Originally Posted by
Ninthace
We still have the issue of one, possibly two, Harriers stooging around the highlands late on a Saturday afternoon in August with no audit trail for where they might have come from. What evidence is there beyond the declaration of the anonymous photographer, that the picture was take at the date and time in question? For example, does the weather in the picture tally with the weather at the time? Is the light angle right for the time of day? The pictures I have seen have two very different backgrounds, has the site of either been physically identified?
Hello. The senior ex-mil source insists that 1 Harrier was UK, 1 was US, the diamond was real, and the US harrier was there because of the diamond in case it went down. He could, of course, be leading us down the garden path, but one has to trust somebody in all this. The only "real" photo anyone has is the terrible quality photocopy from TNA, and little to nothing can be read from it about the weather/location. All the rest out there are mock-ups, but all the people we've spoken to who saw the actual photos in the 1990s agree that the mock-ups pretty much match what they themselves were shown back then. We think we might know the real location where the photo was taken (TBC).
Originally Posted by
Ninthace
The idea of Harriers themselves is interesting - why that type? As has been suggested, it not the best type for a chase aircraft and certainly not a QRA type. Moreover, there is no evidence to suggest they were just passing. Nothing seems to stack up and that diamond does not look like it belongs in the picture.
Nothing has ever been said as to "Why were they Harriers?" I speculate, but it is only that, that the Harriers' ability to hover/land might have been potentially required in the event something went wrong with the diamond. Or they just might have been what was to hand on that Saturday at whichever base/installation they came from.
Reasonably, what even accounts for the diamond (assuming it was real and worked as suggested) even flying near Calvine and hovering there, except for some kind of adverse issue? The diamond, perhaps, had an issue, and the Harriers were then despatched to escort it. They flew past, doubled back, found it, had reasonable endurance to stay on site while whatever was wrong with it was overcome or "worked around", and then when that was completed, they left and the diamond went on its way. Is there any other likely reason?
Thanks