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SEPCAT GR.1 Jaguar |
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Name: Jaguar GR.1
Jaguar BackgroundSEPCAT Jaguar GR.1B, GR.3, GR.3A, T.4Last revised September 1, 2003 The RAF had intended to scale down the Jaguar force during the 1990s, but after the good showing of the type in the Gulf War the plans were reconsidered. Another major influence in the decision to hang onto the Jaguars longer was the persistent stretchout in the delivery date of the Eurofighter, the Jaguar's intended replacement. The entire RAF Jaguar force was consolidated in three squadrons at RAF Coltishall in Norfolk, though the aircraft continued to be dispatched to trouble spots. RAF Jaguars served in helping police the ""no fly zones"" set up in Iraq, as well as in the various policing actions in the Balkans during the 1990s. A neat overall gray paint scheme was introduced late in the decade as the standard Jaguar colors. The RAF put considerable further effort into modernizing the Jaguar to keep it operationally effective. In fact, the upgrade program has been so enthusiastic that it is a headache to sort it out. The first step in the series of upgrades took place in 1994, when the British Ministry of Defense issued an ""Urgent Operational Requirement (UOR)"" to fit a handful of the machines with the GEC-Marconi TIALD (Thermal Imaging And Laser Designation) 200 targeting pod, which had been shown to be a necessity during operations in Bosnia. TIALD includes a ""forward looking infrared (FLIR)"" imager mounted in a turret with a laser target designator for target marking. The upgrade involved fit of the MIL-STD 1553B digital avionics bus; an improved HUD; a flat-panel head-down multifunction display with dimensions of 12.5 by 12.5 centimeters (5 by 5 inches); and a hand controller to steer the TIALD turret. The Jaguars given this initial TIALD upgrade were given the new designation ""GR.1B"", and went into action over Bosnia in the spring of 1995, generally performing ""buddy designation"" for RAF Bae Harrier GR.7s. Although the TIALD could be carried on an inboard wing pylon, with a fuel tank on the centerline and a laser-guided bomb (LGB) on the other wing pylon, it was judged more effective in Bosnia to carry a fuel tank on each inboard pylon, fit TIALD on the center pylon, and have other aircraft carry the LGBs. This effort led to the next two steps in the upgrade process:
The first Jaguar 96 upgrades were delivered in 1997, with the first Jaguar 97 upgrades delivered in 2000. By this time, the Jaguar 96 had been designated the ""Jaguar GR.3"" and the Jaguar 97 the ""Jaguar GR.3A"". Jaguar T.2s are also being refitted to some variation on Jaguar 96/97 standard -- the exact fit of the two-seaters is a bit unclear. The two-seaters are being redesignated as ""Jaguar T.4"". A total of 61 Jaguar GR.3A and 18 Jaguar T.4 upgrades are planned. RAF Pilots have been extremely happy with the new capabilities, which they feel have made the Jaguar a significantly more effective combat aircraft. The Jaguar upgrades didn't end there, with the RAF implementing a ""Continuous Technology Improvement Program (CTIP)"" to add new features on an ongoing basis. New stores are being qualified, most significantly the Bae ""Advanced Short Range AAM (ASRAAM)"". ASRAAM is an ""off-boresight"" missile, meaning that the pilot doesn't have to point the entire aircraft at a target to get a missile seeker lock. The pilot instead ""cues"" the missile to a target with the HMSS. Another new store is the Vinten GP(1) ""electro-optical (EO)"" reconnaissance pod, which carries fully electronic optical and infrared reconnaissance imagers, replacing the obsolete BAC film-camera pod. Apparently another Vinten EO pod was used earlier by Jaguars on a limited basis over the Balkans. The latest upgrade to the aircraft itself involves replacement of the Adour 104 engine with the improved Adour 106, which uses the core of the Adour 871 fitted to the US Navy's T-45 Goshawk trainer, the afterburner of the export Adour 811, and a digital engine control. The Adour 106 provides simplified maintenance, enhanced reliability, and about 6% more thrust. The Adour 106s are all rebuilds of Adour 104s and are not new production engines. 60 Jaguars are receiving the Adour 106, with the last aircraft to be upgraded in 2005. This will be only three years before the Jaguar leaves service in 2008. The engine upgrade is still felt to be cost-effective, as the Adour 104 engines were proving quite a maintenance headache. In fact, even in this twilight period the Jaguar may receive a few more upgrades. Candidates include fit of an ""Integrated Data Modem (IDM)""; a built-in FLIR imager; a new overwing launch rail with Swedish BOL chaff-flare dispensers fitted to the rear end; and carriage of the Brimstone missile, a much-improved British derivative of the US Hellfire anti-armor missile designed for aircraft launch. Given that RAF Jaguars are still around and in good fighting trim long after everyone might have expected them to be retired, it wouldn't be too surprising if they remain in service well after 2008. DimensionsWing Span: 28.51 ft. / 8.69 M
Power & PerformancePowerplant(s): 2x RR/Turbomeca Adour Mk104 augmented turbofan
Armament2 x Aden 30mm cannon, AIM-9 Sidewinder AAMs, bombs, unguided rockets, UsersFrance, India, UK |
