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The Jaguar GR1B operates in the offensive support role. Of Anglo-French design and operational since 1974, the Jaguar is in service with three squadrons - two attack and one tactical reconnaissance. A variety of weapons including cluster, freefall, retard and laser guided bombs, as well as rockets can be carried on the four wing and one fuselage stations. Two 30mm cannon are mounted internally. To mark targets for laser guided weapons, the aircraft carries the thermal imaging and laser designation (TIALD) pod. For self-defence, overwing Sidewinder infra-red missiles are carried and the aircraft is fitted with a comprehensive suite of electronic countermeasures. Perhaps the Jaguar's most impressive feature is its navigation and attack system. With mission data fed into the computer, all the necessary information for a pinpoint attack is relayed to the head-up display. From the display, the pilot knows exactly where the target is located and precisely when to release his weapons for maximum effect. |
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Powerplant: Two Turbomeca/Rolls-Royce Adour 104 turbofans of 7,305lb st. Span: 28ft 6 in (8.69m) Length: 55ft 2.5in (16.83m) Max Speed: 990mph (1,593km/h) at 36,000ft (11,000m). Accommodation: GR1B pilot only; T2: pilot and pupil in tandem. Armament: Two 30mm Aden guns and up to 10,000lb (4,500kg) stores including Martel, rockets and laser-guided bombs. Recognition: Long sleek fuselage with a large swept tail fin and rudder. Relatively short-span swept wings are shoulder-mounted on the fuselage. The internal jet engines have intakes either side of the fuselage behind the cockpit, with their top surfaces forming an extension of the wing. The rear jetpipes are located forward and below the tailplane which has marked anhedral. The raised bubble canopy is set above the sharply-pointed nose. The twin mainwheels of the undercarriage retract into the fuselage. |
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