Luftwaffe Lightnings!

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BAC Lightning F.Mk.54 - JG71 'Richthofen', German Air Force, 1972

 

The first rumours of an alleged bribery scandal surrounding the purchase of the Lockheed F-104G Starfighter by the West German Government coincided with the ferociously high attrition rate of the Starfighter in Luftwaffe and Marineflieger service. With the end of Lightning production on the near horizon BAC submitted a brochure to the Bonn Government and a joint committee of Luftwaffe and Marineflieger officials for a proposed multi-role Lightning based on the F.53 and this proposal was eagerly accepted leading to a production order for 200 Lightning F.54's which entered service in late 1968 with JG71.