Let their be silence...

No. 16(R) & No. 54(F) Squadrons disbanded at RAF Coltishall on 11 March 2005.

No. LIV Squadron (No. 54 Squadron)
1916 - Formed at Castle Bromwich.
1940 - Took part in the Battle of Britain.
1940 - Flew the first ever crossing of the Atlantic by a jet aircraft.

No. XVI (Reserve) Squadron (No. 16 Squadron)
1915 - Formed at St Omer.
1944 - Flew reconnaissance missions in preperation for D Day.

Possibly the first casualties of the United Kingdoms defence cuts. I knew that 54 Squadron would disband this month, just wasnt sure when exactly, untill now, and I never knew 16 squadron was also disbanding. You can imagine and feel the emptyness of the Hangers in which the aircraft and their squadrons resided.


external image

I now really feel like punching Geoff Hoon, this is a sad day...






(edit to reduce huge size of image! )


[edit on 16-3-2005 by pantha]

What a pitty...but those Jags are being retired...excellent plane...ugh.....bastards....

I hate it when they disband unit with so much history behind it.

I cried when 75 and 2 Squadrons were disbanded.

Although I am sad to see the beginning of the end for the Jaguar (6sqn will be the last RAF Jaguar squadron in 2007) it doesn't actually mean the end of the squadrons existence.

RAF squadrons never simply exchange their aircraft for new ones, they always disband and then re-form on the new type so it is possible (but not known for sure) that 54 Sqn could become one of the early Typhoon squadrons.

for example 54 Squadron last disbanded in 1974 when it passed its F-4 Phantoms onto an air defence squadron before reforming on the Jaguar the next day. So fingers crossed.

Of course the disgrace is that the Government is penny pinching and gambling with our national security by retiring the Jaguar force when we are still five years away from recieving those Typhoons allocated to replacing them in the ground attack role, this looks ridiculous under any circumstances but when you consider that the Jaguar force has been the first RAF combat type to acheive rapid forward deployment in each of the last three conflicts the mind boggles at how we are supposed to cope for the next five years?

The navy is facing the same situation as its last Sea Harriers will be long retired by the time the first F-35B is delivered. In what other industry would production line machinery be scrapped several years before its replacement was ready? Sheer madness!

[edit on 17-3-2005 by waynos]

Voyager,

Sorry to nitpick on such a sad occasion but the first crossing of the Atlantic by jet was done in 1948.

Cheers

BHR

Its clearly a typo, otherwise a 54 Sqn pilot would have had to steal the He 178 and fly it to America!

Will miss the Jag as it's a little versitile plane and it's been upgraded to be as good as it can be. but I think we only have 66 GR3 Jags and a load of Tornado GR4's that can be used to fill any gap till the Typhoon comes fully online.

Also I doubt they will simply cut them up, they will be put in storage till are the Ground Attack typhoon's appear.

Any way dislike hoon the mans an arse bring on 050505 but remeber the following (Iraq, David Kelly, Top up fees, massive tax hikes, the pissing smileing boke (TB), two jabs (or is that jags!!!) the mess that is UK spending.

O also what exactly are the UK gov spending the extra £3bn on? (Yesterdays extra £bn on defense)

[edit on 17-3-2005 by RAB]

It is such a shame that they are being withdrawn from service, it isnt a fitting tribute to abruptly decommision such a fantastic aircraft years before its "due" service exit, and even then they could continue for much longer... some may say that the F-16 or some other aircraft can do the Jaguars job better, i'd tell them where to shove it, theres no aircraft to truely match the Jaguar, no matter what the companys say. The Jaguar wasnt even developed for that role in which it does so very well, it was built as a jet trainer, what does that say about the aircraft... it has served the Royal Air Force well, so has its squadrons, and soon after all the Jaguars are gone and there squadrons, it leaves an empty station, RAF Coltishall, which is again an unfitting end for a Battle of Britain station, when it could easily take Tornados, or Typhoons, or whatever.... and I know, I have seen the station, and lived their for a week, The Defence staff, infact the entire government needs their heads pulled out their backsides...

As for the fact of the Jaguars going into storage, I would like to buy one, any one with contacts, please... at least they still use Jaguars at RAF College Cranwell for Engineer Specialist Training...




[edit on 17-3-2005 by VoyagerNX23]

Who will remain to keep the Jaguars in service? and till how long? I believe France had some Jags in service correct?

i beleive the french will also be withdrawing them from service soon too, not sure when...

[edit on 17-3-2005 by VoyagerNX23]

I heard somewhere the other day that the jag didn't have a radar.. is that correct?

but it could fly through waypoints preprogrammed into it.

Btw i'm not trying to make fun of the jaguar..i think it's an amazing aircraft, it did great in the gulf war.



[edit on 17-3-2005 by clashrock]

Love the Jag:

www.airliners.net... bnails=

loads of pictures

RAB

I *think* India still operates some, also.

Originally posted by RAB
Love the Jag:

www.airliners.net... bnails=

loads of pictures

RAB

WOW! those photos of the jaguar are amazing! They've definitley been modernized, seems stupid to be getting rid of them early.