Can anyone find any documents proving this loadout is possible?
Plane in the second image isn’t a Harrier 2 (AV-8B). It’s a Sea Harrier FA.2, which was a modernised 1st gen Harrier with the original small wings etc.
thought so, so i guess the UK can get it too
the first one seems to be some variant as AFAIK the av8b+ only have 6 hardpoings in the wings
yeah I thought so too, I have only ever seen AV 8B + with the 6 hardpoints so I’m not sure if that one is a experimental variant or something that was planned.
Pre-production AV-8B+, all production AV-8B+ had 6 wing pylons.
For information on Sea Harrier FA.2 (right hand aircraft in your image) you can go here;
I keep the original post as up to date as I can and it has been created using primary source information.
For information on British Harrier II’s you can go here;
Same applies to this thread, I keep the original post as up to date as I can and it has been created using primary source information.
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I found some people calling that picture of the AV 8B+ an oscar variant, do you know what that is? I have never seen an AV 8B+ with more the 6 wing pylons, if it is pre-production why was the pylons reduced to only 6 and could a pre-production variant be a possible addition to the game?
I can only speculate but the requirement for the outrigger pylons was brought on by the RAF, so I guess the other customers didn’t see a need for them.
I can’t say officially either way, but if enough information could be gathered you could make a suggestion in the suggestion section of the forum;
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thank you, I will continue to look for more info but its scarce.
OSCAR (Open Systems Core Avionics Requirements) was the USMC program to upgrade the AV-8B’s electronics for JDAM, Litening pod etc. it was in parallel to Spain and Italy’s requirement for adding enhanced weapons like Litening, AMRAAM etc. but the USMC didn’t add AMRAAM capability until several years after Spain and Italy.
OSCAR started in 1998 through to the early 2000s. But as I said in the other Harrier thread, this photo looks older (before September 1992) because some features that were added between the original AV-8B and the upgraded AV-8B(NA) and AV-8B+, appear to be missing.
The paint scheme is also reminiscent of the two-colour wraparound camo worn by AV-8Bs in the early 90s, but with different colours. Rather than being the more generic “tactical grey” camo that was applied to AV-8B+ in the USMC, Spain and Italy
The radar-equipped Harrier II project started off as a private venture by BAE, McDonnell Douglas et. al in 1987 and wasn’t until 1990 that Spain, Italy and USMC actually signed up to pursue production of this variant, with the first flight in Sept 1992.
So I think this is a maximalist vision that BAE/MD presented for a radar-equipped Harrier II to potential customers, before the production requirements and budget of the three partner nations was set down.
okay thanks, so do you think it would be possible for any AV 8B+'s to have the ability to have AMRAAMs on all six pylons and would this photo be enough proof for that? its not much but I can only find forums for other things briefly discussing what the photo is and no conclusion on what it could be.
Probably not currently, no. The outer pylons don’t have the MIL-STD-1760 wiring that the 4 inner pylons received during OSCAR when things like JDAM and AIM-120 were added, so haven’t been treated to the same standard when it comes to the stores management and data bus. The inner 4 can definitely carry AIM-120 though.
The USMC set out their ambition to have 1760 added to stations 1 and 7 in 2017 (pg.59). But it was still pending in 2022 (pg.78)
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