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Sunday, March 21, 2010 Military Aviation » Deliveries » Strikemaster  
 

BAC 145/167 Strikemaster

1968-69 were good years for this aircraft type, with no less than 28 different airframes staging through for three different operators. If anyone can supply additional information such as previous BAC and/or RAF identities, squadron number and eventual fate, this will be greatly appreciated.
        
 

Iraqi Air Force

On 1 January 1964, a £1.5 million contract for 20 BAC Jet Provost T.52s light strike/trainers was placed by the Iraqi Government. Unlike its RAF T.4 equivalent, the Iraqi T.52s (serials 600-619) were armed with machine-guns and bomb racks and in the Iraqi AF, they served in both roles of trainer and counter-insurgency, replacing the last of the aging Hawker Furies.


SERIAL No. DELIVERY DATE NOTES
601 27.03.69 Seen in 1964.


        
 

Royal Saudi Air Force

All aircraft delivered in 1969 are BAC 167 Srikemaster Mk.80. The type delivered in 1968 isn’t known, but most probably are the same mark.

Mr. Ian Hawkridge, who was an RAF line mechanic at Luqa on TASF (Transit Aircraft Servicing Flight) over the period April 1968 - October 1970, has supplied additional detail about RSAF S/Masters. Those in the 9** serial number range were delivered between May – December 1968, some being in the grey scheme, others being camouflaged. Ian also confirmed the serial numbers of those seen on 10.02.69.


SERIAL ARRIVED DEPARTED NOTES
903     Test registration G-27-10
904     Test registration G-27-11.
905     Test registration G-27-12.
906     Test registration G-27-13.
907     Test registration G-27-14.
908     Test registration G-27-15.
909     Test registration G-27-16.
910     Test registration G-27-17.
911     Test registration G-27-18.
912     Test registration G-27-19.
913     Test registration G-27-20.
1102 10.02.69   Departed from Hal-Far. These two aircraft, as well as 1103 and 1104 landed at Hal-Far airfield due to runway re-surfacing at Luqa. Also carried test registration G-27-21.
1105 10.02.69   Departed from Hal-Far. Also carried test registration G-27-22.
1103 27.03.69   Light Grey colours
1104 27.03.69   Light Grey colours.
1108 13.06.69   Camouflaged.
1109 13.06.69   Camouflaged.
1110 13.06.69   Camouflaged.
1111 09.07.69   Camouflaged.
1112 09.07.69   Camouflaged.
1113 09.07.69   Camouflaged.


        
 

Sudan Air Force


SERIAL MARK ARRIVED DEPARTED NOTES
167 BAC 145 30.03.69    
177 BAC 145 30.03.69    
187 BAC 145 * 30.03.69   * Equivalent to the RAF’s Jet Provost Mk.5. All three aircraft were finished in light grey overall colours, with dayglo patches.
192 BAC 145 13.06.69    
197 BAC 145 13.06.69    


        
 

People’s Republic of South Yemen Air Force

Perhaps the rarest of all Strikemasters ever exported were those to South Yemen. The British Government had placed an order, on behalf of what was then known as the South Arabian Federation Government, for four BAC 167 Strike Master Mk.81 light strike/jet trainers. They were delivered in one batch, all passing through Luqa on 6 August 1969. By then a leftist government had taken over control in the country which was renamed the Democratic Peoples' Republic of Yemen. All British aircraft had been disposed of by the mid-1970s, the four Strikemaster Mk.81s being sold to the Singapore Air Defence Force in 1975 and 1976.


SERIAL ARRIVED DEPARTED NOTES
501 06.08.69   Probably left the following morning.
502 06.08.69    
503 06.08.69    
504 06.08.69    


        
 
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