View Full Version : Lebanese Hunters for Sale
https://www.defensenews.com/air/2021/03/29/want-to-buy-fighter-jets-and-helos-lebanon-is-accepting-bids/
Lebanon’s Air Force launches public aircraft bids as part of fleet reorg
BEIRUT — Lebanon is selling five Hawker Hunter fighter jets and three Sikorsky-made S-61 helicopters, the Ministry of National Defense announced, calling for interested parties to bid on the used aircraft.
A source with knowledge of the sales process (https://www.defensenews.com/air/2020/07/06/lebanon-to-sell-outdated-aircraft-as-air-force-eyes-new-trainers/) told Defense News on condition of anonymity that three companies have shown interest in the Hawker Hunter jets in particular: British firm Hawker Hunter Aviation as well as U.S.-based companies Airborne Tactical Advantage Company (a subsidiary of Textron Systems) and Lortie Aviation.
The Lebanese Air Force’s Hawker Hunters have been nonoperational since 2010. The country is keeping two of them to be preserved in a local museum....
NutLoose
30th Mar 2021, 08:55
Way back in 76 as a spotty young NL I did my training at St Athan and we had several Hunters in the hangar, coming back from Easter break they had gone, we were later told they had been cobbled together by a team from waste a space and were then flown to be refurbished and sold to Lebanon..... I wonder..
Fareastdriver
30th Mar 2021, 12:38
From Wiki:
In 1953, jet fighters were introduced when 16 de Havilland Vampire (https://en.wikipedia.org/wiki/De_Havilland_Vampire) jets were received. The first Hawker Hunters (https://en.wikipedia.org/wiki/Hawker_Hunter) arrived in 1959 and were followed by additional fighters through 1977.
When I went through Tern Hill in 1960 Lebanese pilots were being trained by the RAF. One of them died when he flew into the side of a hill at night.
chevvron
30th Mar 2021, 12:55
Way back in 76 as a spotty young NL I did my training at St Athan and we had several Hunters in the hangar, coming back from Easter break they had gone, we were later told they had been cobbled together by a team from waste a space and were then flown to be refurbished and sold to Lebanon..... I wonder..
Probaly went to Dunsfold; I think they were doing ex Swiss AF Hunters about that time.
ex-fast-jets
30th Mar 2021, 15:37
Is it "free delivery" for over £100.............
That could make the difference of whether I bid, or not........
ex82watcher
30th Mar 2021, 15:55
A former coleague,an ATCO at LATCC, bought a Hunter,I heard that when he told his wife,she thought he'd bought an old Hillman car. However,it flew on the airshow circuit for a few years,before the pilot (Craig Prentice I believe) had to jump out and leave it in a Welsh bog.
Maybe the RAF will buy them after they are reduced to nothing but drones and helicopters!
tucumseh
30th Mar 2021, 16:27
Maybe the RAF will buy them after they are reduced to nothing but drones and helicopters!
Shouldn't be too much of a problem, given the CAA Airworthiness Approval Note for the Shoreham Hunter states the RAF (not MoD) is the Aircraft Design Authority. Aother five aircraft will be a minor task to what must be quite a large team.
GeeRam
30th Mar 2021, 18:39
A former coleague,an ATCO at LATCC, bought a Hunter,I heard that when he told his wife,she thought he'd bought an old Hillman car. However,it flew on the airshow circuit for a few years,before the pilot (Craig Prentice I believe) had to jump out and leave it in a Welsh bog.
Craig Penrice.....who used to be a regular poster here on PPRune.....and yes, it was one of the few remaining airworthy F.6A Hunters at the time, and CP's 2nd ejection (having already had to vacate a Lightning during his RAF service) and resultant broken back put an end to his FJ flying for fun as well as for BAe as a TP.
GeeRam
30th Mar 2021, 21:47
Way back in 76 as a spotty young NL I did my training at St Athan and we had several Hunters in the hangar, coming back from Easter break they had gone, we were later told they had been cobbled together by a team from waste a space and were then flown to be refurbished and sold to Lebanon..... I wonder..
Could be.
One of those FGA70A Hunters in Lebanon is the former FGA9 XJ644, which had been in store at Kemble until going back to HSA in early '75 for refurb for Lebanese AF, and another two of the FGA70A they have both went to Lebanese AF in Dec 75, having previously been ex-WW594 & ex-WW598, although I don't know where they came from, but could have been 2 of the ones at St.A?
Airframe details of all deliveries. Not sure which are being sold.
http://www.aeroflight.co.uk/tag/lebanese-air-force
NutLoose
31st Mar 2021, 11:04
Could be.
One of those FGA70A Hunters in Lebanon is the former FGA9 XJ644, which had been in store at Kemble until going back to HSA in early '75 for refurb for Lebanese AF, and another two of the FGA70A they have both went to Lebanese AF in Dec 75, having previously been ex-WW594 & ex-WW598, although I don't know where they came from, but could have been 2 of the ones at St.A?
I was there 76 so unless they went in an earlier batch, i do not know.
Teamchief
4th Apr 2021, 19:53
I was in Cyprus in 83 with 7 Sqn Chinooks helping to evacuate the UK element of the UN Peace Keeping Force from Lebanon when I saw a Lebanese Hunter in one of the hangars. I was told that the pilot had done a runner with from Lebanon. Not sure how true this is or what became of it?
https://www.defensenews.com/industry/2021/08/12/canadian-firm-begins-negotiations-to-buy-lebanese-hawker-hunters-jets/
Canadian firm begins negotiations to buy Lebanese Hawker Hunter jets
BEIRUT — Canadian company Lortie Aviation is entering negotiations to buy five of Lebanon’s Hawker Hunter fighter jets after the Ministry of National Defense held three auctions for the aircraft, Defense News has learned.
The ministry authorized the Lebanese Armed Forces to issue an agreement of consent with the Canadian firm for the sale of the five Hawker Hunters and spare parts. The parties involved will now negotiate a price. The deal is expected to be worth about $1 million.
Lortie Aviation was the only bidder for the Hawker Hunters in the third auction that was held Aug. 12. Three Sikorsky S-61 helicopters also up for sale received no bids and might now be sold as spare parts.
The first auction (https://www.defensenews.com/air/2020/07/06/lebanon-to-sell-outdated-aircraft-as-air-force-eyes-new-trainers/) held by the ministry took place May 11, but the number of interested parties failed to meet government requirements, leading to a second auction on July 12 that had the same result.
“Public biddings are subject to the Public Accounting Law. Hence, when after setting a date, at least two companies must submit for competition, which was not the case with the Lebanese Air Force, hence two more biddings were held,” a source with knowledge of the sales process told Defense News.
Defense News previously reported (https://www.defensenews.com/air/2021/03/29/want-to-buy-fighter-jets-and-helos-lebanon-is-accepting-bids/) that two other companies expressed interest in the Hawker Hunters but it appears they did not submit bids: British firm Hawker Hunter Aviation and U.S.-based company Airborne Tactical Advantage Company (a subsidiary of Textron Systems).….