Royal Thai Air Force Proposes Name Change to “Royal Thai Air and Space Force”

(DEFENCE SECURITY ASIA) — The Royal Thai Air Force (RTAF) has proposed renaming itself as the Royal Thai Air and Space Force and establishing a new unit to protect Thailand’s air and space interests, according to RTAF spokesperson Air Marshal Prapas Sornjaidee.

The addition of “Space” to the name aligns with the air force’s policy of safeguarding national air and space interests, which hold significant economic value and support 1.6 million jobs in telecommunications, broadcasting, and related industries, he said.

Prapas explained that the new National Air and Space Interests Coordination Centre would be placed under the Air Force Operations Centre and supervised by the Chief of Air Staff, who will coordinate with both internal and external agencies.

The RTAF spokesperson emphasized that the establishment of the new center would not involve an increase in personnel or salaries.

Staff from the RTAF Space Operations Centre, Internal Security Operations Command, and other related agencies will rotate through the new center.

He also stated that the RTAF is drafting amendments to relevant laws to facilitate the name change and the establishment of the new center.

These draft amendments are expected to be presented to the National Defence Council during the 2025 fiscal year before being submitted for parliamentary approval and royal endorsement for publication in the Royal Gazette.

Beyond Thailand, France renamed its air force to the French Air and Space Force (Armée de l’air et de l’espace) in 2020.

This change was finalized on September 11, 2020, following a directive by President Emmanuel Macron in July 2019 when he announced the creation of a space command.

A new logo was also introduced to accompany the name change, symbolizing the continuity of the mission rather than a revolutionary shift in objectives.

“Today, aviators must look higher and further, toward space, a new and highly strategic domain of confrontation that is increasingly interconnected,” said the then General Philippe Lavigne, then Chief of Staff of the French Air and Space Force.

“Your skills that dominate the skies will now lead you to conquer space.”

The French Air and Space Force emphasized that space has become a critical domain for military operations, with France recognizing it as a major element of its strategic independence.

Consequently, the Space Command, locally known as CDE (Commandement de l’espace), was established on September 3, 2019.

Several countries have similarly incorporated “space” into the official names of their air forces, reflecting the growing significance of space in military strategy. Key examples include:

• France: Renamed in 2020 to the French Air and Space Force to emphasize its expanded role in space operations.

• India: The Indian Air Force has proposed renaming itself as the Indian Air and Space Force to highlight its commitment to space-related activities.

• Russia: In 2015, Russia established the Russian Aerospace Forces (Воздушно-космические силы), merging its air and space forces into a unified branch responsible for air and space operations.

These changes highlight the strategic importance of space in modern military operations and the evolving roles of national air forces. — DSA