British Aerospace Harrier II
by Weston Westmoreland
Title
British Aerospace Harrier II
Artist
Weston Westmoreland
Medium
Photograph - Photograph
Description
British Aerospace Harrier GR9A.
The Harrier, informally referred to as the Harrier jump jet, is a family of jet-powered attack aircraft capable of vertical/short takeoff and landing operations (V/STOL). Named after a bird of prey, it was originally developed by British manufacturer Hawker Siddeley in the 1960s. The Harrier emerged as the only truly successful V/STOL design of the many attempted during that era. It was conceived to operate from improvised bases, such as car parks or forest clearings, without requiring large and vulnerable air bases. Later, the design was adapted for use from aircraft carriers.
There are two generations and four main variants of the Harrier family, developed by both UK and US manufacturers:
The British Aerospace Harrier II is a second-generation jet aircraft used previously by the Royal Air Force (RAF) and, between 2006 and 2010, the Royal Navy (RN). The aircraft was the latest development of the Harrier family, and was derived from the McDonnell Douglas AV-8B Harrier II. Initial deliveries of the Harrier II were designated in service as Harrier GR5; subsequently upgraded airframes were redesignated accordingly as GR7 and GR9.
Under the Joint Force Harrier organisation, both the RAF and RN operated the Harrier II under the RAF's Air Command, including deployments on board the navy's Invincible-class aircraft carriers. The Harrier II participated in numerous conflicts, making significant contributions in combat theaters such as Kosovo, Iraq, and Afghanistan. The type's main function was as a platform for air interdiction and close air support missions; the Harrier II was also used for power projection and reconnaissance duties. The Harrier II served alongside the Sea Harrier in Joint Force Harrier.
In December 2010, budgetary pressures led to the early retirement of all Harrier IIs from service, at which point it was the last of the Harrier derivatives remaining in British service. In March 2011, the decision to retire the Harrier was controversial as there was no immediate fixed-wing replacement in its role or fixed-wing carrier-capable aircraft left in service at the time; in the long term, the Harrier II was replaced by the Lockheed Martin F-35B Lightning II.
The Harrier GR9A resulted from a collaborative partnership between McDonnell Douglas and British Aerospace to produce a second-generation Harrier based on the McDonnell Douglas AV-8B.
This incorporated an advanced wing design, improved avionics and increased bomb and missile-carrying capacity. RAF variants started as the Harrier GR5, and were later upgraded as the GR7 and GR9. The RAF used them for attack and close air support duties in conflicts such as Kosovo, Iraq, and Afghanistan.
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Weston Westmoreland
Uploaded
November 8th, 2022
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