Royal Cambodian Air Force
Active
Country	Kingdom of Cambodia
Type	Air Force
Part of	Royal Cambodian Armed Forces
Garrison/HQ	Phnom Penh
Motto	Defending the Kingdom of Cambodia
Anniversaries	9 November 1953
Engagements	Cambodian Civil War

The Royal Cambodian Air Force is the branch of the Royal Cambodian Armed Forces which is charged with operating all military aircraft in Cambodia.

Contents 1 Organization 2 History 3 Aircraft inventory 4 Fleet 5 See also 6 References

[edit] Organization

The Royal Cambodian Air Force is commanded by Lieutenant General Soeung Samnang, who has four deputy commanders beneath him. The Air Force itself is under the jurisdiction of the Ministry of National Defence.

Air Force headquarters are located at Phnom Penh International Airport. Plans exist to relocate the bulk of the air force to a large but derelict facility in Kompong Chhnang Province partially built by the Chinese in the late 1970s to house a regiment of Shenyang F-6's. Google earth shows a completely deserted military airfield.^{[citation needed]}

[edit] History

With the removal of the Khmer Rouge in 1979 the Cambodian airforce reformed and sought help from the USSR. Where pilots and technicians were trained from 1980. In 1986 22 second hand MIG 21's were purchased from the USSR to form unit 701 at Pochentong. After trainning in the USSR, pilots went under further trainning in Vietnam. Operations with the MIG's did not last long, soviet help ended in 1989. The lack of spare parts and support finally grounded the MIG's with a last flight on the 17th of June 1992.

During the eary 1990's mi-8 and mi-17 helicopters entered service. So did two Harbin Y-12 and three BN-2 Islander transport aircraft.A VIP transport unit formed in 1993 using the An-24RV and Beech 200 super King air. In 1996 a deal with Israel aircraft industries to overhaul 12 MIG 21's and which saw the delivery of 6 L-39C Albatros aircraft for lead in trainers and entered service during 1996-1997.

[edit] Aircraft inventory

A total of 27 aircraft are in operation, including nine combat jets and 8 helicopters. Only the transport helicopters and trainers are currently serviceable. The VIP fleet of helicopters and passenger aircraft is under the control of the civilian authorities.

[edit] Fleet

Aircraft	Origin	Type	Versions	In service[1]
Aero L-39 Albatros	Czechoslovakia	trainer/light attack		5
Aérospatiale AS 350 Ecureuil	France	utility		3
Aérospatiale SA 365 Dauphin	France	utility		1
Britten Norman BN-2 Islander	United Kingdom	utility transport	BN-2A	3
Harbin Y-12	China	utility transport		2
Antonov An-24	Soviet Union	transport aircraft		3
Antonov An-26	Ukraine	transport aircraft		0 (1)
Mikoyan-Gurevich MiG-21 Fishbed	Soviet Union	fighter		4
Chengdu J-7	China	fighter		unknown
Mil Mi-8 Hip	Soviet Union	transport helicopter	Mi-8	4
Mil Mi-17 Hip-H	Soviet Union	transport helicopter		2
Mil Mi-26 Halo	Soviet Union	transport helicopter		2
Bell UH-1 Iroquois	United States	multipurpose utility helicopter		unknown

[edit] See also

• Royal Cambodian Army
• Royal Cambodian Armed Forces
• Royal Cambodian Navy
• Cambodian Civil War
• Weapons of the Cambodian Civil War

[edit] References

• World Aircraft Information Files. Brightstar Publishing, London. File 337 Sheet 05