F-104 StarFighter of Pakistan Air Force

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Live AIM-9B Sidewinder mounted on an F-104A Starfighter

From Hassan Riaz collection

 

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Full scale hostilities

Full scale hostilities broke on September 06, 1965, with F-104s tasked for air defence duties. It was on an early morning Combat Air Patrol (CAP) on this day that Flt Lt Aftab Alam claimed an IAF Mystere with an AIM-9B Sidewinder when he intercepted a formation of IAF aircraft attacking a passenger train near Rahwali.

The first day of hostilities later saw two F-104s doing a visual recce over Adampur and Halwara airbases in India to verify presence of IAF aircraft as a prelude to PAF’s counter air strikes later in the day.

Picture courtesy: Rehan Siraj

For more please visit http://aviationartofrehansiraj.blogspot.com/search?updated-min=2009-01-01T00:00:00%2B05:00&updated-max=2010-01-01T00:00:00%2B05:00&max-results=11

 

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Starfighter pilots preparing to go on a High Altitude Storm Climb sortie.

 

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Group photo of No. 9 Composite Squadron taken in 1966 with F-104 and F-6 in the background.

L to R, Sitting: Flt Lt Ghulam Omar Abbasi, Flt Lt Farooq Umar, Wg Cdr M L Middlecoat (Sqn Cdr), Sqn Ldr Hakimullah Hussain, Flt Lt Ishaq, Flt Lt Aftab Alam
L to R, Standing: Flt Lt Amanullah, Flg Off Salim Sandal, Flg Off Arif Manzoor, Flt Lt Rashid Bhatti, Flg Off Mushtaq, Flt Lt Abbas Mirza.

Picture : AVM (retd.) Avm Farooq Umar

 

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Early 1970's