The Republic of Vietnam Air Force (also known as the Republic of Vietnam Air Force (Không lực Việt Nam Cộng hòa)) was the aerial branch of the Republic of Vietnam Military Forces, the official military of the Republic of Vietnam (RVN), from 1955 to 1975. The VNAF began with a few hand-picked men chosen to fly alongside French pilots during the State of Vietnam era. It eventually grew into the world’s sixth largest air force at the height of its power, in 1974. It is an often neglected chapter of the history of the Second Indochina War (1955-1975) as they operated in the shadow of the United States Air Force. It was dissolved in 1975 after the Fall of Saigon; many of its members emigrated to the United States.
