RAF Jaguar

She's getting on a bit but so nice:

Jaguar


Key Points:

Single-seat attack and reconnaissance aircraft

Two-seat trainer

Upgraded to use GPS navigation and helmet-mounted missile sight


Details

Produced to meet a joint Anglo-French requirement in 1965 for a dual-role advanced/operational trainer and tactical support aircraft, the Jaguar has been transformed into a potent fighter-bomber. Deliveries began in 1973, and at its peak the Jaguar equipped 8 front-line RAF squadrons in the UK and Germany.

The RAF's Jaguar fleet has recently undergone a major upgrade programme and been designated as the Jaguar GR3 (or T4 for the 2-seat version). The upgrade included improved avionics including Global Positioning System (GPS) and Terrain-Referenced Navigation (TRN) , Night Vision Goggles (NVG) compatible lighting (both internally and externally), helmet-mounted sight and ASRAAM capability, and new Head-Up and Head-Down Displays in the cockpit.

The Jaguar is capable of using 1,000lb conventional bombs, Paveway laser- and GPS-guided bombs, rocket pods and its Aden cannon. For self-defence a pair of Sidewinder air-to-air missiles can be mounted on the over-wing hardpoints. It can be fitted with an external fuel tank on the centreline pylon, or 2 tanks under the wings. In the reconnaissance role the Jaguar is fited with an externally mounted pod, equipped with conventional 'wet film' and sensors. It can also carry the Thermal Imaging Airborne Laser Designator (TIALD) pod for self-designation or co-operative designation of precision-guided weapons.


Jaguar Specifications

Engines:
Two Turbomeca/Rolls-Royce Adour turbofans

Length:
55ft 2in (16.83m)

Wingspan:
28ft 6 in (8.69m)

Top Speed:
1,056mph (1,700km/h)

Accommodation:
GR3: pilot only;
T4: pilot and pupil in tandem


Roles

Air Interdiction (AI). Low- or medium-level attacks using precision-guided, freefall or retarded bombs.

Close Air Support (CAS). Air action against hostile targets that are in close proximity to friendly forces on the ground.

Tactical Reconnaissance (Tac Recce).


Armament

Two 30mm Aden guns and up to 10,000lb (4,500kg) of stores. Weapons available include 1,000lb retard and freefall bombs, CBU-87 cluster bombs, Paveway 2 and 3 laser-guided bombs and CRV-7 rocket pods. Two AIM-9L Sidewinder air-to-air missiles (carried over-wing) are used for self-defence. When used in the reconnaissance role, the pod is carried under the fuselage on the centreline pylon.

Source : www.raf.mod.uk

The Jaguar is great and has served Britain well.

I like the 'above wing' pylons.

It is too bad they are being retired early to save a bit of money.

[edit on 1/8/04 by Hyperen]

I don't know if you already knew this but in 1978 BAe proposed the 'Super Jaguar' in order to give the RAF an aircraft to match the F-16 in combat and also in order to put Britain back into the fighter export business.

The main differences were in the use of a pair of RB 199 engines in the place of the Adour and an all-new wing which was slightly longer than the standard wing and resembled the MiG 29's in shape but with wingtip as well as overwing sidewinder stations, it was when the development of LERX's for the Harrier was just beginning and their suitability for the Super Jaguar was also to be examined so they would have been fitted as well. The nose was to house a version of the Sea Harriers Blue Fox radar. Obviously the plans came to nothing but it would have been nice to see it fly, there was no French participation in this BAe only project.

PS I know some of these posts of mine are crying out for pictures but I don't know how to post piccies that are on my hard drive, is there somewhere I could find out?

[edit on 1-8-2004 by waynos]

Originally posted by waynos
PS I know some of these posts of mine are crying out for pictures but I don't know how to post piccies that are on my hard drive, is there somewhere I could find out?

Have you tried looking at the tutorial on ATS? There it shows you how to upload images to the space given to you by ATS and put them in your posts.

Or do you mean you would like some sites that let you upload them there?

Thank you hyperen, I hope this shows the plan illustration from the 1978 Super Jaguar proposal I've just posted about.

Jaguars of Nos 6 and 54 Squadrons mass taxy.




Taxying in the late afternoon sun.

More?






A Jaguar of No 6 Squadron sporting the new light grey colour scheme applied to some aircraft shortly before Operation TELIC.
Mare

Sorry about the size

All CROWN COPYRIGHT.