Supermarine Attacker

Attacker
General information
Type	Naval fighter
National origin	United Kingdom
Manufacturer	Supermarine
Primary users	Royal Navy Royal Naval Volunteer Reserve Pakistan Air Force
Number built	182 + 3 prototypes
History
Introduction date	August 1950
First flight	27 July 1946
Retired	FAA: 1954 RNVR: 1957 PAF: 1964
Developed into	Supermarine Type 510

The Supermarine Attacker is a British single-seat naval jet fighter designed and produced by aircraft manufacturer Supermarine for the Royal Navy's Fleet Air Arm (FAA). It was the first jet fighter to enter operational service with the FAA.^[1]

In order to rapidly introduce jet aircraft to Navy service, Supermarine proposed using the wing developed for their most advanced piston-powered design, the Supermarine Spiteful, with a new fuselage for the Rolls-Royce Nene engine. Performing its maiden flight on 27 July 1946, the flight testing phase of development was protracted due to several issues, including handling difficulties. The first Attackers were introduced to FAA service in August 1951.

Common to the majority of other first-generation jet fighters, the Attacker had a relatively short service life before being replaced; this was due to increasingly advanced aircraft harnessing the jet engine being rapidly developed during the 1950s and 1960s. Despite its retirement from front line service by the FAA during 1954, only three years following its introduction, the Attacker would be adopted by the newly formed Pakistan Air Force, who would continue to operate the type possibly as late as 1964.