Hawker Siddeley Harrier

Operational history


Royal Air Force


The first RAF squadron to be equipped with the Harrier GR.1, [Vous devez être inscrit et connecté pour voir ce lien], started to convert to the aircraft at [Vous devez être inscrit et connecté pour voir ce lien] in April 1969.

An early demonstration of the Harrier's capabilities was the participation of two aircraft in the [Vous devez être inscrit et connecté pour voir ce lien] Transatlantic Air Race in May 1969, flying between [Vous devez être inscrit et connecté pour voir ce lien], London and downtown [Vous devez être inscrit et connecté pour voir ce lien] with the use of aerial refuelling. The Harrier completed the journey in 6 hours 11 minutes.

Two further squadrons were established at [Vous devez être inscrit et connecté pour voir ce lien] as part of [Vous devez être inscrit et connecté pour voir ce lien] in 1970, while a fourth formed at Wildenrath in 1972.

In 1977, the German-based Harrier force was moved forwards to [Vous devez être inscrit et connecté pour voir ce lien], closer to the prospective front line in the event of an outbreak of a European war, with one of the squadrons being disbanded and its aircraft being distributed between the other two.

GR 3

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GR 3

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In RAF service, the Harrier was used in [Vous devez être inscrit et connecté pour voir ce lien] (CAS), reconnaissance, and other ground attack roles.

The flexibility of the Harrier led to a long-term heavy deployment in [Vous devez être inscrit et connecté pour voir ce lien] as a conventional deterrent and potential strike weapon against Soviet aggression; from camouflaged rough bases the Harrier was expected to launch attacks on advancing armour columns from [Vous devez être inscrit et connecté pour voir ce lien]. Harriers were also deployed to bases in Norway and Belize. No. 1 Squadron was specifically earmarked for Norwegian operations in the event of war, operating as part of [Vous devez être inscrit et connecté pour voir ce lien], possibly in support of the [Vous devez être inscrit et connecté pour voir ce lien]' [Vous devez être inscrit et connecté pour voir ce lien].

The Harrier's capabilities were necessary in the Belize deployment, as it was the only RAF combat aircraft capable of safely operating from the airport's short runway; British forces had been stationed in Belize for several years due to tensions over a [Vous devez être inscrit et connecté pour voir ce lien], and were finally withdrawn in 1993.

GR 3 & T 4

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A defining combat experience for the Harrier was the [Vous devez être inscrit et connecté pour voir ce lien] in 1982, in which 10 Harrier GR.3s of No. 1 Squadron operated from the aircraft carrier [Vous devez être inscrit et connecté pour voir ce lien].

As the RAF Harrier GR.3 had not been designed for naval service, the 10 aircraft had to be rapidly modified prior to the departure of the task force.

Special sealants against corrosion were applied and a new deck-based inertial guidance aid was devised to allow RAF Harriers to land on a carrier as easily as the Sea Harrier.

Transponders to guide aircraft back to the carriers during night-time operations were also installed, along with [Vous devez être inscrit et connecté pour voir ce lien] and [Vous devez être inscrit et connecté pour voir ce lien] dispensers.

As there was little space on the carriers, two requisitioned merchant container ships, the [Vous devez être inscrit et connecté pour voir ce lien] and [Vous devez être inscrit et connecté pour voir ce lien], were modified with temporary flight decks and used to carry Harriers and helicopters to the South Atlantic.
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The Harrier GR.3s focused on providing close air support to the ground forces on the Falklands and attacking Argentine positions; suppressing enemy artillery was often a high priority.

Sea Harriers were also used in the war, primarily conducting fleet air defence and [Vous devez être inscrit et connecté pour voir ce lien] against the threat of attacking Argentine fighters.

However, both Sea Harriers and Harrier GR.3s were used in ground-attack missions against the main air field and runway at [Vous devez être inscrit et connecté pour voir ce lien].

If most of the Sea Harriers had been lost, the GR.3s would have replaced them in air patrol duties, even though the Harrier GR.3 was not designed for air defence operations; as such the GR.3s quickly had their outboard weapons pylons modified to take air-to-air Sidewinder missiles.

From 10 to 24 May 1982, prior to British forces landing in the Falklands, a detachment of three GR.3s provided air defence for [Vous devez être inscrit et connecté pour voir ce lien] until three [Vous devez être inscrit et connecté pour voir ce lien] arrived to take on this responsibility.

During the Falklands War, the greatest threat to the Harriers were deemed to be surface-to-air missiles (SAMs) and small arms fire from the ground.

In total, four Harrier GR.3s and six Sea Harriers were lost to ground fire, accidents, or mechanical failure.

More than 2,000 Harrier sorties were conducted during the conflict—equivalent to six sorties per day per aircraft.^{[Vous devez être inscrit et connecté pour voir ce lien]
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Following the Falklands War, the first generation of RAF Harriers did not see further combat, although they continued to serve in the RAF for several more years—as a deterrent against further Argentine invasion attempts [Vous devez être inscrit et connecté pour voir ce lien] was deployed to the [Vous devez être inscrit et connecté pour voir ce lien] from August 1983 to June 1985. However the second generation [Vous devez être inscrit et connecté pour voir ce lien] saw action in Bosnia, Iraq, and Afghanistan.

The first generation Hawker Siddeley airframes were replaced by the improved Harrier II, which had been developed jointly between [Vous devez être inscrit et connecté pour voir ce lien] and British Aerospace.

GR 7

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GR 7

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United States Marine Corps

The United States Marine Corps began showing a significant interest in the Harrier, around the same time the first RAF Harrier squadron was established in 1969, and this motivated Hawker Siddeley to further develop the aircraft to encourage a purchase.

Although there were concerns in Congress about multiple coinciding projects in the [Vous devez être inscrit et connecté pour voir ce lien] role, the Marine Corps were enthusiastic about the Harrier and managed to overcome efforts to obstruct its procurement.
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The AV-8A entered service with the Marine Corps in 1971 and attack squadrons converted to the Harrier.
The service became interested in performing ship-borne operations with the Harrier.

Admiral [Vous devez être inscrit et connecté pour voir ce lien] promoted the concept of a [Vous devez être inscrit et connecté pour voir ce lien], a 15,000-ton light carrier equipped with Harriers and helicopters, to supplement the larger aircraft carriers of the [Vous devez être inscrit et connecté pour voir ce lien].

An amphibious assault ship, the [Vous devez être inscrit et connecté pour voir ce lien], was converted into the Interim Sea Control Ship and operated as such between 1971 and 1973 with the purpose of studying the limits and possible obstacles for operating such a vessel.Since then the Sea Control Ship concept has been subject to periodic re-examinations and studies, often in the light of budget cuts and questions over the use of [Vous devez être inscrit et connecté pour voir ce lien].

Other exercises were performed to demonstrate the AV-8A's suitability for operating from various amphibious assault ships and aircraft carriers, including a deployment of 14 Harriers aboard [Vous devez être inscrit et connecté pour voir ce lien] for six months in 1976.

The tests showed, amongst other things, that the Harrier was capable of performing in weather where conventional carrier aircraft could not.

The USMC also developed a stand-by system, known as Arapaho, which would rapidly convert civilian cargo ships into sea-going platforms for operating and maintaining a handful of Harriers.

The Marines Corps' concept for deploying the Harriers in a land-based expeditionary role focused on aggressive speed.

Harrier forward bases and light maintenance facilities were to be set up in under 24 hours on any prospective battle area.

The forward bases, containing one to four aircraft, were to be located 20 miles from the forward edge of battle (FEBA), while a more established permanent airbase would be located around 50 miles from the FEBA.

^{[Vous devez être inscrit et connecté pour voir ce lien]} Supplies, including armaments, were to be regularly ferried by [Vous devez être inscrit et connecté pour voir ce lien] from the main base to the dispersed forward bases.

^{[Vous devez être inscrit et connecté pour voir ce lien]} The close proximity of forward bases allowed for a far greater [Vous devez être inscrit et connecté pour voir ce lien] rate and reduced fuel consumption.[Vous devez être inscrit et connecté pour voir ce lien]

AV 8B

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