Editing SEPECAT Jaguar (section)

===India===
India had been approached as a possible customer for the Jaguar as early as 1968, but had declined, partly on the grounds that it was not yet clear if the French and British would themselves accept the aircraft into service.<ref>Cohen and Dasgupta 2010, p. 77.</ref> India already had its indigenous [[HAL Marut|HF-24 Marut]] fighter-bomber, and tried to upgrade it with new engines, until the new project collapsed. A decade later IAF became the largest single export customer, with a $1 billion order for the aircraft in 1978, the Jaguar being chosen ahead of the [[Dassault Mirage F1]] and the [[Saab Viggen]] after a long and difficult evaluation process.<ref name = 'Barua 274'>Barua 2005, p. 274.</ref><ref name="AI Oct88 p177-181">''Air International'' October 1988, pp. 177–181.</ref> The order involved 40 Jaguars built in Europe at [[Warton Aerodrome|Warton]], and 120 [[licence-built]] aircraft from [[Hindustan Aeronautics Limited]] (HAL) under the local name ''[[Shamshir|Shamsher]]'' ("Sword of Justice").<ref name = 'Barua 274'/><ref name="Eden p.400-1"/>

As an interim measure, 18 RAF Jaguars were loaned to the IAF with the first two loaned aircraft operational with [[Western Air Command (India)|Western Air Command]] on 27&nbsp;July&nbsp;1979.<ref name="green">Green et al. 1982, p. 16.</ref> The second batch of aircraft for the IAF were 40 Jaguar Internationals built at [[Warton Aerodrome|Warton]], the first aircraft being delivered in March 1981.<ref name="WAPJ11 p108">Jackson 1992, p. 108.</ref> The third batch was the assembly of another 45 aircraft by HAL of kits shipped from the United Kingdom, the first kit being shipped to India in May 1981.<ref name="WAPJ11 p108"/> In the following phases more aircraft were built in India with less European content. A total of 80 aircraft were built by HAL.<ref name="WAPJ11 p108"/><ref name="bharat-rakshak">{{Cite web|url=https://www.bharat-rakshak.com/IAF/aircraft/specs/560-bae-jaguar.html|title=BAe Sepecat Jaguar IS/IB/IM "Shamsher"|website=www.bharat-rakshak.com}}</ref>

[[File:US Navy 070907-N-8591H-194 F-A-18F Super Hornet Strike Fighter Squadron 102, F-A-18E Super Hornet Strike Fighter Squadron 27, Indian Navy Sea Harriers, Indian Air Force Jaguars over INS Viraat (R 22), Malabar 07-2.jpg|thumb|left|A pair of [[Indian Air Force]] Jaguars flying in formation besides a pair of [[Indian Navy]] [[Sea Harriers]] and a pair of [[U.S. Navy]] [[F/A-18 Super Hornet]]s, flying over the Indian Navy aircraft carrier [[INS Viraat]] during [[Exercise Malabar]].]]

Indian Jaguars were quite different from the RAF ones. The Adour Mk 811 engines were soon adopted in the HAL production line (the previous Jaguars made in UK had the earlier Mk 804), giving 8,400&nbsp;lbf each. IAF Jaguars also used the [[R.550 Magic|R-550 Magic]] in rails over the wings. But more importantly, the NAWASS, even if very modern in conception, was replaced because it was found quite unreliable.{{Citation needed|date=January 2021}} The RAF was already upgrading the system with the modern Ferranti Type 1024 INS, but India was offered the 1024E export, less powerful version. So IAF instead pursued the development of new nav-attack system, called DARIN, that combined several technologies from France, UK and other sources. This system was more reliable and more precise than the older NAWASS and all the IAF Jaguars had it as standard. The Jaguar was found to be a long-range, fast, stable and effective strike aircraft in IAF service. Another important upgrade was the Maritime Strike version, fitted with a radar (the French Agave) and powerful British anti-ship missiles, produced in a very limited number (12). The only real issue with Jaguar is the lack of power at altitude, especially with heavy ordnance on board.

Indian Jaguars were used to carry out reconnaissance missions in support of the [[Indian Peace Keeping Force]] in [[Sri Lanka]] between 1987 and 1990.<ref name="Wilson p71"/> They later played an active role in the 1999 [[Kargil War]] with Pakistan, dropping both unguided and laser-guided bombs,<ref name="Wilson p71"/> the IAF defining its role as a "deep penetrating strike aircraft".<ref>Abbas, Ahmed. "Indian Ambitions for Aerospace Supremacy: Options for Pakistan." ''Institute of Strategic Studies Islamabad'', Retrieved: 2 January 2011.</ref> The Jaguar is also used in small numbers for the anti-ship role, equipped with the [[Sea Eagle missile]].<ref name="Eden p.400-1">Eden 2004, pp. 400–401.</ref><ref name = 'Barua 378'>Barua 2005, p. 378.</ref> The Jaguar remains an important element of the Indian military as, along with the [[Mirage 2000]], the Jaguar has been described as one of the few aircraft capable of performing the nuclear strike role with reasonable chances of success.<ref>Tellis 2001, p. 533.</ref> It has been alleged that the Indian military decided against developing the Jaguar into an active nuclear platform because of its lack of ground clearance for deploying India's gravity-dropped nuclear bombs.<ref>Tellis 2001, p. 542.</ref> The Jaguar IM, a naval strike variant was used to test fire [[Sea Eagle (missile)|Sea Eagle]] missiles at the decommisioned {{INS|Hosdurg|K73|6}} in June 2000.<ref><nowiki>https://web.archive.org/web/20100316203249/http://www.bharat-rakshak.com/NAVY/Ships/Past/87-Nanuchka-II-Durg-Class.html</nowiki></ref>

As the aircraft aged, the avionics were viewed as lacking suitable components for the ground attack mission, such as terrain-following radar, GPS navigation or modern night-flight systems;<ref>Tellis 2001, p. 546.</ref> consequently, several upgrades were carried out in the mid-1990s, including the addition of the [[Litening]] targeting pod.<ref name = 'Barua 274'/> India placed an order for 17 additional upgraded Jaguar aircraft from [[Hindustan Aeronautics]] in 1999 and a further 20 in 2001–2002.<ref name="Wilson p68">Wilson and McBride 2009, p. 68.</ref> The IAF plans to upgrade up to 125 Jaguars starting in 2013 by upgrading the avionics (including multi mode radar, auto-pilot and other changes) as part of the DARIN III programme and  reportedly considered fitting more powerful engines such as the [[Honeywell/ITEC F124|Honeywell F125IN]] to improve performance, particularly at medium altitudes.<ref name="Wilson p71">Wilson and McBride 2009, p. 71.</ref>The latest upgrade program DARIN III (Display Attack Ranging Inertial Navigation) has also been approved. In addition to new avionics and equipment installed as part of DARIN II upgrade, DARIN III featured modified avionics architecture, new cockpit with dual SMD, solid state flight data recorder and solid state video recording system, auto pilot system, integration of new multi-mode radar on Jaguar IS (currently only Jaguar IM are fitted with radars). Major structural modification was carried out on the air frame to accommodate the radar. Initial Jaguars delivered to the IAF were powered by two Adour 804E; further deliveries were powered by Adour Mk811. All the current IAF Jaguars are powered by Adour Mk811. DARIN III upgrade will cause additional weight problems due to addition of new avionics and radar, resulting in it becoming underpowered. Later IAF took decisions not to upgrade the engines due to budget problems. As part of technology transfer agreement with [[Israel Aerospace Industries|Israeli Aerospace Industries]] (IAI) for 54 [[EL/M-2052]] AESA radar to be manufactured by HAL Avionics Division, the first production version will be ready by March 2021 to be fitted on Jaguar IS as part of DARIN III UPG standard.<ref>{{Cite web|date=3 February 2021|title=HAL to Fly Production Version of AESA Radar in Jaguar Darin III Aircraft in March|url=https://www.defenseworld.net/news/28885/HAL_to_Fly_Production_Version_of_AESA_Radar_in_Jaguar_Darin_III_Aircraft_in_March#.YBtWXnnhU2w|access-date=2021-03-31|website=Defense World}}</ref>

In 2018, India cannibalised 31 airframes purchased from France, 2 airframes each from UK and Oman, a few engines and several hundred types of critically needed spares for optimum squadron serviceability.<ref>{{Cite news|title=First lot of Jaguar frames for ageing IAF fleet soon|url=https://www.tribuneindia.com/news/archive/nation/first-lot-of-jaguar-frames-for-ageing-iaf-fleet-soon-666480|access-date=11 October 2018}}</ref>

Indian Air Force plans to retire the oldest batch of 60 aircraft from 2028 to 2031 and replace them with modern [[Fourth-generation fighter|4.5 generation]] aircraft like [[HAL Tejas|HAL Tejas Mk1A]]. IAF will upgrade the rest of the Jaguars to DARIN III configuration, [[EL/M-2052]] [[Active electronically scanned array|AESA]] radar and [[ASRAAM]] [[Air-to-air missile|air-to-air]] missile integration. As of 2024, 60 aircraft (more than half of the Jaguar fleet) is being upgraded to DARIN III standards.<ref>{{Cite web |date=2024-08-25 |title=IAF to Retire 60 Jaguar Aircraft with DARIN-II by 2031, Remaining Upgrading with DARIN-III, AESA Radar and ASRAAM |url=https://defence.in/threads/iaf-to-retire-60-jaguar-aircraft-with-darin-ii-by-2031-remaining-upgrading-with-darin-iii-aesa-radar-and-asraam.9467/ |access-date=2024-08-26 |website=Defence.in |language=en-US}}</ref>

On 7 March 2025, a Jaguar IS aircraft crashed in [[Panchkula district]], [[Haryana]] at around 3:45 pm [[Indian Standard Time|IST]] after taking off from [[Ambala Air Force Station]] for a routine training sortie. The pilot ejected safely after maneuvering the jet away from residential areas. The Jaguars, in-service for 45 years, had suffered 50 major and minor incidents some of which had been fatal, as per a report.<ref>{{Cite web |last=Bajwa |first=Harpreet |date=2025-03-07 |title=IAF's Jaguar aircraft crashes in Haryana, pilot ejects safely |url=https://www.newindianexpress.com/nation/2025/Mar/07/iafs-jaguar-aircraft-crashes-in-haryana-pilot-ejects-safely |access-date=2025-03-08 |website=The New Indian Express |language=en}}</ref><ref>{{Cite web |title=Indian Air Force's Jaguar Fighter Jet Crashes In Ambala, Pilot Ejects Safely |url=https://www.ndtv.com/india-news/indian-air-forces-jaguar-fighter-jet-crashes-in-haryana-pilot-ejects-safely-7870502 |access-date=2025-03-08 |website=www.ndtv.com |language=en}}</ref><ref>{{Cite news |date=2025-03-07 |title=Indian Air Force's Jaguar fighter jet crashes in Haryana |url=https://timesofindia.indiatimes.com/india/indian-air-force-jaguar-fighter-jet-crashes-in-haryana/articleshow/118786854.cms |access-date=2025-03-08 |work=The Times of India |issn=0971-8257}}</ref>

On 2 April 2025, another Jaguar crashed near [[Jamnagar Air Force Station]] in an open field off the [[National Highway 927D (India)|Kalavad highway]] near Suvarda village, 12 km from [[Jamnagar]], during a night training sortie. While one pilot ejected and landed safely the other pilot was still missing.<ref>{{Cite news |date=2025-04-02 |title=Jaguar fighter jet crashes in Jamnagar |url=https://economictimes.indiatimes.com/news/defence/jaguar-fighter-jet-crashes-in-jamnagar/articleshow/119913868.cms?from=mdr |access-date=2025-04-02 |work=The Economic Times |issn=0013-0389}}</ref> Later it was confirmed that the missing pilot has succumbed to his injuries and the survivor was receiving treatment in a hospital.<ref>{{Cite web |date=2025-04-03 |title=Air Force pilot dies after fighter jet crashes in Gujarat's Jamnagar |url=https://indianexpress.com/article/cities/ahmedabad/air-force-pilot-dead-fighter-jet-crash-gujarat-jamnagar-9921407/ |access-date=2025-04-03 |website=The Indian Express |language=en}}</ref>

Between 8 and 10 May, [[Indian Air Force|Indian Air Force (IAF)]] Jaguar Darin II fighter jets struck 11 military air bases across Pakistan in a coordinated, precision-led campaign.
<ref>{{cite web|title=IAF severely damaged 11 Pak airbases in May 8–10 military strikes — Nur Khan, Sargodha, Skardu among key targets|url=https://www.economictimes.com/news/defence/india-pakistan-ceasefire-iaf-strikes-11-pakistani-airbases-inflicts-severe-damage-targets-include-nur-khan-sargodha-and-skardu/articleshow/121060642.cms|access-date=12 May 2025|website=The Economic Times|date=11 May 2025}}</ref>