14 16[1]
Super King Air 90  United States Propeller Transport 1 1[1]
Boeing 737-4Z6  USA Jet VVIP transport 1 1[1]
Airbus A319 A319CJ  France Jet 1 1[1]
Sukhoi Superjet 100  RUS Jet VVIP transport 3 3[2][3][4]
Helicopter
Eurocopter EC725 EC 725 H225M  France Helicopter CSAR /Utility helicopter 4+(4) 4+(4)[1] Four in service and four more on order.
Bell UH-1H Iroquois/Huey UH-1H  United States Helicopter SAR /Utility 17 17[1]
Bell 412  United States Helicopter Utility 8 8[1]
Sikorsky S-92  United States Helicopter VIP / Med Evac 3 3[1]
Trainer aircraft
KAI T-50 T-50TH  South Korea Jet fighter trainer 4 (4)[1] 12 on order.
Aero L-39  Czech Republic Jet Trainer aircraft 35 35[1]
Diamond DA42  Austria Propeller Trainer aircraft 11 11[1]
Pilatus PC-9   Switzerland Propeller Trainer aircraft 23 23[1]

Future aircraft

Purchase Programme

Upgrade Programme

  • upgrade of F-16 – Royal Thai Air Force (RTAF) plans to upgrade 18 F-16A/B Block 15 aircraft with the Mid-Life Upgrade (MLU) and associated parts, equipment, and logistical support for a complete package worth approximately $700 million.[8]

Indigenous Programme

Historic aircraft

Aircraft of the Royal Thai Air Force and its precursors, the Siamese Flying Corps (1914–1919), Royal Siamese Air Service (RSAS) (1919–1937) and Royal Siamese Air Force (RSAF) (1937–1939).[9][10][11]

Aircraft typeOriginDesignationRoleService period# usedNotes
Aeritalia G.222ItalyB.L14transport1995–201263 traded for Saab 340B
Aermacchi SF.260ItalyB.F15trainer1973–199918locally built
Aero Commander 690USB.PhTh4reconnaissance1982–19881
Avro 504NUKB.F4trainer1930–194870+50+ built locally
Beechcraft BonanzaUSB.S5transport1951–19623Ex-Royal Thai Navy
Beechcraft C-45B/FUSB.L1transport1947–19717First transport
Beechcraft King AirUSB.PhTh3reconnaissance1982–19891
Beechcraft Queen AirUSB.PhTh2reconnaissance1971–19893
Bell 47/OH-13HUSB.H7helicopter1972–19739
Bell 212/UH-1NUSB.H6helicopter1976–19992
Bell 206B Jet RangerUSB.H8/B.HPhT1helicopter1982–200671 ex-Thai Army
Boeing 100USB.Kh7fighter1931–19492comparison testing
Breguet IIIFrancen/atrainer1913–?5
Breguet 14FranceB.Th1bomber1919–193740+built locally
Bristol BulldogUKB.Kh6fighter1930–19402comparison testing
BoripatraSiamB.Th2bomber1927–19404+local design
Cessna 150USB.Ph1trainer1971–20046
Cessna 170BUSB.S7transport1954–19599
Cessna 411USB.PhTh1reconnaissance1982–19892
Cessna A-37USB.J6attack1972–199420
Cessna O-1 Bird DogUSB.T2reconnaissance1967–199054
Cessna T-37B/C TweetUSB.F12trainer1961–199622
Consolidated PT-1USB.F3trainer1928–19394
Curtiss Hawk IIUSB.Kh9fighter1934–194912
Curtiss Hawk IIIUSB.Kh10fighter1935–194974+
Curtiss Hawk 75NUSB.Kh11fighter1939–194912ordered 25, received 12
Curtiss SB2C-5 HelldiverUSB.J3attack1951–19556Ex-Royal Thai Navy
de Havilland Canada DHC-1 ChipmunkCanadaB.F9trainer1950–198966
de Havilland DH.82A Tiger MothUKB.F10trainer1951–196134
Douglas C-47 & EC-47DUSB.L2transport1947–199755B.L2k still in service
Douglas C-54/DC-4USB.L3transport1959–19662
Douglas DC-8-62AFUSB.L10transport1979–19893
Eurocopter AS332L-2 Super PumaFranceB.H9helicopter1996–20023
Fairchild 24USB.S1transport1938–195013 ca.
Fairchild C-123B/KUSB.L4transport1964–199546
Fairey Firefly FR.1 & T.2UKB.J4attack1951–195512later target tug
GAF N.22B NomadAustraliaB.L9transport/reconnaissance1982–201522[12]
Grob G 109GermanyB.R2trainer1989–19942motor glider
Grumman F8F-1 BearcatUSB.Kh15fighter1951–1963207
Grumman WidgeonUSB.S6transport1951–19565
Heinkel HD 43GermanyB.Kh8fighter1930–19402comparison testing
Helio CourierUSB.Th1transport1963–198620
Hiller 360/UH-12USB.H2helicopter1950–19525
Hoffman H-36 DimonaAustriaB.R1trainer1983–199410 ca.motor glider
Kaman HH-43 HuskieUSB.H5helicopter1962–19704
Kawasaki KH-4JapanB.HPhT2reconnaissance helicopter1982–19851ex-Thai Army
Lockheed T-33A/RT-33AUSB.F11trainer1955–199654
Martin 139WSM & 166USB.Th3bomber1937–1949159 ex-Dutch 166s via Japan
Miles MagisterUKB.F7trainer1947–195220
Mitsubishi Ki-21JapanB.Th4bomber1940–19499
Mitsubishi Ki-30JapanB.J2attack1940–195125
Nakajima Ki-27bJapanB.Kh12fighter1942–194512
Nakajima Ki-43JapanB.Kh13fighter1943–194924
Nieuport II & IVFrancen/atrainer1913–?4
Nieuport 17 & 21FranceB.Kh1fighter1918–19274+
Nieuport 24bisFranceB.Kh2fighter1918–193212+
Nieuport 80FranceB.F1trainer1918–193512 ca.
Nieuport 83FranceB.F2trainer1918–193512 ca.
Nieuport-Delage NiD 29FranceB.Kh4fighter1923–193612+built locally
North American F-86F/L SabreUSB.Kh17fighter1961–197274
North American T-6 TexanUSB.F8trainer1948–1974220
North American T-28DUSB.F13trainer1962–1988120
Northrop F-5A/B/C & RF-5AUSB.Kh18fighter1967–200029Variants in service.
Percival PrinceUKB.T1reconnaissance1952–19621
Piper L-4 Cub/Piper PA-11USB.S3transport1947–196244
PrajadhipokSiamB.Kh5fighter1929–?1local design
Rearwin 9000USB.S2transport1938–19472
Republic F-84G ThunderjetUSB.Kh16fighter1956–196334
RFB Fantrainer 400 & 600GermanyB.F18trainer1988–199426
Rockwell OV-10C BroncoUSB.J5attack1971–200432to Philippine AF
RTAF-4ThailandB.F17trainer1974–198913 ca.locally built
Sikorsky H-5/S-51USB.H1helicopter1950–19544
Sikorsky S-55/H-19USB.H3helicopter1954–196511
Sikorsky S-58/S-58T/H-34USB.H4helicopter1962–200365
SPAD VII & SPAD XIIIFranceB.Kh3fighter1919–193132+
Stinson L-5 & L-5BUSB.S4transport1947–195910
Supermarine Spitfire FR.14/PR.19UKB.Kh14fighter1951–195534
Tachikawa Ki-36JapanB.F6trainer1942–195024
Vought V-93S CorsairUSB.J1/B.F5attack/trainer1934–195084+Locally built/modified

See also

References

Notes
  1. 1 2 3 4 5 6 7 8 9 10 11 12 13 14 15 16 17 18 19 20 21 "World Air Forces 2017". Flightglobal Insight. 2017. Retrieved 16 December 2016.
  2. ↑ "Sukhoi Civil Aircraft to Deliver the Third SBJ to the Royal Thai Air Force". superjetinternational. Retrieved 15 December 2016.
  3. ↑ https://thediplomat.com/2018/06/sukhoi-superjet-delivery-spotlights-russia-thailand-military-cooperation/
  4. ↑ https://mgronline.com/indochina/detail/9590000125489
  5. ↑ Greg Waldron (12 February 2014). "SINGAPORE: Saab looks for additional Thai Gripen sale". Flightglobal. Archived from the original on 22 February 2014. Retrieved 17 November 2016.
  6. ↑ John Grevatt (22 January 2014). "Thailand to launch lead-in fighter programme after new government forms". IHS Jane’s 360. Archived from the original on 27 January 2014. Retrieved 17 November 2016.
  7. ↑ http://www.defensenews.com/article/20140213/DEFREG03/302130023
  8. ↑ "Thailand – F-16 Mid-Life Upgrade". Defense Security Cooperation Agency. 30 September 2010. Retrieved 17 November 2016.
  9. ↑ "Historic Painting". Royal Thai Air Force Museum. Archived from the original on 21 March 2007. Retrieved 17 November 2016.
  10. ↑ Small Air Force Observer magazine, author unknown, #47 July 1988 & #50 April 1989
  11. ↑ "Royal Thai Air Force" (PDF). Thai Aviation. 2 September 2016. Archived from the original (PDF) on 4 November 2016. Retrieved 17 November 2016.
  12. ↑ AirForces Monthly. Stamford, Lincolnshire, England: Key Publishing Ltd. March 2016. p. 27.
Comments
    Bibliography

    • Wieliczko, Leszek A. and Zygmunt Szeremeta. Nakajima Ki 27 Nate (bilingual Polish/English). Lublin, Poland: Kagero, 2004. ISBN 83-89088-51-7.
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