INTRODUCTION

The Sepecat Jaguar is a tactical light attack aircraft that is nicknamed the Shamsher or Sword of Justice in India. The Indian Air Force uses three Sepecat Jaguar variants, the single seat IS for low level attacks, the single seat IM for maritime attacks, and the two seater IB, which is used for training.

Five operational squadrons in India use Sepecat Jaguar aircraft. These squadrons are the 5, 14, 16 and 27 squadrons, which all use Sepecat Jaguar IS aircraft, and the maritime attack squadron 6, which uses the IM variant of the aircraft. The IAF also owns a two seat Sepecat Jaguar IB aircraft, which is used for training.

The IM variant of the Sepecat Jaguar has been used by IAF squadron 6, the maritime attack squadron. India has acquired 12 IM aircraft for its marine unit, but two of these aircraft have been lost in accidents. The Sepecat Jaguar IMs were operated by squadron 6 from Pune for decades, but the squadron moved to Jamnagar in 2007, leaving Pune for the exclusive use of Sukhoi 30 aircraft.

The IAF has been making use of Sepecat Jaguars for more than 20 years. The original purchase of these aircraft by the IAF took place in 1978, since India required a new strike aircraft for deep penetration.

Originally, the IAF received a batch of 18 aircraft that were on loan from the British RAF. These aircraft entered the service of the IAF in 1979. They included 16 Jaguar GR.1s and two Jaguar T.2s. The IAF lost two of these original Sepecat Jaguars to accidents. A third aircraft was used in a research and development program that would result in the new Indian designed DARIN avionics systems and the fitting of Magic air to air missiles to the aircraft.

The IAF received 35 Sepecat Jaguar IS aircraft and five Jaguar IB aircraft from BAE in 1981. This enabled the IAF to return the remaining loaned Sepecat Jaguar aircraft to the RAF during the period between 1982 and 1984.

PRODUCTION

Production of Sepecat Jaguar aircraft began at the Indian company HAL. HAL manufactured an additional 12 Sepecat Jaguar IMs for use in maritime attacks, ten Jaguar IBs and 58 Jaguar IS aircraft. The IAF purchased another 15 strike aircraft in 1993, which were all delivered by the year 1999.

The IAF has since ordered another 17 Sepecat Jaguar IB two seater training aircraft. These aircraft will have an operational role as well as a training role since they will be able to take on night attack roles using laser guided weapons. These newer aircraft were to be fitted with improved navigation systems, the Sextant ring laser gyro-based inertial systems, which feature incorporated GPS systems. Production of the aircraft started in 1999, with the first aircraft being delivered to the IAF in 2001. The IAF later ordered another 20 aircraft, with production of all 37 of the new aircraft to be completed by the end of 2010. It is believed that the IAF may form a sixth squadron of Sepecat Jaguar aircraft, perhaps with a specialized role for target making and designation.

UPGRADES

Upgrades are planned for some of the older Sepecat Jaguar aircraft. The avionics systems of the older strike Jaguars will be upgraded by the Israeli company Elta and French company Sextant. The first aircraft to receive the upgraded systems will be the 35 oldest IAF Sepecat Jaguars, which were manufactured by BAE. These aircraft will also be fitted with digital databuses, like those already in place on the aircraft built by HAL. These older aircraft require the most work, but the rest of the IAF’s Sepecat Jaguars will also receive upgrades. Some modifications have already been incorporated into the aircraft, including modifications to make the aircraft less visible to radar. The updates that will be made to all of the Sepecat Jaguar aircraft will include the addition of new wider angle HUDs The upgrades will also ensure that the aircraft are compatible with FLIR. New head down displays will be fitted, which will be capable of displaying digital maps, FLIR and video imagery. New Sextant MFD 66 displays will be used to replace the older projected map and COMED displays. HUDs and multi channel color digital video recorders will also be fitted to the aircraft. New navigation systems with GPS will be fitted.

A OSAMC mission computer system will be developed jointly by HAL and the British Smiths Industries Aerospace. It will provide computing and display functions. The OSMAC mission control computers uses COTS modules and components. It provides a wide range of computing, display generation and interfacing functions. Each aircraft is fitted with a pair of computers to ensure complete redundancy. Other upgrades to the Sepecat Jaguars have included the addition of RWRs and ELTA self-protection jammers.

India’s Sepecat Jaguar IMs were upgraded with multimode fire control EL/M-2032 radar systems in 1996. Electronic warfare pods were also fitted to the aircraft. The upgraded Sepecat Jaguars will be able to carry Lightening Laser Designation Pods. Upgrades are expected to be made to the autopilot system.

Further upgrades to the Sepecat Jaguar aircraft are expected to be made in the future. Together, the upgrades are expected to increase the service lifetimes of the aircraft, perhaps enabling them to remain in use for until 2020.

DESIGN

Most of the Sepecat Jaguar is constructed from aluminum alloys, but the engine bays have been made out of titanium. The aircraft features a one piece wing with a 40 degree sweep and two main spars. Roll control is achieved through the use of spoilers operating together with the differential tailplane since the aircraft has no ailerons. Double slotted flaps are fitted along the whole trailing edge and slats are fitted to the outer parts of the leading edge. Airbrakes are fitted below the wing’s trailing edge. Critical systems in the aircraft are protected by armor. The aircraft has a windscreen that is bullet proof against fire from 7.5 millimeter rifles.

AVIONICS

The Sepecat Jaguar aircraft built by BAE have an avionics suite that uses NAVWASS, while those that were built in India by HAL have a newer navigation system, DARIN, as part of their avionics system. The DARIN based avionics suite incorporates a wide field of view Type 1301 head up display and weapons aiming computer from Smiths GEC Avionics. It also features a GEC-Ferranti 2045 combined map and electronic display, a laser ranger and marked target seekers and a SAGEM ULISS 82 INS. The avionics systems also include radar altimeters, HF/SSB, V/UHF, ADF and IFF equipment that has been designed in India. The aircraft that are built by HAL in India also feature a digital databus that enables a range of new systems and weapons to be used with the Sepecat Jaguars.

NAVAL VARIANT

The Sepecat Jaguar IM, which is the maritime variant of the aircraft, features certain modifications that help to make it suitable for its intended functions. These differences in the maritime variant include an Agave radar mounted on the nose of the aircraft. The radar is displayed in the HUD or in the COMED display. In these aircraft, the radar system has been optimized for air to surface operations in a marine environment, but it can also be used for air to air combat.

ENGINE

The Sepecat Jaguars that were built by BAE were fitted with a pair of Adour 804E turbofan engines, but the aircraft built by HAL feature Adour Mk.811 RT172-58 turbofan engines, each of, which is capable of producing a maximum thrust of 8400 pounds.

RANGE

The Sepecat Jaguar has a capacity of 4200 liters of fuel, carried in four tanks in the fuselage and two in the wings. The critical parts of the fuel system is protected by armor, as it the cockpit transparency, which is protected against small weapon fire.

The maximum range of the Sepecat Jaguar is 874 miles. In-flight refueling is made possible by a retractable probe that is located to the starboard side, at the front of the aircraft. The range of the Sepecat Jaguar can be increased to 1611 miles by the use of in-flight refueling. The Sepecat Jaguar has a maximum speed of Mach 1.5 and a service ceiling of 36,000 feet.

WEAPONS

Sepecat Jaguars are fitted with a pair of 30 millimeter Aden guns each of which uses 150 rounds of ammunition, although the two seat training aircraft only feature a single gun. Sepecat Jaguars are fitted with RWR self-defense systems and with both active and passive electronic countermeasures.

The aircraft has five weapons hardpoints. The Sepecat Jaguar can carry up to a maximum of 10,500 pounds of external stores.

Sepecat Jaguar IS aircraft can carry a number of different unguided weapons including dumb bombs, SNEB unguided rocket pods, Hunting BL755 cluster bomb units, AS-30L ASMs, Matra Durandal anti runway bombs and F1 and 155 rocket pods, RAF slick and retarded 1000 pound bombs and Lepus 8 inch reconnaissance flares. The IS aircraft can also carry a pair of Magic II missiles, which can be used to provide protection against enemy interceptors. Sepecat Jaguars are capable of carrying nuclear weapons. The IM variant can carry Sea Eagle missiles for use during maritime attacks.