Ear‐to‐ground

The French Air Force issued a specification in 1962 for an aircraft which could fill the dual role of trainer or strike fighter. Various proposals to this specification were submitted by French manufacturers in July 1964, and in January 1965 the Breguet 121 was chosen. A memorandum of understanding between the United Kingdom and France was signed on May 17, 1965 on a number of projects which included a requirement for a strike fighter/trainer. Work was started on a development of the Breguet 121 named the Jaguar as a result, it having being laid down in the memorandum that the work was to be divided equally between the two airframe and the two engine companies in each country. The British Aircrajt Corporation and Breguet formed a new Anglo‐French company called SEP EC AT (Société Européenne de Production de I'Avion d'Ecole de Combat et d'Appui Tactique) to control the airframe side of the project, and Rolls‐Royce Turbomeca Ltd. was formed by the two engine firms.