F-6 of Pakistan Air Force

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A Shenyang F-6 from No # 17 Squadron of the Pakistan Air Force at Peshawar AFB, March 1981.

 

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This photograph, taken by Peter Foster at Kamra, Pakistan on 7 February 1991, shows several Pakistan Air Force (PAF) Shenyang F-6 fighter jets lined up on the tarmac. The Shenyang F-6 is the Chinese-built version of the Soviet MiG-19.

The aircraft belong to No. 15 Squadron, call sign "Cobra", of the Pakistan Air Force.

 

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Crew of F6

 

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FT-6

 

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This photo shows a special lineup of Pakistan Air Force (PAF) Chinese-origin aircraft prepared for the formal phase-out of the Shenyang F-6 from frontline service.

It was taken in connection with the retirement ceremony held on 27 March 2002 at PAF Base Samungli (near Quetta, Balochistan). The event marked the end of 36–37 years of F-6 service (inducted from late 1965), the induction of the Chengdu F-7PG as its replacement, and a celebration of Sino-Pakistani defence ties.

Specially painted aircraft were lined up on the ramp for the occasion, and this image matches contemporary descriptions of that lineup.

Foreground (serial 10434): Shenyang F-6 (Chinese-built MiG-19 equivalent, single-seat fighter). It carries a unique Sino-Pak friendship livery — red tail with yellow Chinese stars, green/white/orange body sections, and PAF roundels. This was one of the specially painted aircraft for the farewell; it later appeared in static displays (including at Faisal Air Base in later years still wearing this scheme).

Behind it (green-and-white national colours): Additional F-6s (four were painted this way for the ceremony) plus at least one FT-6 (the two-seat trainer version of the F-6/JJ-6). These performed a formation flypast and “bomb burst” during the air display.

Further back: A pair of Nanchang A-5C (export Q-5 “Fantan”) attack aircraft. The A-5C was still operational at the time (it remained in PAF service until 2011 and was eventually replaced by JF-17s).

F-6 / FT-6: Approximately 250–260 single-seat F-6s and a smaller number of FT-6 trainers served with multiple PAF squadrons (notably No. 23 “Talons,” the last operator).

They saw combat in the 1971 war, received extensive local modifications (Martin-Baker seats, Western weapons/avionics, etc.), and accumulated hundreds of thousands of flying hours. Single-seat F-6s were fully retired in March 2002; a few FT-6s continued briefly in a training role with A-5 units.

A-5C: Introduced in the early 1980s for the ground-attack role; roughly 50–60 operated until retirement around 2011.

The photo captures the exact special-scheme F-6 (10434) leading the green/white F-6s/FT-6 and A-5Cs on the day (or immediately around the day) the F-6 was ceremonially phased out of PAF service.

 

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Flypast of six Shenyang F-6 (Chinese-built MiG-19) aircraft of the Pakistan Air Force during the Pakistan National Day Parade at the Race Course Grounds, Rawalpindi, 23 March 1976.