BAC Strikemaster

The BAC 167 Strikemaster, a jet-powered training and light attack aircraft, was designed and produced by the British Aircraft Corporation (BAC). It evolved from the Hunting Jet Provost trainer, which itself was a jet-engine adaptation of the Percival Provost, an aircraft that originally flew in 1950 with a radial engine. The Strikemaster is essentially an armed version of the Jet Provost T Mk 5, featuring various improvements and modifications. These included an uprated Armstrong Siddeley Viper turbojet engine, wing hardpoints capable of carrying a wide variety of munitions, a pair of machine guns under the intakes, an uprated flap system with two jacks, enlarged airbrake jacks, new communication and navigation gear, a different electrical system, canopy breakers on the ejection seats, and a revised fuel system that included tip tanks on the wing tips.

First flown in 1967, the Strikemaster was typically marketed as a light attack or counter-insurgency aircraft. However, the majority of customers were air forces seeking an advanced trainer. The Strikemaster did see combat on multiple occasions, particularly in the service of Ecuador, Oman, and Yemen. A total of 146 aircraft were produced before production ended in 1983. The type remained in service into the 2020s, although with increasing difficulty due to a decreasing supply of spare parts over time.

During the 1950s, the Hunting Jet Provost entered service with the Royal Air Force, becoming the first ab initio jet trainer to be standardized by any air service in the world. In the 1960s, BAC, which had acquired Hunting Percival and thus the Jet Provost, began developing a counter-insurgency/light attack derivative of the type, designated the BAC 167. By this point, it had become apparent that several competitions the Jet Provost had entered had decided against it due to its perceived lack of potential firepower.

The Strikemaster was powered by a single Armstrong Siddeley Viper turbojet, similar to the Jet Provost, but this engine was uprated to produce up to 3,140 lb of thrust. The fuel system was revised to include conformal fuel tanks on the wingtips, along with the option to fit up to four 75-gallon underwing drop tanks, extending the aircraft’s endurance and effective combat radius when needed. Key areas of the airframe, such as the wings, were stressed to withstand the additional weight of various munitions.

The Strikemaster could carry up to 3,000 lb of stores on four hardpoints under its wings. These munitions could include up to four 500 lb bombs, 24 SURA R80 rockets, eight 25 lb practice bombs, eight 20 lb fragmentation bombs, four 18-tube SNEB 68mm rocket pods, and a pair of 0.5 inch mini-gun pods. Additionally, a pair of 7.62mm Fraser-Nash machine guns were installed within the lower intake lips, and a G90 gun camera could be fitted in the nose cone. Various gunsights could be provided for one or both crew members.

The Strikemaster was equipped with dual ejection seats suitable for low-altitude escape, enhancing its safety in combat situations. Its dual-role capability allowed it to function effectively as both a trainer and a ground attack aircraft. Furthermore, the Strikemaster could operate from relatively austere airstrips, making it an attractive option for many overseas nations as a relatively affordable combat aircraft.

On 26 October 1967, the first prototype of the Strikemaster performed its maiden flight from Warton Aerodrome. A total of two prototypes were produced for company trials. Following an internal competition, the aircraft was officially named Strikemaster in October 1968. Initially, production was centered at Warton, but during the late 1970s, final assembly was transferred to Hurn Airport. Sales of the Strikemaster slowed in the early 1980s, leading to the discontinuation of production.

In May 1966, Saudi Arabia became the first country to place an order for the Strikemaster, opting for an initial batch of 25 Strikemaster Mk 80 aircraft as part of a larger air defense order. The Saudi Arabian Air Force took delivery of its first examples on 26 August 1968, with deliveries continuing until May 1978. In Saudi service, the Strikemaster was used for both training and light attack roles.

Oman was another key early customer, ordering the Strikemaster in 1967 and taking delivery in the summer of 1969. The Royal Air Force of Oman conducted combat missions with the Strikemaster during the Dhofar Rebellion, with the earliest strikes reportedly occurring in October 1969. A particularly notable engagement, known as the Battle of Mirbat, took place in July 1972, where four Omani Strikemasters provided close air support to heavily outnumbered ground forces under attack by approximately 300 insurgents. Over the course of the conflict, three Strikemasters were shot down, including one allegedly lost to an SA-7 surface-to-air missile.

In the early 1970s, the Kenyan Air Force introduced the Strikemaster as part of a broader modernization program. The Kenyan fleet often operated in close conjunction with its first combat jet fighter, the Hawker Hunter. Following the creation of the Botswana Defence Force Air Wing in April 1977 amid escalating regional tensions, the service acquired nine refurbished Strikemasters formerly flown in Kenya and Kuwait. In the late 1990s, the type was withdrawn and replaced by second-hand Canadair CF-5s, with most of the surviving aircraft sold to the private sector.

The Ecuadorian Air Force deployed the Strikemaster during the brief 1995 Cenepa War, conducting ground sorties against Peruvian positions. An Ecuadorian Strikemaster crashed during a training mission in the Northern Border area near Colombia on 25 March 2009. Both pilots ejected, but one later died from injuries sustained during the rescue attempt.

The Strikemaster was also operated by several private enterprises, such as Blue Air Training and Global Aviation, which typically used them for training activities. However, operations by the type were restricted by most military users after the Royal New Zealand Air Force discovered fatigue cracking in the wings of its aircraft. By the end of the 2010s, a shortage of several key components, such as brakes and starter generators, made it increasingly difficult to keep the Strikemaster airworthy. Many aircraft retired by Botswana, New Zealand, Saudi Arabia, and Singapore found new homes in museums and private collections.

The BAC 167 Strikemaster stands as a notable example of a versatile aircraft that served both training and combat roles across various air forces worldwide, leaving a lasting legacy in aviation history.