HAL Swift FR.5

[comrade harps]

HAL Swift FR.5
a/c C 1584, 34 Squadron, Indian Air Force
April, 1966, Mandalay Burma



As part of the British Empire, India was a founding member of the United Nations (UN), joining on 30 October 1945. When India gained independence in 1947 they remained in the UN, but when the UN became an anti-Communist warfighting block in late 1950, the Indian Government broke away to form the Non-Aligned Movement. While this successfully maintained Indian national security during the 1950s, by the mid-60s it had become apparent that this level of neutrality was no longer serving the nation's interests. India's losses during the Chinese border conflicts of 1962, the Kashmir invasion by UN member Pakistan in 1965 and the growth of a Maoist guerrilla movement all contributed to a significant change in policy. During 1966 India signed-on to the American-backed Southeast Asia Treaty Organisation (SEATO) in March and rejoined the United Nations in June. Together, these actions helped to modernise the Indian military and commit them to foreign warfighting campaigns.




The first SEATO-assigned mission for the Indian Air Force (IAF) was Operation Chamelee (jasmine), which began January 1967. This was an aerial reconnaissance and surveillance action using the HAL Swift FR.5, Canadian-built Canberra PR.57 and PR.59 and Dassault Mirage IIICRHs . They were joined by Indian Army HAOP-27 Krishaks for low-altitude visual reconnaissance missions from March 1967. Chamelee sorties were flown in Burma, Malaysia and Thailand, with additional secret overflights of Cambodia and Laos. Chamelee supported the SEATO-lead UN interdiction of both the Mao Tse Tung and Ho Chi Minh trails.



In mid-1950 there was a mass exodus of Loyalist British aviation designers as the British Revolution erupted. This created a competitive environment for their services, India's HAL going on to employ many former Supermarine staff who brought with them the intellectual property for the Type 541, which they developed into the HAL Swift. Intended to replace HAL-made de Havilland Vampires, the Swift program was delayed by numerous setbacks and HAL went on to mass produce the North American F-86F instead. The first four production marks of the Swift fighter were produced in small numbers and largely used for testing and trials work, the only true mass production and frontline version being 60 Swift FR.5 photo-reconnaissance machines. Additional development of the Swift was terminated due to HAL's focus on its intended replacement (also designed by the team from Supermarine), the much delayed and underwhelming Marut. This combination of failures resulted in orders for the imported Dassault Canada Mirage IIIC and Douglas A-4 Skyhawk.



HAL Swift FR.5 C 1548 is seen here as photographed in April 1966 at Mandalay in Burma. This was the first Swift FR.5 painted in an Indian approximation of SEATO-standard overland camouflages, themselves based on the USAF's Technical Order 1-1-4 scheme. 34 Squadron was the last Swift operator, using them for Operation Chamelee until October 1969, after which they were withdrawn.

[Weaver]

Sweet looking model!

Good style of backstory too: always raise more questions than you answer!

[zenrat]

Good one comrade.

[Dizzyfugu]

Nice! The scheme suits the Swift very well. 

[NARSES2]

Nice! The scheme suits the Swift very well. 

It does indeed 

[The Rat]

Interesting story, and that camo is fantastic! 

[comrade harps]

Nice! The scheme suits the Swift very well. 

It's inspired by the USAF SEA RF-101C scheme.

[CammNut]

Nice - and highly plausible as the Swift is the only aircraft that could make the HAL Marut look good

[comrade harps]

Nice - and highly plausible as the Swift is the only aircraft that could make the HAL Marut look good

I wonder what I could use as a Marut stand-in ? Following the Supermarine line of development, maybe the Scimitar?