The Jaguar is intended as a ground attack aircraft—but the Indian Air Force used it in its recent missile battle against more maneuverable Pakistani fighters.
The Indian Air Force (IAF), which recently fought the largest air battle in a generation against neighboring Pakistan, has only one true attack aircraft in its arsenal: the British-French built SEPECAT Jaguar. Originally conceived as a jet trainer with light ground attack capabilities, the Jaguar was eventually modified to incorporate supersonic, reconnaissance, and tactical nuclear strike capabilities. Today, the Jaguar—which first flew in 1968—remains in service with India alone.
The Jaguar is reported to have participated in the recent India-Pakistan air battle—perhaps surprising, given that the Jaguar is intended as a ground attack aircraft and the battle is known to have primarily featured fighters with air-to-air capabilities who were forced to stay on their own respective sides of the border and lob missiles at each other at ranges sometimes in excess of 100 miles—not a mission set that the Jaguar was designed for. Still, the Jaguar is capable of carrying air-to-air missiles, and the IAF has about 120 Jaguars across six squadrons, making the Cold War trainer-turned-ground-attack-jet an important part of India’s inventory.
The SEPECAT Jaguar Is a Standard Attack Aircraft
The Jaguar features a somewhat conventional design, as a single-seat monoplane with swept wings and twin engines. Twin engines were installed for redundancy, increasing the aircraft’s chances of survival under fire or in event of an engine flameout. The specific engines chosen were Rolls-Royce Turbomeca Adour turbofans, which were built especially for the Jaguar.
Notably, the Adours can be swapped out in as little as thirty minutes, making maintenance considerably easier than on most contemporary models. Adour engines offer a thrust-to-weight ratio of 0.422—poor for a dogfighter aircraft, but adequate for the Jaguar’s intended mission set. The plane has a maximum speed of Mach 1.6 and a service ceiling of 46,000 feet.
The Jaguar Has Claws, Too
For armament, the Jaguar is outfitted with two 30-mm DEFA cannons, each capable of carrying 150 rounds. To carry rockets, missiles, and bombs, the Jaguar is also outfitted with seven hard points. Curiously, two of the hard points are actually over the wings, rather than under them, as nearly all other planes’ hard points are.
The Jaguar can carry a variety of missiles, including air-to-air options, like the AIM-9 Sidewinder, ASRAAM, and R.550 Magic. Note, the Jaguars who participated in the recent battle with Pakistan were likely outfitted with air-to-air missiles. The Jaguar can also be outfitted with air-to-surface missiles like the AS-30L or Rampage, anti-ship missiles like the Harpoon or Sea Eagle, and anti-radiation missiles like the AS.37 Martel and Rudram-1. Most notably, the Jaguar is also capable of carrying nuclear bombs—although, mercifully, none of these were used in the India-Pakistan clashes.
For the Jaguar to take more of a central role in the conflict between India and Pakistan, it likely would require the conflict to escalate. At present, the competing air forces have been engaging from great distances, from their own sides of the respective border—a mission set that the Jaguar is poorly suited to. If the Jaguar were to become central in the conflict, it would likely be because India was striking ground targets within Pakistan or Pakistan-controlled Kashmir. And given that both India and Pakistan are nuclear powers, such escalations should be avoided at all costs.
About the Author: Harrison Kass
Harrison Kass is a defense and national security writer with over 1,000 total pieces on issues involving global affairs. An attorney, pilot, guitarist, and minor pro hockey player, Harrison joined the U.S. Air Force as a Pilot Trainee but was medically discharged. Harrison holds a BA from Lake Forest College, a JD from the University of Oregon, and an MA from New York University. Harrison listens to Dokken.
Image: Shutterstock / Dean West Photo.
