SEPECAT Jaguar

Design

With the beginning of the year 1960, the France and the the United Kingdom are both in the search of a Plane of drive with capacities of attacks on the ground. Although the respective schedules of conditions are different, the needs are however brought closer and a first draft-agreement between the two countries is signed in March 1964. The 121A project proposed by Bréguet is adopted in 1965 and, the year according to, Bréguet founds with British Aircraft Corporation (VAT) the joint venture SEPECAT charged to conceive then to manufacture in series the future plane.

Two prototypes of each version are built, in the order:

two-seater of drive for France (Jaguar E, first flight on September 8th, 1968)
single-seat attack aircraft for France (Jaguar has, March 23rd, 1969)
single-seat attack aircraft for the United Kingdom (Jaguar S, October 12th, 1969)
two-seater of drive for the United Kingdom (Jaguar B, August 30th, 1971)

In supplement, France produces a prototype indicated Jaguar M , intended for its aeronautical naval and modified to operate since a Porte-avions. It makes its first flight on November 14th, 1969 and carries out several trial runs: landings simulated on track with Nimes, tests on a catapults on the ground with the the United Kingdom, then tests at sea starting from the Porte-avions Clémenceau. This version is however abandoned beginning 1973: on the one hand the Jaguar proved under-motorized, on the other hand it would have been necessary to reinforce the catapults and the bridge of the aircraft carriers what generated obviously a high overcost.

When the first standard appliance leaves the assembly lines, at the end of 1971, the two countries finally changed opinion and the mission of attack became priority: such an amount of France that the United Kingdom ordered each one 200 planes, divided into 160 single-seaters and 40 two-seaters. The series production is shared with equal shares, each country providing a half of the parts and ensuring the final assembly of the apparatuses which are intended to him. The engines were built by Rolls-Royce for the English planes, and by Turboméca for the French planes.

The first Jaguar has are delivered with engines Adour 101 of a maximum power of 24,7 kN, quickly replaced by Adour 102 more powerful and equipped with a Postcombustion " modulée" who can engage gradually as of 80% of the dry maximum push. This system had initially been developed for the Jaguar Mr. the other versions receive Adour 102 directly.

In spite of their common cell, the versions used by the two countries have neither same guns (DEFA for French, Aden for English) nor same the Avionique. The French planes were equipped with a Doppler radar of navigation, of a control system of shooting, a radar alarm system, and of a panoramic camera ONERA 40 pennies the nose, supplemented later by a laser detector of illumination. The last 30 French single-seaters can also carry a laser nacelle of designation. On their side, the English planes had of a more powerful navigation system and attack, of a bill-poster of run of chart, of a detector of alarm radar forming a bar at the top of the drift, and of a laser system in the nose ensuring the telemetry and the detection of illumination.

Career in France

In the Air force, the Jaguar sees itself entrusting the following missions:

attacks on the traditional ground using a panoply of bombs, rockets, etc
tackles precision with guided weapons laser (missile AS-30L, guided bombs laser)
nuclear striking tactical with the bomb YEAR 52
attacks anti Radar with the missile ACES 37 Martel
electronic war with pods external CT 51 of jamming

In secondary role, it can also carry out reconnaissance missions (with a ventral pod RP 36P containing 3 cameras) and of hunting at average/low altitude.

At the end of the years 1980, the French Jaguar will be equipped with a GPS, off-line to the navigation system but which however makes it possible to readjust it manually. The Air force withdrew from the service its last Jaguar on July 1st, 2005, the last still operational squadron (the 1/7 Provence) receiving then the first Rafale.

Career in the United Kingdom

During their career, the English Jaguars underwent several programs of update. In 1983, certain planes (75 Jaguar GR.1A and 14 T.2A) were equipped with a new more precise navigation system including an Inertial unit and a new trip computer, in which the missions could be programmed using cartridges memories. They accepted then engines Adour 104 offering 10% of additional power that Adour 102 of origin. With the beginning of the year 1990, the detector of alarm radar was replaced by a more powerful system and rails of carrying for air-to-air missiles were assembled to the top of the wings (heritage of the International Jaguar).

After the war of the Gulf, some Jaguar (10 single-seaters GR.1B and 2 two-seaters T2.B) were modified to carry a pod TIALD (combined system of imagery Infrarouge and laser illumination), which involved the installation of a data bus interns, modification of the sight head high and the cockpit. After the War of Bosnia, a program indicated Jaguar 96 leads to version GR.3 including/understanding the modifications of the GR.1B supplemented by a system HOTAS and an improved navigation system including a GPS.

In 2000 were delivered first Jaguar GR.3A with a cockpit compatible with the glasses of night vision, the support of a bill-poster on the visor of the helmet, and a new planning system of the missions. In parallel, the T.2 two-seaters were carried to the T.4 standard including some of the modifications of the GR.3 and GR.3A. Lastly, the engine Adour 104 was replaced by more reliable Adour 106 and offering 6% of additional power.

Whereas modernizations carried out were initially to make it possible the Royal Air Force to preserve its Jaguar until 2008, the last squadron equipped with this apparatus was dissolved on May 31st, 2007.

Sales with export

The sales with export were negotiated and realized mainly by English because, meanwhile, Bréguet had been repurchased by Dassault Aviation which preferred to sell its Mirage F1. Thus, British Aerospace will obtain in 1980 an exclusive license for the international market.

A specific version was developed for export: the International Jaguar , which made its first flight on September 2nd, 1975. Based on English Jaguar GR.1/T.2, it has engines Adour 804 offering 32% of additional power (either 47,4 kN) and of a different avionics according to the countries. This version can also carry two air-to-air missiles assembled on rails posed on the wings, possibility which will be added thereafter to the English Jaguar. SEPECAT proposed finally a under-version intended for the attack anti-ship, equipped a Agave radar in the nose and being able to fire the anti-ship missile Sea Eagle.

About fifty planes were exported towards the Ecuador, with the Sultanate of Oman and the Nigeria: Oman updated its Jaguar twice (with standard GR.1A at the end of the years 1980, then with standard GR.3A at the end of the years 1990) while, for budgetary reasons, Nigeria not only gave up acquiring 18 Jaguar additional, but also withdrew the specimens in service with the beginning of the year 1990.

The important customer with export for the Jaguar is the India. In the search of an attack aircraft since the end of the year 1950, this country had initially developed the HALL HF-24 Marut which could never receive rather powerful engines and was deprived of Avionique worthy of this name. Canvassed since 1968, the India signed finally in April 1979 an order for 130 Jaguar, including a contract of manufacture under license for 95 specimens and a technology transfer. The Royal Air Force was to train the first pilots and to rent in India 20 apparatuses, while waiting for that it receives its Jaguar (named locally Shamsher , that is to say " sword of justice").

A first Indian squadron was declared operational in September 1980, follow-up of a second one year later, after the arrival of the 38 specimens manufactured by SEPECAT. Local production, entrusted to Hindustan Aeronautics Ltd., started with the assembly starting from parts provided before continuing with a manufacture 100% Indian except for the engines. On the whole, five squadrons were equipped gradually with 1980 to 1991, including one received 12 Jaguar IM intended for the maritime attack that India is the only country to have brought into service.

Teams of engines Adour Mk 811, the Jaguar Indians have undergoes two programmes of handing-over on level, indicated DARIN (Inertial unit, bill-poster of run of chart, navigation system and of attack integrated around a data bus) and DARIN II (integration of a GPS, replacement of the radar alarm system, addition of a chaff launcher). In 2004, the India had produced approximately 100 Jaguar locally and was to still manufacture a score of it, for a total of 158 specimens (with those manufactured by SEPECAT) of which a part intended to compensate for the 35 planes lost since the beginning of the years 1980.

Engagements

The French Jaguar were engaged at the time of many operations:

of November 1977 in May 1978 since Dakar against the columns of the Face Polisario, then in conflict with the Mauritania (Lamentin Operation)
of April 1978 at the beginning of 1980 with the Chad to support the government places from there against the rebels of the FROLINAT (Opération Pout)
in 1983/1984 at the Chad for flights of monitoring within the framework of the Opération Manta
in 1986/1987 at the Chad within the framework of the Opération Sparrowhawk, in particular including a raid on air base Libya of Ouadi-Doum the February 16th 1986 since Bangui (Central Africa) and another against the anti-aircraft installations of this same base the January 7th 1987.
in August - September 1986 with the Togo, simple demonstrations to support the government places from there
at the time of the war of the Gulf, the Jaguars carried out the first offensive mission of the French Air force, against the Kuwaiti Al-Jaber base suspectée to shelter ground-to-ground missiles Scud Iraqi. Four pilots were touched by shootings of DCA after having flown over at low altitude an Iraqi PC strongly defended but not indexed on their charts. Consequently, the following missions will be done with more high-altitude. The French Jaguar will on the whole carry out 615 exits and 1088 hours of vol.
into 1993/1994 in Turkey for reconnaissance missions within the framework of the operation Provide Comfort
in 1994 with the Rwanda in support of the Turquoise Opération making following the genocide of Tutsi
of 1995 to 1999 at the time of the various operations related to the Guerre of Bosnia then Kosovo

The Jaguar British were committed:

at the time of the war of the Gulf, where they carried out them also a little more than 600 exits
until 1993 within the framework of the operation Provide Comfort
at the time of various operations related to the Guerre of Bosnia then Kosovo

The Jaguar Indians were committed:

of 1987 to 1990 for reconnaissance missions with the Sri Lanka in assistance against the Tamil Tigers of Eelam tamoul
in 1999 for missions of attack at the time of the Conflict of Kargil against the Pakistan

Alternatives and operators

(in service of 1973 to 2005)

Jaguar has (160 single-seaters)
Jaguar E (40 two-seaters)
Jaguar M (abandoned, only a prototype was built)

(in service of 1973 to 2007)

Jaguar B (38 two-seaters, designation internal: T.2 and T.4)
Jaguar S (165 single-seaters, internal designation: GR.1, GR.2, GR.3A)

(as from 1979)

Jaguar IB (15 two-seaters, including 10 manufactured under license)
Jaguar IM (12 single-seaters specialized in the anti-ship attack)
Jaguar IS (104 single-seaters, including 69 manufactured under license)

(as from 1977)

Jaguar EB (2 two-seaters)
Jaguar ES (10 single-seaters)

(in service of 1984 to 1990)

Jaguar BN (5 two-seaters)
Jaguar SN (13 single-seaters)

(as from 1978)

Jaguar OB (4 two-seaters)
Jaguar OS (20 single-seaters)

Other characteristics

The Jaguar is a robust plane able to use summarily arranged grounds, in particular thanks to tires low pressure. Its maintenance is easy (change of an engine in approximately 30 minutes) and inexpensive. The plane is equipped with a stick of stop and a parachute for the assistance with the braking. The parachute can be replaced by a chaff launcher but, during the war of the Gulf, the Jaguar as well English as French will rather receive plated external chaff launchers along the fuselage, under the wings.

The Jaguar single-seaters are ravitaillables in flight using a retractable pole with before right of the cockpit. The Jaguar French two-seaters have a fixed pole in the prolongation of the nose. Thanks to its stability, the Jaguar is an excellent platform of attack on the ground.

In order to reduce the landing and takeoff distance, the wing is equipped with nozzles of leading edge and high-lift wings on all the trailing edge of the wing. This has in fact prohibited to use ailerons for the roll control, also the engineers installed a system of Spoiler S which, by destroying the bearing pressure on a wing, makes it possible to put this plane in turn. Moreover, at low speeds, the elevator is driven in a dissymmetrical way to reinforce the roll control. The structure of the fuselage is in honeycomb, which explains its weight relatively relatively low. N the other hand, certain planes (especially of the two-seaters, longer) will finish their career with a fuselage deformed following an insufficient mechanical resistance.

Sources

the Jaguar on Air Vectors
File of 40 pages on the Jaguar in the Magazine Air Fan n° 278 (January 2002)
Quarter Century off the Jaguar in India, of much information over 25 years of use of the Jaguar by India
the Jaguar M on a site devoted to the French navy

See too

Internal bonds

similar Planes: Mitsubishi T-2/Mitsubishi F-1
List of the military aircrafts

External bonds

the Jaguar on the FAQ of fr.rec.aviation
http://sepecat.info/, a site entirely devoted to the SEPECAT Jaguar

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