Armstrong Whitworth Meteor NF.13 - Foreign Users

Today it's the turn for the foreign users of the Meteor NF.13 which weren't few of them.

• Egypt: In 1955 the Egyptian government received three Meteor T Mk.7, six Meteor NF.13 and eight Meteor F.8 as a consequence of an order placed by it's government back in December 1952. As Egypt was under an arms embargo, the United Kingdom allowed the sale with the hope of improving relations with Egypt, however the tensions over the Suez Canal would lead to another arms embargo. They equipped the Egyptian No.10 Squadron and took part in the 1956 Suez crisis. One Egyptian NF.13 claimed to have damaged a British Vickers Valiant bomber during the conflict. However, as the aerial bombing campaign carried-out by the Anglo-French forces in the Operation Musketeer destroyed many Egyptian airplanes stationed in the ground, the Egyptian Air Force decided to withdraw their operation from the Sinai peninsula.
• France: The French CEV (Centre d'Essais en Vol - Centre of in-flight experiments) adquired at least one Meteor NF.13 which was used for experiments. Further details are unknown and the colours displayed in the drawing should be considered as speculative.
• Israel: In early 1956 Israel placed an order to buy six Meteor NF.13, with three being delivered that year, before the month of October (when the Suez crisis sparked) and the other were delayed by an arms embargo, and were handed over in 1958. Those three airplanes played a key role in the crisis as an Israeli NF.13 shot down an Egyptian Ilyushin Il-14 carrying many Egyptian high-ranking military officers in the context of Operation Tarnegol. The Israeli NF.13 remained in active service with the 119 Tajeset (119th Squadron) until 1962.
• Syria: The fledgling Syrian Air Force had only one active squadron back in the 1950s, the 1st one and it was equipped both with Meteor F.8 and one or two NF.13. However they lacked any radar and combat training wasn't provided, so the Syrian pilots had to train with their Egyptian counterparts. It's claimed that, in the context the Suez crisis an unknown Meteor shot down a British Canberra that was performing reconnaissance missions over Syria, more precisely over the city of Homs. Anyway, almost any Meteor was replaced in 1957 by the Soviet MiG-17 as that airplane was cheaper and the USSR offered also combat training. 

Sources:

1. https://en.wikipedia.org/wiki/Gloster_Meteor

2. Salamander Books - The Complete Book of Fighters

3. Hall Park Books - Warpaint Serie No.22 - Gloster Meteor