MiG-17F serial 8022 of the Khmer Air Force (KAF), with distinctive red lightning bolt along the fuselage. Once its supply of Soviet-built bombs had been exhausted, the KAF armed its MiG-17Fs with American 500lb Mk 82 general-purpose bombs, attached only to the forward attachment point of the wing's pylons, as seen here.

Several Cambodian MiG-17Fs were loaned to the USAF for thorough evaluation as part of the American Have Privilege project. This example, serial 1024, was flown by USAF Capts Wendell Shawler and William Gilbert at Phu Cat in southern Vietnam, in dissimilar combat trials against various contemporary American fighters.

In the weeks following Cambodia’s change of government and the North Vietnamese offensive, a red lightning bolt was painted on the fuselage of the air arm’s MiG-17Fs, inspired by similar markings applied to the Dassault Mystere IVAs of France’s Armee de I’Air, on which most of the Cambodian fighter pilots had trained.

A group of MiG-17F pilots of the AVNK’s Intervention Group discuss their next sortie against the North Vietnamese. From left to right: Capts Nhek Poon, Prak Ban and So Potra.

Used in the ground-attack role by the Cambodians, the Fouga CM.170 Magister was fitted to carry M-26 anti-personnel cluster bombs on underwing hardpoints. Serial 306 is seen here with a pair of M-26 units under the port wing, in the standard colours the type wore in October 1970.

T-28D-5 0-53649 previously served with the US Navy before joining the KAF in late 1973, and is seen here with a pair of Mk 82 bombs on each wing. It was later damaged in an accident at Kampong Thom in June 1974 and escaped to Thailand in 1975. The badge, incorporating a stylised winged bomb, is the KAF Fighter Group’s pilot insignia.

В полете легкий штурмовик T-28D «Троян» ВВС Камбоджи. Начало 1970-х гг.
A Khmer Air Force T-28D during a check flight after overhaul at the Thai-Am maintenance facility in Thailand. Note the absence of the underwing machine-gun gondolas, which have not yet been refitted, and the ‘‘stars and bars” type of insignia, incorporating the Cambodian towers symbol, used by the KAF during 1970-75.

A pair of KAF T-28Ds return to Pochentong after a ground-attack mission on August 15, 1973. The date is significant as it was the day the USA halted all offensive operations over Cambodia by American air assets. From this point on, the pilots of the KAF would face the nation’s enemies alone.

During the night of January 21, 1971, some 97 North Vietnamese commandos of the 367th Assault Sapper Group, which specialised in air base attacks, infiltrated Pochentong and destroyed nearly 60 per cent of the KAF’s air assets, including this T-28D.

Another of the T-28Ds destroyed during the attack on Pochentong. Although the KAF inventory was hit hard by the North Vietnamese attack, the human resources - air- and groundcrew, which were much harder to replace (and took longer) - remained relatively unscathed.

By June 1970 Nixon could no longer keep American troops in Cambodia without the support of Congress, which was not forthcoming. The top-secret Rustic project was born, using USAF and Cambodian aircrew, including, from left to right, Lt Kiet Kim Huot, Capt Om Koon; Capt Claude Newland, Capt Ma Kim Oeun and Lt Ly Sopham.