Ubon Royal Thai Air Force Base

Ubon Royal Thai Air Force Base is located in Ubon Ratchathani Province, approximately 488 kilometers northeast of Bangkok and 60 kilometers west of the border with Laos. Established in the 1950s, the facility serves as both a military installation and a civil airport.

Beginning in 1961, the Thai government authorized the United States Air Force (USAF) to utilize the base for air defense and reconnaissance. From 1962 to 1968, the Royal Australian Air Force (RAAF) No. 79 Squadron operated CAC-27 Sabre fighters from the base to provide air defense and conduct joint operations. Between 1965 and 1974, the base was used by the USAF for combat operations during the Vietnam War. The 8th Tactical Fighter Wing served as the host unit, operating squadrons of F-4C and F-4D Phantom II aircraft. Other resident USAF units included the 16th Special Operations Squadron, which operated AC-130 gunships, and the 13th Bombardment Squadron, which flew B-57G Canberra bombers. The base also supported special mission aircraft including C-130A flareships, AC-47 gunships, and EC-121 Warning Star aircraft. Search and rescue operations were conducted by detachments of the 3d Aerospace Rescue and Recovery Group using HH-43 and HH-53 helicopters. During this period, the Royal Thai Air Force 222nd Tactical Fighter Squadron also operated T-28, C-47, and UH-34 aircraft from the facility. Following the cessation of US combat operations in Southeast Asia, USAF forces were inactivated in September 1974.

The base is currently operated by the Royal Thai Air Force as the home of Wing 21 of the 2nd Air Division. The resident 211 Squadron operates Northrop F-5E/F Tiger II fighter aircraft. Historically, the installation featured infrastructure to support LORAN-equipped aircraft and maintained TACAN station Channel 51 for regional air navigation. Access and base defense were traditionally managed by Thai air police in coordination with specialized security units.