Originally Posted by
ex-fast-jets
I don't know if MOG or anyone else actually utilised Harrier Thrust Vectoring in '82 in the air-to air environment - I suspect not as it was a relatively benign environment.
Correct! Most engagements were in-shoot-away home for tea. I think that I was the only one to use VIFF in combat and that was trying to splash a Pucara in Stanley harbour.
Stanley was protected by a Roland missile system with the ability to get you up to 14,500' but I thought that it might improve morale if I could splash this guy who was stooging around at low level, in front of the Upland Goose. I left my #2 at 25,000', avoiding the odd 35mm burst and entered a steep dive with full power, in the braking stop to stabilise my speed around 250kts. This gave me a fairly stable platform to boresight the Pucara and get a 9L lock. First dive - no lock, recovered at 16k. Second dive - good lock but he would have crashed into the cathedral (not good for morale!), recovered at 17k. Final attempt - good growl but only intermittent lock, so pressed on a bit too long and ended up well below 14k at 250 kts with 2 x Roland heading for my arse!
I pulled the nose up, slammed the nozzles aft, tripped the water and stood on 21,500lbs of thrust, feeling silly and watching the missiles tracking me beautifully. Luckily made it to14,500' just before the missiles and watched them fall away a few hundred feet below me!
Sometimes seems like yesterday!
Mog