US Star Fighter F104 - PAF
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lulldapull
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Number 9 sqd. Operated 10 F-104 A's and 2 F-104B's from Sargodha in 1965.
Grand total victories claimed by the F-104's in 65 war was a single Canberra bomber at night and one Mystere IVA in a aircombat/ collision event. We lost two F-104's in 65 war. The second F-104 was lost in an aborted night landing. We also claim another Mystere IV to a sidewinder kill over Rahwali, but its a claim.
After 65 war the US imposed arms embargo on us so our F-104 fleet was basically grounded.
In 71 war we covertly acquired 10 RJAF F-104's and used them in combat, specifically low level interdiction/ air field strike role. Notable strikes include a strafing run over Utterlai airfied where we destroyed two HF-24 Maruts on da ground and another strafing strike on Amritsar radar, destroying the Soviet supplied P-15 radar unit. Several strafing attacks on the deck were carried out against IAF's Bhuj/ Jamnagar/ Nalia complex also, with the 20mm vulcun as the only weapon available. A single Folland Gnat and an anti Sub Alize of the IN were also shot down by our F-104's. Sqd Ldr Amjad Hussain was unfortunately downed over Amritsar radar on a follow up raid and captured. Ironically he was the same pilot who rammed the IAF Mystere IV back in 65. So he was shot down twice.
We lost at least half a dozen or so F-104's in aircombat/ S-60/ 57mm AAA and to prowling IAF mig-21FL's (IAF claims 7). Sqd Ldrs Changezi and Sqd Ldr Middlecoat were accepted as losses by the PAF. Many more F-104's were also lost in air combat around the Sind/ Rajasthan border by the PAF and we refuse to accept those losses. The remaining RJAF F-104's were quietly returned back to Jordan and our number 9 sqd retired the surviving F-104s in 1973 and reequipped with Mirage-IIIEP's
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