American Eagle
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Two RB-57F aircraft were provided, free of charge, to the Pakistan Air Force as of about June 1964. These high altitude modified in Ft. Worth, Texas planes were the successors to the old version U-2 which Gary Powers flew out of Peshawar PAFB in May, 1960, subsequently that same day being shot down by the old USSR missiles over their territory.
I wrote a full article on this topic, RB-57F in a recently Quarterly issue of the COLD WAR TIMES which article I copied and pasted into this good PDF site.
There were two RAF (British) pilots trained in Texas to fly the RB-57F who then came to Pakistan to train and instruct Pakistani Air Force pilots to become proficient in these two aircraft.
It might be interesting to day to hear from the PAF pilots who ultimately flew these two RB-57Fs, specially the PAF pilot who who was hit several times over India during the 1965 Pakistan-India War, but was able to nurse his badly damaged plane back to the PAF field in Peshawar, where it was ultimately repaired "good as new."
My first hand recollection is that the reconnaisance use of these RB-57Fs was done originally from Karachi, Mauripur Fighter Bomber Base, PAF. At some point in time one of the RB-57Fs was flown on recon missions out of Lahore. And on other occasions both were flown out of the PAFB in Peshawar.
The US civilian technical support and operational maintenace team for these two birds first billited with us in Karachi. They did their initial maintenance and support work at Maripur PAFB. Later the team moved up to Peshawar PAFB. I would assume, but do not know for a fact, that at least elements of the maintenance and operational repair master team made TDY (temporary duty) trips back to Karachi and also to Lahore, to keep the planes fully operable and to do routine maintenance checks and such.
Just a brief "look back." These aircraft as a technicality were provided to the PAF via the US Military Advisory Assistance Group headquartered out of Karachi. The US CIA in country team had a role in the operational support of these two planes as well.
Pakistan and the US as of June 1964 had excellent relations under both the CENTO and SEATO Treaties. I was honored to be invited each year to the social events, black tie uniforms, held in Karachi for CENTO exercises then being run in SW Asia by Pakistan, Iran, Turkey, Libya (then ruled by King Idris), Morocco, Tunisia.
Maybe a young political science student on this site can correct or fill in my from memory naming of "all" the countries who in 1964 belonged to CENTO.
President Ayub Khan while a signatory to the SEATO treaty never actively supported it with troops or participated in military exercises.
This is SEATO, not to be confused with CENTO. SEATO focused on Vietnam.
I wrote a full article on this topic, RB-57F in a recently Quarterly issue of the COLD WAR TIMES which article I copied and pasted into this good PDF site.
There were two RAF (British) pilots trained in Texas to fly the RB-57F who then came to Pakistan to train and instruct Pakistani Air Force pilots to become proficient in these two aircraft.
It might be interesting to day to hear from the PAF pilots who ultimately flew these two RB-57Fs, specially the PAF pilot who who was hit several times over India during the 1965 Pakistan-India War, but was able to nurse his badly damaged plane back to the PAF field in Peshawar, where it was ultimately repaired "good as new."
My first hand recollection is that the reconnaisance use of these RB-57Fs was done originally from Karachi, Mauripur Fighter Bomber Base, PAF. At some point in time one of the RB-57Fs was flown on recon missions out of Lahore. And on other occasions both were flown out of the PAFB in Peshawar.
The US civilian technical support and operational maintenace team for these two birds first billited with us in Karachi. They did their initial maintenance and support work at Maripur PAFB. Later the team moved up to Peshawar PAFB. I would assume, but do not know for a fact, that at least elements of the maintenance and operational repair master team made TDY (temporary duty) trips back to Karachi and also to Lahore, to keep the planes fully operable and to do routine maintenance checks and such.
Just a brief "look back." These aircraft as a technicality were provided to the PAF via the US Military Advisory Assistance Group headquartered out of Karachi. The US CIA in country team had a role in the operational support of these two planes as well.
Pakistan and the US as of June 1964 had excellent relations under both the CENTO and SEATO Treaties. I was honored to be invited each year to the social events, black tie uniforms, held in Karachi for CENTO exercises then being run in SW Asia by Pakistan, Iran, Turkey, Libya (then ruled by King Idris), Morocco, Tunisia.
Maybe a young political science student on this site can correct or fill in my from memory naming of "all" the countries who in 1964 belonged to CENTO.
President Ayub Khan while a signatory to the SEATO treaty never actively supported it with troops or participated in military exercises.
This is SEATO, not to be confused with CENTO. SEATO focused on Vietnam.
