Jets & Planes but no UAV's here.

[DRG]

Originally Posted by Suhiir

A March 2012 report in the magazine Air Forces Monthly suggested that some of the 72 ex-British Harrier-IIs might fly again; the USMC planned to equip two squadrons with the latter GR.9/9A models due to the well maintained condition of the airframes at RAF Cottesmore, where the aircraft were stored and maintained following their retirement.

I guess this means you don't look at the game USMC OOB very closely...

[FASTBOAT TOUGH]

When I first reported on this awhile ago, I was asked if the USMC might use the the UK HARRIERS for more then spare parts and my response was along the lines of "it might be possible but..." I think most know what the "but" was as posted in this thread somewhere. Someone out here knows very well what NAVAIR does and what it's responsible for when it comes to both USN and USMC aviation. There is no information to support the USMC is flying or has assigned any UK HARRIERS to any USMC SQD.

From June this year...
"The sale of these [aircraft] supplies critically needed AV-8B aircraft parts," NAVAIR says. "Many of these parts are obsolete with no source of manufacture. As a result, the USMC has realized an immediate improvement in readiness."

But contrary to media reports, the USMC never had any intention of flying the British jets. Nor did the service ever consider replacing the Boeing F/A-18D fleet with the GR9. "The USMC operation of UK Harriers was not under consideration," NAVAIR says.

Here's the full article and there's more.
http://rpdefense.over-blog.com/artic...106658423.html

With the NAVAIR website...
1. Not listed on under Fixed Wing aircraft.
2. Search result for UK Harriers...No Results Found.
3. Search result for GR 9 Harrier...About 8 hits for the
AV-8B II.
4. Search result for Harrier...I think it was 33 all concerned with the AV-8B/II to include SQD. deployments.
5. Searched 36 pages of NAVAIR and associated commands "PAO" press releases back to 5/21/2010. with no results. Did learn that AV-8BII has successfully flown on a bio fuel, PMA-257 that is in charge of maintaining the USMC Harriers got a new CO very recently and that I might've missed the below news along with the fact it illustrates the point of this exercise.

Found this along the way USMC retired the CH-53D end date change might be required...
http://www.navair.navy.mil/index.cfm...sStory&id=4920

With the HARRIER flying until 2030 this was the only viable option to buy well maintained Harriers for spares with the exception of Spain that had theirs updated I believe last year or 2010 in the U.S. There were also many stories around the time of and in the early stages of the sale that many of the UK airframes suffered from structural fatigue issues. Some was reported by UK MOD and supposedly mostly repaired during the last upgrade period that brought the GR.7 to the GR.9 standard
~2007/2008. I feel these later stories were a "cover" to soften the issues of the price the USMC was able to buy them for.

If NAVAIR doesn't say they're flying...they're not.

I've liked the HARRIER since I was well...a little younger and that was the UK version of course back then. There was an excellent book written on the UK HARRIERS in the Falklands War by a SQD. Leader that I believe got two kills there. Might be posted somewhere in the thread where the HARRIER posts are.
The HARRIER remains one of the best Ground Attack aircraft out there in both it's last UK versions and currently as the AV-8BII and I have to say Spains new version as well.

Regards,
Pat

[Suhiir]

I mentioned it because they ARE in the OOB, and shouldn't be.

I know the patch was released in March when the possibility of equiping some squadrons with them was being considered.

Since then NAVAIR has spoken, and as Pat said, they have the final say on what flies and what doesn't in the USN/USMC.

##########

First time I saw a Harrier was about '77-'78 when I watched a truck pull out of the tree line into a small clearing and lay a few sheets of runway matting out.
Then a Harrier passed overhead, came to a hover, and landed.
A fuel truck came out of the tree line and refueled it.
After another truck rolled out and loaded it with ordenance.
Then it took off, straight up.
Finally truck #1 picked up the runway matting.

Whole process start to finish was maybe 15 minutes.

It's REALLY hard to bomb or shell an airfield that only exists for 15 minutes at a time.

[FASTBOAT TOUGH]

See Post #96 for background...one of the guys that helped me as mentioned was a MiG-29 pilot with the LSV/LK of the DDR. Steve currently serves as a Lt Col. in the Luftwaffe Reserve flying something called a EUROFIGHTER . He was also very helpful in my "Warsaw Pact Project" and had recently sent me these pictures that I have his permission to post here and for you Don, to use if you wish for the East German OOB. Steve took these himself and you can get the details off the website from the above mentioned post for you photo hounds. Search the web all you want and I promise you won't find better pictures of DDR aircraft out there at least from my searches. First up is the MiG-23BN which was the only LSK/LV aircraft flown as a Fighter-Bomber which is what the MiG-23BN was designed for. I (We) hope you'll enjoy them and as I requested these, thank you Steve for sending them on.







Regards,
Pat

[FASTBOAT TOUGH]

Again Post #96 is the reference point, especially for the next set of pictures of the LSV/LK DDR MiG-29A which was unsuccessfully tested for use as a Fighter Bomber by the DDR.
Though a potent Interceptor especially in a close in dog fight, it's main issue was it's lack of range and that it was a maintenance hog. But when "all was right with he world" it ranked among the best in the world. Most of these would fly with the Luftwaffe after reunification and continue to fly currently in two Fighter SQDs. of the Polish Air Force. The Luftwaffe would upgrade these to the MiG-28G variant that improved its abilities as an Interceptor and made it NATO compliant. What's important here are these, again taken by Steve. First up the DDR years enjoy...







Regards,
Pat

[FASTBOAT TOUGH]

I accidentally a couple of years ago figured out how to
"trick" this program to allow me to download more pictures, it's one of those "I wish I would've written it down." moments. Tonight a "tail end charlie" and the Luftwaffe MiG-29G. Again Post #96 and from Steve.







Regards,
Pat

[FASTBOAT TOUGH]

This is it for the picture gallery, we hope you enjoyed them as they are a rare find and the MiG-29A/G is a good looking bird in the air and sitting on the ground. Don feel free to use the DDR MiG-21 picture if you want. Generally a little difficult to find in of itself, you'll see two pictures of the MiG-29UB two seat trainer from the DDR in the last two pics. Again go to Post #96 for further info and to see other pictures not shown here click on the Wehrmacht website link. And Don, Steve has some great shots of the DDR
Hind-24D and P helos over there. If interested let me know. First another "Tail End Charlie" DDR MiG-29A aerial shot, then the DDR MiG-21, LUFTWAFFE MiG-29G Camo etc. Again Enjoy and have a great day! And since my "project" he might "seek a peek" thanks Steve for the use of these pictures!!







Regards,
Pat