In 1971, the Aéronavale trialled the Jaguar M aboard Clemenceau. The outcome was generally successful but it was felt that a larger wing (15%) and more powerful engines were required to make the aircraft a success. SEPECAT therefore initiated design work to produce a larger wing, with blown flaps and more powerful, dry thrust, engines.
The result was the Jaguar M1. A single-seat naval attack aircraft. The M2 was a two seater trainer version. This was adopted by the Aéronavale in 1977. However, its all weather attack capabilities were limited without a surface search radar. Initial thought was to add the Agave radar to the centreline drop tank and trials were carried out with this configuration but in doing so, limited the amount of fuel that could be carried in the pod and reduced the radar's range due to the vibration experienced when carried on the centre-line weapons station (this produced the unusual effect of effectively "stuttering" the radar, which meant that false returns were detected, so that targets appeared further away than they actually were or displaced in one or two dimensions by an appreciable distance).
The Aéronavale therefore requested a version of the Jaguar M with an Agava radar system in the nose. SEPECAT duly complied and produced the M4. This was a much more successful version and worked well. India, seeking an maritime strike version of the Jaguar was later to adapt this to its land-based license built version of the Jaguar as the Jaguar IM but that came later.
In 1979, the Royal Australian Navy was seeking a new carrier, to replace its aging Majestic Class, HMAS Melbourne. France, sensing the possibility of a windfall sale, both of a carrier and aircraft, offered a revised Clemenceau class, with a slightly longer hull and flight deck, with a commensurate increase in tonnage. The aircraft on offer were to be SEPECAT Jaguar Ms and Mirage F1Ms. However, France was not exactly flavour of the month in the Pacific, with its ongoing nuclear tests in the region and so any major purchase from them was politically unpalatable. The British offered as an alternative a commercial design adapted to a carrier, built to the cheaper and simpler requirements of a commercial hull. They offered the SEPECAT Jaguar M as strike aircraft and as fighters as well.
The RAN decided to go with the British offering, the Australian Government unwilling to spend the required funds for a dedicated carrier design. HMAS Australia entered service in 1982. It carried an airwing of 24 Jaguars and 12 A-4G Skyhawks, Trackers and helicopters. The Jaguar version chosen was the Jaguar MO5, a two seat version of the Jaguar MO (for "Ostralien") equipped with the Agave radar. The RAN felt that the duties required of the Jaguar was more suited to a two seat aircraft, rather than a single seat one.
The aircraft depicted is a Jaguar MO5 of VF-805 Squadron, HMAS Australia in 1983, when it arrived in Australia after its delivery journey from the UK. It is shown carrying a typical anti-shipping strike weapons load of an AM-39 Exocet missile, with two Matra Magic 550 IR missiles, as well as drop tanks. It carries the VF-805 symbol of a chess Knight on the tail.
The Kit
The model is a Hasagawa Jaguar T2 with Hasagawa Mitsubishi F1 outer wing panels and single wheel main gear. The nose gear came out of the spares box. The missiles from the Heller weapons set. The radome comes from a Jaguar IM resin nose conversion (Flightline?).
