Jaguar A

Jaguar A

Super Etendard

Mirage 2000D-R1

Jaguar A

Super Etendard

Mirage 2000D-R1

France

VII Rank

Battle rating:

AB	RB	SB
10.7	10.7	10.3

Class:

Strike aircraft

Research:300 000

Purchase:830 000

Description

The Jaguar A is a rank VII French jet fighter with a battle rating of 10.7 (AB/RB) and 10.3 (SB). It was introduced in Update "Raining Fire". It is a twin-engine ground assault aircraft, designed with the transport and operation of heavy ordnance in mind. It also comes equipped with air-to-air missiles, in the form of the dreaded Matra R550 Magic 1. Overall a bomb truck, it is very unwieldy while fully loaded, but is exceptionally nimble once its bomb/rocket load is expended.

General info

Flight performance

The SEPECAT Jaguar is a relatively small aircraft, with a relatively small wing surface area, yet it boasts two jet engines, each yielding nearly two tons of wet thrust. These characteristics give the Jaguar exceptional agility and responsiveness, being able to engage turnfights if necessary. On the other hand, this small frame makes the Jaguar turn into a brick when loaded with bombs, even becoming so heavy it becomes very hard to take-off. The wings are of a swept design, and the Jaguar loses energy while turning only moderately, not being a BnZ fighter, but not being as bad as a Mirage IIIC or a J35D Draken. Overall it is a quite average fighter, while not loaded.

Characteristics	Max Speed (km/h at 10,668 m)		Max altitude (metres)	Turn time (seconds)		Rate of climb (metres/second)		Take-off run (metres)
	AB	RB		AB	RB	AB	RB
Stock	1,657	1,645	13716	31.8	32.4	74.2	66.2	850
Upgraded	1,728	1,688		28.5	30.0	109.3	90.0

Details

Features
Combat flaps	Take-off flaps	Landing flaps	Air brakes	Arrestor gear	Drogue chute
✓	✓	✓	✓	✓	✓

Limits
Wings (km/h)	Gear (km/h)	Flaps (km/h)			Max Static G
		Combat	Take-off	Landing	+	-
0	481	950	525	410	~12	~6

Optimal velocities (km/h)
Ailerons	Rudder	Elevators	Radiator
< 650	< 600	< 720	N/A

Engine performance

Engine			Aircraft mass
Engine name		Number	Basic Mass		Wing loading (full fuel)
Rolls-Royce Turbomeca Limited Adour Mk.102		2	7,616 kg		453 kg/m2
Engine characteristics			Mass with fuel (no weapons load)				Max Takeoff Weight
Weight (each)	Type		12m fuel	20m fuel	30m fuel	42m fuel
709 kg	Afterburning low-bypass turbofan		8,545 kg	9,165 kg	9,940 kg	10,869 kg	13,500 kg
Maximum engine thrust @ 0 m (RB / SB)			Thrust to weight ratio @ 0 m (WEP)
Condition	100%	WEP	12m fuel	20m fuel	30m fuel	42m fuel	MTOW
Stationary	1,998 kgf	3,094 kgf	0.72	0.68	0.62	0.57	0.46
Optimal	2,242 kgf (200 km/h)	3,307 kgf (200 km/h)	0.77	0.72	0.67	0.61	0.49

Survivability and armour

The Jaguar A has no armour plating or armoured glass. The entire wings of the Jaguar A are made up of fuel tanks, along with most of the upper fuselage, with flight controls being exposed in the "spine" of the aircraft. The two engines take up a small amount of room in the very rear of the fuselage.

Armaments

Offensive armament

The Jaguar A is armed with:

• 2 x 30 mm DEFA 553 cannons, belly-mounted (150 rpg = 300 total)

Suspended armament

The Jaguar A can be outfitted with the following ordnance:

• Without load
• 11 x 250 kg SAMP Type 25 bombs (2,750 kg total)
• 8 x 400 kg SAMP Type 21 bombs (3,200 kg total)
• 108 x SNEB type 23 rockets
• 144 x SNEB type 23 rockets
• 16 x TBA ECC rockets
• 16 x TBA Multi-Dart 100 AB rockets
• 2 x Matra R550 Magic 1 missiles
• 9 x 250 kg SAMP Type 25 bombs + 2 x Matra R550 Magic 1 missiles (2,250 kg total)
• 6 x 400 kg SAMP Type 21 bombs + 2 x Matra R550 Magic 1 missiles (2,400 kg total)
• 2 x Matra R550 Magic 1 missiles + 72 x SNEB type 23 rockets
• 2 x Matra R550 Magic 1 missiles + 72 x SNEB type 23 rockets
• 2 x Matra R550 Magic 1 missiles + 8 x TBA ECC rockets
• 2 x Matra R550 Magic 1 missiles + 8 x TBA Multi-Dart 100 AB rockets

The sets of bombs are the heaviest ordnances for the aircraft, but ensure a good supply of CAS support capability, even though bomb runs in combined battles are extremely dangerous at such BRs.

The most exotic loadout proposed by the Jaguar A is the TBA Multi-Dart 100 AB rocket. This rocket is a hypersonic, sub-munition-carrying vessel, with each rocket carrying six darts, and reaching 1400 m/s, or Mach 4.2. Each dart is in fact a small kinetic penetrator, each being able to penetrate 80 mm of flat armour, and relying only on fragmentation of armour as post-penetration damage. While these darts cannot pierce the front (or even side) hull of a modern MBT, it will pierce its roof without problems, and the rocket speed and number of darts gives the possibility of top attacks from a safe distance, with extreme precision.

Usage in battles

The Jaguar A is a catastrophic aircraft to grind, because its only air-to-air missiles are locked as a rank 4 modification. The entirety of its opposition will be carrying both IR and semi-active radar missiles. Once these missiles are researched, the Jaguar becomes a force to be reckoned with, and it can be expected that a few kills can be made on unsuspecting enemies. The bomb/rocket load of the Jaguar A is decent, and bombing bases and key targets is definitely a good way to acquire experience. Carrying a hybrid air-to-air and air-to-ground load is a good compromise, retaining adequate ground pounding capabilities while acquiring self-defence capabilities.

It is a good tactic to let pure fighters go in front, and remain at low altitude. That way the Jaguar will not be in the front lines, and will be able to expend its bomb load and attempt to help fighters with its missiles. The Jaguar cannot face aircraft such as a MiG-21, or a Mirage IIIC, or even a Phantom II and be expected to win. The aircraft fares better as a support aircraft.

In Combined battles, many CAS options are available. Be it the SAMP bombs, SNEB rockets, or Multi-Dart rockets, with the latter being its cutting edge weapon against ground forces. Remaining at a safe distance and avoiding incoming missiles while selecting a target, then pointing it swiftly for a top attack with one or more Multi-Dart rockets seems to be an adequate usage of these weapons. It can be decided to abandon the air-to-air missiles to carry more ordnance, that is a choice of attack paradigm each player must make.

Modules

Tier	Flight performance		Survivability	Weaponry
I	Fuselage repair			Offensive 30 mm	LAU-5003 B/A	Matra JL-100R
II	New boosters	Compressor	Airframe		Type 25C	Matra LR F1
III	Wings repair	Engine		New 30 mm cannons		LR 100-4
IV	G-suit		Cover		Type 21B	Matra R550 Magic 1

Pros and cons

Pros:

• Small frame, hard to hit with guns
• Nimble and agile while not loaded
• Carries two extremely efficient Matra R550 Magic missiles
• Carries an exotic weapon for CAS, which players are not used to face
• Can be played as a bomb truck

Cons:

• Researching the modifications are a hassle
• Basically a barely flying anvil when fully loaded with bombs
• Does not carry flares
• No protection
• No radar (and thus no radar guided missiles)

History

The Jaguar A was the French variant of the SEPECAT Jaguar developed jointly by France and the United Kingdom. The first prototype flew in late 1968, fitted with the Adour engine. The aircraft later flew at the Paris Air Show in 1969, and the further developed Jaguar A prototype, improved and designed for French service, flew in March of that year. After the commencement of production, the French Air Service accepted the first Jaguar A in December of 1973, one of an eventual 160 Jaguar A aircraft that would serve with the Air Service. As well, the Air Ministry procured 40 additional Jaguar E trainers, to help train pilots for the Jaguar A.

The aircraft was able to carry an AN-52 nuclear bomb; however, the aircraft never served with the French strategic nuclear force as the role had been taken by the Mirage IV. The aircraft was immediately pressed into service defending national interests in Africa, a mission sometimes referred to as "Jaguar Diplomacy". Thus, Jaguars had their combat debut fighting rebels in Mauritania. The aircraft also flew in the Chad-Libya conflict and in the Central African Republic. During its time in African-theatre service, the Jaguar gained a reputation for being a highly effective ground attacker; Libyan forces frequently tried to sabotage the Jaguars stationed in Chad due to their effectiveness against ground targets.

Later on, Jaguars served in the Gulf War and the 1999 Kosovo conflict. The aircraft flew 615 sorties in the Gulf War, and one aircraft was lost to an Iraqi SAM. The plane was frequently used to destroy Iraqi convoys, naval vessels and Scud missile sites. The aircraft also performed a valuable reconnaissance role, providing aerial photography and intelligence for the NATO forces. The Jaguars went on to serve until 2005 when they were replaced in the ground-attack role by the Dassault Rafale.

Media

Skins

• Skins and camouflages for the Jaguar A from live.warthunder.com.

Videos

The Shooting Range #221 - Metal Beasts section at 00:28 discusses the Jaguar A.

See also

• Jaguar GR.1

External links

• [Devblog] SEPECAT Jaguar: Raining Fire