Takhli Royal Thai Air Force Base

Takhli Royal Thai Air Force Base
Part of Royal Thai Air Force (RTAF)
Coordinates	15°16′05″N 100°17′32″E
Type	Air Force Base
Site information
Condition	Military Air Force Base
Site history
Built	1955
In use	1955-Present
Battles/wars	Vietnam War

Airfield information
IATA: none ICAO: none
Summary
Runways
Direction Length Surface ft m 18/36 9,850 3,000 Concrete

Takhli RTAFB

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Location of Takhli Royal Thai Air Force Base, Thailand

Takhli Royal Thai Air Force Base is a Royal Thai Air Force facility. It is located in Central Thailand, approximately 144 miles (240 km) northwest of Bangkok in Takhli district, Nakhon Sawan Province, near the city of Nakhon Sawan.

Units

Takhli is the home of the Royal Thai Air Force Wing 4, 3d air division. Squadrons assigned are:

• 401 Light Attack Squadron, flying L-39 Albatross
• 402 Reconnaissance Squadron, flying Lear Jet 35A and IAI201
• 403 Fighter Squadron, flying F-16A/B

History

Takhli Royal Thai Air Force Base was established in the 1950s as a RTAF base. Political considerations with regards to Communist forces engaging in a civil war inside Laos and fears of the civil war spreading into Thailand led the Thai government to allow the United States to covertly use five Thai bases for the air defense of Thailand and to fly reconnaissance flights over Laos.

The USAF forces at Takhli were under the command of the United States Pacific Air Forces (PACAF). Takhli was the location for TACAN station Channel 43 and was referenced by that identifier in voice communications during air missions.

The APO for Takhli was APO San Francisco, 96273

United States Advisory Forces

The initial squadrons and units deployed to Takhli were placed under the command and control of the Thirteenth Air Force, headquartered at Clark AB in the Philippines. Thailand-based aircraft flew missions mostly into Laos until the 1964 Gulf of Tonkin Resolution which expanded the air war into North Vietnam.

In 1962, the U.S. Military Assistance Group in South Vietnam was upgraded to U.S. Military Assistance Command, Vietnam (the famous “MACV”}, a promotion which gave it authority to command combat troops. Shortly thereafter, the Military Assistance Command, Thailand (MACT) was set up with a similar level of authority in order to aid Thailand, (America’s) ally and historic friend in resisting communist aggression and subversion.

The United States Air Force component of the U.S. Pacific Command was Pacific Air Forces (PACAF). Thirteenth Air Force was headquartered at Clark Air Base, Philippines. Seventh Air Force, another Numbered Air Force of PACAF was headquartered at Tan Son Nhut Air Base, South Vietnam, although the Seventh controlled many units based in Thailand. Thai sensitivities about units based in Thailand reporting to a headquarters in South Vietnam caused a shift whereby the Seventh Air Force was ostensibly subordinate to Thirteenth Air Force for administrative matters (and therefore referred to as 7/13 Air Force). The commander, Seventh Air Force, played a dual role as MACV’s deputy for air operations.

355th Tactical Fighter Wing

Wild Weasels

The first “Wild Weasel” aircraft came to Takhli in 1966. This nickname refers to a mission which was carried out by a number of different aircraft types over the years. The first at Takhli were F-100 Super Sabres, which like all Wild Weasels had the unique job of baiting surface-to-air missile (SAM) sites to fire at them. Then “all” they had to do was evade the missile and lead an attack on the radar facility that guided the SAMs. Sometimes they, or the strike aircraft with them, would fire a radar-seeking AGM-45 Shrike missile which followed the SAM site’s radar beam right back down to the transmitting antenna. When these relatively early-technology missiles missed - as often happened - or when the aircraft ran out of missiles, Wild Weasels would attack SAM sites with bombs or their M-61A1 20mm Vulcan cannon.

B-66 Destroyer Operations

Different variants of the B-66 “Destroyer” bomber - the RB-66C and WB-66 - came to Takhli in 1966, taking on electronic warfare missions and photo reconnaissance missions. These old planes were originally medium-range nuclear bombers derived from the Navy A-3 Skywarrior. They came to Takhli from the 42 nd Electronic Countermeasures Squadron (ECS) in France and the 41st and 42d Tactical Electronic Warfare Squadrons (TEWS) from Shaw AFB South Carolina.

They were fully mission-capable, with up to twice the radar-jamming punch of a B-52 “BUFF.” They were very helpful to F-105 strike missions. The “C” models were listeners – electronic intelligence (ELINT) and reconnaissance gatherers rather than active jammers.

Operation Ranch Hand

The herbicide spraying missions began in Vietnam in 1961, and it has recently been revealed that some took place from Thai bases, including Takhli, as early as 1966. This pre-dates the Air Force receiving permission to use herbicides for clearing areas on and around Thailand bases for area and perimeter defense, which was given in 1969. The missions in 1966 defoliated areas surrounding parts of the Ho Chi Minh Trail in Laos, near the Vietnam border and north of the DMZ, and had the approval of both the Thai and Laotian governments.

C-123 aircraft were used on the missions. The missions were extensive enough to have required pre-positioning or maintaining stocks of the herbicides.

It seems likely that Orange would have been the agent of choice for these missions, since it was the best choice for area defoliation. White was also used, but required up to four times the application rate of Orange, and Blue was primarily used for crop destruction. Instances of herbicide use on Takhli are finally being reported today.

Operation Rolling Thunder

Under Operation Rolling Thunder IV in 1966, Thuds from Takhli took a big role in bombing closer than ever before to downtown Hanoi, in an attack on a petroleum-oillubricants (POL) storage facility four miles from the center of Downtown. Ninety-five percent of the tank farm was destroyed, and the smoke column from burning fuel rose to 35,000 feet. As icing on a successful mission, 18 trucks were destroyed by 20mm Vulcan cannon strafing after the bombing, and one MiG was shot down.

In late 1967, the first F-105G Wild Weasels arrived and were assigned to the 357th TFS. Their aircraft were specially modified two-seat variants of the Thud, which took over the Wild Weasel job from the F-100s. The Electronic Warfare Officer (EWO) in an F-105G (also known as the “back-seater;” “GIB,” for guy-in-back; or “Bear,” for trained bear) ran all the new electronic equipment for locating SAM or anti-aircraft artillery (AAA) radars, warning of SAM launches, and sending Shrike missiles down the radar beams.

F-105 in Aerial Combat

Although the F-105 was not designed to be primarily a dogfighter, the aircraft was successful in killing at least 27 confirmed North Vietnamese MiGs in aerial combat. Air Force Captain Max C. Brestel, piloting a Thud from Takhli, shot down the first MiG “double” of the Vietnam War on 10 March 1967. He was the only F-105 pilot ever to do that.

On the very same day that Captain Brestel got his double, Captain Merlyn H. Dethlefsen won the Medal of Honor for actions including taking out two SAM sites during a mission from Takhli. His flight leader was shot down, his wingman was shot up and had to abort, and his own aircraft was severely damaged by AAA on a mission to bomb the Thai Nguyen steel works north of Hanoi. Major Dethlefsen took over command of the flight and attacked the defensive positions around the target. He evaded several MiG fighters and successfully destroyed two missile sites. His back-seater was awarded the Air Force Cross for this mission.

On 19 April 1967, Major Leo K. Thorsness won the Medal of Honor on another F-105 mission out of Takhli. The Major killed one SAM site with a missile, bombed another, shot down a MiG, damaged another, and repeatedly chased or lured other MiGs away from an ongoing rescue mission for his wingman, who had been shot down by AAA fire. Thorsness’ back-seater Captain Harold E. Johnson was awarded the Air Force Cross for the mission. Less than two weeks after this mission, the two were shot down by an Atoll missile from a MiG-21, and became prisoners of war. They were not released until 1973.

F-111 Combat Lancer

428th TFS Combat Lancer F-111A over Southeast Asia 1968

Combat Lancer F-111A being loaded with bombs March 1968

The General Dynamics F-111 was one of the most controversial aircraft that ever flew. Perhaps no other aircraft before or since has been so bitterly criticized in the media. The first production F-111A deliveries to the Air Force took place on 18 July 1967 to the 428th, 492nd and 430th Tactical Fighter Squadrons of the 474th Tactical Fighter Wing based at Cannon AFB, New Mexico. In early 1968, the squadron was reassigned to Nellis AFB, Nevada.

Shortly thereafter, the Air Force decided to rush a small detachment of F-111As to Southeast Asia under a program known as Combat Lancer. Six 428th TFS F-111As were allocated to the Combat Lancer program, and departed Nellis AFB for Takhli on 15 March 1968. These swing-wing all-weather day-or-night fighter-bombers were to get their first combat test and evaluation to see if they could actually replace the aging F-105s.

By the end of that month, 55 night missions had been flown against targets in North Vietnam, but two aircraft had been lost. 66-0022 had been lost on March 28, and 66-0017 on March 30. Replacement aircraft had left Nellis, but the loss of a third F-111A (66-0024) on April 22 halted F-111A combat operations. However, the aircraft remained poised for combat, but they saw little action before their return to the United States in November.

It turned out that the three F-111A losses were not due to enemy action but were caused by wing and tail structural defects. One of the Combat Lancer crashes had been traced to a malfunction of the aircraft's tail servo actuator. The USAF later discovered (as a later returning prisoner of war would confirm) that a tailplane problem could cause a sudden and uncontrollable pitch-up and roll. This failure in the flying controls system caused the aircraft to break up in flight. The other two crashes in Vietnam were traced to poor mounting of the M61A1 cannon and to pilot error.

Son Tay Raid

In November 1970, Special Forces and Air Force Special Operations personnel of the Joint Contingency Task Group and two MC-130 Combat Talon aircraft staged at Takhli in preparation for Operation Kingpin, the attempt to rescue U.S. prisoners of war at Son Tay, North Vietnam.

Takhli served as a staging area for the raiders who were about to try to rescue 90 American prisoners of war (POWs) from the Son Tay prison camp in North Vietnam. The raiders traveled in closed vans from a sealed hangar to their barracks in an old CIA compound in a remote corner of the base. On Thursday, 19 November, they rode in those vans to the firing range to test-fire all their weapons one last time - 65 men, and 111 weapons including M-16s, CAR-15s, .45s, M-79s, M-60s and 12-gauge shotguns.

At 2030 hours Friday night, 20 November, they took off in a C-130 bound for Udorn RTAFB. There they boarded CH-53 helicopters for the actual mission. Everything about this daring, complex and innovative mission worked, except that when they hit the prison camp the prisoners had already been moved elsewhere. The discussion of why the prisoners were moved continues even today.

1971 closure

Takhli began closing down in late 1969, as a part of a general withdrawal of American forces from Southeast Asia.

• The 41st TEWS was deactivated October 31, 1969.
• The 42d TEWS (B-66) squadron were transferred to Korat in August 1970.
• Det 1, 12 TFS was deactivated and the aircraft rejoined the rest of the squadron at Korat with their F-105G Wild Weasel aircraft in September.

On 6 October the Wing's last F-105 combat mission of the war, an airstrike in Laos, was flown by "DINO" flight, led by Col. Waymond C. Nutt.

The 357th and 333d TFSs (F-105) were reassigned to the 23d Tactical Fighter Wing at McConnell Air Force Base, Kansas. The 44th TFS was reassigned to the 18th Tactical Fighter Wing at Kadena Air Base, Okinawa. The 354th TFS was deactivated in place, then reactivated without equipment or personnel at Davis-Monthan Air Force Base, Arizona.

The 355 TFW ceased combat operations at Takhli on 7 October, and on the 12th, the wing retired its colors with a 12-aircraft flyover of F-105s. The 355th Tactical Fighter Wing was reactivated on 1 July 1971 at Davis-Monthan Air Force Base. The last USAF personnel left Takhli RTAFB by April 1971.

1972 Reopening

On 30 March 1972, the North Vietnamese Army sent 120,000 NVA regular troops into South Vietnam. They brought three different kinds of Soviet-built tanks, long-range artillery, radar-controlled AAA, mobile SAM sites and shoulder-launched SAMs with them. It was the first time they had deployed some of this equipment anywhere besides Hanoi. The attack has been called the “Spring ’72 Invasion,” “Easter Offensive,” or “Spring Offensive.” In response, the United States Air Force launched Operation Linebacker, the first sustained bombing of North Vietnam by the U.S. since November 1968.

49th Tactical Fighter Wing

The USAF reacted to the invasion quickly and with many resources. One of these was Operation Constant Guard III, the largest movement that the Tactical Air Command (TAC) had ever performed. In nine days, they deployed 72 F-4D Phantom IIs of the 49th Tactical Fighter Wing from Holloman AFB, New Mexico, to Takhli. The move included more than 3,000 personnel and 1,600 tons of cargo.

On 5 May about 35 members of an PACAF advance party returned to Takhli to prepare the facility for re-opening and activation. Airmen arriving reported that Takhli was a mess, with missing or broken plumbing fixtures, no hot water, and no drinking water - that had to be trucked in from Korat every day. Bed frames had been thrown out of the hootches into the high snake-infested grass, and mattresses or bedding consisted of sleeping bags at best.

On 11 May the first personnel from Holloman began to arrive. Squadrons from Holloman deployed to Takhli were:

• 7th Tactical Fighter (Tail Code: HO - blue stripe)
• 8th Tactical Fighter (Tail Code: HO - yellow stripe)
• 9th Tactical Fighter (Tail Code: HO - red stripe)
• 417th Tactical Fighter (Tail Code: HO - unk stripe)

Along with the F-4s, other units that were deployed to Takhli were:

• 11th Air Refueling Squadron’s KC-135's from Altus AFB, Oklahoma
• 4th Tactical Fighter Squadron F-4Es from Da Nang South Vietnam.
• 8th Tactical Fighter Wing’s AC-130 “Spectre” gunships from Ubon RTAFB, which became the Det 1, 16th Special Operations Squadron.

During this deployment the 49th flew more than 21,000 combat hours over just about every battle zone from An Loc to vital installations in the Hanoi vicinity. During five months of combat, the wing did not lose any aircraft or personnel—a testament to the outstanding training and proficiency of all members of the 49th. The unit received an Air Force Outstanding Unit Award with Combat "V" Device for its participation.

366th Tactical Fighter Wing

On 30 June the 366th Tactical Fighter Wing was reassigned to Takhli from Da Nang Air Base South Vietnam, taking over host unit responsibilities from the 49th TFW. Its operational squadrons were:

• 4th Tactical Fighter (Tail Code: LA) (F-4E)
• 421st Tactical Fighter (Tail Code: LC) (F-4E)

From Takhli 366th TFW aircrews flew air superiority missions over Vietnam. In late October the squadrons of the Holloman based 49th TFW returned home. The Da Nang based 4th and 421st TFSs were transferred to the 432d TRW at Udon RTAFB on 31 October 1972.

The 366th TFW was deactivated in place on 31 October 1972, being reactivated the same day without personnel or equipment at Mountain Home Air Force Base, Idaho.

474th Tactical Fighter Wing

General Dynamics F-111A Serial 67-081 of the 429th TFS/347th TFW taken at Nellis AFB Nevada in 1975 still showing its 347th TFW tail code (HG). With its return from its three years deployment to Thailand the aircraft was reassigned to the 474th TFW, staying at Nellis until 1977, when all the F-111s were transferred to the 366th TFW at Mountain Home AFB, Idaho. It remained in service with the 366th TFW until being retired to AMARC on 21 June 1991.

With the departure of the 366th, the 474th Tactical Fighter Wing (Deployed) equipped with F-111s arrived at Takhli on Temporary Duty from Nellis Air Force Base Nevada on 27 September 1972.

The 474th TFW flew F-111As. Operational fighter squadrons of the 474th were:

• 428th Tactical Fighter Squadron
• 429th Tactical Fighter Squadron
• 430th Tactical Fighter Squadron

All F-111As of the 474th carried the tail code NA. From Takhli, the 474th participated in Operation Linebacker II when the United States resumed the large scale bombing of North Vietnam. Their first combat mission, started only hours after their arrival at Takhli, resulted in the disappearance of one of the aircraft and another temporary cancellation of F-111 missions. Despite this bad start, F-111s gave a good account of themselves over the next few months, especially in conditions when other aircraft types could not strike.

In early 1973, With the suspension of bombing in North Vietnam and the resumption of peace negotiations, inflight refueling requirements decreased markedly. As a result, in late January 1973 many of the augmented tankers of the 11th Air Refueling Squadron, which has been rotating aircraft and aircrews from Altus AFB, returned to Oklahoma. The 430th TFS returned to the 474th TFW Nellis on 22 March 1973

347th Tactical Fighter Wing

1974 photo of F-111A Serial 67-0102 from the 428th TFS refueling from a KC-135 tanker. Also shown is an F-4E (67-368) of the 58th TFS/8th TFW at Ubon RTAFB (ED) (TDY from Kunsan AB, South Korea) and two F-4Es from the 336th TFW also from Ubon (SJ) (TDY from Seymour-Johnson AFB, North Carolina)

On 30 July 1973 the TDY of the 474th TFW ended. The 428th and 429th TFS were assigned to the newly transferred 347th Tactical Fighter Wing from Mountain Home Air Force Base Idaho which arrived on 30 July 1973.

• 428th Tactical Fighter Squadron (Tail Code: HG - Red Tail Fin)
• 429th Tactical Fighter Squadron (Tail Code: HG - Yellow Tail Fin)

For a brief two-week period the 347th flew combat operations into Cambodia until 15 August, when the last wartime mission of the Vietnam Era was flown into Cambodia for final mission of Constant Guard IV. After the cease-fire, the wing was maintained in a combat-ready status for possible contingency actions.

During January 1974 the Secretary of Defense announced a realignment of Thailand resources, with the final pullout of air resources by the end of 1976. In June 1974, Four F-111s from the 347th TFW flew from Takhli to Osan Air Base South Korea and conducted live weapons demonstrations for Republic of Korea and US officials at Nightmare Range.

The USAF left Takhli under Operation Palace Lightning in 1974. On 12 July the 347 TFW's F-111's and the AC-130 gunships from the 16th SOS were transferred to Korat Royal Thai Air Force Base, which did not send home the last of its aircraft until December 1975. The F-111s engaged in more than 4,000 sorties with a loss of only six aircraft.

On 31 July 1974 phase down of operations at Takhli Royal Thai Air Force Base was completed ahead of schedule, and the base was officially returned to the Thai Government on 12 September. All remaining US personnel departed on 14 September.

Major Aircraft Types Assigned To Takhli

• F-100 Super Sabre (1961–1963)
• F-105 Thunderchief (1963–1970)
• Boeing KB-50 (1964–1965)
• F-104 Starfighter (1965)
• Douglas EB-66 Destroyer (1965–1970)
• KC-135 Stratotanker (1967–1968)
• General Dynamics F-111 (1968, 1972–1974)
• F-4 Phantom II (1972)
• MC-130 Combat Talon

Post-Vietnam Deployments by USAF to Takhli

From 13–17 December 1982 Commando West V was held. This marked the first visit of a PACAF tactical unit to Thailand since the early 1970s. The 90th Tactical Fighter Squadron from Elmendorf AFB Alaska deployed six F-4Es to Takhli, flying a total of 55 sorties with the Royal Thai Air Force.

Also on 25 November 1983 six F-4Es from the 3d Tactical Fighter Wing's 3TFS deployed to Takhli for dissimilar air combat tactics training with the Royal Thai Air Force. The group returned to Clark Air Base on 5 December.

See also

• United States Air Force In Thailand
• United States Pacific Air Forces
• Seventh Air Force
• Thirteenth Air Force

References

 This article incorporates public domain material from the Air Force Historical Research Agency

• Endicott, Judy G. (1999) Active Air Force wings as of 1 October 1995; USAF active flying, space, and missile squadrons as of 1 October 1995. Maxwell AFB, Alabama: Office of Air Force History. CD-ROM.
• Glasser, Jeffrey D. (1998). The Secret Vietnam War: The United States Air Force in Thailand, 1961-1975. McFarland & Company. ISBN 0786400846.
• Martin, Patrick (1994). Tail Code: The Complete History of USAF Tactical Aircraft Tail Code Markings. Schiffer Military Aviation History. ISBN 0887405134.
• Ravenstein, Charles A. (1984). Air Force Combat Wings Lineage and Honors Histories 1947-1977. Maxwell AFB, Alabama: Office of Air Force History. ISBN 0912799129.
• USAAS-USAAC-USAAF-USAF Aircraft Serial Numbers--1908 to present
• The Royal Thai Air Force (English Pages)
• Royal Thai Air Force - Overview

External links

• Takhli Photos 72-74
• www.Takhli RTAFB.org
• Takhli RTAFB, Thailand – 355th TFW Days
• Takhli RTAFB Hootchs
• Takhli Message Board
• Takhli Air Base - APO 96273

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