1:32 Kitsworld 'Jaguars'

Jaguars in Operation Granby

When the Iraqi army occupied Kuwait in August 1990, the British military response got under way under the code name Granby. It covered deployment across the whole area of the Persian Gulf in 1990 and 1991, and the Jaguars were among the types in it that flew attacks against ground targets. This sheet captures three particular machines from that time.

Three aircraft from one base

The first is the Jaguar GR1A with the fuselage number XZ367 and the individual letter P of No. 54 Squadron, which carried a pair of names. The second is XZ358 with the letter W of the same squadron, named Diplomatic Service. The third subject is XX725 with the letter T, which belonged to No. 41 Squadron and carried a nickname of its own. All three machines are captured on the sheet in their state of 1991 and all operated from the forward base of Al-Muharraq.

Where the name of the operation comes from

The code name Granby is no accident. It refers to John Manners, Marquess of Granby, who commanded the British forces at the Battle of Minden in 1759 during the Seven Years' War. In this way of naming things the British army likes to connect present-day deployment with older military tradition.

On the type itself

The Jaguar entered service in 1973, flew with the Royal Air Force from 1974 until 2007, and the Gulf War was its most notable combat deployment.

Box contents

A printed sheet is supplied, from which the artwork is released after soaking. The kit and the clear coats are not included.