BAe GR7 Harrier Single Seat Military vectored thrust Jump Jet Fighter Aircraft Showing Afganistan Conflict Mission Markings
The GR7 of today maintains its maritime links by working as part of Joint Force Harrier (JFH). The JFH concept was borne out of the 1998 Strategic Defence Review to bring together the management and capabilities of the RN and RAF Harrier forces. The long-term aim was to develop a force that would ultimately become the flying wing for the Joint Combat Aircraft (JCA), due in service from 2014. In 2001 the decision was taken to decommission the FA2 Sea Harrier and direct the funding into upgrading the Harrier GR7. In its role as part of JFH, the GR7 force remains ready to deploy anywhere in the world in both sea and land based operations. A unique feature of the Harrier is its ability to vector its Pegasus engine thrust. This vectored thrust enables it to operate from short landing surfaces and to take off and land vertically. The engine exhausts its jet efflux out of 4 nozzles, which move in unison from a rearward pointing position for conventional flight to a position where they point directly below the aircraft to allow it to hover. The engine itself produces 21,500 lbs of thrust. The flying controls work on the 'Hands-on-Throttle-and-Stick' system (HOTAS), enabling the most important weapons and avionics functions to be operated by the pilot without having to remove his hands from the controls. Information is displayed to the pilot through the Head Up Display (HUD) and is also presented on two Multi- Purpose Colour Displays (MPCDs). The pilot can use the MPCDs to display almost any system information, including the aircraft's position on a moving map display, and the weapon load he is carrying. They can also be used to display target picture information obtained from the aircraft's sensors. The picture from the Dual Mode Tracker (a six times magnification television camera that is mounted on the nose), or from the Maverick missile seeker head, can also be displayed, together with a Thermal Imaging Airborne Laser Designator (TIALD) tracking and target picture
Size: 5670px × 3700px
Location: RAF Lossiemouth Moray Morayshire Grampian Region Scotland UK
Photo credit: © David Gowans / Alamy / Afripics
License: Licensed
Model Released: No
Keywords: air, aircraft, aviation, bases, capable, carriers, combat, deployed, environments, extreme, gr7, harrier, including, landing, locations, multi-role, operating, seat, selection, short, single, vertical, wide
