Indian Air Force to Update Jaguars

[Bevo]

Looks like the Indian Air Force is going to update their Jaguars although I'm not sure an updated autopilot is such a major change.

British-made fighter jets, Jaguars, the only Indian Air Force (IAF) aircrafts capable of carrying nuclear weapons after Mirage 2000s, are being modernised after being fitted with autopilots, next generation avionics and lethal armaments.

The IAF has lit the afterburners to make its Jaguars fighting fit for modern warfare. Under an ambitious modernisation programme, the fighters would be flying well after 2030. Nearly 120 Jaguars are being modernised.

According to information shared by the Indian government in parliament, the IAF has procured autopilots for 55 Jaguars so far, while talks for 95 more, which include spare autopilots, are underway, Autopilots would lessen pilot workload, freeing them from physically flying the jet during long flights though, in an ultimate test of IAF top guns, six Jaguars flew all the way to Alaska for a joint exercise with the US Air Force in 2004. LINK (http://www.defencenews.in/defence-news-internal.asp?get=new&id=1416)

[newt]

Well done India!:D

[BBadanov]

IAF Jags have gone through several avionic and weapons upgrades. When originally selected in the late '70s, Jag came with the notorious NAVWASS system, renowned for constant toppling.

The Indians didn't like it and opted for the Digital Attack Ranging Inertial Nav (DARIN) upgrade, which used a French Ulliss-80 IN. DARIN II I think introduced an RLG IN, and DARIN III cockpit enhancements and an autopilot (perhaps the 55 referred to). This latest mod looks to be some enhancement to the rest of the fleet.

The Jag remained in production until fairly recently - I think India received about 20 dedicated strike two-seaters in about 2005-07, and about the same number of single-seaters as attrition replacements.

[Halton Brat]

Really glad to hear that the c.GBP600m Foreign Aid grant we have allocated to India is clearly desperately needed...........

HB

[NutLoose]

Nooo, that's for their Space Programme silly.. :ok:

[Pontius Navigator]

Interesting that they can make the Jaguar work in a hot climate but we didn't risk it!

[Wasser]

Just a couple of corrections from memory.

The jag never had an autopilot. What it had was an auto-stabilisation system.

It came into service in the early 70s and the technical term for the NAVWASS toppling was a NAVWASS dump (P/PE/PSU failure lights on). Nav Instys/Flt Systems people who worked on the NAVWASS were called Navwassers', Wassers or Dumper Thumpers.

[The Helpful Stacker]

Interesting that they can make the Jaguar work in a hot climate but we didn't risk it!

They must have some really long runways in India.;)

[GreenKnight121]

Yes, and they are also upgrading the engines as part of the package.

RAF Jaguars entered service using the Adour Mk.102 engine: 5,110 lb (6,930 lb reheat) in 1974. The RAF had their Jaguars re-engined around 1983 with the Mk.104: 5,200 lb (7,305 lb), and again in 1999 with the Mk.106: 6,000 lb (8,430 lb).

India has the Mk 804 & Mk 811 in their Jaguars: 5,320 lb (8,040 lb)/5,520 lb (8,400 lb). They are planning to install either the Adour Mk 821 (an afterburning version of the 5,900 lb Mk871) or the Honeywell F125IN: 6,230 lb (9,850 lb). The choice is due to be made in 2013 or 2014.

[A2QFI]

Jaguars have been operating In Oman since 1977 and still are. +45C and airfield at 1500ft - quite interesting until we got the uprated engines. In the early days we had cause to launch one with tanks and 4 x 1000lb bombs at 1400 on an August afternoon. The jet wake was still reaching ground about 2 miles off the end of the 13,000 ft runway

FIN 1064 was better than NAVWASS but still did not have enough computing capacity to operate the compass while displaying a weapon aiming solution n the HUD!

[Waddo Plumber]

Wasser,

I think the job card would have said "NAVWASS sat in the corner and refused to talk to me"

[Rosevidney1]

When this old guy had his reward trip in the Jaguar T bird for his Lingo Dog work, he was mightily impressed with the HUD and NAVWASS. Admittedly after getting bounced over LFA1 by Canadians in 104s the screen went black.
Still, you cant have it all......

[Skeleton]

When this old guy had his reward trip in the Jaguar T bird for his Lingo Dog work, he was mightily impressed with the HUD and NAVWASS. Admittedly after getting bounced over LFA1 by Canadians in 104s the screen went black.
Still, you cant have it all......

hmmmmm He did have it all. He was in a Jag.......:D:D:D