LOCKHEED T-33 / RT-33 SHOOTING STAR
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(1955-1993)
The Lockheed T-33 Shooting Star is an American built jet trainer aircraft. It was produced by Lockheed and made its first flight in 1948. The RT-33A version, reconnaissance aircraft was produced primarily for use by foreign countries, had a camera installed in the nose and additional equipment in the rear cockpit. T-33s continued to fly as currency trainers, drone towing, combat and tactical simulation training, "hack" aircraft, electronic countermeasures and warfare training and test platforms right into the 1980s.
15 T-33A, 6 RT-33A were received during 1955-56 by the Pakistan Air Force under the US military assistance programme, equipped No. 2 Fighter Conversion Unit and a tactical reconnaissance flight, the latter becoming No. 20 Photo Reconnaissance Squadron in 1959. No.20 Squadron was number-plated in 1972, its RT-33s and other photographic equipment transferred back to No. 2 Squadron to form a reconnaissance flight.
T-33s were armed with 2 × 0.50 in (12.7 mm) Browning M3 machine guns and could carry 907 kg bomb or rocket load on two hard points. Hence; T-33 and RT-33 were used for ground attack and photo reconnaissance duties in 1965 and 1971 wars against forward Indian targets.
1 T-33 was lost when East Pakistani instructor pilot attempted to hijack it to India, trainee Pilot Officer Rashid Minhas forced it to crash within Pakistani territory foiling the hijack attempt; embracing shahadat.
T-33 retired from PAF service in 1993 and replaced with Shenyang FT-5s.
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