▁ten ▁A - 4 G s ▁were ▁purchased ▁in ▁ 1 9 6 9 . ▁The ▁aircraft ▁were ▁fund ed ▁by ▁can cell ing ▁plans ▁to ▁expand ▁the ▁Navy ' s ▁force ▁of ▁Ober on ▁class ▁sub mar ines ▁from ▁six ▁to ▁eight ▁boats ; ▁this ▁change ▁was ▁just ified ▁on ▁the ▁grounds ▁that ▁it ▁would ▁improve ▁the ▁effect iveness ▁of ▁the ▁car rier ▁and ▁expand ▁the ▁F AA ' s ▁strike ▁capabilities . ▁As ▁with ▁the ▁first ▁order , ▁this ▁purchase ▁compr ised ▁eight ▁A - 4 G s ▁and ▁two ▁T A - 4 G s . ▁The ▁Sky h aw ks ▁were ▁former ▁US ▁Navy ▁A - 4 F s , ▁and ▁were ▁modified ▁to ▁A - 4 G ▁standard ▁before ▁being ▁delivered ▁to ▁Australia . ▁These ▁aircraft ▁were ▁collected ▁from ▁San ▁Diego ▁by ▁ ▁in ▁July ▁ 1 9 7 1 , ▁which ▁delivered ▁them ▁to ▁Jer vis ▁Bay ▁the ▁next ▁month . ▁ ▁The ▁Australian ▁Sky h aw ks ▁retained ▁their ▁U . S . ▁Navy ▁serial ▁numbers , ▁but ▁were ▁also ▁allocated ▁shorter ▁" bu zz " ▁numbers ▁painted ▁near ▁their ▁nose . ▁The ▁first ▁batch ▁of ▁A - 4 G s ▁were ▁allocated ▁bu zz ▁numbers ▁ 8 8 2 ▁to ▁ 8 8 9 , ▁and ▁the ▁second ▁batch ▁were ▁assigned ▁ 8 7 0 ▁to ▁ 8 7 7 . ▁The ▁first ▁two ▁T A - 4 G s ▁were ▁ 8 8 0 ▁and ▁ 8 8 1 , ▁and ▁the ▁second ▁pair