Royal Thai Naval Air Division

Royal Thai Naval Air Division
กองบินทหารเรือ
Royal Thai Navy Aircraft Marking
Active7 December 1926[1]
Country Thailand
Branch Royal Thai Navy
TypeNaval aviation
Size1,200 active personnel [2]
Approx. 49+ aircraft[3]
Anniversaries7 December[1]
Insignia
Roundel

The Royal Thai Naval Air Division or RTNAD (Thai: กองบินทหารเรือ) is the Naval aviation of the Royal Thai Navy. The division was officially established on 7 December 1926.[1] The RTNAD has two air wings and one Flying Unit of HTMS Chakri Naruebet, operating 23 fixed-wing aircraft and 26 helicopters[3] from U-Tapao, Songkhla, and Phuket. The First Royal Thai Navy wing has three squadrons; the Second Royal Thai Navy wing has three squadrons and another wing for HTMS Chakri Naruebet Flying Unit.

History

The establishment Royal Thai Naval Air Division began in 1921, when the Admiral Prince Abhakara Kiartivongse gave an opinion to the Naval Command Council of Ministry of the Navy on 23 November 1921.[1] The Naval Aviation Division was expedient to set up an air fleet using Sattahip as a base with 2 seaplanes. The Naval Command Council approved this proposal on 7 December 1926.[1]

Later, the Royal Thai Naval Air Division has more aircraft living with Royal Thai Air Force Place there are some inconveniences so in 1957, the Navy built the Airport coming up at Ban Utapao, Rayong Province by using the navy budget during construction, the United States offered construction assistance and requested to use some parts of U-Tapao Royal Thai Navy Airfield in return.

Structure

A Royal Thai Navy pilot shares best practices 4 June 2013

The headquarters of Royal Thai Naval Air Division has 10 commanding units as follows:[4]

  • Personnel Division
  • Intelligence Division
  • Operations Division
  • Logistics Division
  • Division of Communication and Information Technology
  • Budget Division
  • Technical Affairs and Flight Safety Division
  • Division of Engineering Plans
  • Administration Department
  • Finance Department

Commands

Royal Thai Naval Air Division is a combat unit under commissioned of Royal Thai Fleet. The aviation division is divided into 6 regiments, corresponding to one additional command unit namely; Wing 1 Regiment, Wing 2 Regiment, Air Operations Control Regiment, The Flight Station Regiment, Aircraft Maintenance and Repair Center Regiment, Security Regiment and one additional command unit of HTMS Chakri Naruebet Flying Unit.[4]

Royal Thai Naval Air Division is located in Thailand
U-Tapao RTNAF
U-Tapao RTNAF
Songkhla RTNAF
Songkhla RTNAF
Nakorn Phanom RTNAF
Nakorn Phanom RTNAF
Narathiwat RTNAF
Narathiwat RTNAF
Phuket RTNAF
Phuket RTNAF
Chanthaburi RTNAF
Chanthaburi RTNAF
class=notpageimage|
Royal Thai Navy Airfields
Squadron Status Role Type
Wing 1
101 Active SAR Maritime patrol aircraft
102 Active ASuW and ASW Maritime patrol aircraft
103 Active Forward air control Maritime patrol aircraft
104 Active Maritime surveillance Unmanned aerial vehicle
Wing 2
201 Active Military transport Maritime patrol aircraft
202 Active Military transport Helicopter
203 Active ASuW and Military transport Helicopter
HTMS Chakri Naruebet Flying Unit
1 Inactive
2 Active ASW and Military transport Helicopter

Squadrons

The following squadrons are currently active with the Royal Thai Naval Division.[6]

Squadron Equipment Wing RTAF Base Notes
101 Naval Air Squadron Dornier 228 Naval Air Wing 1 U-Tapao
102 Naval Air Squadron Fokker F27 Naval Air Wing 1 U-Tapao
103 Naval Air Squadron Cessna 337 Super Skymaster Naval Air Wing 1 U-Tapao
104 Naval Air Squadron Schiebel Camcopter S-100, Aeronautics Defense Orbiter Naval Air Wing 1 U-Tapao
201 Naval Air Squadron Fokker F27, Embraer ERJ-135LR Naval Air Wing 2 U-Tapao
202 Naval Air Squadron Bell 212, Eurocopter EC145 Naval Air Wing 2 U-Tapao
203 Naval Air Squadron Sikorsky S-76, Super Lynx 300 Naval Air Wing 2 U-Tapao
1 HTMS Chakri Naruebet Flying Squadron - HTMS Chakri Naruebet Flying Unit U-Tapao
2 HTMS Chakri Naruebet Flying Squadron SH-70B Seahawk, MH-60S Knighthawk HTMS Chakri Naruebet Flying Unit U-Tapao

Aircraft

Active aircraft

Royal Thai Navy Fokker27-MK 400
Dornier Do-228-212
Embraer ERJ-135LR of the Royal Thai Navy
Royal Thai Navy Sikorksy S-76B
Elbit Hermes 900
Boeing Insitu RQ-21 Blackjack
Camcopter S-100
Aircraft Origin Type Quantity Notes
Fixed-wing aircraft
Fokker F27  Netherlands Anti-submarine warfare,
Military transport 		2 MK400
3 MK200 		[3]
Dornier 228  Germany Search and rescue 7 Also used in Royal Rain Project.[3]
NAX seaplane  Thailand Search and rescue 4 Serial no.s NAX-01 to NAX-04, locally built by Naval Aircraft Experimental.[7]
CASA/IPTN CN-235  Spain Maritime patrol aircraft (+3) 3 on order[3]
Embraer ERJ-135LR  Brazil VIP transport aircraft 2 [3]
Cessna 337 Super Skymaster  United States FAC aircraft 4 H-SP
3 SP
2 G 		[3]
Helicopter
Sikorsky S-76B  United States Search and rescue,
Military transport 		5 [3]
WestlandSuper Lynx 300  United Kingdom Anti-surface warfare 2 [3]
Sikorsky S-70B Seahawk  United States Anti-submarine warfare 6 HTMS Chakri Naruebet Flying Unit.[3]
Sikorsky MH-60S Knighthawk  United States Military transport 2 HTMS Chakri Naruebet Flying Unit.[3]
Eurocopter EC145  Germany Military transport 5 [3]
Bell UH-1N Twin Huey  United States Military transport 7 [3]
Surveillance Unmanned Aerial Vehicles
Aeronautics Orbiter 3B  Israel Surveillance Unmanned Aerial Vehicles Unknown In use since 2020.[8]
Elbit Hermes 900  Israel Surveillance Unmanned Aerial Vehicles Unknown Ordered in 2022.[8]
Aeronautics Defense Dominator  Israel Surveillance Unmanned Aerial Vehicles Unknown [Documented by a few sources, not yet seen].[8]
Boeing Insitu RQ-21 Blackjack  United States Surveillance Unmanned Aerial Vehicles Unknown [Documented by a few sources, not yet seen].[8]
DTI U-1 'Sky Scout'  Thailand Surveillance Unmanned Aerial Vehicles Unknown It is unknown whether they are only in the army service. (In use since 2017.)[8]
DTI D-Eyes 02  Thailand Surveillance Unmanned Aerial Vehicles Unknown It is unknown whether they are only in the army service. (In use since 2017.)[8]
VTOL Surveillance Unmanned Aerial Vehicles
TOP Falcon-V  China
 Thailand 		VTOL Surveillance Unmanned Aerial Vehicles Unknown In use since 2017.[8]
Narai 3.0  Thailand VTOL Surveillance Unmanned Aerial Vehicles Unknown In use since 2018.[8] (In use with the Navy and Armed Forces HQ).
Schiebel Camcopter S-100  Austria VTOL Surveillance Unmanned Aerial Vehicles Unknown In use since 2020.[8]
NRDO MARCUS-B  Thailand VTOL Surveillance Unmanned Aerial Vehicles Unknown In use since 2020.[8] (For use on board the Chakri Naruebet aircraft carrier).[8]

Historic aircraft

Canadair CL-215
A-7E Corsair II
Lockheed P-3 Orion
Grumman HU-16B Albatross
AV-8S Matador
Aircraft Origin Type Service Quantity Notes
Avro 504N  Thailand
 United Kingdom		 Trainer 1929–1948 2 Built locally.[1][9]
WS-103S  Japan Reconnaissance 1938–1946 6 [9]
Nakajima E8N  Japan Reconnaissance 1938–1946 27 [1]
Aichi E13A  Japan Reconnaissance 1939-1945+ 6 Three aircraft ordered in 1939 and three in 1941.[9]
Mitsubishi A6M Zero  Japan Fighter 1942–1945 3 [9]
Beechcraft 35 Bonanza  United States Reconnaissance 1948–1951 3 [9]
Piper Pa-11  United States Reconnaissance 1949–1951 2 [9]
Fairey Firefly  United Kingdom Fighter 1951-1951 12 10 F Mk. 1 and 2 T Mk. 2 [9]
de Havilland Tiger Moth  United Kingdom Trainer 1951-1951 30 [9]
Curtiss SB2C Helldiver  United States Bomber 1951–1955 6 [9]
Grumman HU-16D  United States SAR 1962–1981 3 [9]
Grumman S-2 Tracker  United States ASW 1966–1999 12 [9]
Cessna O-1G Bird Dog  United States Reconnaissance 1968–1997 8 [9]
Cessna U-17  United States Reconnaissance 1974–1997 8 [9]
Bell 205 UH-1H  United States Utility helicopter 1975–?? 4 [9]
Douglas C-47 Skytrain  United States Military transport 1978–1999 13 [9]
Canadair CL-215  Canada SAR 1978–2017 2 [9]
GAF N.24A Normad  Australia Military transport 1984–2015 5 [9]
Bell 214ST  United States Utility helicopter 1987–2010 5 [9]
A-7E Corsair II  United States Attack 1995–2007 21 All airframes stored.[9]
Lockheed P-3 Orion  United States ASW 1996–2014 5 Second-hand but modernized before delivery[9]
Hawker Siddeley AV-8S Matador  United Kingdom Attack 1997–2006 9 Second hand from the

Spanish Navy Spanish Navy Air Army Used on HTMS Chakri Naruebet.[9]

Rank structure

Main article: Military ranks of the Thai armed forces
Equivalent
NATO Code		 OF-10 OF-9 OF-8 OF-7 OF-6 OF-5 OF-4 OF-3 OF-2 OF-1 Cadet Officer
Officer
ranks
จอมพลเรือ พลเรือเอก พลเรือโท พลเรือตรี พลเรือจัตวา1 นาวาเอก นาวาโท นาวาตรี เรือเอก เรือโท เรือตรี นักเรียนนายเรือ
Admiral of the Fleet Admiral Vice Admiral Rear Admiral Commodore
or
Rear Admiral
(lower half)1 		Captain Commander Lieutenant Commander Lieutenant Lieutenant
Junior Grade 		Sub Lieutenant Midshipman
Equivalent
NATO Code		 OR-9 OR-8 OR-7 OR-5 OR-4 OR-3 OR-1
Enlisted
ranks 		No insignia
พันจ่าเอกพิเศษ พันจ่าเอก พันจ่าโท พันจ่าตรี จ่าเอก จ่าโท จ่าตรี พลทหาร
Master Chief Petty
Officer 		Senior Chief Petty
Officer 		Chief Petty
Officer 		Petty Officer
1st class 		Petty Officer
2nd Class 		Petty Officer
3rd Class 		Seaman Seaman apprentice

See also

References

  1. ^ a b c d e f g "History of Royal Thai Naval Air Division". www.thaiflynavy.org. 17 November 2019. Archived from the original on 24 October 2019. Retrieved 17 November 2019.
  2. ^ บำรุงสุข, สุรชาติ (18 July 2019). "เปิดข้อมูลอำนาจกำลังรบไทย". www.matichonweekly.com. Retrieved 17 November 2019.
  3. ^ a b c d e f g h i j k l m "History of Royal Thai Naval Air Division". www.flightglobal.com. 17 November 2019. Retrieved 17 November 2019.
  4. ^ a b Air Division (17 November 2019). "Structure of Royal Thai Naval Air Division". www.thaiflynavy.org. Retrieved 17 November 2019.
  5. ^ a b c d e f "Squadron". www.thaipatch.com. 17 November 2019. Retrieved 17 November 2019.
  6. ^ "Royal Thai Air Force Organization". rtaf.mil.th. Archived from the original on 28 March 2022. Retrieved 16 May 2020.
  7. ^ "'เครื่องบินทะเล' ลาดตระเวนชายฝั่ง". www.marinerthai.net. 3 May 2012. Retrieved 17 November 2019.
  8. ^ a b c d e f g h i j k Oryx. "Thai Thunderbirds: Thailand's Expansive UAV Fleet". Oryx. Retrieved 17 September 2022.
  9. ^ a b c d e f g h i j k l m n o p q r s t u World Air Forces – Historical Listings Thailand (THL), archived from the original on 25 January 2012, retrieved 30 August 2012
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