French Jaguar at ultra-low level.
This is a really cool shot: it shows a French Sepecat Jaguar A flying very low over a beach little less than 40 years ago.
Indeed, according to the Jaguar, un avion, une carrière FB page that posted it, the picture was shot during Opération Lamantin, the French military campaign on the behalf of the Mauritanian government, in its war against Polisario Front forces seeking independence for Western Sahara, between Dec. 1977 and Jul. 1978.
The Operation in Mauritania marked the combat debut of the French Jaguar A, a type of aircraft that was often deployed to defend the French interests in Africa during the 1970s, a policy sometimes referred to as “Jaguar diplomacy.”
The Jaguar was a supersonic attack jet used also for reconnaissance and tactical nuclear strike roles.
Interestingly, the photo shows a woman walking on the beach and seemingly unware of the two fast jets flying at about 10 meters of altitude about to buzz her head!
Image credit: Collection F. Figwer via Jaguar, un avion, une carrière
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