Shenyang F-6, Pakistan users, part two

 

The F-6 was operated by the No.15 Squadron 'Cobras' of the No.33 Wing based at Kamra. Nos. 17 and 23 Squadrons 'Talons' also operated the type based at Samunghi Air Base, in Quetta. No.19 Air Superiority Squadron 'Phoenix', based at Masroor also employed the type. 
Practically almost every Pakistani pilot began their flying careers with the F-6 or another Chinese aircraft. In spite of not being specially sophisticated, the F-6 allowed the pilots to gain valuable jet experience before transitioning to more advanced types. 

Initially, Pakistan Air Force's (PAF) F-6s flew in natural metal colour, often with colourful squadron markings. Later, Olive drab or two tone grey or grey/green camouflage patterns were introduced, always keeping their flashy squadron markings. As an example of this, No.15 Squadron often had red/white checkered rudders and noses. 

In the late 1980s the surviving F-6s had been relegated to the advanced training role being assigned to two operational conversion units (OCU). These were the No.1 Fighter Conversion Unit (FCU) and No.14 Squadron OCU at Mianwali Air Base which was the first stop for student pilots fresh from the PAF academy at Risalpur. No.25 Squadron OCU based at Sargodha Air Base also was one of those units. In this training process, five weeks of ground training were followed by five to six months of flying training in which the trainees logged some 70-80 sorties including 30 on the FT-6 trainer. 

Sargodha also hosted the Combat Commanders School (CCS), which is at the top of training process. This unit had one F-6 squadron. However they phased it out, together with the FT-6 during the mid 1990s as they converted to the Chengdu F-7P 'Skybolt' and Guanzhou FT-7, which was a Chinese variant of the MiG-21UM trainer. 

By 1991 many of the F-6s were already been retired and replaced by the Martin/Lockheed F-16A and the Chengdu F-7P. By April 1992 two squadrons of F-6s were donated to the Bangladesh followed by some few more. According to some sources, in late 1991 a total of 80 plus F-6Cs and 15 FT-6 were still in active service with the PAF.

Sources:

1. Midland Publishing - Aerofax - Mikoyan-Gurevich MiG-19. The Soviet Union's First Production Supersonic Fighter

2. https://en.wikipedia.org/wiki/Shenyang_J-6

3. Salamander Books - The Complete Book of Fighters

Shenyang F-6, Pakistan users, part one

 

Pakistan was one of the first export customers of the Shenyang F-6 and also the largest one as they took delivery of more than 260 units in total. 

As Pakistan clashed with India in 1964, the USA placed a weapons embargo on both countries so Pakistan that traditionally relied on the USA as a weapons supplier, faced a dilemma: Unlike India, they couldn't count on the USSR to get military assistance, so when the Chinese offered to sell the F-6 which, back then was considered as quite modern, they accepted.

In September 1965 a contract was signed and in October a group of Pakistani pilots were sent to China to overtake conversion training. The first 60 F-6s began to arrive at Sargodha Air Base, close to Faisalabad, in December 1965 and by March 1966 the delivery was completed. Those 60 machines were assigned to the Pakistani Air Force (PAF), with a further 125 late-model F-6C plus an unknown number of FT-6 trainers being delivered later from 1978 onwards at a nominal price. In fact, entire batches were set aside at Shenyang's factory to be sent to Pakistan. However, some other sources claim that, in 1965, only 40 machines were exported and 100 were sent later.

China also built an overhaul plant for the PAF's F-6 at Kamra, close to Peshawar, at no cost, which was commissioned on 8th November 1980. This plant was absolutely needed because the airframe of the F-6 had a time between overhauls (known commonly with the acronym of TBO) of just 800 hours. Hence, the fighters had to be taken back to China for overhaul at frequent intervals and, as the overhaul could take as long as two years, the PAF's combat capability was severely affected with just 40 F-6 out of service at any time, it was completely unacceptable. 

The Kamra overhaul plant also undertook some upgrade works on the F-6, integrating some Western avionics and AIM-9B/J Sidewinder air-to-air missiles when the US embargo was lifted. The missile racks for the Sidewinder missiles were set outboard of the drop tank hardpoints. An IFF blade aerial antenna was also fitted on the port side of the nose, immediately aft of the air intake. Some F-6 were also fitted with Martin-Baker Mk.10L zero-zero ejection seats, while other were fitted with a locally-designed 750 L (198 Us Gal/164 UK Gal) conformal belly tank, freeing the regular drop-tank hardpoints for additional weapons. Some Pakistani F-6 fighters also flew with non-standard drop tanks, known as Misawa tip tanks borrowed from the Lockheed P-80 Shooting Star.

Sources:

1. Midland Publishing - Aerofax - Mikoyan-Gurevich MiG-19. The Soviet Union's First Production Supersonic Fighter

2. https://en.wikipedia.org/wiki/Shenyang_J-6

3. Salamander Books - The Complete Book of Fighters

Chengdu JJ-5/FT-5 - Foreign Users

The Chengdu JJ-5 is a twin-seater trainer variant of the Shenyang/Chengdu J-5 designed and developed by Chengdu Aircraft Corporation. It mixed the airframe of the J-5, the airbrakes from the J-5A and the tandem twin-seat cockpit section of the JJ-2 (the Chinese copy of the MiG-15UTI trainer). When exported it was designated as Chengdu FT-5. It was exported to many countries:

• Albania: Together with the first Chinese aircraft received, the Shenyang F-5, the Albanian Air Force got some FT-5 which were used as trainers and even as attack aircraft during the Albanian Civil War in 1997. Nowadays they're put into storage together with the F-5s.
• Bangladesh: After achieving their independence in 1971, the People's Liberation Army Air Force supplied the Bangladesh with some FT-5s which, by 1980 all of them were retired as the more advanced Chengdu FT-7 became available.
• Pakistan: Pakistan's Air Force No.1 Fighter Conversion Unit operated at least 25 FT-5 trainers from 1975 until 2012 when they were replaced by locally built Karakorum K-8 trainer.
• Sri-Lanka: The FT-5 was the main jet familiarisation trainer for Sri-Lankan pilots from 1990, when they were bought, until 2001 when they were replaced by the Karakorum K-8.
• Zimbabwe: The Air Force of Zimbabwe (AFZ) acquired some FT-5 in the 1980s which were used as intermediate trainers. Nowadays just one of them is in AFZ's inventory, into storage status.

Sources:

1. https://en.wikipedia.org/wiki/Shenyang_J-5

2. https://xairforces.net/airforces.asp?id=37#.XilQTa7QiUk

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

4. https://www.airliners.net/photo/Sri-Lanka-Air-Force/Shenyang-FT-5/1760071

5. Hikoki Publications - Chinese Aircraft - China's Aviation History since 1951

6. Salamander Books - The Complete Book of Fighters