picture 191441

Starting from Operation Manta, run in Chad from August 1983 well into 1984, the French Air Force began maintaining a sizeable detachment of SEPECAT Jaguar A fighter-bombers at Bangui International. Most of the aircraft and pilots were drawn from the 11th Fighter-Bomber Wing (11e Escadre de Chasse/EC.11), which operated four squadrons equipped with Jaguars as of the mid-late 1980s. The example shown here (‘A35’ was the 35th Jaguar A) was painted in gris bleu tres fonce and gris vert fonce applied following a standardised camouflage pattern on top surfaces and sides, and aluminium on undersides, and assigned to the 4th ‘Jura’ Squadron of that wing (EC.4/11), the traditional insignias of which are shown inset. (Artwork by Tom Cooper)