Jag Attack!!!! 1:100 SEPECAT Jaguar IS Indian Air Force No. 5 Sqdn "Tuskers"
An extremely proud addition to my collection because this model is of a long serving strike fighter of our Air Force - the SEPECAT/HAL Jaguar IS. Its in the grey/green factory painted wraparound camo of Indian Jaguars in markings of No. 5 Squadron Indian Air Force 'Tuskers". Sometime after the Kargil almost all IAF aircraft except the Mirage 2000 got painted in the dull boring Grey paint scheme.
The model with my copy of No.5 Sqdn's book:
JS116 with photo of its real life counterpart:
Some great detailing : serial number under the wings & nose gear door and stencils:
Chaff/flare dispensers have also been modelled:
Overall a very good & detailed model. No landing gear. Only two gripes with the model:
A) Eventhough the cannon ports have been modelled, they have left it unpainted.
B) The Jaguar S's LRMTS window has not been modelled.
JS116, No. 5 Sqdn:
The Indian Jaguar
Origin: Consortium of United Kingdom & France(SEPECAT - Société Européenne de Production de l'Avion d'École de Combat et d'Appui Tactique).
Indian Name: Shamsher (Sword of Justice).
Type: Tactical light attack aircraft.
Engine: HAL-built Jaguars are powered with the RT172-58 Adour Mk.811 turbofans, each rated at 8400 lbs. of maximum thrust. BAe-built Jaguars were initially powered with two Adour 804E turbofans.
Maximum Speed: Mach 1.5
Service Ceiling: 11,000 meters; 36,000 ft.
Maximum Range: With internal fuel only - 1408 km; 875 miles.
.......................With drop tanks - 2593 km; 1611 miles.
G Limit: +8.6 (+12 ultimate)/-3.
Armament: Two 30mm Aden guns with 150 rds of ammunition in the single seater and one 30mm Aden gun on the port side fitted in the trainer. The Jaguar IS carries a variety of un-guided ordnance such as the AS-30L ASM, Hunting BL755 CBUs (cluster bomb units), RAF-type slick and retarded 1000 lb (454 kg) bombs, Matra Durandal anti-runway bombs, Lepus 8in reconnaissance flares and Matra F1 and 155 (SNEB) rocket pods. The Jaguar IS also carries two Magic-II missiles over the wing, for protection from enemy interceptors. The aircraft is also suited to carry a tactical nuclear payload. The Jaguar IMs use the Sea Eagle AShM for maritime strike.
Maximum External Stores Load: 4763 kgs; 10,500 lbs.
Self Defence: A RWR system and active/passive electronic counter measures.
The Jagaur was named "Shamsher" in Indian Air Force service. It was selected as part of IAF's DPSA(Deep Penetration Strike Aircraft) requirement to replace ageing Hunter & Canberra aircraft. The HAL built HF-24 Marut was supposed to replace them, but sadly it couldn't fro different reasons.
India's large requirement of aircraft caught the attention of competitors. Dassault-Breguet offered the Mirage F-1, SAAB offered its JA-37 Viggen and SEPECAT offered its Jaguar S.
The Jaguar S was selected with a contract for license manufacturing the aircraft in India and total of 120 Jaguars were manufactured by HAL( of a total of 158 Jaguars in the IAF - 38 were directly supply aircraft). Jaguar IS JS116 modelled here was a directly supply aircraft.
The 1999 Kargil War, only one Jaguar squadron took part - No. 14 'Bulls". They dropped some unguided bombs and a single LGB(which missed). They were also involved in SPR operations.
The Tuskers
The Tuskers have a proud combat history having been raised on ex-RAF & ex-USAAF B-24J Liberators salvaged dumped Liberators from Chakeri airfield in 1948. They were the IAF's first heavy bomber squadron (No.6 Sqdn "Dragons" were the second on B-24s).
In the 1958, they converted to the English Electric Canberra B(I)Mk.58s.
Under the able leadership of the legendary Wg. Cdr. P M Wilson, they deployed to Congo and formed the offensive air wing of ONUC(United Nations in Congo), along with Swedish Saab J-29 Tunnans and Ethiopian F-86 Sabres and earned several laurels destroying several Katangan rebel aircraft and providing "fighter" escort to UN transport aircraft.
The Tuskers equipped with Canberras took part in the 1965 & 1971 wars against Pakistan flying from Agra.
In 1981, The Tuskers became the second IAF squadron to equip with the Jaguar IS( No. 14 'Bulls' were the first) and they continue to fly the Jaguar from their home base in Ambala, Punjab to this day. Eventually six IAF squadrons equipped with the Jaguar IS/IT & IM - No. 5 "Tuskers"(IS/IT), No. 6 "Dragons" (IS/IM/IT), No. 14 "Bulls" (IS/IT), No. 16 "Black Cobras" (IS/IT), No. 27 "Flaming Arrows"(IS/IT), No. 224 "Warlords"(IS/IT). Before converting to the Jaguar, all squadrons were former Hunter or Canberra squadrons except 224 (which was the last MiG-23MF squadron sometime till late 2000s).