Editing SEPECAT Jaguar (section)

==Development==
===Background===
[[File:JaguarT2 RAF over Scotland 1981.jpg|thumb|RAF Jaguar T2 in flight displaying underside, 1,187 litre tanks and CBLS (carrier, bomb, light store) fitted to its under-wing pylons.]]
The Jaguar programme began in the early 1960s, in response to a British requirement (Air Staff Target 362) for an advanced [[Supersonic aircraft|supersonic]] jet trainer to replace the [[Folland Gnat|Folland Gnat T1]] and [[Hawker Hunter|Hawker Hunter T7]], and a French requirement (the ''École de Combat et d'Appui Tactique'', ECAT "tactical combat support trainer") for a cheap, subsonic dual role trainer and light attack aircraft to replace the [[Fouga Magister]], [[Lockheed T-33]] and [[Dassault Mystère IV]].<ref name="url">[http://www.dassault-aviation.com/en/passion/aircraft/military-dassault-aircraft/jaguar.html?L=1 "Military Dassault aircraft: Jaguar."] {{webarchive|url=https://web.archive.org/web/20080620024938/http://www.dassault-aviation.com/en/passion/aircraft/military-dassault-aircraft/jaguar.html?L=1 |date=20 June 2008 }} ''Dassault Aviation.'' Retrieved: 15 November 2010.</ref><ref>Bowman 2007, pp. 12–13.</ref> In both countries several companies tendered designs: BAC, [[Hunting Aircraft|Hunting]], [[Hawker Siddeley]] and [[Folland Aircraft|Folland]] in Britain; Breguet, [[Potez]], [[Sud Aviation|Sud-Aviation]], [[Nord Aviation|Nord]], and Dassault from France.<ref name="WAPJ11 p56"/> A [[Memorandum of understanding|Memorandum of Understanding]] was signed in May 1965 for the two countries to develop two aircraft, a trainer based on the ECAT, and the larger [[BAC/Dassault AFVG|AFVG]] (British-French Variable Geometry).<ref name="WAPJ11 p56">Jackson 1992, p. 56.</ref>

Cross-channel negotiations led to the formation of SEPECAT (''Société Européenne de Production de l'Avion d'École de Combat et d'Appui Tactique'' – the "European company for the production of a combat trainer and tactical support aircraft"<ref name = 'wagner 122'>Wagner 2009, p. 122.</ref>) in 1966 as a joint venture between Breguet{{#tag:ref|Breguet later merged to form Dassault-Breguet, subsequently [[Dassault Aviation]]|group=N}} and the British Aircraft Corporation to produce the airframe. Though based in part on the Breguet Br.121, using the same basic configuration and an innovative French-designed landing gear, the Jaguar was built incorporating major elements of design from BAC, notably the wing and high lift devices.<ref name="WAPJ11 p58,71">Jackson 1992, pp. 58, 71.</ref>

Production of components would be split between Breguet and BAC, and the aircraft themselves would be assembled on two production lines; one in the UK and one in France,<ref>Bowman 2007, pp. 14–17.</ref> To avoid any duplication of work, each aircraft component had only one source.<ref name = 'flight 1969 600'/> The British light strike/tactical support versions were the most demanding design, requiring supersonic performance, superior avionics, a cutting edge nav/attack system of more accuracy and complexity than the French version, [[moving map display]], laser range-finder and marked-target seeker (LRMTS). As a result, the initial Br.121 design needed a thinner wing, redesigned fuselage, a higher rear cockpit, and after-burning engines. The British design departed from the French sub-sonic Breguet 121 to such a degree that it was effectively a new design.<ref name="thunder-and-lightnings.co.uk">{{Cite web|url=http://www.thunder-and-lightnings.co.uk/jaguar/history.php|title = Thunder & Lightnings - SEPECAT Jaguar - History}}</ref>

A separate partnership was formed between [[Rolls-Royce Limited|Rolls-Royce]] and [[Turbomeca]] to develop the [[Rolls-Royce Turbomeca Adour|Adour]] afterburning turbofan engine.<ref name="JAWA80 p105"/><ref name="JAWA80 p708">Taylor 1980, p. 708.</ref> The Br.121 was proposed with Turbomeca's Tourmalet engine for ECAT but Breguet preferred the RR RB.172 and their joint venture would use elements of both. The new engine, which would be used for the AFVG as well, would be built in [[Derby]] and [[Tarnos]].<ref>Bowman 2007. p18-19</ref>

Previous collaborative efforts between Britain and France had been complicated – the AFVG programme ended in cancellation, and controversy surrounded the development of the supersonic airliner [[Concorde]].<ref name = 'wallace 27'>Wallace 1984, p. 27.</ref> Whilst the technical collaboration between BAC and Breguet went well,<ref name="WAPJ11 p58"/> when Dassault took over Breguet in 1971 it encouraged acceptance of its own designs, such as the [[Dassault-Breguet Super Étendard|Super Étendard]] naval attack aircraft and the [[Dassault Mirage F1|Mirage F1]], for which it would receive more profit, over the British-French Jaguar.<ref name = 'wallace 27'/><ref name="WAPJ11 p77">Jackson 1992, p. 77.</ref>

The initial plan was for Britain to buy 150 Jaguar "B" trainers, with its strike requirements being met by the advanced BAC-Dassault AFVG aircraft, with France to buy 75 "E" trainers (''école'') and 75 "A" single-seat strike attack aircraft (''appui''). Dassault favoured its own [[Dassault Mirage G|Mirage G]] aircraft above the collaborative AFVG, and in June&nbsp;1967, France cancelled the AFVG on cost grounds.<ref name = 'segell 169'>Segell 1998, p. 169.</ref> This left a gap in the RAF's planned strike capabilities for the 1970s;<ref name = 'segell 169'/> at the same time as France's cancellation of the AFVG, Germany was expressing a serious interest in the Jaguar,<ref name = 'segell 172'>Segell 1998, p. 172.</ref> and thus the design became more oriented towards the low-level strike role.<ref name="WAPJ11 p56,8">Jackson 1992, pp. 56, 58.</ref>

With the cancellation of both the [[BAC TSR-2]] tactical strike aircraft and [[Hawker Siddeley P.1154]] supersonic V/STOL fighter, the RAF were looking increasingly hard at their future light strike needs and realizing that they now needed more than just advanced trainers with some secondary counter insurgency capability. At this point, the RAF's proposed strike fleet was to be the American [[General Dynamics F-111]]s plus the AFVG for lighter strike purposes. There was concern that both F-111 and AFVG were high risk projects and with the French already planning on a strike role for the Jaguar, there was an opportunity to introduce a credible backup plan for the RAF's future strike needs – the Jaguar. As a result, by October&nbsp;1970, the RAF's requirements had changed to 165 single-seat strike aircraft and 35 trainers.<ref name="WAPJ11 p58">Jackson 1992, p. 58.</ref>

The Jaguar was to replace the [[McDonnell Douglas Phantom in UK service|McDonnell Douglas Phantom FGR2]] in the [[close air support]], tactical reconnaissance and tactical strike roles, freeing the Phantom to be used for air defence.<ref name="Hobbs p37">Hobbs 2008, p.37.</ref> Both the French and British trainer requirements had developed significantly, and were eventually fulfilled instead by the [[Alpha Jet]] and [[Hawker Siddeley Hawk]] respectively.<ref name = 'wallace 28'>Wallace 1984, p. 28.</ref> The French, meanwhile, had chosen the Jaguar to replace the ''[[French Naval Aviation|Aeronavale]]'''s [[Dassault Étendard IV]], and increased their order to include an initial 40 of a carrier-capable [[Navalised|maritime version]] of the Jaguar, the Jaguar M.<ref name="Bowman 2007, p. 21">Bowman 2007, p. 21.</ref> From these apparently disparate aims would come a single and entirely different aircraft: relatively high-tech, supersonic, and optimised for ground-attack in a high-threat environment.<ref>Wagner 2009, pp. 122–123.</ref>

===Prototypes===
The first of eight prototypes flew on 8&nbsp;September&nbsp;1968, a two-seat design fitted with the first production model Adour engine.<ref name="1stFlight">''Flight'' 12 September 1968, p. 391.</ref><ref name="JAWA71 p107">Taylor 1971, p. 107.</ref> This aircraft went supersonic on its third flight but was lost on landing on 26 March 1970 following an engine fire.<ref>{{cite web|title=The Year 1970|url=http://www.ejection-history.org.uk/project/year_pages/1970.htm|publisher=Ejection-history.org.uk|access-date=8 June 2011|archive-url=https://web.archive.org/web/20121004200854/http://www.ejection-history.org.uk/project/year_pages/1970.htm|archive-date=4 October 2012|url-status = dead|df=dmy-all}}</ref> The second prototype flew in February 1969; a total of three prototypes flew at the [[Paris Air Show]] that year. The first French "A" prototype flew in March 1969. In October a British "S" conducted its first flight.<ref name = 'flight 1969 600'>''Flight'' 16 October 1969, p. 600.</ref>

[[File:Musée de L’Aéronautique Navale (11).JPG|thumb|Jaguar M prototype]]
A Jaguar M prototype flew in November 1969. This had a strengthened airframe, an arrestor hook and different undercarriage: twin nosewheel and single mainwheels. After testing in France it went to [[RAF Thurleigh|RAE at Thurleigh]] for carrier landing trials from their land based catapult, after which, in July 1970, it underwent a series of shipboard trials from the French carrier ''[[French aircraft carrier Clemenceau (R98)|Clemenceau]]''. From these trials there were doubts about the throttle response in case of an aborted landing. The shipboard testing also revealed problems with the aircraft's handling when flying on one engine, although planned engine improvements were to have rectified these problems.<ref name="WAPJ11 p77"/> The "M" was considered a suitable replacement for the Etendard IV but the ''Aeronavale'' would only be able to afford 60 instead of 100 aircraft.<ref>Bowman 2007, p. 23-27.</ref>

In 1971, Dassault proposed the Super Étendard, claiming that it was a simpler and cheaper development of the existing Étendard IV, and in 1973, the French Navy ordered it instead of the Jaguar. However, rising costs meant that only 71 of the planned 100 Super Étendards were purchased.<ref name="WAPJ11 p77"/> The M was cancelled by the French government in 1973.<ref>Bowman 2007, p. 26.</ref>