Affectionately known as the ‘Blunty’ due to its rounded nose, the British Aircraft Corporation (BAC) Strikemaster was the RNZAF’s primary jet trainer for 20 years.

The Strikemaster was essentially an armed version of the Jet Provost, which had been designed and built in Britain in the 1950s, primarily as a training aircraft. The RNZAF acquired 10 Strikemasters in 1972, with a further six arriving in 1975. Operated by No. 14 Squadron, it was used mainly as a jet conversion trainer. From 1976, all RNZAF pilots completed training on this aircraft type, regardless of their later specialisation. The Strikemaster was replaced in 1992 by the Aermacchi MB339-CB.