Harrier GR7 Jump Jet Ground Attack Surveillance Reconnisance Aircraft. GAV 2019-59
On 31 March 2010, No. 20 Squadron RAF, the Harrier Operational Conversion Unit (OCU), was disbanded; No. 4 Squadron also disbanded and reformed as No. 4 (Reserve) Squadron at RAF Wittering.[8] All Harrier GR7 aircraft were retired by July 2010.[9] The Harrier GR9 was expected to stay in service at least until 2018. However, on 19 October 2010 it was announced in the Strategic Defence and Security Review that the Harrier was to be retired by April 2011.[10] In the long term, a number of non-V/STOL F-35C Lightning II, scheduled to be introduced by 2020, at the same time as a CATOBAR-capable CVF aircraft carrier enters service.[11] The decision to retire the Harrier was controversial, with some senior officers calling for the Panavia Tornado to be retired as an alternative.[12] On 24 November 2010, the Harrier made its last ever flight from a carrier, incidentally also the last flight from the carrier HMS Ark Royal prior to retirement.[13] The fleet's farewell to operational flights occurred on 15 December 2010 with fly pasts over numerous military bases.[14] In November 2011, the UK Ministry of Defence sold the remaining 72 Harrier-IIs (63 plus 9 [15]), along with available spare parts, to the United States Marine Corps for £116 million (US$180 million); the aircraft are to be used as a source of components for the Americans' AV-8B Harrier II fleet.[16][17][18] However, according to another report dated March 2012, some of the 72 retired Harrier-IIs are to fly again and the USMC plans to equip two squadrons with the latter models due to the well maintained condition of the airframes prior to USMC inspection team arriving at RAF Cottesmore, where the aircraft was stored and maintained by a skeleton crew of engineers and technicians following their retirement.
Size: 6024px × 4028px
Location: RAF Lossiemouth, Highland Region. Scotland. United Kingdom.
Photo credit: © David Gowans / Alamy / Afripics
License: Royalty Free
Model Released: No
Keywords: -, -generation, aerospace/mcdonnell, british, douglas, england, harrier, ii, landing, takeoff, uk, vertical/short
