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39-456: Blue Phoenix are the first ever formed Royal Thai Air Force Aerobatic Team, which fly five blue, white and red painted Pilatus PC-9 aircraft, all fitted with white smoke generators. The team is a part of Flying Training School RTAF Squadron based at Nakhon Pathom's Kamphaeng Saen Air Force Base, and so the pilots are instructors from the same squadron. Blue Phoenix inheriting the aerobatic flying spirit from their former very own aerobatic team of

78-1018: A Bréguet biplane. The aviation section put on a demonstration in January 1914, gaining the support of the King and a permanent aviation group was established and an air base at Don Muang was assigned, as the Royal Aeronautical Service , under Army control. Siam entered World War I with the Allies in July 1917, and a Siamese Expeditionary Force of around 1,200 men was sent to France, arriving in June 1918. Among them were 370 pilots and groundcrew , including more than 100 officers who were sent to flight school first at Istres and Avord, and then at Istres , Le Crotoy , La Chapelle-la-Reine , Biscarosse and Piox. Eventually, The 95 pilots who qualified as military aviators flew

117-645: A sloop preserved at Chatham Historic Dockyard in the United Kingdom, exemplifies this type of gunboat. In the United States Navy, these boats had the hull classification symbol "PG", which led to their being referred to as "patrol gunboats". They usually displaced under 2,000 long tons (2,000 t), were about 200 ft (61 m) long, 10–15 ft (3.0–4.6 m) draught and sometimes much less, and mounted several guns of calibers up to 5–6 in (130–150 mm). An important characteristic of these

156-409: A ceasefire was arranged in January 1941. Later that year, on 7 December, Thailand was invaded by Japan. The RTAF took an active role in the resistance. Combat Wings 1 and 5 engaged significantly more advanced Japanese aircraft over Thailand's eastern border, but suffered heavy losses, including almost 30 percent of Wing 5, before a cease-fire took effect the following day. The Air Force is commanded by

195-632: A few operational sorties in the closing weeks of the war but suffered no casualties, nor scored any kills. Their training did mean that Siam entered the post-World War I period with one of the best equipped and trained air forces in Asia. In the 1930s the Royal Aeronautical Service began to replace French aircraft with American designs, purchasing more than 95 aircraft, including the Boeing P-12 E, Curtiss Hawks , and Vought Corsairs . The air force

234-421: A flight. Chakrabongse sent three army officers to France, who began flight training at Vélizy-Villacoublay in July 1912. The officers became qualified aviators a year later. Soon after, Sra Pathum airfield was established along with a temporary hangar to house planes and also host flight training. In late 1913, the three new aviators returned home after arranging for the purchase of four Nieuport monoplanes and

273-626: A large squadron of gunboats could suffer serious damage before it could manage to sink them all. For example: during the 1808 Battle of Alvøen of the Gunboat War , five Dano-Norwegian gunboats disabled the British frigate HMS  Tartar . Gunboats used in the Battle of Valcour Island (1776) on Lake Champlain during the American Revolutionary War were mostly built on the spot, attesting to

312-492: A number of modern bases which were constructed between 1954 and 1968, have permanent buildings and ground support equipment. All but one were built and used by United States forces until their withdrawal from Thailand in 1976 when the RTAF took over the installations at Takhli and Nakhon Ratchasima (Korat) . In the late 1980s, these bases and Don Muang Air Base outside Bangkok , which the air force shares with civil aviation, remain

351-407: A single cannon, the boat could manoeuvre in shallow or restricted areas – such as rivers or lakes – where larger ships could sail only with difficulty. The gun that such boats carried could be quite heavy; a 32-pounder for instance. As such boats were cheap and quick to build, naval forces favoured swarm tactics: while a single hit from a frigate's broadside would destroy a gunboat, a frigate facing

390-796: A variety of designs. President Thomas Jefferson (in office: 1801–1809) and his Democratic-Republican Party opposed a strong navy, regarding gunboats as adequate to defend the United States' major harbors. They proved useless against the British blockade during the War of 1812 . With the introduction of steam power in the early 19th century, the Royal Navy and other navies built considerable numbers of small vessels propelled by side paddles and later by screws . Initially, these vessels retained full sailing rigs and used steam engines for auxiliary propulsion. The British Royal Navy deployed two wooden paddle-gunboats in

429-667: Is the air force of the Kingdom of Thailand . Since its establishment in 1913 as one of the earliest air forces of Asia, the Royal Thai Air Force has engaged in numerous major and minor conflicts. During the Vietnam War era, the RTAF was supplied with USAF -aid equipment. Belgian pilot Charles Van Den Born performed a flying demonstration over Bangkok in January 1911, greatly impressing Prince Chakrabongse Bhuvanath , brother of King Vajiravudh , and he even accepted an invitation for

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468-788: Is the main air force ground forces and special forces which providing light infantry for anti-hijacking capabilities, protecting air bases and high value assets, protecting international airport in insurgent areas. It also serves as the Royal Thai Air Force Special Operations Regiment (RTAF SOR) which consists of various units such as Combat Control Team (CCT), Pararescue Jumpers (PJs), Tactical Air Control Party (TACP). Royal Thai Air Force Security Force Command consist of 3 main regiments and multiple support units. Additionally, one separated air base protection battalions and one separated anti-aircraft battalions are station in each air bases. The Royal Thai Air Force maintains

507-578: The Commander of the Royal Thai Air Force (ผู้บัญชาการทหารอากาศไทย). The Royal Thai Air Force Headquarters is located in Don Muang Airbase, Bangkok , Thailand . The RTAF consists of headquarters and five groups: command, combat, support, education and training, and special services. The Royal Thai Air Force Combat Group is divided into 11 wings plus a training school, plus a few direct-reporting units. The following squadrons are currently active with

546-636: The Crimean War . The Russian vessels had the distinction of being the last oared vessels of war in history to fire their guns in anger. Gunboats played a key role in Napoleon Bonaparte 's plan for the invasion of England in 1804. Denmark-Norway used them heavily in the Gunboat War. Between 1803 and 1812 the United States Navy had a policy of basing its navy on coastal gunboats, experimenting with

585-658: The Great Siege of Gibraltar , obtaining great success in the otherwise failed siege, after which they were adopted by the Royal Armada. All navies of the sailing era kept a number of gunboats on hand. Gunboats saw extensive use in the Baltic Sea during the late 18th century as they were well-suited for the extensive coastal skerries and archipelagoes of Sweden, Finland and Russia. The rivalry between Sweden and Russia, in particular, led to an intense expansion of gunboat fleets and

624-802: The Sea of Azov , where they repeatedly raided and destroyed stores around its coast. In June 1855 the Royal Navy reentered the Baltic with a total of 18 gunboats as part of a larger fleet. The gunboats attacked various coastal facilities, operating alongside larger British warships from which they drew supplies such as coal. Gunboats experienced a revival during the American Civil War (1861–1865). Union and Confederate forces quickly converted existing passenger-carrying boats into armed sidewheel steamers . Later, some purpose-built boats, such as USS  Miami , joined

663-598: The Yangtze . In China, during anarchic and war conditions, they continued to protect British interests until World War II; other western Powers acted similarly. More and larger gunboats were built in the late 1930s for the Far East. Some sailed there; others were transported in sections and reassembled at Shanghai . Most British gunboats were based initially in East Asia. When war with Japan broke out, many of these vessels withdrew to

702-462: The age of sail , a gunboat was usually a small undecked vessel carrying a single smoothbore cannon in the bow , or just two or three such cannons. A gunboat could carry one or two masts or be oar-powered only, but the single-masted version of about 15 m (49 ft) length was most typical. Some types of gunboats carried two cannon, or else mounted a number of swivel guns on the railings. The small gunboat had advantages: if it only carried

741-560: The Air Force has envisioned and identified weaknesses in procurement software , which include limitations regarding copyright usage, maintenance, envisioning obstacles, and expanding usage to cover and cater to the needs of the Air Force. Consequently, there has been an initiation to ethically software development , independently, for the first time. This encompasses care from artificial intelligence systems, Big Data , Avionics software , strategic planning software , and support technology for

780-501: The Baltic and Black Seas between 1941 and 1945. US riverine gunboats in the Vietnam War , included Patrol Boats River (PBR), constructed of fiberglass ; Patrol Craft Fast (PCF), commonly known as Swift Boats , built of aluminum; and Assault Support Patrol Boats (ASPB) built of steel. U.S. Coast Guard 82-foot (25 m) Point-class cutters supplemented these US Navy vessels. The ASPBs were commonly referred to as "Alpha" boats and primarily carried out mine-sweeping duties along

819-519: The Crimean War was formulated in 1854 to allow the Royal Navy to bombard shore facilities in the Baltic. The first ships the Royal Navy built that met this requirement were the Arrow -class gunvessels . Then in mid-1854 the Royal Navy ordered six Gleaner -class gunboats followed later in the year by an order for 20 Dapper -class gunboats . In May 1855 the Royal Navy deployed six Dapper -class gunboats in

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858-789: The Indian Ocean. Others were given to the Republic of China Navy (such as HMS  Sandpiper , which was renamed Ying Hao ) and some were captured by the Japanese. Some were later redeployed to the Mediterranean theatre and supported land operations during the North African campaign , as well as in parts of Southern Europe . In late 1941, the US Navy's Yangtze Patrol boats based in China were withdrawn to

897-664: The Lower Great Lakes and St. Lawrence River during the Rebellions of 1837 in Upper and Lower Canada . The United States Navy deployed an iron-hulled paddle gunboat, USS  Michigan , to the Great Lakes in 1844. Von der Tann became the first propeller-driven gunboat in the world. Conradi shipyards in Kiel built the steam-powered 120 long tons (120  t ) gunboat in 1849 for

936-842: The Philippines or scuttled. Following the US defeat in the Philippines , most of the remaining craft were scuttled . However, USS  Asheville survived until being sunk in action during the Battle of Java in 1942. During the 1930s, the Soviet Navy began developing small armoured riverboats or "riverine tanks": vessels displacing 26 to 48 tons, on which the turrets of tanks were mounted. Three classes, numbering 210 vessels, saw service between 1934 and 1945: With crews of 10 to 20 personnel, riverine tanks displaced 26 to 48 tons, had armour 4–14 mm (0.16–0.55 in) thick, and were 23 to 25 m (75 to 82 ft) long. They saw significant action in

975-760: The RTAF Flying School called “Sean Mueang” that was disbanded several decades ago. RTAF use the immortal phoenix bird to represent the spirit of aviation of RTAF to remember the work of RTAF founding father work gave the birth of aviation in Thailand. It is also a symbol of the rebirth of aerobatic team of RTAF. The team was formed in the beginning of 2012 to mark the 100th anniversary of Thai Aviation . The team made their first public display on Children's Day 2012 at Don Mueang Force Air Base. Royal Thai Air Force The Royal Thai Air Force (RTAF) ( Thai : กองทัพอากาศไทย ; RTGS :  Kong Thap Akat Thai )

1014-723: The Royal Navy re-equipped with small 625-long-ton (635 t), shallow-draught gunboats (12 ships of the Insect class ) with sufficient speed to operate in fast-flowing rivers and with relatively heavy armament. During the war and in the post-war period, these were deployed in Romania on the Danube , in Mesopotamia on the Euphrates and Tigris , in northern Russia on the Northern Dvina , and in China on

1053-607: The Royal Thai Air Force. First set up in 1913 in the same year as the Air Force, providing nursing services only, and over the years has gradually expanded. It operates Bhumibol Adulyadej Hospital and Royal Thai Air Force Hospital in Bangkok, as well as smaller hospitals at each wing. The directorate has made a teaching agreement with the Faculty of Medicine, Chulalongkorn University to train students at Bhumibol Adulyadej Hospital, accepting about 30 students per academic year. The Chief of

1092-570: The Swedish archipelago fleet . The designs, copied and refined by the rival Danish and Russian navies, spread to the Mediterranean and to the Black Sea. Two variants occurred most commonly: Many of the Baltic navies kept gunboats in service well into the second half of the 19th century. British ships engaged larger 22 m (72 ft) Russian gunboats off Turku in southeast Finland in 1854 during

1131-456: The development of new gunboat types. The two countries clashed during the Russo-Swedish war of 1788–90 , a conflict that culminated in the massive Battle of Svensksund in 1790, in which over 30,000 men and hundreds of gunboats, galleys and other oared craft took part. The majority of these were vessels developed from the 1770s and onwards by the naval architect Fredrik Henrik af Chapman for

1170-466: The fray. They frequently mounted 12 or more guns, sometimes of rather large caliber, and usually carried some armor. At the same time, Britain's gunboats from the Crimean War period were starting to wear out, so a new series of classes was ordered. Construction shifted from a purely wooden hull to an iron–teak composite. In the later 19th century and early 20th century, "gunboat" was the common name for smaller armed vessels. These could be classified, from

1209-484: The future, leading to the ISO 29110 software development standard . This initiative has also propelled the consideration to establish a comprehensive software-focused unit within the Air Force. The RTAF Security Force Command (Thai: หน่วยบัญชาการอากาศโยธิน) is a Division size unit in the Royal Thai Air Force. It has been in existence since 1937. They are based near Don Mueang International Airport. The RTAF Security Force Command

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1248-448: The hull classification symbol "PTG" (Patrol Torpedo Gunboat). In Britain, Admiral Fisher 's reforms in the 1900s saw the disposal of much of the gunboat fleet. A handful remained in service in various roles at the start of World War I in 1914. The last in active service were two of the second Bramble class which survived until 1926, carrying out river patrols in west Africa. In the circumstances of World War I (1914–1918), however,

1287-711: The primary operational installations. Maintenance of base facilities abandoned by the United States (Ubon, Udorn) proved costly and exceeded Thai needs; they were turned over to the Department of Civil Aviation for civil use. Nonetheless, all runways were still available for training and emergency use. By 2004 the Royal Thai Air Force had its main base at Don Muang airport, adjacent to Don Mueang International Airport . The RTAF also had large air fields and facilities at Nakon Ratchasima Ubon Ratchathani , and Takhli . RTAF budgets are shown below by fiscal year (FY): The Siam Cup BJJ ( Brazilian jiu-jitsu ) International tournament

1326-491: The small navy of Schleswig-Holstein . Initially called "Gunboat No. 1" , Von der Tann was the most modern ship in the navy. She participated successfully in the First Schleswig War of 1848–1851. Britain built a large number of wooden screw-gunboats during the 1850s, some of which participated in the Crimean War (1853–1856), Second Opium War (1856–1860) and Indian Mutiny (1857–1859). The requirement for gunboats in

1365-433: The smallest to the largest, into river gunboats , river monitors , coastal-defense gunboats (such as SMS  Panther ), and full-fledged monitors for coastal bombardments. In the 1870s and 1880s, Britain took to building so-called "flat-iron" (or Rendel) gunboats for coastal defence. When there would be few opportunities to re-coal, vessels carrying a full sailing rig continued in use as gunboats; HMS  Gannet ,

1404-570: The speed of their construction. Spanish admiral Antonio Barceló , experienced in the usage of small vessels in the conflicts against Barbary pirates , unveiled in 1781 a kind of small armored gunboat equipped with a heavy, long-range artillery piece. This originated the Spanish Royal Armada 's doctrine of fuerzas sutiles ("subtle forces"), which emphasized the usage of ships equipped with significant firepower but small enough to be difficult to hit back. His gunboats were first employed during

1443-772: Was formally separated into its own branch, the Royal Siamese Air Force , in April 1937 and five operational wings were established. In 1939, when Siam became Thailand, the service was renamed the Royal Thai Air Force . At the end of 1940, the RTAF once again saw combat, this time in the Franco-Thai War , a border conflict against French Indochina . The RTAF operated in the Mekong Delta , attacking ground forces and gunboats and defending against French bombing raids, until

1482-698: Was held at the Show DC stadium in Bangkok from 2017 in cooperation with the Arete BJJ dōjō , hosted by the Royal Thai Air Force. Each year, the tournament brings together more than 400 fighters from more than 50 countries to compete. The Siam Cup BJJ 2021 was scheduled to take place on May 8, but due to restrictions imposed for COVID-19 during the coronavirus pandemic , the Thai government temporarily postponed all sporting events. Notes Bibliography Gunboat In

1521-493: Was the ability to operate in rivers, enabling them to reach inland targets in a way not otherwise possible before the development of aircraft . In this period the naval powers used gunboats for police actions in colonies or in weaker countries, for example in China (see e.g. Yangtze Patrol ). This category of gunboat inspired the term " gunboat diplomacy ". With the addition of torpedoes, they became " torpedo gunboats ", designated by

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