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In late 1963 after evaluating the F4C, Mirage IV, RA5C for an in-service date of 1966 and the TFX and TSR2 for an in service date of 1969 AVM Hancock recommended the RAAF acquire 36 A5s to replace the Canberra B2s in RAAF service. The government decided to accept the risk of having the Canberra in service from 1966 to 69 and instead chose the TFX.
In the 60s the RAAF deployed an Avon Sabre and Canberra sqn to Butterworth Malaysia to 1967, an Avon Sabre sqn to Ubon Thailand 1962-68 and a Canberra sqn to Vietnam 1967-71 which conducted some 12,000 sorties and dropped over 76,000 bombs and 2 Mirage III sqns from 1967 onwards.
So WI the Government accepted AVM Hancock's recommendation and purchased 36 A5Cs to replace the Canberra in the strike role? Would they deploy to Vietnam in the tactical attack role only (with minor exceptions) in the south, or perhaps to Thailand for attacks against the North? How would the world's only conventional attack Vigilantes fare in action?