Page 84 - Royal Jordanian Air Force Book
P. 84
1967 WAR
The RJAF planned to acquire refurbished F-104 The IAF destroyed some twenty Hunters of the RJAF
(A&B) Starfighters. A USAF training detachment aircraft on the ground and one in the air;
of four F-104B - two seat trainers and two single the pilot ejected safely. One Hunter had been
seaters - arrived early in 1967. The F-104B based moved into a shelter and survived the attacks.
at the King Hussein Air Base in Mafraq were Three managed to land in Amman where the IAF
flown out of Jordan just before the 1967 war by destroyed two of them. Other aircraft lost included
their US pilots who were training the RJAF. a UN aircraft. The third hid behind the UN plane,
but was also attacked. Ajloun radar station was
On June 5, 1967, when the war erupted, the RJAF also destroyed.
made two sorties on Israel. They penetrated
Israeli air space and attacked one airfield and During 1969, conversion to F-104s began again in
other targets. the USA. By then the RJAF had regained some of its
combat strength with the Hunter in No 1 Squadron
The IAF then attacked Mafraq with Super (operational) and No 6 Squadron (training and
Mysteres, Ouragans and Magisters. Major Firas operational) at KHAB, Mafraq. In August 1969,
Ajlouni was killed in his aircraft while preparing twenty-two F-104s and four F-104Bs joined No 9
to take off. Squadron at Prince Hassan Air Base, H5.
After some combat between the RJAF and IAF, In 1969, the runway at Mafraq was being repaired
the Jordanians reported striking down four so No 1 Squadron (equipped with Hunters) deployed
Israeli aircraft: Two fell in the airfield arm and to Amman but due to operational limitations, it was
two to the west. decided to move them to Dumeir in Syria for few
months.
ROYAL JORDANIAN AIR FORCE 83
