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The British Aerospace Sea Harrier is a naval
short take-off and vertical landing A short take-off and vertical landing aircraft (STOVL aircraft) is a fixed-wing aircraft that is able to take off from a short runway (or take off vertically if it does not have a heavy payload) and land vertically (i.e. with no runway). The ...
/
vertical take-off and landing A vertical take-off and landing (VTOL) aircraft is one that can take off and land vertically without relying on a runway. This classification can include a variety of types of aircraft including helicopters as well as thrust-vectoring fixed-win ...
jet fighter,
reconnaissance In military operations, reconnaissance or scouting is the exploration of an area by military forces to obtain information about enemy forces, terrain, and other activities. Examples of reconnaissance include patrolling by troops ( skirmishe ...
and
attack aircraft An attack aircraft, strike aircraft, or attack bomber is a tactical military aircraft that has a primary role of carrying out airstrikes with greater precision than bombers, and is prepared to encounter strong low-level air defenses while pre ...
. It is the second member of the Harrier family developed. It first entered service with the
Royal Navy The Royal Navy (RN) is the United Kingdom's naval warfare force. Although warships were used by English and Scottish kings from the early medieval period, the first major maritime engagements were fought in the Hundred Years' War against Fr ...
in April 1980 as the Sea Harrier FRS1 and became informally known as the "''Shar''". Unusual in an era in which most naval and land-based air superiority fighters were large and
supersonic Supersonic speed is the speed of an object that exceeds the speed of sound ( Mach 1). For objects traveling in dry air of a temperature of 20 °C (68 °F) at sea level, this speed is approximately . Speeds greater than five times ...
, the principal role of the subsonic Sea Harrier was to provide air defence for Royal Navy task groups centred around the aircraft carriers. The Sea Harrier served in the
Falklands War The Falklands War ( es, link=no, Guerra de las Malvinas) was a ten-week undeclared war between Argentina and the United Kingdom in 1982 over two British dependent territories in the South Atlantic: the Falkland Islands and its territorial ...
and the Balkans conflicts; on all occasions it mainly operated from aircraft carriers positioned within the conflict zone. Its usage in the Falklands War was its most high profile and important success, when it was the only fixed-wing fighter available to protect the British Task Force. The Sea Harriers shot down 20 enemy aircraft during the conflict; 2 Sea Harriers were lost to enemy ground fire. They were also used to launch ground attacks in the same manner as the Harriers operated by the
Royal Air Force The Royal Air Force (RAF) is the United Kingdom's air and space force. It was formed towards the end of the First World War on 1 April 1918, becoming the first independent air force in the world, by regrouping the Royal Flying Corps (RFC) an ...
. The Sea Harrier was marketed for sales abroad, but India was the only other operator after attempts to sell the aircraft to Argentina and Australia were unsuccessful. A second, updated version for the Royal Navy was made in 1993 as the Sea Harrier FA2, improving its air-to-air abilities and weapons compatibilities, along with a more powerful engine; this version was manufactured until 1998. The aircraft was withdrawn from service early by the Royal Navy in 2006, but remained in service with the
Indian Navy The Indian Navy is the maritime branch of the Indian Armed Forces. The President of India is the Supreme Commander of the Indian Navy. The Chief of Naval Staff, a four-star admiral, commands the navy. As a blue-water navy, it operates si ...
for a further decade until its retirement in 2016.


Development

In the
post-World War II The aftermath of World War II was the beginning of a new era started in late 1945 (when World War II ended) for all countries involved, defined by the decline of all colonial empires and simultaneous rise of two superpowers; the Soviet Union (US ...
era, the Royal Navy began contracting in size. By 1960, the last
battleship A battleship is a large armour, armored warship with a main artillery battery, battery consisting of large caliber guns. It dominated naval warfare in the late 19th and early 20th centuries. The term ''battleship'' came into use in the late 1 ...
, , was retired from the Navy, having been in service for less than fifteen years. In 1966 the planned
CVA-01 CVA-01 was a proposed United Kingdom aircraft carrier, designed during the 1960s. The ship was intended to be the first of a class that would replace all of the Royal Navy's carriers, most of which had been designed before or during the Second ...
class of large
aircraft carrier An aircraft carrier is a warship that serves as a seagoing airbase, equipped with a full-length flight deck and facilities for carrying, arming, deploying, and recovering aircraft. Typically, it is the capital ship of a fleet, as it allows a ...
s was cancelled. During this time, requirements within the Royal Navy began to form for a vertical and/or short take-off and landing (V/STOL) carrier-based interceptor to replace the
de Havilland Sea Vixen The de Havilland DH.110 Sea Vixen is a British twin-engine, twin boom-tailed, two-seat, carrier-based fleet air-defence fighter flown by the Royal Navy's Fleet Air Arm during the 1950s through to the early 1970s. The Sea Vixen was designed by ...
. The first V/STOL tests on a ship began with a
Hawker Siddeley P.1127 The Hawker P.1127 and the Hawker Siddeley Kestrel FGA.1 are the British experimental and development aircraft that led to the Hawker Siddeley Harrier, the first ''vertical and/or short take-off and landing'' (V/STOL) jet fighter-bomber. Develo ...
landing on in 1963. A second concept for the future of naval aviation emerged in the early 1970s when the first of a new class of "through deck cruisers" was planned. These were very carefully and politically designated as cruisers, deliberately avoiding the term "aircraft carrier"Nordeen 2006, p. 11. to increase the chances of funding in a hostile political climate against expensive
capital ship The capital ships of a navy are its most important warships; they are generally the larger ships when compared to other warships in their respective fleet. A capital ship is generally a leading or a primary ship in a naval fleet. Strategic im ...
s.Grove 1987, pp. 319–320. The resulting carriers were considerably smaller than the CVA-01 design, but came to be widely recognised as aircraft carriers.Moore 1987, pp. 22.Moore RN, Capt. John E. ''Warships of the Royal Navy''. Jane's Publishing, 1981, . Almost immediately upon their construction, a
ski-jump Ski jumping is a winter sport in which competitors aim to achieve the farthest jump after sliding down on their skis from a specially designed curved ramp. Along with jump length, competitor's aerial style and other factors also affect the final ...
was added to the end of the 170-metre deck, enabling the carriers to effectively operate a small number of V/STOL jets. The naval staff were able to build an effective political argument for acquiring V/STOL aircraft, on the grounds that anti-submarine groups operating in the
NATO The North Atlantic Treaty Organization (NATO, ; french: Organisation du traité de l'Atlantique nord, ), also called the North Atlantic Alliance, is an intergovernmental military alliance between 30 member states – 28 European and two N ...
Atlantic area, the intended main role of the through deck cruisers, would be vulnerable to attack by Soviet
anti-ship missile An anti-ship missile (AShM) is a guided missile that is designed for use against ships and large boats. Most anti-ship missiles are of the sea skimming variety, and many use a combination of inertial guidance and active radar homing. A goo ...
s. These could be launched at a considerable distance by a submarine or surface ship, but needed to be guided in by a
maritime patrol aircraft A maritime patrol aircraft (MPA), also known as a patrol aircraft, maritime reconnaissance aircraft, or by the older American term patrol bomber, is a fixed-wing aircraft designed to operate for long durations over water in maritime patrol ro ...
; fast jets carried onboard would be able to shoot these down. No mention was made of the other capabilities that these aircraft would have. The
Royal Air Force The Royal Air Force (RAF) is the United Kingdom's air and space force. It was formed towards the end of the First World War on 1 April 1918, becoming the first independent air force in the world, by regrouping the Royal Flying Corps (RFC) an ...
's Hawker Siddeley Harrier GR1s had entered service in April 1969. A navalised variant of the Harrier was developed by
Hawker Siddeley Hawker Siddeley was a group of British manufacturing companies engaged in aircraft production. Hawker Siddeley combined the legacies of several British aircraft manufacturers, emerging through a series of mergers and acquisitions as one of onl ...
to serve on the upcoming ships; this became the Sea Harrier. In 1975, the
Royal Navy The Royal Navy (RN) is the United Kingdom's naval warfare force. Although warships were used by English and Scottish kings from the early medieval period, the first major maritime engagements were fought in the Hundred Years' War against Fr ...
ordered 24 Sea Harrier ''FRS.1'' (standing for 'Fighter, Reconnaissance, Strike'Bull 2004, p. 120.) aircraft, the first of which entered service in 1978. During this time Hawker Siddeley became part of
British Aerospace British Aerospace plc (BAe) was a British aircraft, munitions and defence-systems manufacturer. Its head office was at Warwick House in the Farnborough Aerospace Centre in Farnborough, Hampshire. Formed in 1977, in 1999 it purchased Marconi ...
through nationalisation in 1977. By the time the prototype Sea Harrier was flown at Dunsfold on 20 August 1978, the order had been increased to 34. The Sea Harrier was declared operational in 1981 on board the first ''Invincible''-class ship , and further aircraft joined the ageing aircraft carrier later that year. In 1984, approval was given to upgrade of the fleet to ''FRS.2'' standard (later known as ''FA2'') following the lessons learned during the aircraft's deployment in the 1982 Falklands War. The first flight of the prototype took place in September 1988 and a contract was signed for 29 upgraded aircraft in December that year. In 1990, the Navy ordered 18 new-build FA2s, at a unit cost of around £12 million, four further upgraded aircraft were ordered in 1994. The first aircraft was delivered on 2 April 1993.


Design

The Sea Harrier is a subsonic aircraft designed for strike, reconnaissance and fighter roles.Jenkins 1998, p. 52. It features a single
Rolls-Royce Pegasus The Rolls-Royce Pegasus, formerly the Bristol Siddeley Pegasus, is a British turbofan engine originally designed by Bristol Siddeley. It was manufactured by Rolls-Royce plc. The engine is not only able to power a jet aircraft forward, but also ...
turbofan The turbofan or fanjet is a type of airbreathing jet engine that is widely used in aircraft engine, aircraft propulsion. The word "turbofan" is a portmanteau of "turbine" and "fan": the ''turbo'' portion refers to a gas turbine engine which ac ...
engine with two intakes and four vectorable nozzles. It has two landing gear on the fuselage and two outrigger landing gear on the wings. The Sea Harrier is equipped with four wing and three fuselage pylons for carrying weapons and external fuel tanks.Spick 2000, pp. 366–370, 387–392. Use of the ski jump allowed the aircraft to take off from a short flight deck with a heavier payload than would otherwise be possible, although it can also take off like a conventional loaded fighter without thrust vectoring from a normal airport runway.Bull 2004, p. 121. The Sea Harrier was largely based on the Harrier GR3, but was modified to have a raised cockpit with a "
bubble Bubble, Bubbles or The Bubble may refer to: Common uses * Bubble (physics), a globule of one substance in another, usually gas in a liquid ** Soap bubble * Economic bubble, a situation where asset prices are much higher than underlying fund ...
" canopy for greater visibility, and an extended forward
fuselage The fuselage (; from the French ''fuselé'' "spindle-shaped") is an aircraft's main body section. It holds crew, passengers, or cargo. In single-engine aircraft, it will usually contain an engine as well, although in some amphibious aircraft t ...
to accommodate the
Ferranti Blue Fox __NOTOC__ The Ferranti Blue Fox was a British multi-role airborne radar designed and built for the Royal Navy by Ferranti Defence Systems in the late 1970s. It had a mixed record in service, and was replaced by the more capable Blue Vixen. Desig ...
radar. Parts were changed to use corrosion resistant
alloy An alloy is a mixture of chemical elements of which at least one is a metal. Unlike chemical compounds with metallic bases, an alloy will retain all the properties of a metal in the resulting material, such as electrical conductivity, ductili ...
s, or coatings were added, to protect against the marine environment.Jenkins 1998, pp. 51–55. After the
Falklands War The Falklands War ( es, link=no, Guerra de las Malvinas) was a ten-week undeclared war between Argentina and the United Kingdom in 1982 over two British dependent territories in the South Atlantic: the Falkland Islands and its territorial ...
, the Sea Harrier was fitted with the
Sea Eagle A sea eagle or fish eagle (also called erne or ern, mostly in reference to the white-tailed eagle) is any of the birds of prey in the genus ''Haliaeetus'' in the bird of prey family Accipitridae. Taxonomy and evolution The genus ''Haliaeetus'' ...
anti-ship missile. The Blue Fox radar was seen by some critics as having comparatively low performance for what was available at the time of procurement. The Sea Harrier FA2 was fitted with the
Blue Vixen __NOTOC__ Blue Vixen was a British airborne radar designed and built for the Royal Navy by Ferranti Defence Systems (later, GEC-Marconi), Edinburgh, Scotland. It was the primary radar of later models of the British Aerospace Sea Harrier, replaci ...
radar, which was described as one of the most advanced pulse doppler radar systems in the world; The Blue Vixen formed the basis of the
Eurofighter Typhoon The Eurofighter Typhoon is a European multinational twin-engine, canard delta wing, multirole fighter. The Typhoon was designed originally as an air-superiority fighter and is manufactured by a consortium of Airbus, BAE Systems and Leonardo ...
's CAPTOR radar. The Sea Harrier FA2 carried the
AIM-120 AMRAAM The AIM-120 Advanced Medium-Range Air-to-Air Missile, or AMRAAM (pronounced ), is an American beyond-visual-range air-to-air missile (BVRAAM) capable of all-weather day-and-night operations. It is 7 inches (18 cm) in diameter, and employ ...
missile, the first UK aircraft with this capability. An upgraded model of the Pegasus engine, the Pegasus Mk 106, was used in the Sea Harrier FA2. In response to the threat of radar-based anti aircraft weapons electronic countermeasures were added. Other improvements included an increased air-to-air weapons load, look-down radar, increased range, and improved cockpit displays. The Sea Harrier's cockpit includes a conventional
centre stick A centre stick (or center stick in the United States), or simply control stick is an aircraft cockpit arrangement where the control column (or joystick) is located in the center of the cockpit between the pilots or between the pilot's legs. Sinc ...
arrangement and left-hand throttle. In addition to normal flight controls, the Harrier has a lever for controlling the direction of the four vectorable nozzles. The nozzles point rearward with the lever in the forward position for horizontal flight. With the lever back, the nozzles point downward for vertical takeoff or landing.Markman and Holder 2000, pp. 74–77.Jenkins 1998, p. 25. The utility of the vertical landing capability of the Sea Harrier was demonstrated in an incident on 6 June 1983, when Sub Lieutenant Ian Watson lost contact with the aircraft carrier and had to land Sea Harrier ZA176 on the foredeck of the Spanish cargo ship ''Alraigo''. In 1998, the UK
Defence Evaluation and Research Agency The Defence Evaluation and Research Agency (DERA) was a part of the UK Ministry of Defence (MoD) between 1995 and 2 July 2001. At the time it was the United Kingdom's largest science and technology organisation. It was regarded by its official h ...
test-fitted an FA2 with AVPRO UK Ltd's
Exint pod The exint pod was a design for a man-carrying, under-wing pod capable of being fitted to the underwing weapons pylons on military fast-jets and military helicopters. The concept was conceived by the former Acton, London based aircraft consultancy AV ...
s, small underwing compartments intended to be used for deployment of special forces. In 2005, a Sea Harrier was modified with an '
Autoland In aviation, autoland describes a system that fully automates the landing procedure of an aircraft's flight, with the flight crew supervising the process. Such systems enable airliners to land in weather conditions that would otherwise be dangero ...
' system to allow the fighter to perform a safe vertical landing without any pilot interaction. Despite the pitching of a ship posing a natural problem, the system was designed to be aware of such data, and successfully performed a landing at sea in May 2005.


Operational history


Royal Navy


Entry into service

The first three Sea Harriers were a development batch and were used for clearance trials. The first production aircraft was delivered to
RNAS Yeovilton Royal Naval Air Station Yeovilton, or RNAS Yeovilton, (HMS ''Heron'') is an airfield of the Royal Navy and British Army, sited a few miles north of Yeovil, Somerset. It is one of two active Fleet Air Arm bases (the other being RNAS Culdrose) ...
in 1979 to form an Intensive Flying Trials Unit, 700A Naval Air Squadron. In March 1980 the Intensive Flying Trials Unit became 899 Naval Air Squadron and would act as the landborne headquarters unit for the type. The first operational squadron,
800 Naval Air Squadron () , colors = , colors_label = , march = , mascot = , anniversaries = , equipment = , equipment_label = , battles = , battles_label = , decorations = , battle_honours = , battle_honours_label = , flying_hours = , website = , cur ...
, was also formed in March 1980 initially to operate from HMS ''Invincible'' before it transferred to HMS ''Hermes''. In January 1981, a second operation squadron
801 Naval Air Squadron 801 Naval Air Squadron (NAS) was a Fleet Air Arm squadron of the Royal Navy formed in 1933 which fought in World War II, the Korean War and the Falklands War. Fleet Air Arm of the Royal Air Force The squadron was formed on 3 April 1933 as part ...
was formed to operate from HMS ''Invincible''.


Falklands War

Sea Harriers took part in the
Falklands War The Falklands War ( es, link=no, Guerra de las Malvinas) was a ten-week undeclared war between Argentina and the United Kingdom in 1982 over two British dependent territories in the South Atlantic: the Falkland Islands and its territorial ...
( es, Guerra de las Malvinas) of 1982, flying from HMS ''Invincible'' and HMS ''Hermes''. The Sea Harriers performed the primary air defence role with a secondary role of ground attack; the RAF Harrier GR3 provided the main ground attack force. A total of 28 Sea Harriers and 14 Harrier GR3s were deployed in the theatre. The Sea Harrier squadrons shot down 20 Argentine aircraft in air-to-air combat with no air-to-air losses, although two Sea Harriers were lost to ground fire and four to accidents. Out of the total Argentine air losses, 28% were shot down by Harriers. One Sea Harrier alone, flown by RAF Flight Lieutenant David Morgan, shot down two Skyhawks in a single encounter. A number of factors contributed to the failure of the Argentinian fighters to shoot down a Sea Harrier. Although the
Mirage III The Dassault Mirage III () is a family of single/dual-seat, single-engine, fighter aircraft developed and manufactured by French aircraft company Dassault Aviation. It was the first Western European combat aircraft to exceed Mach 2 in horizonta ...
and
Dagger A dagger is a fighting knife with a very sharp point and usually two sharp edges, typically designed or capable of being used as a thrusting or stabbing weapon.State v. Martin, 633 S.W.2d 80 (Mo. 1982): This is the dictionary or popular-use def ...
jets were faster, the Sea Harrier was considerably more manoeuvrable. Moreover, the Harrier employed the latest AIM-9L Sidewinder missiles and the Blue Fox
radar Radar is a detection system that uses radio waves to determine the distance (''ranging''), angle, and radial velocity of objects relative to the site. It can be used to detect aircraft, Marine radar, ships, spacecraft, guided missiles, motor v ...
. Contrary to contemporary reports that " viffing" proved decisive in dogfights, the maneuver was not used by RN pilots in the Falklands as it was only used in emergencies against enemies unfamiliar with the aircraft. The British pilots noticed Argentinian pilots occasionally releasing weapons outside of their operating parameters. This is now thought to have been Mirages ( IAI Neshers) releasing external fuel tanks to improve their maneuverability for air combat. British aircraft received fighter control from warships in San Carlos Water, although its effectiveness was limited by their being stationed close to the islands, which severely limited the effectiveness of their radar. The differences in tactics and training between 800 Squadron and 801 Squadron have been a point of criticism, suggesting that the losses of several ships were preventable had Sea Harriers from ''Hermes'' been used more effectively. Both sides' aircraft were operating in adverse conditions. Argentine aircraft were forced to operate from the mainland because airfields on the Falklands were only suited for propeller-driven aircraft. The bombing of Port Stanley airport by a British Vulcan bomber was also a consideration in the Argentinians' decision to operate them from afar. As most Argentine aircraft lacked in-flight refuelling capability, they were forced to operate at the limit of their range. The Sea Harriers also had limited fuel reserves due to the tactical decision to station the British carriers out of
Exocet missile The Exocet () is a French-built anti-ship missile whose various versions can be launched from surface vessels, submarines, helicopters and fixed-wing aircraft. Etymology The missile's name was given by M. Guillot, then the technical director ...
range and the dispersal of the fleet. The result was that an Argentine aircraft only had five minutes over the islands to search for and attack an objective, while a Sea Harrier could stay near to 30 minutes waiting in the Argentine approach corridors and provide
Combat Air Patrol Combat air patrol (CAP) is a type of flying mission for fighter aircraft. A combat air patrol is an aircraft patrol provided over an objective area, over the force protected, over the critical area of a combat zone, or over an air defense area, ...
coverage for up to an hour. The Sea Harriers were outnumbered by the available Argentinian aircraft, and were on occasion decoyed away by the activities of the ''
Escuadrón Fénix The Phoenix Squadron ( es, Escuadrón Fénix) was a volunteers' special unit of the Argentine Air Force established during the 1982 Falklands War. History The Argentine Air Force reconnaissance force at that time was formed around the ''Grupo 1 ...
'' or civilian jet aircraft used by the Argentine Air Force. They had to operate without a fleet
airborne early warning and control Airborne or Airborn may refer to: Arts, entertainment, and media Films * ''Airborne'' (1962 film), a 1962 American film directed by James Landis * ''Airborne'' (1993 film), a comedy–drama film * ''Airborne'' (1998 film), an action film sta ...
(AEW&C) system that would have been available to a full NATO fleet in which the Royal Navy had expected to operate, which was a significant weakness in the operational environment. It is now known that British units based in Chile did provide early radar warning to the Task Force. Nonetheless, the lack of AEW&C cover resulted in air superiority as opposed to
air supremacy Aerial supremacy (also air superiority) is the degree to which a side in a conflict holds control of air power over opposing forces. There are levels of control of the air in aerial warfare. Control of the air is the aerial equivalent of comm ...
; the Sea Harriers could not prevent Argentine attacks during day or night nor could they completely stop the daily
C-130 Hercules The Lockheed C-130 Hercules is an American four-engine turboprop military transport aircraft designed and built by Lockheed (now Lockheed Martin). Capable of using unprepared runways for takeoffs and landings, the C-130 was originally desi ...
transports' night flights to the islands.


Operations in the 1990s

The Sea Harrier saw action in war again when it was deployed in the 1992–1995
Bosnian War The Bosnian War ( sh, Rat u Bosni i Hercegovini / Рат у Босни и Херцеговини) was an international armed conflict that took place in Bosnia and Herzegovina between 1992 and 1995. The war is commonly seen as having started ...
. It launched raids on Serb forces and provided air-support for the international taskforce units conducting Operations Deny Flight and Deliberate Force against the
Army of Republika Srpska The Army of Republika Srpska ( sr, Војска Републике Српске/Vojska Republike Srpske; ВРС/VRS), commonly referred to in English as the Bosnian Serb Army, was the military of Republika Srpska (RS), the self-proclaimed Serb ...
. On 16 April 1994, a Sea Harrier of the 801 Naval Air Squadron, operating from the aircraft carrier HMS ''Ark Royal'', was brought down by an Igla-1 surface-to-air missile fired by the Army of Republika Srpska while attempting to bomb two Bosnian Serb tanks. The pilot, Lieutenant Nick Richardson, ejected and landed in territory controlled by friendly Bosnian Muslims. It was used again in the 1999 NATO campaign against the
Federal Republic of Yugoslavia Serbia and Montenegro ( sr, Cрбија и Црна Гора, translit=Srbija i Crna Gora) was a country in Southeast Europe located in the Balkans that existed from 1992 to 2006, following the breakup of the Socialist Federal Republic of ...
in
Operation Allied Force The North Atlantic Treaty Organization (NATO) carried out an aerial bombing campaign against the Federal Republic of Yugoslavia during the Kosovo War. The air strikes lasted from 24 March 1999 to 10 June 1999. The bombings continued until an a ...
, where Sea Harriers operating from ''Invincible'' frequently patrolled the airspace to keep Yugoslavian MiGs on the ground. They were also deployed on board ''Illustrious'' in 2000 as part of
Operation Palliser The United Kingdom began a military intervention in Sierra Leone on 7 May 2000 under the codename Operation Palliser. Although small numbers of British personnel had been deployed previously, Palliser was the first large-scale intervention by B ...
, the British intervention in
Sierra Leone Sierra Leone,)]. officially the Republic of Sierra Leone, is a country on the southwest coast of West Africa. It is bordered by Liberia to the southeast and Guinea surrounds the northern half of the nation. Covering a total area of , Sierr ...
.


Retirement

The UK is procuring the STOVL Lockheed Martin F-35 Lightning II, F-35B to be operated from the Royal Navy's s."Securing Britain in an Age of Uncertainty: The Strategic Defence and Security Review."
''HM Government'', 19 October 2010. Retrieved 19 October 2010.
The Sea Harrier was withdrawn from service in 2006 and the last remaining aircraft from
801 Naval Air Squadron 801 Naval Air Squadron (NAS) was a Fleet Air Arm squadron of the Royal Navy formed in 1933 which fought in World War II, the Korean War and the Falklands War. Fleet Air Arm of the Royal Air Force The squadron was formed on 3 April 1933 as part ...
were decommissioned on 29 March 2006. The MoD argued that significant expenditure would be required to upgrade the fleet for only six years of service to meet the F-35s then planned in-service date. Both versions of Harrier experienced reduced engine performance (Pegasus Mk 106 in FA2 – Mk 105 in GR7) in the higher ambient temperatures of the Middle East, which restricted the weight of payload that the Harrier could return to the carrier in 'vertical' recoveries. This was due to the safety factors associated with aircraft landing weights. The option to install higher-rated Pegasus engines would not have been as straightforward as on the Harrier GR7 upgrade and would have likely been an expensive and slow process. Furthermore, the Sea Harriers were subject to a generally more hostile environment than land-based Harriers, with corrosive salt spray a particular problem. A number of aircraft were retained by the School of Flight Deck Operations at RNAS ''Culdrose''. The Royal Navy's
Fleet Air Arm The Fleet Air Arm (FAA) is one of the five fighting arms of the Royal Navy and is responsible for the delivery of naval air power both from land and at sea. The Fleet Air Arm operates the F-35 Lightning II for maritime strike, the AW159 Wi ...
would continue to share the other component of Joint Force Harrier.
Harrier GR7 The British Aerospace Harrier II is a second-generation vertical/short takeoff and landing (V/STOL) jet aircraft used previously by the Royal Air Force (RAF) and, between 2006 and 2010, the Royal Navy (RN). The aircraft was the latest developm ...
and the upgraded Harrier GR9 were transferred to Royal Navy squadrons in 2006, but were retired prematurely in 2010 due to budget cuts. Although withdrawn from active Royal Navy service, Sea Harriers are used to train naval aircraft handlers at the Royal Navy School of Flight Deck Operations.


Indian Navy

In 1977, the Indian government approved plans to acquire the Sea Harrier for the Indian Navy. In November 1979, India placed its first order for six Sea Harrier FRS Mk 51 fighters and two T Mk 60 Trainers; the first three Sea Harriers arrived at
Dabolim Airport Dabolim Airport is an international airport in Dabolim, Goa, India. It is operated by the Airports Authority of India as a civil enclave in an Indian Navy naval airbase named INS Hansa. The airport is located in Dabolim, 4 kilometers ...
on 16 December 1983, and were inducted the same year.Hiranandani 2000, p. 276. Ten more Sea Harriers were purchased in November 1985; eventually a total of 30 Harriers were procured, 25 for operational use and the remainder as dual-seat trainer aircraft. Until the 1990s, significant portions of pilot training was carried out in Britain due to limited aircraft availability. The introduction of the Sea Harrier allowed for the retirement of India's previous carrier fighter aircraft, the
Hawker Sea Hawk The Hawker Sea Hawk is a British single-seat jet day fighter formerly of the Fleet Air Arm (FAA), the air branch of the Royal Navy (RN), built by Hawker Aircraft and its sister company, Armstrong Whitworth Aircraft. Although its design origina ...
, as well as for the Navy's aircraft carrier, , to be extensively modernised between 1987 and 1989. India has operated Sea Harriers from both the aircraft carriers INS ''Vikrant'' and INS ''Viraat''.Nordeen 2006, p. 14. The Sea Harrier allowed several modern missiles to be introduced into naval operations, such as the
Sea Eagle A sea eagle or fish eagle (also called erne or ern, mostly in reference to the white-tailed eagle) is any of the birds of prey in the genus ''Haliaeetus'' in the bird of prey family Accipitridae. Taxonomy and evolution The genus ''Haliaeetus'' ...
anti-ship missile,Hiranandani 2000, p. 287. and the
Matra Magic The R.550 Magic (backronym for ''Missile Auto-Guidé Interception et Combat'') is a short-range air-to-air missile designed in 1968 by French company Matra to compete with the American AIM-9 Sidewinder, and it was made backwards compatible with t ...
air-to-air missile.Hiranandani 2012, p. 154. Other ordnance has included 68 mm rockets, runway-denial bombs, cluster bombs, and podded 30 mm cannons. There have been a significant number of accidents involving the Sea Harrier; this accident rate has caused approximately half the fleet to be lost with only 11 fighters remaining in service. Following a crash in August 2009, all Sea Harriers were temporarily grounded for inspection. Since the beginning of operational service in the Indian Navy, seven pilots have died in 17 crashes involving the Sea Harrier, usually during routine sorties. In 2006, the Indian Navy expressed interest in acquiring up to eight of the Royal Navy's recently retired Sea Harrier FA2s in order to maintain their operational Sea Harrier fleet. Neither the Sea Harrier FA2's Blue Vixen radar, the
radar warning receiver Radar warning receiver (RWR) systems detect the radio emissions of radar systems. Their primary purpose is to issue a warning when a radar signal that might be a threat is detected, like a fighter aircraft's fire control radar. The warning can ...
or AMRAAM capability would have been included; certain US software would also be uninstalled prior to shipment. By October 2006, reports emerged that the deal had not materialised due to the cost of airframe refurbishment. In 2006, the Indian Navy started upgrading up to 15 Sea Harriers, installing the
Elta ELTA may mean one of the following: Broadcasting * ELTA 1 HD, the first commercial HD cable television channel in Bosnia and Herzegovina * ELTA 2, a commercial music television channel in Bosnia and Herzegovina * , a television channel in Taiwan O ...
EL/M-2032 radar and the Rafael 'Derby' medium-range air-to-air BVR missile. This enabled the Sea Harrier to remain in Indian service beyond 2012. By 2009, crashes had reduced India's fleet to 12 (from original 30). India purchased the deactivated Russian aircraft carrier Admiral ''Gorshkov'' in 2004. After refurbishment and trials, the ship was formally inducted into the Indian Navy as INS ''Vikramaditya'' in June 2014. Sea Harriers operated from INS ''Viraat'' for the last time on 6 March 2016. On 11 May 2016, a ceremony was held at INS Hansa, Dabolim, Goa to commemorate the phasing out of Sea Harriers from
INAS 300 The INAS 300 is the longest serving combat unit of the Indian Navy, based at INS Hansa. History The White Tigers were commissioned on 7 July 1959 at RNAS Brawdy, United Kingdom with the Indian High Commissioner to UK, Vijay Laxmi Pandit, i ...
"White Tigers" and their replacement by the MiG-29K/KUB fighters. Aircraft of both types performed an air display at the ceremony, marking the final flight of the Sea Harriers after 33 years of service in the Indian Navy. The Indian Navy operates MiG-29K/KUB STOBAR fighters from ''Vikramaditya''.


Variants

;Sea Harrier FRS.1 : 57 FRS1s were delivered between 1978 and 1988; most survivors converted to Sea Harrier FA2 specifications from 1988. ;Sea Harrier FRS.51 : Single-seat fighter, reconnaissance, and attack aircraft made for the Indian Navy, similar to the British FRS1. Unlike the FRS1 Sea Harrier, it is fitted with Matra R550 Magic air-to-air missiles. These aircraft were later upgraded with the
Elta ELTA may mean one of the following: Broadcasting * ELTA 1 HD, the first commercial HD cable television channel in Bosnia and Herzegovina * ELTA 2, a commercial music television channel in Bosnia and Herzegovina * , a television channel in Taiwan O ...
EL/M-2032 radar and the Rafael Derby BVRAAM missiles. ;Sea Harrier F(A).2 : Upgrade of FRS1 fleet in 1988, featuring the
Blue Vixen __NOTOC__ Blue Vixen was a British airborne radar designed and built for the Royal Navy by Ferranti Defence Systems (later, GEC-Marconi), Edinburgh, Scotland. It was the primary radar of later models of the British Aerospace Sea Harrier, replaci ...
pulse-doppler radar and the AIM-120 AMRAAM missile.


Operators

; :
Indian Navy The Indian Navy is the maritime branch of the Indian Armed Forces. The President of India is the Supreme Commander of the Indian Navy. The Chief of Naval Staff, a four-star admiral, commands the navy. As a blue-water navy, it operates si ...
::
Indian Naval Air Arm The Indian Naval Air Arm is the aviation branch and a fighting arm of the Indian Navy which is tasked to provide an aircraft carrier based strike capability, fleet air defence, maritime reconnaissance, and anti-submarine warfare. The Flag Of ...
(1983–2016) ; :
Royal Navy The Royal Navy (RN) is the United Kingdom's naval warfare force. Although warships were used by English and Scottish kings from the early medieval period, the first major maritime engagements were fought in the Hundred Years' War against Fr ...
::
Fleet Air Arm The Fleet Air Arm (FAA) is one of the five fighting arms of the Royal Navy and is responsible for the delivery of naval air power both from land and at sea. The Fleet Air Arm operates the F-35 Lightning II for maritime strike, the AW159 Wi ...
(1978–2006)


Surviving aircraft

Several surviving Sea Harriers are held by museums and private owners, and some others are at the Royal Navy School of Flight Deck Operations at
RNAS Culdrose Royal Naval Air Station Culdrose (RNAS Culdrose, also known as HMS ''Seahawk''; ICAO: EGDR) is a Royal Navy airbase near Helston on the Lizard Peninsula of Cornwall UK, and is one of the largest helicopter bases in Europe. Its main role is serv ...
and other military bases for training.A. Horrex, M. Ray, M. Boulanger, R. Dunn, T. McGhee & T. Wood
"Sea Harrier". Demobbed – Out of Service British Military Aircraft
. demobbed.org.uk
The following is list of those not used by the military for training.


India

;On display *Sea Harrier FRS 51 (IN-621) at the
Naval Aviation Museum (India) The Naval Aviation Museum is a military aviation museum located in Bogmalo, from Vasco da Gama, Goa, India focused on the history of the Indian Naval Air Arm. The museum is divided into two main parts, an outdoor exhibit and a two-storey in ...
in Goa, India *Sea Harrier T Mk.60 (IN-654) at the
Rashtriya Indian Military College The Rashtriya Indian Military College (abbreviated RIMC; formerly known as Prince of Wales Royal Indian Military College) is a military school for boys and girls situated in Doon Valley, Dehradun in India. The RIMC is a feeder institution for ...
in
Dehradun Dehradun () is the capital and the List of cities in Uttarakhand by population, most populous city of the Indian state of Uttarakhand. It is the administrative headquarters of the eponymous Dehradun district, district and is governed by the Dehr ...
, India


United Kingdom

;In use *The Royal Navy School of Flight Deck Operations still uses Harriers to train Aircraft Handlers who train on the dummy deck at
RNAS Culdrose Royal Naval Air Station Culdrose (RNAS Culdrose, also known as HMS ''Seahawk''; ICAO: EGDR) is a Royal Navy airbase near Helston on the Lizard Peninsula of Cornwall UK, and is one of the largest helicopter bases in Europe. Its main role is serv ...
.Airshow Review - RNAS Culdrose Air Day 2014 https://www.globalaviationresource.com/v2/2014/08/06/airshow-review-rnas-culdrose-air-day-2014/ Many are in a working condition, although in a limited-throttle setting. Although they are unable to fly, they still produce a loud sound to aid training. ;On display *Sea Harrier FA.2 ''ZD610'' at
Aerospace Bristol Aerospace Bristol is an aerospace museum at Filton, to the north of Bristol, England, U.K. The project is run by the Bristol Aero Collection Trust and houses a varied collection of exhibits, including Concorde ''Alpha Foxtrot'', the final Con ...
*Sea Harrier FA.2 ''XZ457'' at the Boscombe Down Aviation Collection, Old Sarum, Wiltshire *Sea Harrier FRS.1 ''XZ493'' at the
Fleet Air Arm Museum The Fleet Air Arm Museum is devoted to the history of British naval aviation. It has an extensive collection of military and civilian aircraft, aero engines, models of aircraft and Royal Navy ships (especially aircraft carriers), and paintin ...
, Yeovilton, Somerset *Sea Harrier FA.2 ''XZ494'' at the Castle Farm Camping and Caravanning, Wedmore, Somerset *Sea Harrier FA.2 ''ZA175'' at the Norfolk & Suffolk Aviation Museum, Flixton, Norfolk. *Sea Harrier FA.2 ''ZA176'' at the
Newark Air Museum Newark Air Museum is an air museum located on a former Royal Air Force station at Winthorpe, near Newark-on-Trent in Nottinghamshire, England. The museum contains a variety of aircraft. History The airfield was known as RAF Winthorpe during ...
, Newark, Nottinghamshire *Sea Harrier FA.2 ''ZD607'' at the Defence Storage and Distribution Agency, Bicester, Oxfordshire *Sea Harrier FA.2 ''ZD613'' on the roof of a building at the Cross Green Industrial Estate, Leeds, West Yorkshire *Sea Harrier FA.2 ''ZE691'' at Woodford Park Industrial Estate, Winsford, Cheshire *Sea Harrier FA.2 ''ZE694'' at the Midland Air Museum, Coventry, Warwickshire *Sea Harrier FA.2 ''XZ459'' at Tangmere Military Aviation Museum in West Sussex, arrived in 2020 ;Stored or under restoration *Sea Harrier FA.2 ''ZH803'', formerly at SFDO at RNAS Culdrose, is owned by FLY HARRIER LTD, and gained civil registration with the CAA on 7 August 2019 as ''G-RNFA''. As of July 2020, it is listed as being at St Athan Airport in Wales. *Sea Harrier FA.2 ''XZ497'' with a private collection at Charlwood, SurreyEllis 2016, p. 264 *Sea Harrier FA.2 ''XZ499'' with the
Fleet Air Arm Museum The Fleet Air Arm Museum is devoted to the history of British naval aviation. It has an extensive collection of military and civilian aircraft, aero engines, models of aircraft and Royal Navy ships (especially aircraft carriers), and paintin ...
storage facility Cobham Hall, Yeovilton *Sea Harrier FA.2 ''ZD582'' with a private collection at Aynho, Northamptonshire *Sea Harrier FA.2 ''ZD612'' with a private collection at Topsham, Devon *Sea Harrier FA.2 ''ZD614'' with a private collection Walcott, Lincolnshire *Sea Harrier FA.2 ''ZE697'' at the former RAF Binbrook, Lincolnshire (as of 2016) *Sea Harrier FA.2 ''ZE698'' with a private collection at Charlwood, Surrey *Sea Harrier FA.2 ''ZH798'', formerly at RNAS Culdrose, was auctioned off in 2020 to Jet Art Aviation, who restored the aircraft to be taxi- and ground-run capable. *Sea Harrier FA.2 ''ZH799'' with a private collection at Tunbridge Wells, Kent *Sea Harrier FA.2 ''ZH806'', ''ZH810'', and ''ZH812'' with a dealer near Ipswich, Suffolk


United States

;Airworthy *Sea Harrier FA2 registered N94422 (formerly Royal Navy serial number XZ439) Nalls Aviation St Mary's County,
Maryland Maryland ( ) is a state in the Mid-Atlantic region of the United States. It shares borders with Virginia, West Virginia, and the District of Columbia to its south and west; Pennsylvania to its north; and Delaware and the Atlantic Ocean t ...
. The former Royal Navy Sea Harrier FA2 was purchased in 2006 by
Art Nalls Arthur L. Nalls, Jr. (born 1954) is a retired United States Marine Corps officer, test pilot, and entrepreneur who owns and operates a unique air show business consisting of two Harrier jump jets as well as an L-39 Albatross. A former Guinness ...
, who spent the next two years restoring it to flying condition. In December 2007, it was damaged in a hard landing, while undergoing testing at
Naval Air Station Patuxent River Naval Air Station Patuxent River , also known as NAS Pax River, is a United States naval air station located in St. Mary’s County, Maryland, on the Chesapeake Bay near the mouth of the Patuxent River. It is home to Headquarters, Naval Air S ...
and had to be repaired. The aircraft made its first public appearance at an air show in
Culpeper, Virginia Culpeper (formerly Culpeper Courthouse, earlier Fairfax) is an incorporated town in Culpeper County, Virginia, United States. The population was 20,062 at the 2020 census, up from 16,379 at the 2010 census. It is the county seat of Culpeper C ...
, in October 2008. The aircraft is the only privately owned, civilian-flown Harrier in the world.


Specifications (Sea Harrier FA.2)


Notable appearances in media

The Harrier's unique characteristics have led to it being featured a number of films and video games.


See also


References


Notes


Bibliography

* * * Chant, Chris. ''Air War in the Falklands 1982 (Osprey Combat Aircraft #28)''. Oxford, UK: Osprey Publishing, 2001. . * * * * * * * * * * * * * * * * * * * ;Further reading *


External links


British Aerospace Sea Harrier



List of surviving Sea Harriers: Demobbed – Out of Service British Military Aircraft
{{Authority control
Sea Harrier The British Aerospace Sea Harrier is a naval short take-off and vertical landing/ vertical take-off and landing jet fighter, reconnaissance and attack aircraft. It is the second member of the Harrier family developed. It first entered servic ...
1970s British attack aircraft 1970s British fighter aircraft Carrier-based aircraft V/STOL aircraft by thrust vectoring Harrier Jump Jet Single-engined jet aircraft Aircraft first flown in 1978 Shoulder-wing aircraft Fourth-generation jet fighter