The Jaguar programme began in the early 1960s, in response to a British requirement (Air Staff Target 362) and a French requirement (ECAT or École de Combat et d'Appui Tactique, "Tactical Combat Support Trainer") for a cheap, dual role trainer and light attack aircraft to replace various obsolete subsonic aircraft filling that role. Cross-channel negotiations led Britain and France to form SEPECAT: Société Européenne de Production de l'Avion d'École de Combat et d'Appui Tactique – the "European company for the production of a combat trainer and tactical support aircraft". Almost all parts of the aircraft were jointly built by the two countries. For example, the powerplant was a partnership between Rolls-Royce and Turbomeca to develop the Adour afterburning turbofan engine, while the fuselage and wings were a partnership between Breguet and BAC, using the same basic configuration and an innovative French-designed landing gear and fuselage design, the Jaguar was built incorporating major elements of design from BAC, notably the wings and various control systems. In the end, the Jaguar program grew into more than just a trainer aircraft, and saw great export sales to foreign countries as a trainer, bomber, strike aircraft, and anti-shipping attacker. The French, however, were not satisfied with the performance of the Jaguar B, T2, and T4 trainers, and later set out to create their own special trainer variant. The Jaguar E variant was the two-seat training version for the French Air Force, with two prototypes and 40 production aircraft built in total.

The Jaguar E, introduced during Update "Drone Age" as a reward for the 2022 Project "Overpowered" event, is a twin-seater trainer variant of the tech tree Jaguar A. The Jaguar has high wing loading and suffers from greatly decreased manoeuvrability and speed when fully loaded with ordnance, however, it will often not be used in such a case in-game, instead being utilized as a support fighter in dedicated air battles to to its abundant countermeasures and R.550 Magic 1 missiles combined with its nimble handling when unburdened. However, combined battles is where the Jaguar A really shines, being able to use a wide array of guided and unguided ordnance, chief of which are the powerful BGL-400/1000 series laser-guided bombs and AS-30L Nord laser-guided missiles. One should be wary of the Jaguar E's heavier airframe and RTOW compared to the Jaguar A, which results in further decreased handling and performance especially when equipped with ordnance.