F-6 of Pakistan Air Force

ghazi52 · Apr 14, 2021

F-6 Aircraft of Pakistan Air Force

Columnist Gp Capt SM HALI remembers the Chinese F-6 aircraft in the PAF.

The mach 1.4 F-6 Day Fighter is an export designation of the Chinese-built J-6 (Fighter aircraft 6) which was originally designed as MiG-19 in the USSR, its Soviet prototype having flown for the first time in September, 1953.

Immediately after the 1965 Indo-Pak War, USA placed an embargo on the supply of weapons to both countries. Pakistani defence planners selected the F-6 aircraft as an addition to the PAF inventory. Thus its induction commenced on 30 December, 1965. Initially 72 aircraft were procured with subsequent additions bringing the total to 253 aircraft. At its peak, the F-6 aircraft equipped ten Fighter Squadrons of Pakistan Air Force.

PAF pilots have now flown this aircraft for more than thirty-four years. They mastered this twin engined pack of roaring power in a considerably short time. On 09 March, 1968, PAF F-6s participated in an impressive Fire-Power display at the Jamrud Firing Range near Peshawar organised for the visiting Iranian monarch, Raza Shah Pahelvi. In 1969, PAF formed an aerobatics team named ‘Rattlers’. The team comprised four F-6 aircraft painted black. On 14 March, 1969, the team performed formation aerobatics in a thrilling display of speed control and co-ordination in an air display organized for the visiting Soviet Minister of Defence, Marshal Grechko.

While the PAF pilots gained expertise on this thrilling but difficult and demanding weapon system, PAF’s engineers and technicians carried out a number of indigenous modifications and improvements to make the F-6 more effective and enhance its roles of air superiority and ground attack. The major upgrading and innovative modifications include the provision of western avionics, Martin and Baker ejection seats, the AIM-9 Sidewinder air-to-air missile, French 68 mm rockets, additional under wing tanks and under-belly ‘Gondola’ fuel tanks and a special ground-power unit for instantly starting its twin engines to shorten ‘scramble’ time.

PAF’s expertise on the F-6 was fully tested during the 1971 Indo-Pak War. Its three F-6 squadrons, Nos 11, 23 and 25 gave an excellent account of themselves: flying 945 sorties comprising 735 hours and destroying numerous enemy tanks, armoured cars and field guns during the close support missions. In air combat, F-6 pilots shot down eight Indian Air Force fighter aircraft including a superior MiG-21 and damaged five.

On 04 December, Flight Lieutenant Javed Latif of No 23 Squadron shot down an SU-7 while it was attacking the PAF airfield at Risalewala. Its pilot Flight Lieutenant Harvinder Singh was killed in action. On 04 December, Flying Officer Qazi Javed of No 25 Squadron shot down an Indian Hunter when it came to attack PAF airfield at Mianwali. Its pilot Flight Lieutenant Vidya Dhar Shankar was also killed in action.

On 05 December, Wing Commander Saad A Hatmi, the Officer Commanding of No 25 Squadron and his Number two, Flight Lieutenant Shahid Raza chased two IAF Hunters and shot them down close to Sakesar. Their pilots Flight Lieutenants G.S. Rai and K.L. Malkani were both killed in action.

On 07 December, Flight Lieutenant Atiq Sufi of No 11 Squadron shot down an IAF SU-7 near the battle front at Samba. Its pilot Flight Lieutenant Jiwa Singh was killed in action.

On 08 December, Wing Commander S. M. Hashmi, Officer Commanding of No 23 Squadron shot down two IAF SU-7s which were attacking Risalewala airfield.

On 14 December, Flight Lieutenant Aamer A Sharif of No 11 Squadron engaged a superior IAF MiG-21 and after a classic battle, shot it down near Niankot.

All three squadrons received battle honours for the 1971 War, while three F-6 pilots were awarded gallantry medals.

Todate F-6 aircraft have flown more than 400,000 hours. The Pakistan Aeronautical Complex Kamra’s F-6 Rebuild Factory, which was inaugurated in 1980, has played a major role in giving the F-6 aircraft a new lease of life by completely over-hauling it.

Today F-6 aircraft are in the twilight of their service in PAF but they still compete actively with the more modern weapons systems. PAF is presently maintaining two Squadrons: No 17 and 23 with F-6s which are active in guarding the aerial frontiers of PAF.

The Shenyang J-6 (Chinese: 歼-6; designated F-6 for export versions; NATO reporting name: Farmer).
It is the Chinese-built version of the Soviet MiG-19 'Farmer' fighter aircraft, the world's first mass-produced supersonic aircraft.

ghazi52 · Apr 14, 2021

The F-6 was flown by the Pakistan Air Force from 1965 to 2002, the aircraft design undergoing around 140 modifications to improve its capabilities in the interceptor and close air support roles. The PAF F-6 fighters participated in the Indo-Pak War 1971 against India, scoring approximately 6 confirmed aerial victories.

The three Pakistani J-6 squadrons flew nearly a thousand sorties, during which the PAF lost 3-4 F-6 to ground fire and two to three in aerial combat. An F-6 was also lost to friendly fire. One of the F-6 pilots shot down was Wajid Ali Khan, who was taken as a POW and later became a Member of Parliament in Canada. The single seat F-6 was retired from the Pakistani Air Force in 2002, but the two-seat trainer, the FT-6, remains in service in very small numbers.

Shenyang

In 1961 the Chinese Shenyang works produced the first examples of an unlicensed copy of the MiG-19S, designated F-6. By the mid-1970s at least 1,800 F-6s had been built in China, including a few F-7s based on the MiG-19P. A substantial number of F-6s was supplied to Pakistan in 1965-66 and 1972; Vietnam, Albania and Tanzania have also taken delivery of similar aircraft.

Pakistan had 74 Shenyang F-6s.The Pakistani aircraft have been modified with launch pylons for AIM-9 Sidewinder missiles, but it is not known whether Chinese aircraft carry a version of the equivalent K-13 ‘Atoll’. Points in favour of the F-6 include its excellent maneuverability and initial climb rate, products of its modest size, high power/weight ratio and (by modern Standards) low wing-loading.

The Shenyang J-6 is a Chinese built development of the 1950s MiG-19 and numerically is the most important combat aircraft in Chinese military service.

The MiG-19 (NATO reporting name ‘Farmer’) was designed as an interceptor and flew for the first time on January 5 1954. Capable of supersonic speeds in level flight, 2500 were built (including in Czechoslovakia) in several variants including the radar equipped MIG-19P. It was not exported widely and all are believed to have been retired from service (except perhaps Cuba).

China selected the basic MiG-19 for license manufacture in the late 1950s. Russia supplied production diagrams for the MIG-19P to the Shenyang Aircraft Factory and the first Chinese assembled MiG-19 flew for the first time on December 17 1958, while the first Chinese built MiG-19 flew the following September.

Shenyang and initially Nanchang were assigned to build the MiG-19 (from 1961 the basic MIG-19S ‘Farmer-C’ day fighter), however China’s political and cultural instability during much of the 1960s meant that production was often sporadic and quality often poor.

From the 1970s stability returned and new Chinese developments appeared, foremost being the JJ-6 trainer (there being no two seat MiG-19). The JZ-6 is a high-altitude reconnaissance variant while the J-6III had a variable shock cone in the nose and was often misidentified as the J-6Xin and as having a radar. A J-6 variant that was radar equipped was the J-6A or J-6IV. The J-6C meanwhile is similar to the basic J-6 except for repositioned brake parachute.

As the F-6 (and two seat FT-6) the J-6 was exported widely and production lasted into the 1980s. Total J-6/F-6 production is estimated at 3000.

ghazi52 · Apr 14, 2021

Type: Interceptor/ground attack fighter

Powerplants: J-6 – Two 24.5kN (5730lb) dry and 31.9KN (7165lb) with afterburning Liming Wopen-6 (Tumansky R-9BF-811) turbojets.

Performance: J-6 – Max speed Mach 1.45 or 1540km/h (831 kt), cruising speed 950km/h (512kt). Max initial rate of climb over 30,000ft/min. Service ceiling 58,725ft. Combat radius with external fuel 685km (370nm).

Normal range 1390km (750nm), ferry range with external fuel 2200km (I187nm).

Weights: J-6 – Empty approx 5760kg (12,700lb), max takeoff approx 10,000kg (22,045lb).

Dimensions: J-6 – Wing span 9.20m (30ft 2in), length ine probe 14.90m (48ft 11 in), length exc probe 12.60m (41ft 4in), height 3.88m (12ft 9in). Wing area 25.0m2 (269.1 sq ft).

Accommodation: Pilot only, or two in tandem in JJ-6/FT-6.

Armament: Three 30mm NR-30 cannon (one in each wing root and one in lower forward fuselage). Four underwing hardpoints for 500kg (1100lb) of external ordnance including MMs (AIM-9 Sidewinders on Pakistani aircraft), rockets and bombs.