BAe Harrier II (UK versions) - Technical data and discussion

Gunjob · September 16, 2024, 2:04pm

Harrier GR5 spec, six Sidewinders capability was there from the beginning;

Spoiler

Sea_Harrier_FRS1 · September 16, 2024, 2:06pm

So now we know the GR.5/7/9 can be good fighters

Gunjob · September 16, 2024, 2:07pm

I mean, they can have good missile loads, but they still lack the flight performance to keep up with actual fighters. You can have 6xSW loadouts and still be utterly milked by a F-16.

Rileyy3437 · September 16, 2024, 2:09pm

Perhaps Sea Eagle has some utility against ground targets.

Sea_Harrier_FRS1 · September 16, 2024, 2:12pm

Agreed

Also saw on the bottom right of this image

Could we possibly have an AV 8B+ in the british tree considering BAe helped design it?
I’m just asking, I’ve seen plenty of fight cause a certain company made something so another tree can’t get it

Morvran · September 16, 2024, 2:12pm

You say that… But the amount of F-16s (and likewise Mig-29s and Su-27) That I see try and turn fight a Harrier is quite funny.

Nothing is funnier than sticking on flaps and 30% nozzle and watching them panic as they are barely able to stay in the sky.

Sea_Harrier_FRS1 · September 16, 2024, 2:14pm

Especially the GR.7 with the larger British Harrier II wings and the second best Pegasus engine

Gunjob · September 16, 2024, 2:16pm

We have plenty of options for British Harriers before needing to go to other nations. And there is always the Sea Harrier FRS.51 for a foreign option.

Sea_Harrier_FRS1 · September 16, 2024, 2:19pm

I just wanted to know if we could get the best multirole Harrier to ever enter service, not to degrade the Sea Harrier FRS.1

Edit: I mostly mean for CAS

Gunjob · September 16, 2024, 2:21pm

Probably not, our Harriers were very fixed role. Yeah they claimed the FA2 was multirole but carrying some 1000lbers isn’t exactly multirole.

Harrier II has good A2G options but limited A2A
Sea Harrier has good A2A options but limited A2G

Sea_Harrier_FRS1 · September 16, 2024, 2:26pm

Most British are dumb or bland, like they said the Harrier (1st & 2nd Gen) were manoeuvrable at low altitudes, compairable to the F 5

Also one thing yanks complain about, not being a UFO and B 1 level of bomb loads on the same aircraft at different times of the mission/flight

Morvran · September 16, 2024, 2:36pm

Vs the USAF Aggressor squadron in 1980 ish. Sea Harrier FRS1s nearly defeated the F-5E with a near clean slate in 1v1 combat and did extremely well vs the F-15A in 2v2 combat.

Almost nothing can actually fight even a Harrier 1 in a low and slow fight. I can contest to that when I got nearly a triple kill (1x kill, 2x Maneurve kills) vs Su-27s and Mig-29s a few days after the FA2 was added in a mostly stock FA2.

But that regime does leave you vulnerable to anyone outside the fight

Sea_Harrier_FRS1 · September 16, 2024, 2:46pm

A lot of the time you get team killed or the opponent gets team killed (by theirs’s not your’s). 2 years ago on a different account I bought the Harrier GR.1 and got into dogfights sometimes, I would put TVC on 100% (this is before I learned that 100%=100 degrees) loose all my speed and just hovered there while my opponent tried to out turn me, but I won almost every time and this was made better when I got the Sea Harrier (3 months after it was added) and won every dogfight, when they tried running away Boom! AIM 9L up you @ss.

Flame2512 · September 16, 2024, 8:19pm

Yep A2G really wasn’t a priority for Sea Harrier. IIRC it was just nly cleared for 540 lb bombs in the 90s (they never bothered clearing it before then).

Morvran · September 16, 2024, 9:16pm

Though. Ironically. If I recall correctly, the FA2s won bombing competitions vs the Gr7/9s fairly reguarly. At least thats what I recall from Paul Tremmelings book :D

Gunjob · September 17, 2024, 4:59pm

Scanned some photos from my various World Air Power Journals;

Spoiler

FlyingOstridge · September 17, 2024, 7:11pm

They similar to the E/E2 upgrades but CCD instead of laser?

tripod2008 · September 18, 2024, 3:33am

I don’t know how the -65JX specifically differs from the -65J, though

Does reference a LOAL capable Maverick, might be that, or a potential change to the warhead. @Gunjob might have sources that go further into detail.

ex3333 · September 20, 2024, 12:05pm

Unfortunately the “man in loop maverick” in 00s was cancelled after the demonstration. like AMSTE and other “networked” program

Flying1Scotsman · September 28, 2024, 9:19pm

does the Harrier GR7 have IFF similar to the A10C? just wondering before i get too hopeful