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Aviation History
1974
1974 - 1192.PDF
*;:~l'»f'-:Ss WORLD AIR FORCES craft are being modified by Lockheed Aircraft Services at Singapore and are having British equipment installed such as 30mm cannon and Ferranti gun sights to make them compatible with the Hunter force. Training of SADC pilots on the Skyhawks has been under taken by the USN on the first eight aircraft. A strike/trainer squadron, No 130, with 15 BAG Strikemaster Mk 82s flies alongside 150 Sqn equipped with 16 Siai-Marchetti SF.260MSs operating in the primary trainer role. The eight Cessna 172Ks have been handed over to the Seletar flying club. For SAR and transport work, six Short Skyvans equip 120 Sqn together with seven Alouette Ills. SOMALIA Cuerpo Aeronautica del Somalia Soviet military assistance has been provided over the past few years to the country with a noticeable increase of late. Recent deliveries to the air force, which has a strength of some 2,000 men, in clude a bomber squadron of Il-28s and a fighter squadron each of MiG-15s and MiG-17s totalling approximately 20 machines with seven MiG-15UTI con version trainers. A total of seven MiG- 21s are reported to have been delivered in July. The transport force flies three C-47s, a C-45, at least three An-24s and An-26s and three An-2s. Eight Piaggio P.148s fly in the basic training role alongside 20 Yak-lls. One helicopter squadron flies Mi-4s and Mi-8s. The Police Air Wing has two Dornier Do28D Skyservants for use in the liaison and supply roles. SOUTH AFRICA South African Air Force With the ban on arms supplies to South Africa by many countries, the Government is pur suing efforts to become more self- sufficient and less dependent on foreign equipment. The Atlas Aircraft Corp is currently building the Aermacchi MB.326M and the single-seat K version and plans are under way to build the supersonic Mirage F.l under licence. Production of the F.l for the SAAF is to begin in 1977 with two versions planned. Sixteen F.1CZ intercepters and 32 F.1AZ ground-attack aircraft will be ordered initially with repeat orders likely. Strike Command, SAAF, cur rently operates a strike-reconnaissance force of two squadrons, No 12 and 24 based at Waterkloof, flying six Canberra B(I).12s and three T.4s and nine Buc caneer S.50s respectively. Three fighter squadrons operate Mirage Ills with 1 Sqn at Pietersburg, North Transvaal, previously flying 18 Canadair Sabre 6s, converting to the IIIEZ following a repeat order for 18 aircraft placed in 1972. The original force comprises 2 Sqn at Waterkloof with 16 Mirage IIICZ intercepters, four IITRZ tactical recon naissance aircraft and three IIIBZ two- seat trainers and 3 Sqn also at Water kloof with 16 Mirage IIIEZs and four two-seat IIIDZs. Maritime Command embraces 35 Sqn at Capetown with seven Shackleton MR.3s flying long-range reconnaissance duties and 27 Sqn at Ysterplaat, Cape town, equipped with nine Piaggio P.166Ss and a further nine being de livered. Transport Command flies seven C-130B Hercules and nine C.160Z Tran- salls in 28 Sqn at Waterkloof, 23 CA7s in 25 and 44 Sqn, the latter also flying five DC-4s, and one BAG Viscount 781, three C-47s and four HS.125s in the VIP unit, 21 Sqn, at Swartkops. The helicopter element of the SAAF flies mostly French types including 20 SA.330 Pumas for tactical work with 19 Sqn divided into two flights at Swartkops and Durban, 15 SA.321L Super Frelons for heavy-lift duties with 15 Sqn at Swartkops and some 20 Alouette Ills each in 16 and 17 Sqn at Bloemspruit. Eleven Westland Wasps are assigned to Maritime Command No 22 Flight for use aboard South African Navy ships in the ASW role. (A 12th Wasp was im pounded by the British Government before delivery.) ti*P: A Tu-16 tanker (farther aircraft) and a recon naissance bomber of the Soviet Navy's Northern Fleet Primary training is performed on Harvards with about 100 still flying; basic training is the job of some 80 Atlas Impalas, while C-47s fly on multi- engine training, Alouette lis on heli copter conversion and a mixture of Vampire FB.6s, 9s and T.55s provide advanced tuition. Atlas is understood to have delivered more than 150 Impalas with the single- seat MB.326K now phasing into produc tion for counter-insurgency work. An initial order for 50 for the SAAF has been placed with a total of more than 100 eventually required. The Active Citizen Force with seven squadrons (4, 5, 6, 7, 8, 40 and 41 Sqn) still flies mainly Harvards but is progressively re- equipping with Impalas totalling 150 aircraft. Nos 41 and 42 Sqn fly FAC and AOP duties under the Light Aircraft Command equipped with 18 Cessna 185s and the first of 40 Aermacchi AM.3Cs. There are 12 Air Commando squadrons (101-112 Sqn) under the control of the SAAF and equipped with civil light air craft for use in emergencies. SAA man power totals 5,500 regulars. SOUTH YEMEN Air Force of the South Yemen People's Republic This small country has switched almost completely from Western aid to receiving assistance from Communist sources and the air force reflects the change markedly. Currently there is one squadron of 15 MiG-17F fighter-bombers, a bomber squadron with some six Il-28s and a transport unit with An-12s, Il-14s and at least three An-24s. The six Westland Sioux have been disposed of and re placed with Mi-4s and Mi-8s totalling some eight machines. At least three MiG-15UTI trainers are operated. The Strikemasters, Jet Provosts, C-47s and Beavers have all reportedly been dis posed of. A squadron of MiG-21s has been reported as being on order. SOVIET UNION Soviet Military Aviation Forces The Soviet Union continues to deploy large numbers of bombers to back up the Strategic Rocket Forces (See Flight, March 14) and operates them under the title of Long Range Aviation. The unit structure, briefly, is based on divi sions, approximating to an RAF group, each comprising three or more regi- One of 20 C-3605 target-tugs operated by the Swiss Air Force
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