The Royal Thai Naval Air Division or RTNAD () is the Naval aviation of the Royal Thai Navy. The division was officially established on 7 December 1926. The RTNAD has two air wings and one Flying Unit of HTMS Chakri Naruebet, operating 23 fixed-wing aircraft and 26 helicopters 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. 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.

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

The headquarters of Royal Thai Naval Air Division has 10 commanding units as follows: 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.

Royal Thai Navy Airfields U-Tapao RTNAF is used for operations over the northern Gulf of Thailand. Songkhla RTNAF is used for operations over the southern Gulf of Thailand. Phuket RTNAF is used for operations over the Andaman Sea (Indian Ocean). Chanthaburi RTNAF used as a frontal operating airfield for the Royal Thai Marine Corps. Narathiwat RTNAF is used as a frontal operating airfield for Royal Thai Marine Corps. Nakorn Phanom RTNAF is used to support the Riverine Patrol Regiment based along the Mekong River. SquadronStatusRoleType Wing 1101ActiveSARMaritime patrol aircraft102ActiveASuW and ASWMaritime patrol aircraft103ActiveForward air controlMaritime patrol aircraft104ActiveMaritime surveillanceUnmanned aerial vehicle Wing 2201ActiveMilitary transportMaritime patrol aircraft202ActiveMilitary transportHelicopter203ActiveASuW and Military transportHelicopter HTMS Chakri Naruebet Flying Unit1Inactive2ActiveASW, HADR and Military transportHelicopter

Squadrons The following squadrons are currently active with the Royal Thai Naval Division. SquadronEquipmentWingRTAF BaseNotes101 Naval Air SquadronDornier 228Naval Air Wing 1U-Tapao102 Naval Air SquadronFokker F27Naval Air Wing 1U-Tapao103 Naval Air SquadronCessna 337 Super SkymasterNaval Air Wing 1U-Tapao104 Naval Air SquadronSchiebel Camcopter S-100, Aeronautics Defense OrbiterNaval Air Wing 1U-Tapao201 Naval Air SquadronFokker F27, Embraer ERJ-135LRNaval Air Wing 2U-Tapao202 Naval Air SquadronBell 212, Eurocopter EC145Naval Air Wing 2U-Tapao203 Naval Air SquadronSikorsky S-76, Super Lynx 300Naval Air Wing 2U-Tapao1 HTMS Chakri Naruebet Flying SquadronHTMS Chakri Naruebet Flying UnitU-Tapao2 HTMS Chakri Naruebet Flying SquadronSH-70B Seahawk, MH-60S KnighthawkHTMS Chakri Naruebet Flying UnitU-Tapao

Aircraft

Active aircraft

AircraftOriginTypeRTN DesignationIn serviceNotesMaritime patrol aircraftAirbus C295Search and rescue—2On order.Dornier 228Search and rescueB.LW.17Also used in Royal Rain Project.Cessna 337 Super SkymasterFAC aircraftB.TCh.1432H-SPSPGNAX seaplaneSearch and rescue—4Serial no.s NAX-01 to NAX-04, locally built by Naval Aircraft Experimental.Military transport aircraftFokker F27Military transportB.LL.12 MK400Embraer ERJ-135LRVIP transport aircraftB.LL.22 HelicopterS-70B-7 SeahawkAnti-submarine warfareH.PD.16HTMS Chakri Naruebet Flying Unit.MH-60S KnighthawkMilitary transportH.LL.52HTMS Chakri Naruebet Flying Unit.WestlandSuper Lynx 300Anti-surface warfareH.TPh.12Eurocopter EC145Military transportH.LL.65Bell UH-1N Twin HueyMilitary transportH.LL.27Sikorsky S-76BSearch and rescue,Military transportH.LL.45 Surveillance Unmanned Aerial VehiclesAeronautics Orbiter 3BSurveillance Unmanned Aerial Vehicles—UnknownIn use since 2020.Elbit Hermes 900Surveillance Unmanned Aerial Vehicles—UnknownOrdered in 2022.Aeronautics Defense DominatorSurveillance Unmanned Aerial Vehicles—Unknown[Documented by a few sources, not yet seen].Boeing Insitu RQ-21 BlackjackSurveillance Unmanned Aerial Vehicles—Unknown[Documented by a few sources, not yet seen].DTI U-1 'Sky Scout'Surveillance Unmanned Aerial Vehicles—UnknownIt is unknown whether they are only in the army service. (In use since 2017.)DTI D-Eyes 02Surveillance Unmanned Aerial Vehicles—UnknownIt is unknown whether they are only in the army service. (In use since 2017.) VTOL Surveillance Unmanned Aerial VehiclesTOP Falcon-VVTOL Surveillance Unmanned Aerial Vehicles—UnknownIn use since 2017.Narai 3.0VTOL Surveillance Unmanned Aerial Vehicles—UnknownIn use since 2018. (In use with the Navy and Armed Forces HQ).Schiebel Camcopter S-100VTOL Surveillance Unmanned Aerial Vehicles—UnknownIn use since 2020.NRDO MARCUS-BVTOL Surveillance Unmanned Aerial Vehicles—UnknownIn use since 2020. (For use on board the Chakri Naruebet aircraft carrier).

Historic aircraft

AircraftOriginTypeServiceQuantity Notes Avro 504N Trainer 1929–1948 2 Built locally. WS-103S Reconnaissance 1938–1946 6 Nakajima E8N Reconnaissance 1938–1946 27 Aichi E13A Reconnaissance 1939-1945+ 6 Three aircraft ordered in 1939 and three in 1941. Beechcraft 35 Bonanza Reconnaissance 1948–1951 3 Piper Pa-11 Reconnaissance 1949–1951 2 Fairey Firefly Fighter 1951-1951 12 10 F Mk. 1 and 2 T Mk. 2 de Havilland Tiger Moth Trainer 1951-1951 30 Curtiss SB2C Helldiver Bomber 1951–1955 6 Grumman HU-16D SAR 1962–1981 3 Grumman S-2 Tracker ASW 1966–1999 12 Cessna O-1G Bird Dog Reconnaissance 1968–1997 8 Cessna U-17 Reconnaissance 1974–1997 8 Bell 205 UH-1H Utility helicopter 1975–?? 4 Douglas C-47 Skytrain Military transport 1978–1999 13 Canadair CL-215 SAR 1978–2017 2 GAF N.24A Normad Military transport 1984–2015 5 Fokker F27Military transport1984-20233200 MAR Anti-submarine warfare version Bell 214ST Utility helicopter 1987–2010 5 LTV A-7E Corsair II Attack 1995–2007 21 All airframes stored. Lockheed P-3 Orion ASW 1996–2014 5 Second-hand but modernized before delivery Hawker Siddeley AV-8S Matador Attack 1997–2006 9 Second hand from the Spanish Navy Spanish Navy Air Army Used on HTMS Chakri Naruebet.

Rank structure

EquivalentNATO Code OF-10 OF-9 OF-8 OF-7 OF-6 OF-5 OF-4 OF-3 OF-2 OF-1 Cadet Officer Officerranksจอมพลเรือพลเรือเอกพลเรือโทพลเรือตรีพลเรือจัตวา1นาวาเอกนาวาโทนาวาตรีเรือเอกเรือโทเรือตรีนักเรียนนายเรือAdmiral of the FleetAdmiralVice AdmiralRear AdmiralCommodoreorRear Admiral(lower half)1CaptainCommanderLieutenant CommanderLieutenantLieutenantJunior GradeSub LieutenantMidshipman 1Rank on paper, not actually used in the Royal Thai Navy. EquivalentNATO Code OR-9 OR-8 OR-7 OR-5 OR-4 OR-3 OR-1 EnlistedranksNo insigniaพันจ่าเอกพิเศษพันจ่าเอกพันจ่าโทพันจ่าตรีจ่าเอกจ่าโทจ่าตรีพลทหารMaster Chief PettyOfficerSenior Chief PettyOfficerChief PettyOfficerPetty Officer1st classPetty Officer2nd ClassPetty Officer3rd ClassSeamanSeaman apprentice

See also Admiral Prince Abhakara Kiartivongse Royal Thai Armed Forces Headquarters Military of Thailand Royal Thai Army Aviation Center Royal Thai Army Royal Thai Air Force Royal Thai Marine Corps Royal Thai Naval Academy

References

External links

Global Security – Thailand navy