HIGH ALTITUDE RECONNAISSANCE / ELINT AIRCRAFT
(1960s-?)
After the introduction into service of the B-57A tactical bomber in 1953, it was soon decided to produce a tactical reconnaissance version, the RB-57A, which entered service in 1954. In March 1953 the highly classified ‘Black Knight’ programme began which called for a single seat subsonic high-altitude aircraft capable of carrying a 700lb payload over 3000 miles at 70,000ft. The Martin company proposal, a modified B-57, eventually won against submissions from Bell and Fairchild.
Martin’s winning proposal, the single seat RB-57D, was a standard B-57 fuselage with a larger wing and two up rated J57-P9 turbojets. Two K-38 cameras and two KC-1 split vertical cameras were carried. A total of 20 aircraft were eventually built.
2 RB-57F and 2 RB-57B were supplied to No.21 ELINT Squadron.
One RB-57F, was operated by 24 Squadron of the Pakistan Air Force during the 1965 war against India. During this conflict the aircraft conducted a number of reconnaissance sorties over Indian Air Force airfields at 65,000ft. Eventually on 15 Sep 65 the aircraft was straddled by two SA-2 Guideline missiles near Amritsar (India) as it commenced its descent towards Peshawar air base, Pakistan. Despite suffering major structural damage and sustaining over 170 holes, the pilot managed to nurse the aircraft back to Peshawar where he made a successful forced landing. The aircraft was eventually repaired and returned to the USA.
