U-Tapao Royal Thai Navy Airfield

U-Tapao Royal Thai Navy Airfield is located in the Ban Chang District of Rayong Province, approximately 140 kilometers southeast of Bangkok near Sattahip. Established in 1965, the facility was constructed by the United States in coordination with the Royal Thai Navy (RTN) to support heavy jet aircraft operations. The base was administratively transferred to the RTN in August 1966 while functioning as a primary installation for United States Air Force (USAF) activities during the Vietnam War.

Between 1966 and 1975, the airfield hosted Strategic Air Command units, including the 4258th Strategic Wing and the 307th Strategic Wing. Resident aircraft included squadrons of KC-135 tankers and B-52 Stratofortress bombers. The base supported regional operations including Operation Arc Light, Operation Linebacker, and Operation Linebacker II. In 1975, it served as a staging area for the evacuations of Phnom Penh and Saigon. The United States formally returned the facility to Thai control on June 13, 1976.

The RTN currently operates the airfield as the home of the First Air Wing. It functions as a logistics center for military support, with the United States maintaining access to facilities through private contractor leases to support regional requirements.

Infrastructure at the base supports multiple fixed-wing and rotary-wing units. Resident squadrons include No 101 Squadron operating Dornier 228 aircraft, No 102 Squadron with Lockheed P-3T/UP-3T and Fokker F-27 aircraft, and No 103 Squadron flying Cessna 337s. No 201 Squadron operates Canadair CL-215, GAF Nomad, and Fokker F-27 assets. Helicopter units include No 202 Squadron with Bell 212s, No 203 Squadron with Sikorsky S-76B and Super Lynx Mk.110s, and No 302 Squadron, which operates Sikorsky S-70B Seahawk anti-submarine helicopters. The Naval Aviation Museum is located on the northwest portion of the airfield.