The decline of the Royal Cambodian Air Force is a complex historical process driven by political turmoil, wartime destruction, and chronic underfunding. During the 1960s and early 1970s, Cambodia maintained a relatively modern air force equipped with aircraft such as T-28 Trojan trainers/attack planes, C-47 transports, and even a few jet fighters. However, the 1970 coup led by Lon Nol triggered a civil war that severely degraded its capabilities. When the Khmer Rouge seized power in 1975, they abolished all conventional military institutions—including the air force—and executed or purged pilots and ground crews as remnants of the old regime, effectively erasing the air force from existence. After Vietnam invaded in 1979 and installed a new government, a modest air arm was re-established using outdated Soviet equipment, but it remained tiny due to economic hardship and international isolation. Even after Cambodia restored a constitutional monarchy and achieved relative stability post–Cold War, defense budgets continued to prioritize the army, leaving the air force marginalized. Today, the Cambodian Air Force operates only a handful of transport planes, helicopters, and trainer aircraft, lacking modern fighters or integrated air defense systems, rendering it incapable of air superiority or strategic projection missions. Its decline reflects not just technological obsolescence, but decades of conflict and shifting national security priorities.
柬埔寨空军的没落是一个复杂的历史过程，主要源于政治动荡、战争破坏与长期资源匮乏。20世纪60至70年代初，柬埔寨曾拥有一支规模可观、装备相对现代化的空军，配备包括T-28教练攻击机、C-47运输机甚至少量喷气式战斗机。然而，1970年朗诺政变后爆发的内战严重削弱了其作战能力。随后红色高棉于1975年掌权，彻底废除了包括空军在内的所有正规军事力量，将飞行员和地勤人员视为‘旧政权余孽’加以清洗，导致空军体系几近归零。1979年越南入侵后，新成立的柬埔寨人民共和国虽重建空军，但受限于经济困境与国际孤立，仅能维持极小规模的老旧苏制飞机。冷战结束后，尽管柬埔寨恢复君主立宪制并逐步稳定，但国防预算长期优先陆军，空军发展被边缘化。至今，柬埔寨空军仅拥有少量运输机、直升机和教练机，缺乏现代化战斗机与防空体系，难以执行制空或远程投送任务。其没落不仅是技术断层的结果，更是国家长期战乱与战略重心偏移的缩影。
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