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BAC Strikemaster

From Alfawiki
British Aircraft Corporation
IndustryAerospace, Defence
Headquarters
United Kingdom
ProductsBAC 167 Strikemaster (jet-powered light attack and training aircraft)


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The BAC 167 Strikemaster is a jet-powered light attack and training aircraft developed and manufactured by the British Aircraft Corporation. It evolved from the BAC Jet Provost, itself a jet adaptation of the Percival Provost, which originally took flight in 1950 powered by a radial engine.

Essentially, the Strikemaster represents an armed iteration of the Jet Provost T Mk 5. It incorporated numerous enhancements including a more powerful Armstrong Siddeley Viper turbojet engine, wing-mounted hardpoints capable of carrying diverse weaponry, twin machine guns positioned beneath the engine intakes, an improved flap system featuring two jacks, enlarged airbrake jacks, updated communication and navigation systems, modified electrical components, canopy breakers integrated into the ejection seats, and a redesigned fuel system with wingtip tip tanks.

Making its initial flight in 1967, the aircraft was primarily promoted as a light attack or counter-insurgency platform; however, most purchasers were air forces seeking an advanced trainer. The Strikemaster saw operational use in combat with forces from Ecuador, Oman, and Yemen. A total of 146 units were manufactured before production ceased in 1983. Despite challenges arising from diminishing spare parts availability, some remain operational into the 2020s.

Design and development

In the 1950s, the BAC Jet Provost entered service with the Royal Air Force (RAF), becoming the first standardized ab initio jet trainer adopted by any air force worldwide. By the 1960s, following British Aircraft Corporation’s acquisition of Hunting Percival and thus the Jet Provost program, development began on a counter-insurgency/light attack variant designated BAC 167. This initiative responded to earlier competitions where the Jet Provost was often passed over due to concerns over its limited firepower.

Powered by a single upgraded Armstrong Siddeley Viper turbojet delivering up to 3,140 lb (14.0 kN) thrust—an enhancement over the Jet Provost’s engine—the Strikemaster featured fuel system modifications including conformal wingtip tanks and provision for up to four 75-gallon underwing drop tanks to extend range and mission endurance. The airframe’s structural components, notably the wings, were reinforced to accommodate additional stresses from carrying assorted ordnance.

The aircraft could carry approximately 3,000 lb (1,400 kg) of external stores across four underwing hardpoints. Its payload options included up to four 500 lb bombs, twenty-four SURA R80 rockets, eight practice bombs weighing 25 lb each, eight fragmentation bombs of 20 lb each, four SNEB rocket pods with eighteen tubes each firing 68mm rockets, as well as two .50 inch mini-gun pods. Additionally, two 7.62 mm Frazer Nash machine guns were mounted within lower intake lips; a G90 gun camera could be installed in the nose cone. Various gunsight configurations were available for one or both crew members.

Equipped with dual ejection seats suitable for low-altitude emergencies, the Strikemaster’s versatility allowed it to perform both training and ground attack missions effectively. Its ability to operate from rudimentary airstrips made it an attractive option for many international air forces seeking cost-effective combat aircraft.

The prototype first flew from Warton Aerodrome on 26 October 1967; two prototypes were constructed for company testing. Following an internal naming contest, "Strikemaster" was officially adopted in October 1968. Initial production was based at Warton until late in the decade when final assembly shifted to Hurn Airport near Bournemouth. Production tapered off during the early 1980s before being discontinued altogether.

Operational history

In May 1966, Saudi Arabia became the initial purchaser of this aircraft model, placing an order for 25 Strikemaster Mk 80s as part of a broader air defense acquisition.[1] The Saudi Arabian Air Force received its first units on 26 August 1968, with deliveries continuing until May 1978. Within Saudi service, the Strikemaster fulfilled roles in both pilot training and light attack missions.[2]

Another significant early operator was Oman, which placed an order in 1967 and began receiving aircraft by mid-1969.[3] During the Dhofar Rebellion, the Royal Air Force of Oman deployed the Strikemaster for combat operations, reportedly conducting its first strikes in October 1969.[4] A notable engagement took place in July 1972 during the Battle of Mirbat, when four Omani Strikemasters provided close air support to ground forces that were vastly outnumbered by approximately 300 insurgents.[5] Throughout the conflict, three Strikemasters were lost, including one reportedly downed by an SA-7 surface-to-air missile.Template:Fix/category[citation needed]

In the early 1970s, the Kenyan Air Force incorporated the Strikemaster into its modernization efforts.[6] The Kenyan fleet frequently operated alongside its first jet fighter, the Hawker Hunter.[7]

Following the establishment of the Botswana Defence Force Air Wing in April 1977 amid rising regional instability, nine refurbished Strikemasters previously operated by Kenya and Kuwait were acquired.[8] By the late 1990s, these aircraft were phased out after being replaced by second-hand Canadair CF-5 jets; most remaining planes were subsequently sold to civilian operators.[9]

The Ecuadorian Air Force utilized the Strikemaster during the short-lived 1995 Cenepa War, conducting ground attack missions against Peruvian forces. On 25 March 2009, an Ecuadorian Strikemaster crashed during a training flight near the Northern Border region close to Colombia. Both pilots ejected safely; however, one pilot later succumbed to injuries sustained during rescue efforts.[10]

Several private companies such as Blue Air Training and Global Aviation also operated the Strikemaster primarily for instructional purposes.[11]

After the Royal New Zealand Air Force discovered fatigue cracks in their Strikemasters’ wings, most military operators imposed operational restrictions on the type. By the late 2010s, sourcing critical components like brakes and starter generators became increasingly difficult, complicating efforts to maintain airworthiness.[12] Many retired aircraft from Botswana, New Zealand, Saudi Arabia, and Singapore are now preserved in museums or held within private collections.

Variants

File:14SquadronRNZAFStrikemaster.JPG
Captured 14 years post-retirement, this BAC Strikemaster remains adorned in the livery of No. 14 Squadron RNZAF.
File:Team Viper display team in four BAC Strikemasters arp.jpg
The UK aerobatic team Team Viper performing with four BAC Strikemasters at Cotswold Airport, Gloucestershire, England
File:BDF Air Wing BAC Strikemaster at Duxford.jpg
A BAC Strikemaster operated by Botswana
File:RNZAF Strikemaster4.jpeg
RNZAF Strikemasters in service during 1984
  • Strikemaster Mk 80 : Designed for export to Saudi Arabia, with 25 units delivered.
  • Strikemaster Mk 80A : An additional batch of 22 aircraft supplied to Saudi Arabia.
  • Strikemaster Mk 81 : Exported version tailored for South Yemen, comprising four aircraft.
  • Strikemaster Mk 82 : Twelve units exported to Oman.
  • Strikemaster Mk 82A : A follow-up order of 13 aircraft sent to Oman.
  • Strikemaster Mk 83 : Twelve aircraft exported to Kuwait.
  • Strikemaster Mk 84 : Sixteen units delivered to Singapore.
  • Strikemaster Mk 87 : Six aircraft supplied to Kenya.
  • Strikemaster Mk 88 : Sixteen aircraft exported to New Zealand.
  • Strikemaster Mk 89 : Twenty-two units delivered to Ecuador.
  • Strikemaster Mk 89A : A secondary order of six aircraft sent to Ecuador.
  • Strikemaster Mk 90 : Four aircraft exported to Sudan.

Production

  • Strikemaster 80 series: Total of 136 units produced
  • Strikemaster 90 series: Total of 10 units produced

Operators

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  • The Botswana Defence Force Air Wing operated nine pre-owned Strikemasters, comprising Kuwaiti Mk 83 and Kenyan Mk 87 models; two were subsequently transferred to Ivory Coast.
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  • The Ecuadorian Air Force acquired a total of twenty-eight Strikemasters, including twenty-two Mk 89 and six Mk 89A variants.
Template:Country data Ivory Coast
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  • The Royal Air Force of Oman procured twelve Mk 82 and thirteen Mk 82A Strikemasters.
    • These served with No. 1 Squadron SOAF, later re-designated RAFO.
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Template:Country data South Yemen
  • The People's Democratic Republic of Yemen Air Force took delivery of four Strikemaster Mk 81s in 1970.
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Specifications (Strikemaster Mk 88)

File:BAC Strikemaster, Shoreham Airshow 2014.jpg
BAC Strikemaster at Shoreham Airshow 2014

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See also

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Citations

  1. ↑ Watkins 2023, p. 147.
  2. ↑ Watkins 2023, pp. 138, 147.
  3. ↑ Watkins 2023, p. 154.
  4. ↑ Watkins 2023, pp. 154-155.
  5. ↑ Watkins 2023, p. 11.
  6. ↑ Watkins 2023, pp. 143-145.
  7. ↑ Watkins 2023, pp. 145-146.
  8. ↑ Watkins 2023, p. 141.
  9. ↑ Watkins 2023, p. 143.
  10. ↑ "Ejected Pilot Survives Crash, Dies During Rescue Accident." Archived 28 March 2009 at the Wayback Machine foxnews.com, 26 March 2009. Retrieved: 26 April 2012.
  11. ↑ Watkins 2023, pp. 99-101, 143.
  12. ↑ Watkins 2023, p. 100.

Bibliography

  • Matos, José. "Nao obrigado!: Portugal's Flirtation with the Hunting Jet Provost & BAC Strikemaster." The Aviation Historian, no.20, 2017, pp.84–88.
  • Taylor, John W.R. "Hunting Jet Provost and BAC 167." In Combat Aircraft of the World from 1909 to the present, G.P. Putnam's Sons, New York, 1969.
  • Taylor, John W.R. Jane's All The World's Aircraft 1976–77. Jane's Yearbooks, London, UK, 1976.
  • Watkins, David. Jet Provost Boys: True Tales from the Operators of the Jet Provost and Strikemaster. Grub Street Publishing, 2023.

External links

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