India has agreed with Oman to transfer decommissioned SEPECAT Jaguar fighter-bombers as part of efforts to support the current fleet of this type of aircraft in the country’s Air Force.
This was reported by the aviation publication Scramble.
Omani Jaguars were decommissioned back in 2014. In total, the country received 27 aircraft of various modifications, which began to be delivered in the late 1970s.
India plans to use the transferred aircraft as a source of spare parts, without further participation in flights. The deal was made possible only after the full completion of the service of these aircraft in the Royal Omani Air Force.
This is not the first time India has resorted to this practice. Earlier, in 2018-2019, France handed over several dozen decommissioned Jaguars to India along with spare parts kits, which allowed the service life of combat vehicles to be extended without significant financial costs.
In today’s environment, when all other Jaguar operating countries have already decommissioned them, India is forced to look for alternative solutions to maintain the combat capability of its fleet. Currently, the Indian Air Force maintains six squadrons of this type, which remain an important part of the strike force, in particular for low-altitude missions.
Thus, as part of the Western Air Command, the 5th and 14th squadrons, armed with Jaguar IS/IT modifications, operate at the Ambala air base. The Central Air Command includes the 16th and 27th Squadrons stationed at Gorakhpur Air Base, which also operate IS/IT versions. The Southwest Air Command has the 6th and 224th squadrons with IM, IS and IT versions of the aircraft at Jamnagar.
Earlier, Militarnyi reported that the Indian Ministry of Defence has asked the United Kingdom to transfer nine Jaguar aircraft that are no longer in service with the Royal Air Force. The request also includes spare parts.
