Royal Thai Air Force combat aircraft have conducted strikes against military targets in Cambodia, as border tensions between the two neighbors flare up.
Thailand appears to have conducted several missions against Cambodian forces in the border area between the nations, according to an RTAF statement.
“All missions were planned and executed in accordance with security protocols and relevant international laws, with the highest priority on placed on preventing harm to civilians,” says the RTAF.
Targets struck include “military infrastructure”, weapons depots, command centres, and logistical routes.
In addition, the RTAF says that Cambodian troop and equipment movements had created the potential for escalation.
“These developments prompted the use of air power to deter and reduce Cambodia’s military capabilities to the minimum level necessary to safeguard national security and protect civilians,” says the RTAF.
The RTAF did not state the aircraft types involved or munitions employed. Some media reports suggest that Lockheed Martin F-16s were involved in the action.
Bangkok has blamed Phnom Penh for the tensions, claiming that Cambodian forces fired across the border, killing a Thai soldier. Cambodia’s defence ministry, for its part, claims that Thailand is behind the rising tensions.
This is the second time in 2025 that fire has been exchanged across the border between the two Southeast Asian nations. The two countries clashed in July, which included the use of fighter aircraft by Thailand.
Both F-16s and Saab Gripen C/Ds were involved in the July clashes.
Cirium, an aviation analytics company, suggests that the RTAF vastly outclasses Cambodia’s small air force.
It lists the RTAF as having 109 fixed-wing combat jets and training variants, comprising 47 F-16A/Bs, 33 Northrop F-5Es, 11 Gripen C/Ds, and 18 Dassault/Dornier Alpha Jets.
In addition, it has eight brand new Textron Aviation AT-6 Wolverine light-attack aircraft, as well as 12 Pilatus PC-6s that are listed as having a close air support mission.
Thailand’s army operates seven Bell AH-1s with an average age of 43.6 years, with orders for eight Boeing AH-6 Little Birds.
The Royal Cambodian Air Force’s combat capability is restricted to a trio of Harbin Z-9 helicopters that have a light attack capability.
