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	I only have details of this one aircraft.

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.
1103	27.03.69		Light Grey colours
1104	27.03.69		Light Grey colours.
1105	10.02.69		Departed from Hal-Far. Also carried test registration G-27-22.
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
G-ASEZ	Jet Provost 52			This aircraft left Hurn on 22.03.63, so probably arrived in Malta on the same day. Sold to Sudan AF as 181, but involved in an accident the following month, and returned back to the UK. The serial seems to jar with the delivery dates of the other aircraft, which all took place six years later.
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, probably leaving the next morning. 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.

However, it has since become known to this writer that another batch of Strikemasters had been delivered to Yemen, but sadly not through Malta. I have, however, been given additional information about the four aircraft below. They were all sold to the Singapore Air Defence Force in 1974, serving with that country until 1993.

SERIAL	ARRIVED	DEPARTED	NOTES
501	06.08.69		B reg G-27-33, line number PS126. To SADF as 320 in 1974, withdrawn from service in 1993. Current fate unknown.
502	06.08.69		B reg G-27-34, line number PS127. To SADF as 321 in 1974, withdrawn from service in 1993. Current fate unknown.
503	06.08.69		B reg G-27-35, G-AXEF, 24-4-69, line number PS128.. To SADF as 322, withdrawn from service in 1993. Became N167SM in 1994 but lost on 26.02.11.
504	06.08.69		B reg G-27-36, line number PS129. G-AXFX, 21-5-69. Singapore Air Defence Command 323, became N21419 in 1993 and is probably still in the UK at Hawarden.