On Target

That represented 50 per cent and 33 per cent respectively of the RAAF’s operational fighter and bomber capability.

It was a national commitment of impressive proportions, but not unexpected against the backdrop of instability in South-East Asia and the establishment of the South-East Asia Treaty Organisation (SEATO) to counter the threat posed by Indonesian ‘Confrontasi’.

The RAAF expansion also included, from 1962, the permanent deployment of Sabres from No 79 Squadron to Ubon, Thailand.

‘Australia also took a role in the development of regional air forces.’

The composition of the operational presence at Butterworth changed in April 1967 when No 2 Squadron deployed to Vietnam leaving its ‘C’ Flight of Dakotas behind, reconstituted as Transport Support Flight, Butterworth. Further change occurred following the replacement of the No 3 Squadron Sabres by the Dassault Mirage III – selected by the RAAF ahead of the Lockheed F-104 Starfighter – when No 75 Squadron arrived at Butterworth in May 1967. The Sabres returned to Australia.

In February 1969, at the end of 79 Squadron’s six-year Sabre deployment to Ubon, No 77 Squadron returned to Australia handing its Sabres to No 2 Operational Conversion Unit where they continued to serve as the RAAF lead-in fighter.

After a 21-month absence, No 3 Squadron, now equipped with Mirages, returned to Butterworth as the same time the base also gained an RAAF UH-1B Iroquois search-andrescue helicopter capability, replacing a previous RAF helicopter presence.

But by far the most significant development for the RAAF at Butterworth since the outbreak of the “Emergency” in 1948 was the announcement, in January 1968, that Britain would withdraw from its interests ‘East of Suez’ by 1971.

The decision was of monumental importance to Britain, marking a step back in its status as a world power.

It also led to Australia assuming a prime role in the interim postwithdrawal ANZUK arrangements and, subsequently, in the definitive follow-on Five Power Defence Arrangements (FPDA) between Australia, Malaysia, New Zealand, Singapore and the UK.

Australia’s decision to remain engaged with South-East Asia involved both taking a leading role in the FPDA and continuing to deploy, on a permanent basis, 50 per cent of its operational Mirage fighter force to Butterworth.

Australia also took a role in the development of the regional air forces when, in September 1969, it gifted 10 refurbished Sabres to Malaysia, including substantial support. RAAF personnel served with No 11 Squadron RMAF to assist with the introduction of the Sabre fighter capability.

This writer has several colour slides taken from the cockpit of A94-362, a CAC Sabre Mk 32, flying as ‘Number 10’ from Williamtown to Butterworth via Amberley, Mt Isa, Darwin, Den Pasar and Tengah on Operation Regimen, over the period September 16 to 19 1969. Two years later, six additional Sabres were gifted which, together with the two ground training airframes, made 18 Sabres in all.

Australia also deployed RAAF personnel to support the development of the Republic of Singapore Air Force.

Also, in February 1973, with the “confrontation” over, Australia gifted 18 Sabres to Indonesia with similar support to that provided to Malaysia.

Just six months later, in August 1973, as a consequence of the post-Vietnam War defence cuts, No 76 Squadron was disbanded.

This meant Australia now had two of its three fighter squadrons – 67 per cent of its operational Mirage fighter force – permanently deployed at Butterworth. This presented an obviously unbalanced and difficult proposition from operational, organisational, training, logistics and personnel points of view.

There was, however, good reason for the RAAF to sustain that imbalance. Subsequent to the withdrawal of British forces from ‘East of Suez’ in 1971, there was a pressing need to fill a void that could not yet be filled by the nascent air forces of Malaysia and Singapore.

First there was the capability void left by the withdrawal of the No 74 Squadron RAF Lightning F6 fighters and of the two RAF Control and Reporting Units (CRUs).

Second was the dissolution of the command and control framework under which Australian, New Zealand and British air forces operated, with Headquarters Far East Air Force as the operational headquarters involving RAF, RAAF and RNZAF personnel.

A further consequence of the British withdrawal was Australia committing to maintaining a permanent deployment of one-half of a Mirage squadron in Singapore.

Also, following a period under an interim command and control, known as ANZUK (Australia, New Zealand and United Kingdom), Australia took a leading role in the new command arrangements implemented under of the Five Power Defence Agreement.

In the March edition, this column will review the period between 1971 and 1983 during which the RAAF sustained a continuing deployment of Mirages in Singapore.