Warbirds of India

The Bangladesh Air Force can trace its origins with the flight formed by the Mukti Bahini fighters during the Pakistani crackdown in East Pakistan. The Flight was formed with four DHC-3 Otters, a C-47 Dakota and an Alloutte III Helicopter donated by India. The Otters flew some token sorties during the 1971 War. One of the DHC-3 Otters is even today preserved in the Tejgaon Air Force Base of the BAF.

After the war, the fledgling Bangladesh Air Force found itself in possession of five Ex-PAF Sabres abandoned by the Pakistanis at Tejgaon after the end of the 71 War. These Sabres were salvaged and operated till 1974. At least two of these aircraft survive today.

Canadiar F-86 Sabre "JB 255" can be seen at the Bangladesh Air Force Museum in Dhaka even today. (Pic Courtesy : World Air Power Journal)

A number of MiG-21s, F-6s , One Mi-17 and Fouga Magister jets can be found scattered around the airforces installations in Bangladesh. in 2000, When the Indian Air Force Chief Air Chief Marshal A Y Tipnis visited Bangladesh, The Indian Air Force contributed One MiG-21FL, One Gnat and One Hunter to the Bangladesh Air Force. These aircraft saw individual service in the Bangladesh war. The MiG-21 can be seen with the Liberation War Museum in Dhaka.

Note: Some of the info from this section has been taken from Rubayat Zahir's BAF Site)