Jaguar and Mirage F1-AZ cpmpared

Also, the Greek Air Force used the F1C (without any upgrades since 1977) very successfully to intercept turkish F16s until Greek orders of Mirage 2000 and F-16 were completed and up to 2002.

The F1 is a very good aircraft and it was perhaps the best interceptor in the world at the time of its introduction back in 1973.

The F1 had the climb rate of the star fighter, the speed of the phantom, the agility  of the tiger, the bomb load and range of the skyhawk and it was as a fighter superior to anything in terms of performance, handling, readiness and agility.

Someone in here said that the F1 is in the same performance category as Mig-21. That is completely untrue.

The Mig21 has the same performance as the crusader 175 m/s climb and 1.8 mach. Even the mirage 3 was more agile judging from Israeli sources.

The F1 was a very versatile aircraft with great upgrade potential that was overlooked firstly by the french themselves in favour of other designs like the jaguar and later M2000.

I think that the mirage is a better aircraft overall because it is also fighter and has equal bombing abilities with the jaguar.

The mirage F1 was designed before the jaguar. 

Then the british and french joined to make a bomber 50/50 using the mirage F1 undercarriage to match F1s ability to use short unpaved  runways.

The French realised their mistake and tried to disengage from the program as the jaguar was not really any better than the F1 while it was restricted to the bomber role.

However, it seems the french needed some British technology through the program that such as the very good british INS, laser, and turbofan engines which is actually the only advantage if the jaguar in lo-lo-lo.

The french bought numbers mainly because they were the co-manufacturer.

Later versions of the F1 could be fitted with all the equipment and avionics of the jaguar plus the radar.

The F1 has better performance 2.2 mach and 240 m/s climb rate.

It has the same range and air refuelling abilities.

It can carry the same load and weapons and pods.

It can use the same runways. It is as economic if not more.

It is a more complete aircraft that can do both jobs. A stronger turbofan M53 could also be available along with fly by wire later but they just didn’t favour it over the M2000.

The south africans used it remarkably in deep lo lo lo interdiction.

The Mirage F1 is very underrated aircraft and the jaguar very overrated.

As a platform the F1 could be developed to do the jaguar job as well but the french didn’t do it because they had to use the jaguar too. 

This is what it seems to me.

Thank you