de Havilland Vampire. Part eight. Some Asian users

 

The de Havilland Vampire is a British jet fighter designed and developed by the de Havilland Aircraft Company. The Royal Air Force (RAF) was its main user, however there were some other users all around the globe, among them, the following ones:

• Union of Burma: The Burmese Air Force (BAF) ordered eight Vampire T.55 trainers in 1954. They were built at Chester factory, Cheshire and flown from Hatfield, Hertfordshire, to Mingaladon, Rangoon, Burma, on 7th December 1954 with a second batch following in February 1955. During the long Burmese Civil War, some of the Vampires were used in strafing attacks, and some of them were lost. 
• India: During 1947 India achieved independence, but it was partitioned with Pakistan, leading to many skirmishes and border wars. As the newly created Indian Air Force (IAF) was equipped with piston-powered aircraft, they sought to replace them and, for that end, they reached an agreement with de Havilland in 1948 for 286 Vampire FB.52. This included 39 machines manufactured at Hatfield and the rest were to be built under license in India by Hindustan Aeronautics Limited (HAL). 
  On 6th November 1948 three Vampire F.Mk.3 were flown to India to provide initial experience on jet aircraft. They were assigned to No. 1Aircraft Testing unit with base at Kanpur, Uttar Pradesh. Between the years of 1949 and 1963 the Vampire FB.52 equipped 16 frontline squadrons of the IAF. The agreed 39 Hatfield-made aircraft were delivered between September 1950 and June 1951. The other FB.52s made by HAL were manufactured in February 1952, though it's not known when their production was stopped. 
  To provide training 43 additional Vampire T.55 were ordered, being delivered between May 1953 and April 1954. A further 10 T.55s were delivered between October 1957 and February 1958 with HAL manufacturing 60 T.55s more and Indian buying eight T.55s to Indonesia from surplus stocks. In July 1963 the IAF bought 7 ex-RAF T.11 trainers. It's known that five T.55s were modified with cameras to serve as reconnaissance aircraft, replacing the venerable Supermarine Spitfire PR.XIX. Those Vampires were named as Vampire PR.55. 
  The night fighter version of the Vampire was also employed by the IAF as they acquired 18 ex-RAF Vampire NF.10 (known as NF.54 in their export variant) and were delivered between April and October 1954. Those were reinforced with additional 12 machines in 1957.
  The Indian Navy bought 24 Hawker Sea Hawk FGA.6 to be used on board the INS Vikrant aircraft carrier and, in order to provide jet experience, two Vampire FB.52 and two T.55s were transferred to the Navy.
  During the Second Indo-Pakistani War of 1965 and again in the third one of 1971 Indian Vampires were employed in action against Pakistani forces. Many of them were lost to enemy bombing and strafing attacks. The Vampire was no match for the missile-armed North American F-86 Sabre of the Pakistan Air Force and therefore the IAF lost many of them in combat. On 1st April 1975 most of the remaining Vampires were withdrawn from active service and scrapped.
• Indonesia: In 1955 the Indonesian Government bought 8 Vampire T.55s. The first one was flown from Hatfield to Indonesia on 23rd September 1955 for a handling ceremony with Indonesian officials. The rest were shipped and reassembled in Jakarta, where they were also test-flown and were eventually handed over to the Indonesian Air Force on 20th February 1956. Two years later, the Indonesian Government reached and agreement with the USSR to equip their forces with Soviet material and the Vampires were sold to India in 1958.
• Iraq: The Royal Iraqi Air Force (RIAF) ordered twelve Vampire FB.52 after being influenced by the RAF. Those machines were delivered between May 1953 and November 1955. The first Vampire-equipped squadron of the RIAF was the No. 5 Squadron, based at El-Rashid Air Base, near Baghdad. 
  When Faisal II, last king of Iraq, was overthrown in 1958 only six FB-52s were listed as serviceable, however, in 1961 one T.55 was sent to Chester for overhaul and fitment of ejection seats. Given the poor state of the fuselage, the fuselage of another T.11 was matched with the wings and tail of the Iraqi one. 
  Some Vampires were still operational in late 1961 when they were observed attacking Kurdish rebels north of the country.
• Japan: In 1955 the Japanese Air Self-Defence Force (JASDF) ordered one Vampire T.55 for evaluation purposes. It was delivered to Japan in November 1955 with ejection seats and the new type frame-less canopy. It was demonstrated to JASDF officers during March and April 1956 but the machine failed to convince them and no orders were placed.

Sources:

1st: Hall Park Books - Warpaint 27 - De Havilland Vampire

2nd: https://en.wikipedia.org/wiki/De_Havilland_Vampire

3rd https://en.wikipedia.org/wiki/List_of_de_Havilland_Vampire_operators

Mikoyan-Gurevich MiG-17F, part eleven, more Asian and Middle-East users

The Mikoyan-Gurevich MiG-17F was supplied to many countries all around the globe. Among them, the following ones:

• Indonesia: As Indonesia grew closer to communism, the country got closer to the Easter bloc, so in the early 1960s many Soviet-built aircraft were supplied. At least 40 of them were deployed in three airfields in Morotai (northern Makulu), Amahai (Seram) and Letfuan (Banda islands, south-west of Papua). They were deployed at Morotai against PRRI-PERMESTA and the Republic of South Maluku separatists. Their primary mission was to provide air cover for airlift and aerial logistics during the infiltration in Papua and, if the war broke out, they would've provided escort for both Tupolev Tu-16 and Ilyushin Il-28. Some of them were part of an Indonesian aerobatics squadron commanded by Rusmin Nurjadin, who became Chief of Staff of the Indonesian Air Force in 1966.
• Iraq: After the King or Iraq was overthrown in 1958, the Soviets quickly supplied MiG-17Fs among other aircraft to the Iraqi Air Force, to replace the De Havilland Vampire. During the 1960s and early 1970s many more of them were purchased and then forwarded to Syria or Egypt to aid them in the Arab-Israeli Wars. In 1961 the 5th Squadron, based at Rashid Air Base and the 7th Squadron, based at Kirkuk Air Base, were fully equipped with MiG-17F. They were all replaced by more modern types during the 1970s.
• Israel: On 12th August 1968 two Syrian MiG-17Fs landed at the abandoned Betzet air strip, in the northern part of the country. It seems that the pilots were using very outdated maps and landed there by mistake. Both pilots, Lt. Walid Adham and 2nd Lt. Radfan Rifai, were taken prisoners and were released two years later in an exchange of prisoners. The machines were transported to Ramat-David Air Force Base where they were tested, and then sold to the United States. 
• Mongolia: As Mongolia was a Soviet puppet, the Mongolian People's Army Air Force acquired in the mid 1950s at least 36 MiG-17F fighters which were kept in active service until 1990. As we couldn't find graphical information about the MiG-17F in Mongolian colours, the drawing and serial number must be considered as speculative.
• North Korea: The North Korean People's Army Air and Anti-Air Force acquired many MiG-17F in the early 1960s and has kept them in active service even nowadays. Apparently the ones that are officially active are in very bad condition and their flightworthiness is at least questionable. 
• North Yemen: Apparently the Yemen Arab Republic Air Force had in service some few MiG-17F in the 1960s. They saw action during the border clashes between North and South Yemen and many of them were used against royalist rebels. It seems that during those conflicts, the Yemen Arab Republican Air Force only lost two MiG-17Fs.

Sources:

1. https://en.wikipedia.org/wiki/Mikoyan-Gurevich_MiG-17

2. https://en.wikipedia.org/wiki/Yemeni_Air_Force

3. https://warisboring.com/45650-2/

4. https://en.wikipedia.org/wiki/Mongolian_People%27s_Army

5. https://en.wikipedia.org/wiki/Iraqi_Air_Force

6. https://en.wikipedia.org/wiki/Indonesian_Air_Force

7. https://www.iaf.org.il/4450-46914-en/IAF.aspx

8. Salamander Books - The Complete Book of Fighters

Mikoyan-Gurevich MiG-15bis, various Middle-eastern & African users

The Mikoyan-Gurevich MiG-15bis was used by many Middle-Eastern and African countries. Among them we can find:

• Afghanistan: Back in the mid-1950s the Royal Afghan Air Force underwent a modernization process which made it to withdraw from active service completely outdated aircraft like the Hawker Hind. They bought material almost exclusively from the USSR as it was the cheapest option and, by 1960 their air force was composed of around 100 aircraft, including MiG-15bis fighters and Il-28 bombers. As the country was one of the most conflictive in the region, they weren't never written-off and were most likely used in the many conflicts that the country underwent through the 1970s, 1980s and the 1990s and most of the fighters were, most probably, destroyed. As our main source was a quite blurry photo where the registration numbers can't be read, the registration should be taken as speculative.
• Algeria: When Algeria achieved its independence and the Algerian Air Force was created, many Arab countries donated second-hand material, like Egypt, which donated some MiG-15, MiG-15bis and MiG-15UTIs. As, by the 1960s the MiG-15bis were outdated, they were employed as advanced trainers until they were withdrawn when they were replaced by more modern types. As we couldn't find reliable graphical source, the drawing should be taken as speculative.
• North Yemen: As the North Yemen Air Force was supplied, theoretically, by Western powers, the MiG-15bis that served with the North Yemen Air Force were, most likely, captured exemplars. As we couldn't find graphical evidence, the drawing should be considered as speculative.
• Iraq: When the monarchy was overthrown in Iraq, in the 14th July 1958 revolution, the revolutionary government turned to the USSR looking for new aircraft suppliers. They bought mainly MiG-17s but also some MiG-15bis and MiG-15UTIs which, except for the MiG-17 (which was the most advanced type that the IAF had in inventory during this stage), were used as trainers or advanced trainers. As we couldn't find definitive graphical source, the drawing should be considered as speculative.
• Pakistan: Apparently, the Pakistan Air Force had a small number of MiG-15 in the very late 1950s. They were most probably some Afghan or even Soviet defector aircraft which landed there and it was interned and repainted. Their fate is unknown and, as there are very little references to the MiG-15bis, the drawing should be considered as speculative.
• Somalia: Together with the Chinese-built MiG-17s (Shenyang F-5), in the year 1960 they were supplied with both Chinese-built MiG-15UTIs (Shenyang FT-2) and second (or even third) hand MiG-15bis which were intended to be used as advanced trainers. Most likely they were used in the Ogaden war in 1977 and the subsequent wars until they were destroyed. As there aren't graphical references, the drawing should be taken as speculative.
• South Yemen: When the South Yemen Republic was created in 1967, it had the support of the USSR, which supplied their Air Force with MiG-15bis, MiG-15UTIs, MiG-17 and MiG-21. They most likely saw combat in the war against their Northern neighbours and were all of them destroyed. Again, the drawing should be taken with a grain of salt as it's speculative.
• Syria: Back in 1955 Syria ordered 24 MiG-15bis fighters and 4 MiG-15UTIs from Czechoslovakia. This order was followed the next year by another batch of additional 24 MiG-15bis. All those fighters were delivered to Egypt which, by October 1956, their pilots were still undergoing training when Israel, backed by the United Kingdom and France, attacked in the course of the Suez Crisis. Most of them were destroyed in the ground during that conflict and, in the afterwards, the Syrian Air Force, ordered the more modern type MiG-17PF.

Sources:

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

2. https://en.wikipedia.org/wiki/Algerian_Air_Force

3. https://en.wikipedia.org/wiki/North_Yemen

4. https://en.wikipedia.org/wiki/Iraqi_Air_Force

5. https://en.wikipedia.org/wiki/History_of_the_Pakistan_Air_Force

6. https://en.wikipedia.org/wiki/Somali_Air_Force

7. https://en.wikipedia.org/wiki/South_Yemen

8. https://en.wikipedia.org/wiki/Yemeni_Air_Force

9. https://en.wikipedia.org/wiki/Syrian_Air_Force