Just too late for Monday’s bulletin I received these newsworthy items from Harrier-SIG and FAA-SIG members Peter Jefferies and Steve Hubbard – thanks chaps!  These triggered my recollection of a chat at Yeovilton the other weekend about F/A.2s that concludes this piece.  

BAe Sea Harrier FRS.1  XZ499/255 “Ethel”, 809 NAS and other 809 SHARs

My model of “Ethel” is a SFTB Hasegawa 1:72 SHAR FRS1 that has been finished in the colours of XZ499/251 of 809NAS on HMS Illustrious during 1982.  Colours are Medium Sea Grey upper surfaces and Barley Grey under surfaces, although there are some disputes about this.

809NAS was reformed to enter the Falklands conflict from “spare” SHAR airframes and by “rounding up the usual suspects” as pilots and ground crew.  It was a very short lived squadron as it was disbanded late in 1982.  During its existence it served on Hermes and Invincible during the war and on HMS Illustrious from August to October 1982.  The following aircraft/name/crew combinations have been identified for the Illustrious deployment:

During the Illustrious deployment several aircraft are reported to have had “interesting” nose art applied, though few if any photos exist in the public domain of the aircraft so adorned.  They were probably able to get away with this nose art after the conflict because they were all so senior and maybe didn’t give a toss about their Lordships displeasure. Still it’s a fascinating piece of FAA and SHAR history to mull over.

Decals for this squadron can be found in Modeldecal sets 67 and 71 with names on Set 75.  As you can see it looks as though my Ethel will have to go back into shops for a renaming ceremony (well I’m not perfect).

Any feedback, brickbats, sundry missiles or bouquets (highly unlikely) will be gratefully received.

Peter Jefferies

Harrier GR.9

With the retirement of the Sea Harrier F/A.2, the bulk of the Royal Navy's carrier based air power will be provided by and upgraded Harrier GR.7, the Harrier GR.9.  This aircraft will provide the backbone for fixed wing airpower until the advent of the Joint Strike Fighter.  The GR.9/9A and T. 12 programme has two main features.  The first is the Harrier Integrated Weapons Programme (IWP); devised to bring together a number of discrete weapon-system enhancement projects, and the second is the more powerful Pegasus Mk.107 engine.  The IWP programme builds upon the current capabilities of the GR.7 and T.10 through the integration of Storm Shadow and Brimstone weapons, although the planned integration of ASRAAM has been abandoned.

At the heart of the GR.9 will be a state-of-the-art MIL-STD- 1760 Stores Management System (SMS), combined with new High Order Language (HOL) Operational Flight Programme (OFP) software and a new Open-System Mission Computer (OSIVIC), which will permit the aircraft to interact with the weapons.  The smart weapons also necessitate the introduction of a new Inertial Navigation System/GPS (INGPS), which is capable of providing the weapons with navigation data via the 1760 SMS.

The Programme also covers the introduction of a Ground Proximity Warning System (GPWS). In order to allow to Rolls Royce Mk.107 engine to be fitted to the Harrier, a number of airframe and systems modifications are required.  Any GR.7 Harrier that has been modified during IWP with the MK.107 Pegasus will be designated as the Harrier GR.9A.  All remaining GR.7 aircraft that are slated to receive the IWP will be re-designated GR.9.  Of these, 30 will receive the Pegasus 107 and be designated GR.9A.  Aircraft fitted with the Pegasus 107 but still awaiting the IWP modifications are to be known as the GR.7A.  The new Joint Force Harrier will then be solely equipped with Harrier GR.9/9A aircraft. Two squadrons will be flown by RAF aircrew, with two flown by RN pilots.  There will also be a training squadron, equipped with T.12 two-seaters, and these T-Birds will have the IWP upgrades but not the higher power engine.

Future Joint Combat Aircraft

The Future Aircraft Carrier (CVF) design will be greatly determined by the selection of aircraft to fly from the vessel.  That process is now well underway; in 1996, the UK began the formal procurement process to examine options for a Future Joint Combat Aircraft (FJCA).  This project is required to provide the fleet with a fighter/ attack aircraft to succeed the Sea Harrier that is currently in service flying from the INVINCIBLE class carriers.  The FJCA will be required to operate in all weathers, with an ability to fly day and night missions, for air defence of the fleet and of ground forces.  It must also be capable of providing offensive air action and to be able to support long-range air interdiction, as well as anti-surface warfare and tactical reconnaissance. Key attributes of the FJCA in comparison to the Sea Harrier and Harrier GR.7 include the need for it to be supersonic and to have improved survivability and supportability. The aircraft is also required to have increased range relative to the current Sea Harrier and is to be able to support internal and external weapon carriage.

The aircraft to form the strike force of the Navy's new aircraft carriers is the Joint Strike Fighter (JSF) and Britain has signed a £1.3 billion deal with America to procure this aircraft.  The Ministry of Defence (MOD) will replace the Navy's Sea Harrier F/A.2 and the RAF's Harrier GR.7 with 150 of the new single-seat supersonic aircraft, which will then take their place on the flight decks of the Navy's new aircraft carriers that are due in service by 2012.  Defence Secretary Geoff Hoon said: "The Joint Strike Fighter will not simply replace the Harrier. It will give the UK an aircraft that can take off from an aircraft carrier and provide the agility of a light fighter with the punch of a bomber. Put simply, it will be the best aircraft of its type in the world."  On 26 October 2001 Lockheed Martin was selected for the contract to build the US-UK JSF.  The deal signed with America ensures that British companies will be closely involved in the building of the aircraft. Production of the United Kingdom JSF is planned to start in 2008 with the first due to enter UK operational service in 2012, a date that will coincide with the arrival of the first of the Navy's new aircraft carriers.

The MOD considered all other options very carefully before selecting the JSF as the preferred aircraft for its new aircraft carriers.  The other options included a marinised version of the Eurofighter (232 Eurofighters are ordered for the RAF) the American F18E, the French Rafale and an updated Harrier. But the Short Take Off and Vertical Landing (STOVL) variant JSF emerged as the best option.

Thanks Steve!

F/A.2 – withdrawal from service – some interesting comments

In speaking to an ex-FAA SHAR technician at Yeovilton who had been involved in the evaluation of upgrades to the F/A.2, I was told some of the reasons behind the decision to withdraw the F/A.2 from service earlier than originally planned and before the airframes’ life expiry.

In operating the  F/A.2 in the Adriatic and Mediterranean covering Bosnia and Kosovo the FAA has experienced serious problems with the current engines lack of ability to recover the aircraft safely to deck fully loaded.  The engine cannot provide enough power to permit safe loaded VLs in hotter climates, meaning that a/c returning from sorties have had to ditch loads of bombs in the sea before landing back on the carrier; at much cost to us the UK tax-payer. 

The FAA considered upgrading the airframe to take the Pegasus 11-61 series of engines.  However, there are crucial fit and dimensional differences between this series and the F/A.2s’ current engines which would require substantial changes to the internal airframe.  It was just not feasible to consider making these as, in effect, the whole of the central part of the aeroplane would have had to be redesigned and replaced.  A comment was that modifications can take place in a plastic Harrier that cannot be done in the metal ones.

So, very regrettably, from their point of view the FAA decided it had no option in terms of pilot safety and ordnance wastage but to retire the SHAR earlier than planned.  The obvious question that I was prevented from asking by the arrival of another visitor to the display was – “So what do the Indian Navy do about VLs”?  But, that’s another story, no doubt! 

If you know or have any thoughts on that one, or comments on Peter’s and Steve’s articles, answers please on a “post-it” to the Forum (or an e-mail to me for collation and future circulation).  Thank you!  Looking forward to receiving more newsworthy items for publication, or seeing them directly posted on the Forum from all you Harrier addicts out there.

Until the next time, adieu!