Hunters in Iraq

Hello,

I have the following info on the former Belgian Air Force Hunters that went to Iraq via Hawker Siddeley :

BAF-reg – temp-reg HS – Mod.to – dd – Iraq registration :
IF6 – G-9-70 – F59 – 1964 – 570
IF8 – G-9-127 – F59A – 1966 – 660
IF9 – G-9-133 – F59A – 1966 – 661
IF10 – G-9-71 – F59 – 1964 – 584
IF11 – G-9-97 – F59 – 1965 – 631
IF14 – G-9-72 – F59A – 1964 – 572
IF20 – G-9-73 – T59 – 1965 – 627
IF21 – G-9-74 – F59 – 1964 – 574
IF22 – G-9-108 – F59A – 1966 – 659
IF24 – G-9-75 – F59 – 1964 – 577
IF25 – G-9-162 – F59A – 1966 – 671 re-registered to 693
IF27 – G-9-77 – F59 – 1964 – 575
IF28 – G-9-78 – F59 – 1964 – 573
IF31 – G-9-120 – F59A – 1966 – 674 re-registered to 696
IF32 – G-9-100 – F59 – 1964 – 583
IF48 – G-9-81 – F59 – 1964 – 571
IF49 – G-9-159 – F59A – 1967 – 680 re-registered to 702
IF51 – G-9-82 – F59 – 1964 – 581
IF54 – G-9-116 – F59A – 1966 – 670 re-registered to 692
IF59 – G-9-125 – F59A – 1967 – 675 re-registered to 697
IF68 – G-9-83 – T59 – 1964 – 568
IF71 – G-9-151 – F59A – 1966 – 668 re-registered to 690
IF72 – G-9-150 – F59A – 1967 – 678 re-registered to 700
IF74 – G-9-109 – F59A – 1966 – 673 re-registered to 695
IF75 – G-9-84 – F59A – 1965 – 587
IF79 – G-9-85 – F59 – 1965 – 628
IF80 – G-9-86 – F59 – 1965 – 630
IF84 – G-9-87 – T59 – 1965 – 567(2)
IF87 – G-9-149 – F59A – 1966 – 669 re-registered to 691
IF88 – G-9-88 – F59 – 1964 – 578
IF93 – G-9-126 – F59A – 1967 – 676 re-registered to 698
IF94 – G-9-98 – F59 – 1965 – 629
IF97 – G-9-89 – F59 – 1964 – 626
IF99 – G-9-135 – F59A – 1967 – 677 re-registered to 699
IF107 – G-9-90 – F59 – 1964 – 580
IF114 – G-9-91 – F59 – 1964 – 586
IF122 – G-9-92 – F59 – 1964 – 579
IF126 – G-9-93 – F59 – 1964 – 585
IF135 – G-9-153 – F59A – 1966 – 672 re-registered to 694
IF138 – G-9-155 – F59A – 1967 – 679 re-registered to 701
IF140 – G-9-94 – F59 – 1964 – 576
IF142 – G-9-95 – F59 – 1964 – 580 (ntu) to 582
IF143 – G-9-99 – T69 – 1964 – 569

IF19+IF67 – wreckS dd HS, rebuild as T66A – G-APUX – Iraq AF 567 (12 month lease)

I hope somebody finds this of interest.

Best regards,

Laurent

Look in the Military Forum, there is at least one photo of an Iraqi Hunter here

Thank you MarkG for you fine answer to my questions.
Have always wondered what happend with Iraq number 399 ?
as we have F.6 XJ682 re numbered Iraq 398 then XK143 is Iraq number 400.

Is it known if any of the Dutch or Belgian a/c were previously ex-RAF ?

Thanks again

Alex

You’re welcome.

All the Dutch and Belgian Hunters were license built by Fokker-Aviolanda and Fairey-SABCA respectively, and never served as RAF aircraft.

Hmm. No idea what happened to 399. Maybe it’s an unlucky number in Iraq?!

Thank you MarkG for you fine answer to my questions.
Have always wondered what happend with Iraq number 399 ?
as we have F.6 XJ682 re numbered Iraq 398 then XK143 is Iraq number 400.

XJ677-394
XJ678-395
XJ679-396
XJ681-397
XJ682-398
Above a/c delivered April 57
XK143-400
XK144-401
XK145-402
XK146-403
XK147-404
XK152-405
XK153-406
XK154-407
XK155-408
XK156-409
Above a/c delivered December 57.

Is it known if any of the Dutch or Belgian a/c were previously ex-RAF ?

Thanks again

Alex

Hi,

Hawker Hunters in Iraq .

From what I have understood the IAF had some 15 Hunter F.6’s, along with 4 FR.10’s and 6 T.69’s.

Can anyone confirm this please . Even add to the numbers or perhaps add serial numbers of the FR.10’s and T.69’s which i beleive came from the UK ex Belgian Hunter’s.

Several of the Hunters were lost in combat, what became of those left.

Are there any that were found in Iraq post Sadam ?

Thanks

Alex

Alex, your numbers for those marks are correct (except they weren’t strictly FR.10s), the bulk of the Iraqi fleet being FGA.59s. Full list as follows;

Delivered in 1957 were 15 ex-RAF F.6s, ironically purchased with US funds.

In 1964-65 Iraq purchased a total of 24 FGA.59s – 22 ex-Belgian F.6s and 2 ex-Dutch.

In 1965-67 18 FGA.59As were delivered – 2 ex-Dutch F.6s and 16 ex-Belgian.

In 1966 the 4 FR.59B aircraft arrived, all ex-Dutch F.6s.

The T.69s were delivered in 2 batches, 4 ex-Belgian F.6 conversions in 1964, and a further 2 in 1965.

The difference between the FGA.59 and the FGA.59A was that the former lacked IFF.

The 4 FR.59B aircraft were (serials in brackets indicate their former Dutch tail numbers),

– 662 (N-221)
– 663 (N-205)
– 664 (N-259)
– 665 (N-263)

The T-birds were,

– 567 (formerly the Hawker demonstrator G-APUX loaned to Iraq for aircrew conversion)
– 567 (IF-84, replaced G-APUX which went off to Chile as T.72 J-718)
– 568 (IF-68)
– 569 (IF-143)

The issue of survivors is a bit confused at present for obvious reasons!

Some stuff did survive unscathed, I remember a pic of a Jet Provost in an Air International sometime after Iraqi Freedom, forget which airfield it was found on though…..

Tim

As Damien says, the Americans blasted away at anything that looked even vaguely like military equipment and I remember seeing quite a few shots in the news at the time of Hunters being blown to bits with mini-guns and LGB’s. The phrase ‘sledgehammer to a tin tack’ comes to mind…

Not just the Yanks. I know that the Tonkers destroyed at least three. I,ve seen the pave films!