Jaguar question...
 

Can someone let me know if RAF Jaguars were delivered with the capability to carry over-wing pylons for AAMs or was this added at a later date, the reason I ask is simply because I always thought/read that RAF Jags had this capability from the outset but on another forum someone is adamant that this capability was developed in conjunction with the Indian AF and was then passed on to BAe for inclusion in the Jags armament options!
I find this hard to believe myself, so can anyone enlighten me so I can put this argument to bed?

Regards, RP.

IIRC the overwing pylons were developed at the outset for the Jag, but the RAF decided that they did not require them, during the build-up for Gulf War 1, the overwing pylon mounting points were 'installed' at a price from Wastaspace, and they have been fitted since.

Basically Wastaspace were paid to remove the mountpoints from the original aircraft and paid to put them back in.

A bit like the Hawk Sidewinder saga then!

The overwing rails were part of the Jaguar "International" design, which many would say is what the RAF should have bought in the first place, bigger donks, combat radar for sea eagle etc.

I would disagree that people were paid to put them on and take them off, as they were never part of the original specification for RAF GR1 and T2 Jaguars

They had most certainly been tested though, (causing more than one engine stall) ::E

They were never part of the original design but a bolt-on caused by a lack of under-wing/fuselage pylons. They have never been fully cleared either - flown under SD ever since.

Now that I didn't know Chris, I assumed that because they were cleared for use on the International version, retro fitting them to RAF aircraft would not have posed a problem.