ROYAL CAMBODIAN AIR FORCE (RCAIF) Historical Context
ROYAL CAMBODIAN AIR FORCE (RCAIF)
Strategic and Historical Context: • Organizational Evolution: The modern Royal Cambodian Armed Forces (RCAF) were established in 1979 following the Vietnamese invasion. Historically, the air wing was much larger; during the Khmer Republic era (early 1970s), it operated over 40 T-28 Trojan ground-attack aircraft and a fleet of UH-1 Huey and Alouette helicopters. • Modern Alignment: Current sources indicate that Cambodia maintains its most significant international defense links with China and Vietnam. While interest has been reported in acquiring modern systems like the Hongdu K-8 jet trainer, the 2025 active military inventory is currently limited to tactical transport and utility assets. • Army Aviation: The Cambodian Army also maintains an Aviation Regiment comprising one airplane squadron and one helicopter squadron, which operates in coordination with the RCAIF for domestic security and search and rescue (SAR) duties
(26.02.2026)
|
4/5 Generation Fighters 
