Originally Posted by
langleybaston
We were all happier when ignorant and ill-informed,
Speak for yourself.
Originally Posted by
Video Mixdown
Harrier in its various forms from GR.1 to GR.9 formed an important part of my work throughout my time in the RAF, and nobody admired its achievements, capabilities and pilots more at the time.{snip}
Engineer/maintenance?
Originally Posted by
Video Mixdown
Nor would I want scarce defence funds to be spent keeping it in service when the money is needed for the modern equipment that they deserve.
Our Marines got a lot of use out of the Harrier. While it's a bit long in the tooth at this point, a few of them are still in active service.
VMA 231 and 223 are still flying them.
Originally Posted by a brief summary
USMC and Italian Navy AV-8Bs are being replaced by the Lockheed Martin F-35B Lightning II, with the former expected to operate its Harriers until 2025.
Starting in 2007, Spain was looking to replace its Harrier IIs—with the likely option being the F-35B. The Spanish government, in May 2014 however, announced that it had decided to extend the aircraft's service life to beyond 2025 due to a lack of funds for a replacement aircraft.
I realize those aren't UK Harriers, but some Harriers have a way to go before the boneyard summons.
Originally Posted by
langleybaston
If it is a republic, "nothing to see here, move on please".
Speak for yourself.
Back to the Venezuelan saber rattling: not sure if it's just noise or a case of "we'll see what we can get away with" ...