Jaguar A Desert Storm questions.

[rustywelder]

Hey guys, I'm looking for information and pics of armed Jag A's during desert storm.

my main question is what kind of weapons load out did they typically carry? And Did they carry AAMs for self defence?

[scotthldr]

Try searching for "Operation Daguet" as the French never used the "Desert Storm" title for operations

http://aviation-safety.net/wikibase/wiki.php?id=64994

[rustywelder]

Ive tryed that and found very little info. It is surprisingly hard to find anything useful about French jaguar's other than that a couple were shot down by AAA.

[cpoud117]

Take a look at Jakub's website

He's been doing a great research job, his site is a must see

[Stefan buysse]

Hi,

I believe they did not carry self-defence AAM's.

For ordnance, they used Belouga cluster bombs and AS30L laser guided missiles. Quite likely French GP bombs too.

I do not believe that any were actually shot down. At least one was so badly shot up that it did not fly again, but they all returned to a friendly runway.

One famously had a rifle-caliber round go through the canopy, inches from the pilot's head.

Cheers, Stefan.

[scotthldr]

If you hit on that link I gave you, then scroll down to "SOURCES" hit the link to "TargetLock" you will get everything you need to know.

Edited February 18, 2012 by scotthldr

[mirage@enthusiast]

Here some picture.

During the Op. Daguet the French Jags usually used the Standard French free fall bombs, AS-30L for precision strikes, Belougas for ABA mission and usually they were armed Matra R550 IR missile for self defence and Phimat ECM countainer.... the use of drop tanks was depended on the type and range of the missions. As far as I know the French Jags didn't use the laser guided bombs in the Gulf.

Cheers Polo

[mirage@enthusiast]

Sorry the container name was BARAX for ECM duty not Phimat!

POlo

[rustywelder]

Thanks for the help guys, one more question. Does anybody know where i could source 4 french CBUs and the dual ejector rails that go with them?

[Av8fan]

try here maybe?

Larsenal

This may also help:

Jaguar site

Edited February 20, 2012 by Av8fan

[Finn]

Belcher Bits has the Belougas:

http://www.belcherbits.com/lines/148conv/bb27.htm

for the twin ejector rack i do believe the later version of the Italeri Mirage F-1 kit came with a pair as well as some SAMP bombs.

edit: Italeri F-1

Jari

Edited February 20, 2012 by Finn

[rustywelder]

Belcher Bits has the Belougas:

http://www.belcherbits.com/lines/148conv/bb27.htm

for the twin ejector rack i do believe the later version of the Italeri Mirage F-1 kit came with a pair as well as some SAMP bombs.

edit: Italeri F-1

Jari

Do you know if the old 1/72 esci kit has the racks? The 1/48 rescind boxing seems to

[Andre]

Do you know if the old 1/72 esci kit has the racks?

Nope. The Esci Mirage F.1 kit comes with tanks, Matra Magics and Matra 530s (and, in one specific boxing, an Exocet).

Italeri's Jaguar A comes with AS30L and its ATLIS target pod, French LRF fourtube rocket launchers, wing "armpit" conformal chaff / flare pods, Barax and Barracuda pods and a single Magic.

HTH,

Andre

[rustywelder]

Bah, since the ejectors dont seem to exist in 72 scale.(i have poured over sprue shots of every french jet i can find) I guess my jag will be getting From left to right Magic, AS30l, ATLIS, Fuel tank, BARAX. I dont know if my plane ever carried this load but I've gotta work weith what I've got. Thanks for the help guys.

Edited February 21, 2012 by rustywelder

[Finn]

According to the Concord Publications book Operation Daguet - French Air Force in The Gulf War by Eric Micheletti, the Jaguar in the final days of the war dropped a few 400kg LBGs. Pics show a load of a Barax ECM pod on the left o/b, LGB (BGL as the French say) on the left i/b, Atlis designator pod on the belly. Fuel tank on the right i/b and a Magic AAM on the right o/b pylon.

Jari

[Finn]

Some pics, a video and stories here of the Jaguar:

http://falkeeinsgreatplanes.blogspot.com/2011_04_01_archive.html

scroll down the page to find the articles.

Jari

[Benner]

Bah, since the ejectors dont seem to exist in 72 scale.(i have poured over sprue shots of every french jet i can find) I guess my jag will be getting From left to right Magic, AS30l, ATLIS, Fuel tank, BARAX. I dont know if my plane ever carried this load but I've gotta work weith what I've got. Thanks for the help guys.

if you want to be nit-picky for accuracy, only later build Jaguar As were capable of using the ATLIS and AS30L. I'd have to look it up for what serial no. and up.

Since you're building 1:72, you don't have to worry about it ... but those 1:48 Belcher Bits Belouga bombs are a bit more work than I expected but they look nice at the end nevertheless .. Also, Belougas were only used on their first combat sortie, after that they went to higher altitude attacks.

Edited February 24, 2012 by Benner

[rustywelder]

I know the belougas were only used once, but the only pic I can find anywhere of the A/C on my sheet from Colorado decals serial A139 side number 11-EV is a head on of it with twin belougas under each wing. So I figured if I cant be accurate I'll at least be visually interesting.

[Finn]

According to here:

http://fr.wikipedia.org/wiki/BLG_66_Belouga

the Belougas were used on 2 missions, how many a/c were involved in each mission is unknown, perhaps 4 per mission?

Jari

[Benner]

According to here:

http://fr.wikipedia.org/wiki/BLG_66_Belouga

the Belougas were used on 2 missions, how many a/c were involved in each mission is unknown, perhaps 4 per mission?

Jari

i'm rather skeptical about wikipedia saying 2 missions, I've seen wrong information posted about Desert Storm on wikipedia before.

the first use of the Belouga was on a low level bombing of Al Jaber Air Base in Kuwait. There is literature on that strike and includes how many aircraft I believe; I would have to look it up again but it's definitely more than 4. But basically, four aircraft were battle damaged (with one pilot taking a AK-47 round to his head) and they decided not bomb low level again. So, having learned that the first time ... why a second low level attack with Belouga as that wiki article implies?

[rustywelder]

I cant say much about the wiki as I cant read French, but according to the blog post finn linked to, Alain "Charley" Mahagne (the jag pilot who was hit in the headby a 30 Cal)wrote a book that has the number of A/C at 12 for the Al Jaber raid.

[squezzer]

Bah, since the ejectors dont seem to exist in 72 scale.(i have poured over sprue shots of every french jet i can find) I guess my jag will be getting From left to right Magic, AS30l, ATLIS, Fuel tank, BARAX. I dont know if my plane ever carried this load but I've gotta work weith what I've got. Thanks for the help guys.

See the post below for my answer...

Edited February 24, 2012 by squezzer

[squezzer]

This load is quite correct, you just have to add the chaffs and flares dispensers under the roots of the wings and you have to invert the stores:

From left to right: Barax/Fuel tank/ATLIS (centerline)/AS30L/MAGIC II

When the Jag carried only one missile of a type, the missile was loaded under the right wing.

When a single big LGB (400 or 1000 kg) was carried, it was loaded under the right wing.

This is due to the way the weapon system was designed: the first missile to be launched was the right one, the first bomb to be dropped was the left one. Don't ask me why

There is also a special feature for the AS30L: its pylon was specific. The shape was a little different from the regular inboard pylon, the front edge was chopped.

Jaguar A118 drawing

See the profile of Jaguar A118, the shape of the pylon for the AS30L is correct.

Jaguar with correct full load and chaffs/Flares dispensers

Edited February 24, 2012 by squezzer

[Finn]

From the earlier link:

http://falkeeinsgreatplanes.blogspot.com/2011_04_01_archive.html

Part II: Monday, 25 April 2011

Part I: Friday, 22 April 2011

both mentions that 250kg bombs were used on that mission. Of course other Jags could have been tasked to hit the airfield as well with Belougas, different mission, different targets, same airfield.

Jari

[Finn]

Some more details of French Jaguars in the Gulf indicates loads of Belougas and AS.30L on the first mission while earlier links have loads of 250kg bombs. This link also has BAP-100 being used as well.

Jari

From here:

http://www.targetlock.org.uk/jaguar/service_france.html

Following the Iraqi invasion of Kuwait in August 1990, the 11eme Escadre was placed on a standby footing to deploy to the Gulf on September 16th, but the first eight aircraft, under the command of Colonel Marc Amberg, did not actually deploy to the region until October 18th. These were followed by a further eight aircraft on October 21st. Their destination was the remote air base at Al Ahsa, a location about 80 miles south-west of Dharhran. The French deployment went by the name of Operation Daguet.

A further detachment of twelve Jaguars arrived in the region in early January 1991. All three of the 11eme Escadre's squadrons were now represented, with elements of EC 4/1 "Jura". Some of the pilots were from the 7eme Escadre. It appears that about 35 Jaguars were deployed altogether, but only 28 are thought to have been operational at any one time.

For self-defence, the French Jaguars relied on a Phimat or BOZ-103 flare/chaff dispenser under the starboard wing, and a Barracuda, Barem or Remora ECM pod under the port wing. Under each wing root there was a 56-cartridge Alkan 5020/5021 conformal flare and chaff launcher, and the tailcone held an 18-cartridge Lacroix flare dispenser. Unlike the RAF Jaguars they did not have the capability to carry over-wing AAMs like Sidewinder or Magic.

The central fuselage pylon was often employed carrying the ATLIS II laser-designator pod, or, if the pod wasn't carried, a 1200 litre fuel tank. Offensive weapons included the AS.30L air-to-surface missile, the Belouga grenade dispenser, slick 250lb and 500lb bombs, rocket launchers, and laser-guided bombs. Up to eighteen BAP-100 anti-runway rocket-powered bombs were also carried on occasion.

The first French mission took place on 17th January 2001, when 12 aircraft launched for a daylight attack on the "Scud" missile facility at the Ahmed Al Jaber airbase in Kuwait. The Jaguars laid down a number of Belouga grenade canisters from a height of only 100ft, and also launched some AS.30L missiles. Four aircraft took AAA damage, including one (A91) that was hit by an SA.7 missile. The pilot managed to put it down at the US base at Jubail, with the rear of the aircraft badly damaged. It was later crated up and returned to France.

The Jaguars' next mission, on January 18th, was flown at medium level to keep clear of the AAA. On this mission, twelve aircraft in three groups of four attacked a munitions dump at Ras Al Quilayah, on the coast 19 miles from Kuwait City. Four of the aircraft carried the AS.30L missile which were fired against storage hangers from an altitude of 4000ft. The other eight aircraft dropped 250lb bombs from 15000ft. The facility was re-attacked on January 19th. The weather put off further missions until January 22nd, when six aircraft launched AS.30Ls against Iraqi vessels. On the 23rd eight aircraft hit artillery positions with 250lb bombs.

On January 24th, following a political re-alignment in France, the Jaguar force began attacking targets in Iraq, flying two sorties per day. On these missions they were accompanied by Mirage F.1CRs, the latter providing the Jaguars with accurate navigation data. Targets at Tallil, Shaiba and Jalibah were hit, along with Repulican Guard positions.

On February 10th a number of AS.30Ls were fired at a number of bridges, but as the ground war neared attention turned to battlefield targets.

By the end of the war the French Jaguars had flown 615 combat sorties for 1088 hours, and had made 185 hookups with C-135FR tankers. The Jaguars began to return home on March 5th 1991.