The Jaguar is a deep-penetration strike aircraft and has performed very well in several conflicts. It was used during the 1999 Kargil War and later in operations against Pakistan.
Oman has announced that it will gift more than 20 Jaguar fighter jets to India. These jets will be handed over to the Indian Air Force. The Omani Air Force had been using these Jaguars for many years, but they are not operational anymore. Oman now plans to give them to India so they can be used again. All these Jaguar jets will be very useful for the Indian Air Force, which is why India is happy to accept them.
How India will use these Jaguar jets
The Jaguars coming from Oman will mainly be used to solve the shortage of spare parts for the Jaguar fighter jets already in service with the Indian Air Force. India is one of the few countries in the world that still uses these Anglo-French–made Jaguar aircraft. Since the production of Jaguars stopped many decades ago, it has become difficult for India to get the spare parts needed to maintain its Jaguar fleet. These jets from Oman will help fill that gap and keep India’s Jaguars flying.
India struggling with shortage of spare parts
India and Oman have a long and friendly relationship, and their defence ties are also very strong. When Oman hands over the Jaguar fighter jets to India, they will mainly be used for spare parts. India badly needs these parts because it operates a large fleet of Jaguar aircraft. These jets were once used by the British and French air forces as well, but they have been retired, and their production has also stopped. Because of this, getting spare parts has become very difficult for India.
When did India received its first Jaguar?
India got its first Jaguar fighter jet in 1979. This means the aircraft is now quite old and needs serious maintenance to meet today’s requirements. The Jaguar is a deep-penetration strike aircraft and has performed very well in several conflicts. It was used during the 1999 Kargil War and later in operations against Pakistan. India has upgraded and overhauled its Jaguars many times, but they still require a large number of spare parts to keep them operational and ready for missions.
