RIP Harrier Jump Jet

[Ian P]

what country has aircraft carriers but no aircrafts to put on them? oh well. wasnt that long ago we lost the Phantom (what a jet that was)

[Treacle]

And don't even get me started on the TSR-2! Grrrrrrrrrr!!!!!!!

Slow sums up the harrier jump jet in one word, if there is no replacemnt it is a stupid move cancelling early, but if there is; im glad to see the back of them.

[gruntygiggles]

I am so genuinely gutted about this. I avoided the news all day yesterday as I knew I would get upset seeing the reports. Ended up seeing it at my mum and dads house last night and yep, I got upset. It's my favourite plane, always has been. I have scars on my face from watching them at airshows as a kid and because my sister didn't like the noise, my dad would take me right up to the front, sit me on his shoulders and we'd watch the displays together.

Part of me actually hopes that this decision comes back and bites our government in the rrrse to teach them a lesson (so long as it means no occupation and no-one getting hurt). Long term, the harrier is much more cost effective, but no government cares about the long term...they care about what savings they can make when they are in office.

A very very sad time

I get why they are getting rid of them, and to be honest i support the decision. They are an old design, 1969, a great design i may also add, well before there time. and for any aircraft to have lasted that long just goes to show how good they actually were.

However technology moves on, and they are no comparison to modern jets, i.e the joint strike fighter. the harrier may have done us proud over the last 40 years but so did the spitfire. that was also a sad day to see it go i am sure (obviously i don't remember first hand) but we couldn't carry on using them as times change.

HOWEVER.......what i don't get is why they are getting rid of them with nothing to replace for the next 10 years as i understand it!!!.. i am no expert on the situation at all, however my understanding is that all we have is a couple of euro fighters to defend us. not a problem as i really don't think in todays world that we will be invaded, however what we do need to aircraft to be able to launch from our carriers!!! so we can launch from sea if needed! though whole situation is a little backward, understandable in the long term, but backward non the less!!

[gruntygiggles]

Originally Posted by Jimmy2Feet

I get why they are getting rid of them, and to be honest i support the decision. They are an old design, 1969, a great design i may also add, well before there time. and for any aircraft to have lasted that long just goes to show how good they actually were.

However technology moves on, and they are no comparison to modern jets, i.e the joint strike fighter. the harrier may have done us proud over the last 40 years but so did the spitfire. that was also a sad day to see it go i am sure (obviously i don't remember first hand) but we couldn't carry on using them as times change.

HOWEVER.......what i don't get is why they are getting rid of them with nothing to replace for the next 10 years as i understand it!!!.. i am no expert on the situation at all, however my understanding is that all we have is a couple of euro fighters to defend us. not a problem as i really don't think in todays world that we will be invaded, however what we do need to aircraft to be able to launch from our carriers!!! so we can launch from sea if needed! though whole situation is a little backward, understandable in the long term, but backward non the less!!

It's very easy to get stuck on the whole "40 years old" point, but it is invalid.

The Harriers that are in service now were brought out in the late 80's and also, more recently, all harriers have been put through upgrades. I think there were two levels of upgrade. There were massive plans put in place to support continuing upgrades through to 2018 and they would have been serviceable long beyond that time.


There are many many things that we still use today, hardly changed from designs that are much more than 40 years old.

Of course, I am biased

[maviczap]

Name me another aircraft that has vertical take off and landing capability?

What aircraft is capable of take off and landing on our aircraft carrier

It maybe old & (relatively) slow, but it has attributes that make it useful in many fields of combat

Which is why defence chiefs were so against it going early

[andrewsmith]

Originally Posted by gruntygiggles

It's very easy to get stuck on the whole "40 years old" point, but it is invalid.

The Harriers that are in service now were brought out in the late 80's and also, more recently, all harriers have been put through upgrades. I think there were two levels of upgrade. There were massive plans put in place to support continuing upgrades through to 2018 and they would have been serviceable long beyond that time.


There are many many things that we still use today, hardly changed from designs that are much more than 40 years old.

Of course, I am biased

Its the right decision but 10 years + too early. The killing off of the Harriers and the Ark Royal has been done as cost cutting that leaves the UK with compromised defences (on Sea based air deterrent). The Ark royal was built to last 40 years plus and British Built (well Geordie Built).

GG's right there is a lot of automotive designs still in production (Chevvy V8 has hardly changed in its existence, neither the LD defender basic design). Could go on and on

[gruntygiggles]

Originally Posted by andrewsmith

Its the right decision but 10 years + too early. The killing off of the Harriers and the Ark Royal has been done as cost cutting that leaves the UK with compromised defences (on Sea based air deterrent). The Ark royal was built to last 40 years plus and British Built (well Geordie Built).

GG's right there is a lot of automotive designs still in production (Chevvy V8 has hardly changed in its existence, neither the LD defender basic design). Could go on and on

Yep...if this was happening as planned in 2018, I would be sad but not annoyed.

Originally Posted by gruntygiggles

It's very easy to get stuck on the whole "40 years old" point, but it is invalid.

The Harriers that are in service now were brought out in the late 80's and also, more recently, all harriers have been put through upgrades. I think there were two levels of upgrade. There were massive plans put in place to support continuing upgrades through to 2018 and they would have been serviceable long beyond that time.


There are many many things that we still use today, hardly changed from designs that are much more than 40 years old.

Of course, I am biased

I understand that, and i am not saying that it is a bad design, infact quite the oposit, it is a freat design, but it is now dated. newer technology completly outdoes the harrier.

Originally Posted by andrewsmith

Its the right decision but 10 years + too early. The killing off of the Harriers and the Ark Royal has been done as cost cutting that leaves the UK with compromised defences (on Sea based air deterrent). The Ark royal was built to last 40 years plus and British Built (well Geordie Built).

GG's right there is a lot of automotive designs still in production (Chevvy V8 has hardly changed in its existence, neither the LD defender basic design). Could go on and on

This is the point that i am making, it is time for change, but not for another 10 years, or how ever long it takes to get the f35 over to us and up and running.

Originally Posted by maviczap

Name me another aircraft that has vertical take off and landing capability?

What aircraft is capable of take off and landing on our aircraft carrier

It maybe old & (relatively) slow, but it has attributes that make it useful in many fields of combat

Which is why defence chiefs were so against it going early

the F35 (i.e the joint strike fighter) to all the above, it also has a top end speed of mach 1.6, stealth ability, plus much more i am sure. that along side the euro fighter i think will be a great combo.

However they should have kept the arch royal and the harriers until the new carriers and the f.35's are build and available to us!!

Simples!