Harrier II (UK variants)
RAF Harrier GR7
Type	STOVL strike aircraft
Manufacturer	BAE Systems/Boeing
Maiden flight	March 7 1964 (Kestrel) 28 December 1967 (Harrier)
Introduced	1 April 1969
Primary users	Royal Air Force Royal Navy
Developed from	Harrier BAE Sea Harrier
Variants	AV-8 Harrier II

The BAE Systems/Boeing Harrier II (GR5, GR7, and GR9 series) is a second generation vertical/short takeoff and landing (V/STOL) jet aircraft used by the Royal Air Force (RAF) and, since 2006, the Royal Navy. It was developed from the earlier Hawker-Siddeley Harrier and is very closely related to the US built AV-8B Harrier II. Both are primarily used for light attack or multi-role tasks, and are often operated from small aircraft carriers. Harrier GR-7. ... An aerospace manufacturer is a company or individual involved in the various aspects of designing, building, testing, selling, and maintaining aircraft, aircraft parts, missiles, rockets, and/or spacecraft. ... BAE Systems plc is the worlds fourth largest defence contractor[2] and a commercial aerospace manufacturer. ... The Boeing Company (NYSE: BA, TYO: 7661 ) is an aerospace and defense corporation headquartered in Chicago, Illinois. ... The Maiden flight of an aircraft is the first occasion on which an aircraft leaves the ground of its own accord. ... March 7 is the 66th day of the year in the Gregorian Calendar (67th in leap years). ... December 28 is the 362nd day of the year (363rd in leap years) in the Gregorian Calendar, with 3 days remaining. ... April 1 is the 91st day of the year (92nd in leap years) in the Gregorian calendar, with 274 days remaining. ... The Royal Air Force (RAF) is the air force branch of the British Armed Forces. ... The Fleet Air Arm is the operational group of the Royal Navy responsible for the operation of the aircraft on board their ships. ... The Hawker Siddeley Harrier and the AV-8A are the first generation of the Harrier series, the first operational close-support and reconnaissance fighter aircraft with V/STOL capabilities. ... The BAE Systems Sea Harrier is a naval VTOL/STOVL jet fighter, reconnaissance and attack aircraft, a development of the Hawker Siddeley Harrier. ... The Boeing/BAE Systems AV-8B Harrier II is a family of second-generation vertical/short takeoff and landing or V/STOL jet mullti-role aircraft of the late 20th century. ... BAE Systems plc is the worlds fourth largest defence contractor[2] and a commercial aerospace manufacturer. ... The Boeing Company (NYSE: BA, TYO: 7661 ) is an aerospace and defense corporation headquartered in Chicago, Illinois. ... V/STOL is an acronym for Vertical/Short Take-Off and Landing. ... It has been suggested that Fan (turbofan) be merged into this article or section. ... The Royal Air Force (RAF) is the air force branch of the British Armed Forces. ... The Royal Navy of the United Kingdom is the oldest of the British armed services (and is therefore the Senior Service). ... The Hawker Siddeley Harrier and the AV-8A are the first generation of the Harrier series, the first operational close-support and reconnaissance fighter aircraft with V/STOL capabilities. ... The Boeing/BAE Systems AV-8B Harrier II is a family of second-generation vertical/short takeoff and landing or V/STOL jet mullti-role aircraft of the late 20th century. ...

Overview

Development of a successor to the first Harrier began as a cooperative effort between McDonnell Douglas (US) and Hawker-Siddeley (UK). Cost overruns eventually led Hawker to withdraw from the project, but work continued due to US interest in the aircraft. The British re-entered development in the late 1970's, producing their own version of the Harrier II based on the US design. For UK variants BAE Systems is the prime contractor and Boeing sub-contractor. DC-10, retired from American Airlines fleet at gate McDonnell Douglas was a major American aerospace manufacturer, producing a number of famous commercial and military aircraft. ... Hawker-Siddeley was a British aircraft manufacturing company. ...

The Harrier II is an extensively modified version of the first generation Hawker-Siddeley Harrier GR1/GR3 series which first flew in December 1967. The original aluminium alloy fuselage was replaced by a fuselage which makes extensive use of composites, providing significant weight reduction and increased payload/range. A totally new one piece wing provides around 14 per cent more area and increased thickness. The Hawker Siddeley Harrier and the AV-8A are the first generation of the Harrier series, the first operational close-support and reconnaissance fighter aircraft with V/STOL capabilities. ...

Service

GR-7 displaying at the Farnborough Air Show; hovering with smoke from vectored jet visible

In RAF service, Harriers are used in the ground attack and reconnaissance role. Unlike the Harrier AV8B+ upgrade, the RAF have chosen not to integrate a radar into its aircraft, although the aircraft retains an Inertial Navigation System. The primary air-to-air missile (AAM) of the Harrier is the AIM-9 Sidewinder using its infrared homing device (the combination of Harrier and Sidewinder proved effective against Argentinian Mirages in the Falklands conflict), but does not carry the medium range AIM-120 AMRAAM missile. With the retirement of the Sea Harrier it had been suggested that its Blue Vixen radar could be transferred to the GR9 fleet. However, the Ministry of Defence has rejected this as risky and too expensive. Armed Forces Minister Adam Ingram estimated the cost would be in excess of £600m. ^[1] Image File history File links Download high-resolution version (1000x774, 59 KB) Other versions Originally from en. ... Image File history File links Download high-resolution version (1000x774, 59 KB) Other versions Originally from en. ... Farnborough 2006 Farnborough 2006 The Red Arrows in formation at Farnborough The Airbus A380, at Farnborough The Farnborough International Airshow is a seven-day international trade fair for the aerospace business which is held biannually in England. ... Close air support (often abbreviated CAS) is the use of military aircraft in a ground attack role against targets in close proximity to friendly troops, in support of ground combat operations. ... Mixed reconnaissance patrol of the Polish Home Army and the Soviet Red Army during Operation Tempest, 1944 Reconnaissance is the military term for the active gathering of information about an enemy, or other conditions, by physical observation. ... An inertial navigation system measures the position and altitude of a vehicle by measuring the accelerations and rotations applied to the systems inertial frame. ... Combatants United Kingdom Argentina Casualties 258 killed [5] 777 wounded 59 taken prisoner 649 killed 1,068 wounded 11,313 taken prisoner The Falklands War (Spanish: ) was fought in 1982 between Argentina and the United Kingdom over the Falkland Islands, South Georgia and the South Sandwich Islands. ... The AIM-120 Advanced Medium-Range Air-to-Air Missile, or AMRAAM (pronounced am-ram), commonly known to air crews as the Slammer, is a modern air-to-air missile (AAM). ... The Ministry of Defence (MOD) is the United Kingdom government department responsible for implementation of government defence policy and the headquarters of the British Armed Forces. ... The Right Honourable Adam Ingram (born January 1, 1947) is a Scottish politician, and member of Parliament for East Kilbride. ...

Variants

GR5

The GR5 was the RAF's first 2nd generation Harrier with development beginning in 1976. Two AV-8As were modified to Harrier II standard in 1979 and operated as development aircraft. The first BAE built development GR5 flew for the first time on April 30, 1985 and the aircraft entered service in July 1987. The GR5 differed from the USMC AV-8B in many subtle ways, for example avionics fit, weapons and countermeasures. Forty one GR5s were built. April 30 is the 120th day of the year in the Gregorian calendar (121st in leap years), with 245 days remaining. ... This is a list of aviation-related events from 1985: Events Ryanair founded initially as a full-service carrier. ...

GR5A

The GR5A was a minor variant of the Harrier which incorporated changes in the design in anticipation of the GR7 upgrade. Twenty-one GR5As were built.

GR7

The GR7 had its maiden flight in May 1990 and made its first operational deployment in August 1995 over the former Yugoslavia. While the GR7 deployed on Invincible class aircraft carriers during testing as early as June 1994, the first operational deployments at sea began in 1997. This arrangement was formalised with the Joint Force Harrier, operating with the Royal Navy's Sea Harrier. Yugoslavia (Jugoslavija in Latin, Југославија in Cyrillic, English: Land of the South Slavs) describes four political entities that existed one at a time on the Balkan Peninsula in Europe, during most of the 20th century. ... The sixth (and current) HMS Invincible. ... Missing image RAF Harrier GR7 Joint Force Harrier is a defence proposal brought by the British Government as part of Strategic Defence Review. ... The BAE Systems Sea Harrier is a naval VTOL/STOVL jet fighter, reconnaissance and attack aircraft, a development of the Hawker Siddeley Harrier. ...

The GR7 formed the spearhead of the RAF's contribution to Operation Allied Force, the NATO mission in Kosovo. During this campaign the RAF identified significant shortcomings in its current arsenal. As a result the service ordered the AGM-65 Maverick stand off missile and the Enhanced Paveway which incorporates GPS guidance which would negate the effects of smoke and bad weather. Using the more updated ordnance as well as unguided iron and cluster munitions, RAF GR7's played a prominent role in Operation Telic, the UK contribution to the U.S.-led war against Iraq in 2003. RAF GR7's participated in strike and close air support missions throughout the conflict. An USAF F-15E takes off from Aviano, Italy Operation Allied Force aka Kosovo-NATO War was NATOs military operation against Federal Republic of Yugoslavia that lasted from 24 March to 11 June 1999 and is considered a major part of Kosovo War. ... NATO 2002 Summit in Prague The North Atlantic Treaty Organisation[1] (NATO), also called the North Atlantic Alliance, the Atlantic Alliance or the Western Alliance, is an international organisation for collective security established in 1949, in support of the North Atlantic Treaty signed in Washington, DC, on 4 April 1949. ... For other uses of the name Kosovo, see Kosovo (disambiguation). ... The AGM-65 Maverick is an air-to-ground tactical missile (AGM) designed for close air support. ... A Paveway III seeker head, at the RAF Museum in Hendon, London. ... Operation Telic is the codename under which all British operations of the 2003 Invasion of Iraq and after are being conducted. ...

GR7A

The sharp end of a RAF Harrier GR7A at RIAT 2005

The GR7A is the first stage in an upgrade to the Harrier GR9 standard. The GR7A is the GR7 with an uprated Rolls-Royce Pegasus 107 engine. When upgraded to GR9 standard the uprated engine variants will retain the A designation, becoming GR9As. Forty GR7s are due to receive this upgrade. The Mk 107 engine provides around 3,000 lbf (13 kN) extra thrust than the Mk 105's 21,750 lbf (98 kN) thrust, increasing aircraft performance during "hot and high" and carrier-borne operations. Image File history File linksMetadata Download high resolution version (1024x768, 130 KB) Summery Harrier GR7A at RIAT 2005. ... Image File history File linksMetadata Download high resolution version (1024x768, 130 KB) Summery Harrier GR7A at RIAT 2005. ... F/A-18F at RIAT 2004. ... Rolls-Royce plc is the second-largest aircraft engine maker in the world, behind General Electric Aviation. ... Rolls-Royce Pegasus The Rolls Royce Pegasus is a turbofan engine manufactured by Rolls-Royce plc. ...

GR9

The Harrier GR9 is an avionics and weapons upgrade of the standard GR7. This upgrade, known as the Integrated Weapons Programme (IWP), allows the carriage of the latest smart weapons, new inertial navigation and Global Positioning systems (INS/GPS). The new weapons being integrated are the Brimstone, Maverick, Paveway III LGB and Paveway IV PGB missiles. An inertial guidance system consists of an Inertial Measurement Unit (IMU) combined with control mechanisms, allowing the path of a vehicle to be controlled according to the position determined by the inertial navigation system. ... Over fifty GPS satellites such as this NAVSTAR have been launched since 1978. ... Brimstone test firing from Panavia Tornado The Brimstone missile is an advanced Anti-Tank Guided Missile (ATGM) developed by MBDA. The missile is a development of Boeings AGM-114 Hellfire is designed to meet the RAFs requirement for a long range anti-armour weapon, allowing strike aircraft to... The AGM-65 Maverick is an air-to-ground tactical missile (AGM) designed for close air support. ... The GBU-27 Paveway III is a laser-guided bomb. ... The Raytheon Paveway IV is a new-generation dual mode GPS/INS laser guided bomb for use by military aircraft. ...

GR9A

The Harrier GR9A is an avionics and weapons upgrade of the uprated engined GR7As.

T10

The Harrier T10 is the original two seat training variant of the second generation RAF Harrier. The RAF considered upgrading the first generation Harrier trainer, the T4, to Harrier II standard. However due to the age of the airframes and the level of modification required the service decided to order new build Harrier II trainers. The RAF used the USMC trainer, the TAV-8B, as the basis for the design. Unlike their American counterparts the T10s are fully combat capable. Thirteen aircraft were built.

T12

With the upgrades bringing the GR7s to GR9 standard, the RAF requires representative trainers. These aircraft will be the T12, the T10s with the IWP upgrade.

Units using the Harrier II

Royal Air Force

• No. 1 Squadron
• No. 4 Squadron
• No. 20 Squadron
• RAF SAOEU Strike Attack Operational Evaluation Unit

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Royal Navy

• 800 Naval Air Squadron
• 801 Naval Air Squadron (from October 1 2006)

800 Naval Air Squadron is a Royal Navy Fleet Air Arm carrier based squadron formed on 3 April 1933 by amalgamating Nos 402 and 404 (Fleet Fighter) Flights. ...

Future

With the withdrawal of the Royal Navy's Sea Harrier by 2006 the RAF's Harrier fleet will be tasked with the missions it currently shares with those aircraft. In 2006, the GR9 will also enter service with the Fleet Air Arm when the first former Sea Harrier squadron is reformed. The GR9 is expected to stay in service at least until 2015, when the first F-35s are due. At this point the JSF force should be gaining an initial operational capability (IOC). The Royal Navy of the United Kingdom is the oldest of the British armed services (and is therefore the Senior Service). ... 2006 (MMVI) is a common year starting on Sunday of the Gregorian calendar. ... The Fleet Air Arm is the operational group of the Royal Navy responsible for the operation of the aircraft on board their ships. ... The F-35 Joint Strike Fighter The F-35 Joint Strike Fighter (JSF) is a fighter plane currently in early development by Lockheed Martin (with partners Northrop Grumman and BAE SYSTEMS.) The primary customers are the United States armed forces and the United Kingdom (RN and RAF), but the Netherlands...

Specifications (Harrier GR.7)

General characteristics

• Crew: 1 or 2
• Length: 46 ft 4 in (14.1 m)
• Wingspan: 30 ft 4 in (9.2 m)
• Height: 11 ft 9 in (3.5 m)
• Wing area: ft² (m²)
• Empty weight: 12,500 lb (5,700 kg)
• Loaded weight: 7,123 kg (kg)
• Max takeoff weight: 18,950 lb VTO, 31,000 lb STO ^[2] (8,595 kg VTO, 14,061 kg STO ^[3])
• Powerplant: 1× Rolls-Royce Pegasus 105 turbofan with four thrust vectored exhaust nozzles, 21,750 lb (23,800 lb (GR7A))

Performance

• Maximum speed: 662mph (1,065 km/h)
• Range: mi (km)
• Service ceiling: 50,000 ft (15,000 m)
• Rate of climb: 40,000ft/min (203.2 m/s)
• Wing loading: lb/ft² (kg/m²)
• Thrust/weight: V.High

Armament

• 2x 30mm ADEN cannons
• Paveway 2, , Paveway III LGB, Paveway IV PGB, 540lb gravity bomb, 1000lb gravity bomb and 3kg & 14kg practice bombs
• Maverick, Brimstone, Sidewinder, ASRAAM
• CRV7 rocket pod
• Joint Reconnaissance Pod

Image File history File links McDONNELL_DOUGLAS,_BAe_AV-8B_HARRIER_II.png‎ This picture may have usage restrictions McDONNELL DOUGLAS, BAe AV-8B HARRIER II Source: https://airdefense. ... The distance AB is the wing span of this Aer Lingus Airbus A320. ... In aviation, the Maximum Take-Off Weight (or MTOW) is the maximum weight with which an aircraft is allowed to try to achieve flight. ... Rolls-Royce Pegasus The Rolls Royce Pegasus is a turbofan engine manufactured by Rolls-Royce plc. ... It has been suggested that Fan (turbofan) be merged into this article or section. ... VNO of an aircraft is the V speed which refers to the velocity of normal operation. ... The maximal total range is the distance an aircraft can fly between takeoff and landing as limited by its fuel capacity. ... In aeronautics, the service ceiling is the maximum density altitude where the best rate of climb airspeed will produce a 100 feet per minute climb(twin engine) and 50 feet(single engine) at maximum weight while in a clean configuration with maximum continuous power. ... This page is a candidate to be moved to Wiktionary. ... In aerodynamics, wing loading is the loaded weight of the aircraft divided by the area of the wing. ... Thrust-to-weight ratio (where weight means weight at the Earths surface) is a dimensionless parameter characteristic of rocket and jet engines, and of vehicles propelled by such engines (typically space launch vehicles and jet aircraft). ... Paveway is the name given to a series of American laser-guided bombs. ... The GBU-27 Paveway III is a laser-guided bomb. ... The Raytheon Paveway IV is a new-generation dual mode GPS/INS laser guided bomb for use by military aircraft. ... A U.S. developed B-61 gravity bomb. ... The AGM-65 Maverick is an air-to-ground tactical missile (AGM) designed for close air support. ... Brimstone test firing from Panavia Tornado The Brimstone missile is an advanced Anti-Tank Guided Missile (ATGM) developed by MBDA. The missile is a development of Boeings AGM-114 Hellfire is designed to meet the RAFs requirement for a long range anti-armour weapon, allowing strike aircraft to... Sidewinder Missile The AIM-9 Sidewinder is a heat-seeking, short-range, air-to-air missile carried by fighter aircraft and recently, certain gunship helicopters. ... The AIM-132 Advanced Short Range Air-to-Air Missile is a British air-to-air missile with infra-red guidance. ... The CVR7 is a 2. ... The Joint Reconnaissance Pod is a tactical reconnaissance pod produced originally by W. Vinten Ltd in Bury St Edmunds. ...

References

1. ↑  House of Commons Hansard, Written Answers, January 5 2004 [4]
2. ↑  RAF Cottesmore Station Harrier Specifications [5]

External links

• Photographs of Harrier G R Mk 7 deployed aboard HMS Illustrious
• UK MoD Release lauds No. 1 Squadron & No. 3 Squadron's role in Afghanistan with GR7As (August 10, 2005)
• Defense Industry Daily: AV-8B Harrier finding Success in Iraq (March 30, 2005)

Related content

Wikimedia Commons has media related to: Hawker Siddeley Harrier and it's derivatives

Related development

• Hawker-Siddeley Harrier
• BAE Sea Harrier
• AV-8B Harrier II

  Image File history File links Commons-logo. ... Wikimedia Commons logo by Reid Beels The Wikimedia Commons (also called Commons or Wikicommons) is a repository of free content images, sound and other multimedia files. ... The Hawker Siddeley Harrier and the AV-8A are the first generation of the Harrier series, the first operational close-support and reconnaissance fighter aircraft with V/STOL capabilities. ... The BAE Systems Sea Harrier is a naval VTOL/STOVL jet fighter, reconnaissance and attack aircraft, a development of the Hawker Siddeley Harrier. ... See also Hawker Siddeley Harrier The Harrier II is a second generation, vertical/short takeoff and landing (V/STOL) light_attack jet aircraft used by the United States Marine Corps, Royal Air Force, Spanish Armada and Italian navy. ...

Related lists

• List of active United Kingdom military aircraft

  This is a list of currently-active military aircraft in use by the United Kingdom. ...