Udon Thani Timeudon thani air force
udon thani air force
udon thani air force
I will proceed on the premise that everyone realizes that there is no such thing an an Udon Thani Air Force, and therefore nothing more needs to be said about that.
The following information is largely derived from an extremely informative website called Thailand-Delights.com, put together by the efforts of Gordon David Knoles. His coverage on my post topic basically began here, making rich use of Wikipedia articles.
Udon Thani International Airport
As well as being a commercial facility, Udon Thani International Airport is also an active Royal Thai Air Force (RTAF) base, the home of Wing 23, 2nd Air Division Air Combat Command.
231 Squadron flies 17 (out of 18 delivered) Dassault – Breguet – Dornier Alpha Jet A airplanes acquired second-hand from the German Air Force, and delivered in 2001. 231 Squadron previously flew F-5A/RF – 5AF – 5B Freedom Fighter airplanes.
See Wikipedia‘s entry for Udorn Royal Thai Air Force Base for much more — the following has essentially been adapted from that article.
USAF Use During The Vietnam War
Udon was a front-line facility of the United States Air Force (USAF) during the Vietnam War from 1964 through 1975. The USAF forces at Udon were under the command of the United States Pacific Air Forces (PACAF).
Advisory Use (1964 – 1966)
The first USAF unit assigned at Udon Royal Thai Air Force was the 333d Air Base Squadron in October 1964. Before the formation of the squadron, support personnel were provided by temporary duty personnel from the 35th Tactical Group at Don Muang Royal Thai Air Force Base.
On 18 July, 1965, the 333rd Air Base Squadron was re-designated the 623 2nd Combat Support Group (CSG). This unit reported directly to the Commander, 13th Air Force, and to the 623 4th Tactical Fighter Wing (TFW) at Korat Royal Thai Air Force Base — at that time, the only tactical wing in Thailand.
The formation of the group at Udon RTAFB was brought about because of expanding Air Force programs, an increase in assigned personnel, and increased base support requirements. Most personnel at Udon RTAFB, prior to the formation of the group, were temporary duty assignments. Shortly before the group was activated, a gradual input of permanent party personnel was made to replace those on temporary duty.
F-104 Starfighters: on the 15th November, 1965, the 623 2nd CSG was given the responsibility of reporting directly to the Deputy Commander 2nd Air Division/13th Air Force, rather than directly to the Commander, 13th Air Force. The 623 2nd CSG was re-designated the 630th Combat Support Group on 8th April, 1966, with a reporting responsibility to the Deputy Commander, 7th Air Force/13th Air Force (7/13AF), headquartered at Udon RTAFB.
On the 6th June, 1966, the 476th Tactical Fighter Squadron of the 479th Tactical Fighter Wing at George AFB, California, deployed eight F-104Cs to carry out escort and bombing missions with the gun-less F-4Cs. An additional 12 F-104Cs joined the 8th TFW on 22nd July.
The 8th TFW F-104s were initially involved in escort missions in support of F-105D strike aircraft hitting targets in North Vietnam. They were involved in escorts of EF-105F Wild Weasels. One problem was that the F-104Cs were not initially equipped with electronic countermeasures gear, and had to rely on F-105s for warnings of lock-ons from enemy radar facilities. However, once again the mere presence of these F-104Cs managed to keep enemy MiGs away from the strike aircraft.
The F-104Cs carried out escorting and bombing missions on North Vietnam, with over 5,290 sorties. The Air Force decided to replace these F-104Cs by more efficient McDonnell F-4D Phantoms, starting in July of 1967. The last Starfighter left Thailand later that month.
432nd Tactical Reconnaissance Wing: on 18th September, 1966, the 432nd Tactical Reconnaissance Wing (TRW) was organized, and the 630th CSG was placed under the new wing and re-designated the 432nd CSG.
The mission of the wing was to provide intelligence information about hostile forces through tactical reconnaissance, and use its fighter elements to destroy the targets earmarked by the intelligence data provided. The wing also had numerous missions in the support area. As the command base for 7/13AF in Thailand, Udon RTAFB played a lead role in accomplishing the objectives of the United States in fulfilling its policy in Southeast Asia.
On the 30th October, 1967, the 20th TRS RF-101 squadron was deactivated and replaced by another RF-4C squadron, the 14th TRS. These two squadrons accounted for more than 80 percent of all reconnaissance activity over North Vietnam.
Besides the two RF-4C squadrons, the wing also had a tactical fighter squadron component. The 13th Tactical Fighter Squadron was transferred from the 388th TFW at Korat Royal Thai Air Force Base. A F-105 squadron at Korat, the 13th TFS, was transferred to Udon, flying F-4Ds due to the high attrition rate the F-105 squadrons were suffering. The 13th TFS flew strike missions over North Vietnam, and its pilots were credited with a two-MIGs kill.
The 555th TFS joined the 13th on 28th May, 1968, with F-4Ds, transferring from the 8th TFW at Ubon Royal Thai Air Force Base. Lastly, the 421st TFS was transferred from the 366th TFW at Da Nang Air Base on 31 October, 1972.
On 31st October, 1968, the 7th Airborne Command and Control Squadron, which had been assigned as a temporary duty unit from Da Nang Air Base, became part of the 432nd wing.
Other units assigned to Udon were the 4th Special Operations Squadron, flying various gun ships; and the 421st TFS, Flying F-4Es.
In 1972, several tactical fighter squadrons deployed to Udon (58 TFS/33d TFW – Eglin AFB, 307 & 308 TFS/31 TFW – Homestead AFB, 414th TFS/57FWW – Nellis AFB and 523d TFS/405 FW – Clark AB) flying various versions of the F-4.
The 432nd TRW was the most diversified unit of its size in the Air Force.
In the fall of 1970, Udon was phased down as part of the overall American withdrawal from the Vietnam War.
On 5th November, 1970, the 11th TRS was deployed to Shaw AFB, South Carolina, ending a distinguished tour of service with the 432nd TRW.
On 29th December, 1970, the 4th Special Operations was deactivated, with its aircraft being transferred to the South Vietnamese Air Force.
On 15th April, 1972, the 7th Airborne Command and Control Squadron with its C-130s was transferred to Korat RTAFB.
With the end of the war in Southeast Asia in 1973, the 421st TFS deactivated in August, and the 555th TFS was transferred to the 58th TFW at Luke Air Force Base Arizona on 5th July, 1974.
Of course, Air America is a whole new story that I will not attempt to summarize at this time.
Udon Thani World Record Training 2006 Part 2
Uploaded by ExtremeSportsCafe on Apr 29, 2010
2006 Freefall Formation Skydive World Record Training, and Mass Drop World Record Training in Udon Thani Thailand.
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Tags: Air Force, Don Muang Royal Thai Air Force Base, Korat Royal Thai Air Force Base, thailand, Ubon Royal Thai Air Force Base, Udon Thani International Airport, United States, United States Air Force
