Britain's Royal Air Force retired its Harrier vertical-take-off and -landing jet fighters yesterday, marking the end of more than four decades of service.
Introduced in 1969, the Harrier would go on to win large orders from the US Marine Corps. It's also served with the armed forces of Spain, India, Italy and Thailand, and will continue to serve with some of them after its retirement from the RAF. A Spanish AV-8S Harrier is shown below.
The RAF marked the retirement of its Harriers with a sixteen-aircraft formation flight over many of the airfields and towns where it had been based during its operational career.
Following the flypast, pipers flanked the pilots as they marched away from their planes for the last time.
The Harrier fleet is still very capable, but cuts in defense spending mean that the RAF had to choose which aircraft it could afford to operate. Sadly, the iconic jump-jet didn't make the cut. Still, it's not impossible that some of them may fly on wearing the insignia of other Harrier operators, who might take this opportunity to buy additional airframes at a bargain price.
Peter
That thing took some true talent to fly.
ReplyDeleteI feel like an old friend has passed.
thank you.
What a great and interesting aircraft. I'm sad to see it go but thankful to have seen it flown several times.
ReplyDeleteAnd that last photo was amazing.
Just for the record, the USMC bought the lot to help maintain their own fleet.
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