Jaguar Farewell
Join Date: Jan 2006
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Speechless and stunned.
We all knew the end was nigh for the cat but this is far too soon. Isn’t it only a month or so since the last Jaguar pilot passed through the OCU? Buffoonery at its best.
A sad day for all the guys and gals working on the jag. Good luck and please can we have an airfield tour before the curtain is drawn for a final time. Just make sure you include the SHF bases down South
We all knew the end was nigh for the cat but this is far too soon. Isn’t it only a month or so since the last Jaguar pilot passed through the OCU? Buffoonery at its best.
A sad day for all the guys and gals working on the jag. Good luck and please can we have an airfield tour before the curtain is drawn for a final time. Just make sure you include the SHF bases down South
Join Date: Aug 2004
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Very sorry to hear that the Jags have been given the axe prematurely. I am sure that they would have been very effective for a tour overseas in place of the Harriers at the moment.
Above all, the Jag Force IMHO contained a higher proportion of gentlemen and all round good blokes than any other fast jet platform in the RAF. Top operators and great company to boot.
Above all, the Jag Force IMHO contained a higher proportion of gentlemen and all round good blokes than any other fast jet platform in the RAF. Top operators and great company to boot.
Watch the News tonight guys. I have it on good authority that the media has only just found out about this and is on its way to Coningsby to find out what is going on!!
Does anyone believe that axing the Jaguar early is going to smooth the intro of Typhoon? Those in the "head shed" have once again allowed the "bean stealers" to run the show!!
Time for my afternoon siesta before my blood pressure reaches the critical stage!!!
Does anyone believe that axing the Jaguar early is going to smooth the intro of Typhoon? Those in the "head shed" have once again allowed the "bean stealers" to run the show!!
Time for my afternoon siesta before my blood pressure reaches the critical stage!!!
and maybe to a few other places 
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As a former Tanker W****r, my I say that it was always a real pleasure to work with all in the Jag force. Totally professional and immense fun to be on trail or detachment with. Very best wishes to you all.
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I am sure that they would have been very effective for a tour overseas in place of the Harriers at the moment
But anyway, not the point of my post. Flew with 6 Sqn a while back and found them to be fantastic. Great Sqn atmosphere and all thoroughly professional. The Jag is a great aircraft and it'll be sorely missed. The "Jag Force" were a pleasure to work with on all fronts.
Enjoy the send-off. Am sure it'll be a good one
Join Date: Sep 2006
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See
http://tinyurl.com/2kssxu
for a BBC video report. No, I canNOT vouch for its' accuracy. "Famous RAF fighters being retired like the Thunderbolt and the Lightning"???
http://tinyurl.com/2kssxu
for a BBC video report. No, I canNOT vouch for its' accuracy. "Famous RAF fighters being retired like the Thunderbolt and the Lightning"???
Join Date: Sep 2006
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Jag Sunset
Regarding how it was announced, there was a mealy-mouthed IBN released yesterday which included a final line about the fact that, "£1M in savings will be achieved through this move." I could have saved them £1M with more finesse than that, and there wouldn't be 100+ stunned Jag mates wandering around Conz this morning. Pathetic and symptomatic of what happens when you leave AVM Melchett in charge of 1 Gp. Jags - best years of my life and certainly the best flying!
disgrace.
Join Date: Apr 2007
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Sad news indeed. Was at Colt 76 - 81 (Bluntie) and had the pleasure of working on all three Sqn's - though mainly 6. Great times, great blokes - air and ground alike. What a cr*p way to go.
AOC 1 Group ought to hang his head in shame.
Why the heck didn't he have the decency to go and make the announcement himself?
Ane yet another capability holiday.....
And aren't blokes like Bob Viking and his colleagues EXACTLY the sort of high calibre operators, with EXACTLY the experience and skill sets we need? Wasn't the Jag a cheap way of keepin them current til a Typhoon OCU slot was available.
Why the heck didn't he have the decency to go and make the announcement himself?
Ane yet another capability holiday.....
And aren't blokes like Bob Viking and his colleagues EXACTLY the sort of high calibre operators, with EXACTLY the experience and skill sets we need? Wasn't the Jag a cheap way of keepin them current til a Typhoon OCU slot was available.
and to save a paltry £1 m?
In 1990 they said:
"Mr. O'Neill : To ask the Secretary of State for Defence what is the current average annual running costs of (a) a Buccaneer strike/attack squadron, (b) a Jaguar offensive support squadron, (c) a Nimrod maritime patrol squadron and (d) a Tornado F3 air defence squadron.
Mr. Archie Hamilton : The approximate annual running cost of a Buccaneer strike/attack squadron is £33.74 million ; for a Jaguar offensive support squadron £30.63 million ; for a Nimrod maritime patrol squadron £35.33 million ; and for a Tornado F3 air defence squadron £49.76 million."
If the savings aren't close to £15 m (adjusted for 17 years of inflation) then this will look even shabbier.
In 1990 they said:
"Mr. O'Neill : To ask the Secretary of State for Defence what is the current average annual running costs of (a) a Buccaneer strike/attack squadron, (b) a Jaguar offensive support squadron, (c) a Nimrod maritime patrol squadron and (d) a Tornado F3 air defence squadron.
Mr. Archie Hamilton : The approximate annual running cost of a Buccaneer strike/attack squadron is £33.74 million ; for a Jaguar offensive support squadron £30.63 million ; for a Nimrod maritime patrol squadron £35.33 million ; and for a Tornado F3 air defence squadron £49.76 million."
If the savings aren't close to £15 m (adjusted for 17 years of inflation) then this will look even shabbier.
Join Date: Jun 2001
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I don't think keeping a non-combatant aircraft flying (and not just in the UK) is a cheap way to do anything really. There is no way the airships could defend or justify such an expense (because that is what it is to the beancounters - like it or not) with all that is happening. This has to have been sat in 'the back pocket' for any talk of financial trimmings in town and pulled out when needed. Still a poor way of dealing with it.
I hope happy hr at Coningsby is a big one on Friday.
I hope happy hr at Coningsby is a big one on Friday.
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Pretty shabby to do it with such short notice. But look at it this way: back in 1974, would you have put any money on this aircraft still being in service in 33 years' time? They have done very well indeed, against the odds, and despite a lot of grumbling from other mud-moving outfits and operators - like mine and me.
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Mr C H, I suspect the Jag guys would disagree strongly with your phrase 'non-combatant aircraft', Jag is retired from Operational Flying at the end of the month, till then it is operational. So how would you maintain the skill set of the 16 or so highly capable single seat mud moving and recce specialists? Perhaps a trip in a sim every now and again?
Not only shabby but I suspect wholly dishonest with the claim of a paltry £1m saving over 6 months. Still got to pay pilots, groundcrew/support staff. Still got to get the guys in the air to maintain some degree of currency, Coningsby real estate still has to be paid for, what spares there are for the aircraft will still have to be paid for, how much will that cost?
Cost of everything, value of nothing
Not only shabby but I suspect wholly dishonest with the claim of a paltry £1m saving over 6 months. Still got to pay pilots, groundcrew/support staff. Still got to get the guys in the air to maintain some degree of currency, Coningsby real estate still has to be paid for, what spares there are for the aircraft will still have to be paid for, how much will that cost?
Cost of everything, value of nothing