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B-57 of Pakistan Air Force

Some of them should have been retained and modernized with PGMs, LGTPs. Could've been a great power punch in COIN ops.
 
This B-57C - Part Of The Pakistan 31st Wing, Differed From Others Of Its Kind By Having A Mid-grey Upper Surface Colour Scheme With Black Undersides.

Note - Also The Modified Nose Configuration Of All Of These Aircraft (A.W. Hall Collection)..


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How could we afford a bomber in the 1960s.
Was part of US Military Aid given when Pakistan joined CENTO late 1950s.
We got 100 F-86F & 25 B-57s.
Then got 12 F-104s in early 1960s after the Gary Powers U-2 shoot down fiasco.

We did not pay for any of these from our pocket. All these came from Ex-USAF stocks.
 
Today we pay tribute to Sqn Ldr Mir Abdul Rashid on his birth anniversary (7 Feb, 1935). This courageous PAF fighter pilot flew numerous recce missions in his B-57 recce aircraft before & during the 1965 War and provided valuable information about enemy targets and their movement.

Sqn Ldr Mir Abdul Rashid made a valuable contribution to the operational effectiveness of Pakistan Air Force by carrying out extensive surveillance of radar stations in India.....
https://twitter.com/DGPR_PAF/status/1490706055126560780/photo/1
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Air Marshal Asghar Khan, Then Commander-in-Chief Of Pakistan Air Force Tries Out A Newly Inducted Martin B-57 Bomber, 1959 (c)...
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;';'
Formation performance by B-57s was presented at Peshawar during an air display, in which Air Marshal Omar Dani, C-in-C of the Indonesian Air Force, was the Chief Guest.

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The team executed loops, rolls and wingovers with the first two maneuvers being performed for the first time
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It is a rare feat indeed to have your name glorified by the enemy. Such was the enigmatic prowess of Air Cdre (R) Najeeb A. Khan, a pilot that left the Indians impressed by his noiseless, impeccably timed bombing runs in the 1965 war.

The unforgettable and famous "8-Pass Charlie" fame.
 
I wish we had preserved a handful of these in storage. It could've been very easily upgraded with PGM capabilities and given its excellent loiter time and loadout capabilities, it would've proven to be a valuable asset for counterinsurgency operations in both recon and attack roles.
 
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