I recently unlocked the Sea Harrier FRS.1 and honestly it feels heavily overtiered for 11.0.
The aircraft itself is not bad, but it seems like its entire BR is based only around the 4x AIM-9L loadout. Outside of the missiles, the aircraft struggles a lot compared to other jets it faces.
Main issues:
poor acceleration and energy retention
loses speed very quickly in turns
weak CAS options for its BR
no competitive radar missiles
often faces much stronger aircraft like F-16s and MiG-29s in uptiers
The AIM-9Ls are strong, but the aircraft platform itself feels much weaker than many other 11.0+ jets.
Does anyone else feel the same about the Sea Harrier FRS.1?
Its a complicated question whether it should be 10.7 or 11.0 and tbh, these days, should probably be 10.7, but there is also arguments as to why its currently stuck at 11.0.
Its in a tricky spot, whilst it can and should get buffs like an upgraded RWR and EEGS. Gaijin doesnt seem to care. Harriers in general though need some pretty major buffs and overhauls.
And the addition of airspawns now make it always be behind everyone, unlike before where it’s high low speed acceleration made it good at getting over the battlefield early.
I just got my Sea Harrier too and this thing at stock level cannot even compete with 10.7 planes. It had no ability to survive radar missiles using chaff and vector thrusting due to its turning loss at high altitudes, cannot easily flare IR missiles due to its hot engine, and cannot dogfight really any other jet. Going to high altitudes locks your ability to turn, so you are dead. it struggles to turn trying boom and zoom. I’ve tried dozens of manuevers when ambushing even A-10’s but its flight ability is hopeless against some simple turning. So far, I’ve noticed that the instant the sea harrier enters a dogfight, it is defeated as opponents turn better, fly faster and can even go slower more easily, or can speed away such that it is hopeless to enter pursuit.