How much ordnance could a Strikemaster carry?

Short answer

Up to 3,000 lb (1,400 kg) of stores at four hardpoints under the wings. These could be four 500 lb bombs, 24 SURA R80 rockets, four 68 mm SNEB rocket pods or two 0.5 in machine gun pods; it also carried two 7.62 mm FN machine guns in the intake lips.

Published: November 5, 2026 · Updated: November 5, 2026 · Edited by Above Ten Thousand · Editorial policy

How much ordnance could a Strikemaster carry?

BAC 167 Strikemaster Mk87 (G UVNR), Sultan of Oman Air Force colours, at RIAT Fairford

Four hardpoints and 3,000 lb

The Strikemaster could carry up to 3,000 lb (1,400 kg) of stores at four hardpoints located under its wings. Underwing ordnance could include up to four 500 lb bombs, 24 SURA R80 rockets, eight 25 lb practice bombs, eight 20 lb fragmentation bombs, four 68 mm SNEB rocket pods with 18 tubes, and a pair of 0.5 in machine gun pods. In addition, two 7.62 mm FN machine guns were housed in the lower lips of the air intakes, and a G90 gun camera could be fitted in the nose cone.

An armed Jet Provost

The Strikemaster is essentially an armed version of the Jet Provost T Mk 5. It was a development of the Hunting Jet Provost trainer, itself a jet-powered version of the Percival Provost, which had first flown in 1950 with a radial engine. It was powered by a single Armstrong Siddeley Viper turbojet, as in the Jet Provost, though with power increased to 3,140 lb (14.0 kN) of thrust.