Skyhawk Fighter Squadron Formed

Friday, 1st February 1974

The first Singapore Skyhawk Fighter Squadron, 142 Squadron, was formed on this day. The A-4 Skyhawk was designed and manufactured by McDonnell Douglas. Skyhawks were primarily a ground attack bomber. Its design and versatility in roles made it a popular choice for many air forces around the world. Squadron 142 is the third fighter squadron formed in Singapore, after Squadron 140 and Squadron 141.

Update: 142 Squadron was disbanded in Nov 2005.

The Republic of Singapore Air Force (RSAF) began to acquire 50 old Douglas A-4 Skyhawks airframes (ex-US Navy A-4Bs) from US Military Aircraft Storage and Disposition Center (MASDC) at Davis-Monthan AFB, Arizona which was released to the Lockheed Aircraft Service (LAS) Company at Ontario, California and its subsidiary Lockheed Aircraft Service Singapore (LASS) at Seletar Airfield, Singapore for a major overhaul and refurbishment.


Photo Credit: Flickr

44 aircraft emerged as the A-4S single-seater and 3 TA-4S two-seat trainer. These "new" A-4 all have more than 100 changes incorporated (these included a slightly longer nose to house a new avionics package, five stores hardpoints instead of the usual three, a saddle style Automatic Direction Finder dorsal hump, cockpit armour plating, spoilers, a cranked refueling probe, AIM-9 Sidewinder capability, a brake parachute housing below the jetpipe into the standard A-4B airframes. As with the Israeli A-4Hs which were armed with a pair of 30 mm DEFA cannons, these were similarly armed with the 30 mm (1.18 in) ADEN cannons in place of the original 20 mm Colt Mk 12 cannons.

A later order of four two-seat trainer airframes was placed in 1976, and these joined the RSAF in 1977.

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