# Air and Coastal Defense Command

The Air and Coastal Defense Command or ACDC (Thai: หน่วยบัญชาการต่อสู้อากาศยานและรักษาฝั่ง) or shortly called in Thai as (Thai: สอ.รฝ.) is the Anti-aircraft warfare and Coastal defence force of the Royal Thai Navy. This Command is composed of the two Air Defence Regiment and one Coastal Defence Regiment. Even though they are artillerymen, but they are trained in skills related to self-defense on the battlefield if the fire base is attacked or attacked while moving. However, they are trained protecting equipment, facilities and operations from threats or hazards in order to preserve operational effectiveness.

## History

In 1975 the Ministry of Defense approved the principle of air defense with the Royal Thai Navy establishing Air defense fighting unit doing Air defense duties in the area of responsibility of the Navy, such as naval bases and important military locations. On 23 November 1981, the Navy upgraded the air defense unit to the Department of Air and Coastal Defence go directly to Sattahip Naval Base using the area that has been returned from the Royal Thai Air Force. Department of Air and Coastal Defence has been greatly expanded in 1992, following the government's decision in 1988 to charge the Royal Thai Navy with the responsibility of defending the entire eastern seaboard and Southern Seaboard Development Project. As a result of the 1988 government resolution, the responsibility of the navy has been expanded. Beyond the strength of the department, therefore, on 13 August 1990 the Navy upgraded the Department of Air and Coastal Defence to The Air and Coastal Defense Command.
Coastal Defence Command was formed in 1992 under the control of the Royal Fleet Headquarters, with one coastal defence regiment and one air defence regiment. Personnel were initially drawn from the Royal Thai Marine Corps, but are now being recruited directly. The First Coastal Defence Regiment is based near the Marine Corps facility at Sattahip. The First Air Defence Regiment was near the Naval Air Wing at Utapao. Coastal Defence Command was greatly expanded in 1992, following the government's decision in 1988 to charge the RTN with the responsibility of defending the entire eastern seaboard and Southern Seaboard Development Project. The Second Air Defence Regiment, based at Songkhla, was then formed the following year. Some analysts believe that this element will eventually grow to a strength of up to 15,000 personnel.

## Structure of Air and Coastal Defense Command

The headquarters of Air and Coastal Defense Command has 12 commanding units as follows;
* Personnel Division
* Intelligence Division
* Operations Division
* Logistics Division
* Division of Communication and Information Technology
* Budget Division
* Science and Safety Aviation Division
* Division of Engineering Plans
* Administration Department
* Finance Department
* Judge Advocate Department
* Chaplain Department

### Combat Structure

* 1st Air Defence Regiment: their mission is to provide anti-aircraft warfare for the northern Gulf of Thailand with three anti-aircraft battalions.
** 11th Air Combat Battalion, Ban Chang, Rayong
** 12th Air Combat Battalion, Si Racha, Chon Buri
** 13th Air Combat Battalion, Phra Samut Chedi, Samut Prakan
* 2nd Air Defence Regiment: to provide anti-aircraft warfare for the southern Gulf of Thailand and Andaman Sea with three anti-aircraft battalions.
** 21st Air Combat Battalion, Khanom, Nakhon Si Thammarat
** 22nd Air Combat Battalion, Thai Mueang, Phang Nga
** 23rd Air Combat Battalion, Mueang Songkhla, Songkhla
* 1st Coastal Defence Regiment: has three artillery battalions.
** 11th Coastal Defense Battalion, Thai Mueang, Phang Nga
** 12th Coastal Defense Battalion, Mueang Songkhla, Songkhla
** 13th Coastal Defense Battalion, Sattahip, Chon Buri
* Air and Coastal Defence Operations Centers
** 1st Air and Coastal Defense Operations Center Region
*** 1st Control and Reporting Center
*** 2nd Control and Reporting Center
** 2nd Air and Coastal Defense Operations Center Region
*** 1st Control and Reporting Center
*** 2nd Control and Reporting Center
* Air and Coastal Defence Supporting Regiment:
** Transportation Battalion
** Medical Battalion
** Communications and Electronics Battalion
** Repair and Maintenance Battalion
** 1st Headquarters Annex
** 2nd Headquarters Annex
** 3rd Headquarters Annex
* Air and Coastal Defense Training Center (ACDTC)
** Air and Coastal Defense School
** Air and Coastal Defense Private Training Division
** Air and Coastal Defense Training Battalion
** Support Section

## Equipment
### Weapons

| Model | Origin | Type | Notes |
| Howitzers ||||
| Type 59-I | China | 130 mm towed howitzer | |
| GHN-45 | Austria | 155 mm towed howitzer | |
| Anti-aircraft gun ||||
| Type 74 | China | 37 mm; auto cannon gun | |
| Bofors | Sweden | 40 mm; auto cannon gun | 40L60 (M1)40L70 |
| Surface-to-air missiles ||||
| FK-3 | China | Surface-to-air missiles | |
| 9K38 Igla-S | Russia | MANPADS | |
| QW-18 | China | MANPADS | |

### Radar

| Name | Origin | Type | Notes |
| Radar ||||
| ST Mk.2 | United States Germany | Short range radar | Raytheon Anschutz Pathfinder/ST Mk.2 |
| Thales BOR-A 550 | France | Short range radar | |
| AN/GPN-20/27 | United States | Medium range radar | Northrop Grumman ASR-8 (AN/GPN-20/27) |
| KRONOS LAND 3-D | Italy | Medium range radar | KRONOS LAND 3-D Multi-function Mobile Radar |
| Saab Giraffe AMB | Sweden | Medium range radar | |

### Logistic vehicle

| Name | Origin | Type | Notes |
| Truck ||||
| Isuzu Forward | Thailand Japan | Truck | 2 1/2 Tons, Isuzu Forward 4×4. |
| Pinzgauer 716 | Austria | Truck | 2 1/2 Tons, BAE Systems Pinzgauer 716 4×4. |
| Pinzgauer 718 | Austria | Truck | 2 1/2 Tons, BAE Systems Pinzgauer 718 6×6. |
| Dongfeng EQ240/EQ2081 | China | Truck | 2 1/2 Tons, Dongfeng EQ2081E (EQ4D) 6×6. |
| Ashok Leyland Stallion | India | Truck | 5 Tons, Ashok Leyland Stallion 6×6. |
| Pegaso 3055 | Spain | Truck | 7 Tons, Pegaso 3055/7323 6×6. |
| Shaanqi SX2190 | China | Truck | 7 Tons, Shaanqi (Yanan) SX2190 6×6. |
| Steyr 1491 | Austria | Truck | 10 Tons, Steyr 1491 (Percheron) 6×6. |

## Historic Equipments

| Name | Origin | Type |
| Historic Equipments ||||
| Madsen | Denmark | 20 mm; auto cannon gun |
| PL-9 | China | Short-range SAM |

## Engagements

* Southern Insurgency
* Cambodian–Thai border dispute

## Rank structure

| Equivalent NATO Code | OF-10 | OF-9 | OF-8 | OF-7 | OF-6 | OF-5 | OF-4 | OF-3 | OF-2 | OF-1 | OF-1 | Cadet Officer |
| Officer ranks | | | | | | | | | | | | |
| Officer ranks | จอมพลเรือ | พลเรือเอก | พลเรือโท | พลเรือตรี | พลเรือจัตวา$^1$ | นาวาเอก | นาวาโท | นาวาตรี | เรือเอก | เรือโท | เรือตรี | นักเรียนนายเรือ |
| Officer ranks | Admiral of the Fleet | Admiral | Vice Admiral | Rear Admiral | Commodore or Rear Admiral (lower half)$^1$ | Captain | Commander | Lieutenant Commander | Lieutenant | Lieutenant Junior Grade | Sub Lieutenant | Midshipman |
| $^1$Rank on paper, not actually used in the Royal Thai Navy. ||||||||||||
| Equivalent NATO Code | OR-9 | OR-9 | OR-8 | OR-7 | OR-5 | OR-4 | OR-3 | OR-1 |
| Enlisted ranks | | | | | | | | No insignia |
| Enlisted ranks | พันจ่าเอกพิเศษ | พันจ่าเอก | พันจ่าโท | พันจ่าตรี | จ่าเอก | จ่าโท | จ่าตรี | พลทหาร |
| Enlisted ranks | Master Chief Petty Officer | Senior Chief Petty Officer | Chief Petty Officer | Petty Officer 1st class | Petty Officer 2nd Class | Petty Officer 3rd Class | Seaman | Seaman apprentice |