(All images by .Martin.; preserved prototype Jaguar XW563 at Norwich)
Many military bases across the world traditionally display ‘gate guardians’ at or near to their main entrances, often reflecting the facility’s history or current operations. RAF Lossiemouth in northern Scotland, for example, showcases a Panavia Tornado GR1 airframe which flew combat missions during Operation Desert Storm in 1991. RAF Waddington, meanwhile, is most famously associated with the mighty V-Bomber, and Avro Vulcan XM607, which bombed the runway of Port Stanley airfield during the Falklands War of 1982, now occupies pride of place alongside the A15 road.
Many other gate guardians, however, haven’t been so lucky. Lightning F3 XP748 was sent to the Pendine bombing ranges when RAF Binbrook closed in 1988 (only for its tail to resurface on eBay years later) and Victor K2 XL189, famously piloted by Bob Tuxford and his crew in support of Martin Withers’ Vulcan 607 during Operation Black Buck, fell victim to the MoD’s notorious ‘one gate one guard’ policy and was scrapped in the 1990s.
Thankfully, the fate of RAF Coltishall’s Sepecat Jaguar gate guard has been a more positive one. Having stood proudly adjacent to the main gate at the now-defunct Royal Air Force station since 2001, XW563, the second Jaguar S prototype (S.07), was moved to a new home outside the Norfolk County Hall in Norwich around 2007.
Related – Harrier & Jaguar: Weapons of War Become ‘Fine Art’
Known as the Spirit of Coltishall, the retired attack aircraft’s ongoing preservation reflects the close ties between the former Norfolk air base and the people of nearby Norwich.
Jaguar XW563 first flew in 1970 and served as the Jaguar international demonstrator before being retired to ground instructional training and weapons loading duties in 1977. The attack aircraft prototype was displayed for some time at RAF Bruggen in Germany during the type’s deployment along the edge of the Iron Curtain, moving to RAF Coltishall in 2001.
The aircraft has clearly seen its fair share of engineering training throughout the course of its career, but has been restored to a fine static display condition in recent decades. According to the excellent Thunder & Lightnings website: “Over the years she’s become rather a mixture of bits, but the nose and fuselage are original.”
Of a total 534 Sepecat Jaguar airframes produced between 1968 and 1981, eight prototypes were built during the plane’s evaluation phase. The type entered operational service in 1973 and flew with the air forces of the UK, France, Oman and India. RAF Jaguars were retired from service in 2007 (replaced by the Tornado and Eurofighter Typhoon). Only the Indian Air Force still operates the ageing jet today.
This series of images shows Jaguar XW563 being installed outside the Norwich offices of Norfolk County Council after the RAF Jaguar fleet’s withdrawl from service in 2007.
Related – Three Concrete Blocks Mark the Final Stand of Scampton Vulcan XH563
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