SEPECAT Jaguar

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Image:Sepecat.jaguar.wadd.300601.614pix.jpg Image:Jaguar logo.JPG The SEPECAT Jaguar is an Anglo-French ground attack aircraft in service with the Royal Air Force and several export customers, notably the Indian Air Force. The aircraft served as one French Air Force's main strike aircraft until July 1 2005 when it was replaced by Dassault Rafale. It was the product of the world's first bi-national military aircraft program.

1 Background
2 Into service
3 Replacement
4 Units using the Jaguar
- 4.1 Royal Air Force
- 4.2 Indian Air Force
5 Operators
6 Specifications (Jaguar A)
7 Related content

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Background

The Jaguar program began in the early 1960s, in response to a British requirement for an advanced supersonic jet trainer, and a French need for a cheap, subsonic dual role trainer and attack aircraft with good short field performance. From these apparently disparate aims would come a single and entirely different aircraft: relatively high-tech, supersonic, and optimised for ground attack in a high-threat environment. It was planned as a replacement for the RAF Hawker Hunter and the Armee de l'Air F-100 Super Sabre.

Cross-channel negotiations led to the formation of SEPECAT (the Société Européenne de Production de l'Avion d'Ecole de Combat et d'Appui Tactique) in 1966 as a joint venture between Bréguet (the design leader) and the British Aircraft Corporation to produce the airframe, and a separate teaming of Rolls-Royce and Turboméca to develop the Adour afterburning turbofan engine.

The first of 8 prototypes flew on September 8 1968. It was an orthodox single-seat, swept-wing, twin-engine design but with tall landing gear. It had a maximum take-off weight in the 15 tonne class and could manage a combat radius on internal fuel alone of 850 km. Maximum speed was Mach 1.6 (Mach 1.1 at sea level) and hardpoints were fitted for an external weapons load of up to 10 000 lbs.

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Into service

The Armee de l'Air took delivery of the first production Jaguar in 1973, one of an eventual 160 single-seat Jaguar As. For type conversion training, France also took 40 of the two-seat Jaguar E. The RAF accepted delivery of the first of 165 single-seat Jaguar GR.1s (or Jaguar S) with 54(F) squadron in 1974. These were supplemented by 35 two-seat trainers, the Jaguar T2 (or Jaguar B according to the manufacturer's designation). In December 1983 75 RAF Jaguars were updated to the GR.1A and T.1A standard. The upgraded GR.3/A recently entred service for the RAF, the upgrade included new engines, GPS, Terrain Referenced Navigation (TRN), and Night vision goggles compatibility. After Breguet was purchased by Dassault, the proposed Jaguar M variant, a carrier version for the French Aeronavale, was cancelled in favor of the Dassault Super Étendard.

Jaguars were also sold with some success, to a number of overseas countries. The largest single customer was the Republic of India which purchased about 40 of these aircraft and also acquired the license to manufacture 100 of them indegeniously. Hindustan Aeronautics Limited, India's leading aerospace agency, manufactured 100 Jaguars under the name Shamsher. The Jaguar International was an export version which was sold to Ecuador, Nigeria and Oman.

The Jaguar saw combat during the Gulf War, with the Armée de l'Air and RAF, the Kosovo War with the Armée de l'Air and the Kargil War with the Indian Air Force.

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Replacement

Image:Jaguargrounddisplay.jpg

The aircraft has been updated several times and remains in front-line service with the United Kingdom and India. It is to be replaced by the Eurofighter Typhoon in the RAF and the Rafale in the Armée de l'Air. India plans to replace its Jaguar fleet by the Medium Combat Aircraft.

Demands by the UK Treasury demanding cuts in the defence budget led to reports that the Jaguar was a possible candidate for early retirement. Announcing plans for the future of the British military on July 21 2004 Defence Secretary Geoff Hoon detailed plans to withdraw the Jaguar by 2007.

Critics say the aircraft is near the end of its service life and does not have all the capabilites required of a front line jet. Proponents argue that the aircraft has been recently updated and is the most cost effective of all the RAF's fast jet force.

India on the other hand is modernizing its current Jaguar fleet and also placed an order for 29 additional upgraded Jaguar IM aircraft from Hindustan Aeronautics in 2005. The Medium Combat Aircraft (MCA) is expected to go under mass production in 2015 and will replace India's Jaguar fleet.

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