To my surprise,
Navy News have not (yet?) done an online story on the final retirement of the Sea Harrier and the disbandment of 801 NAS, despite the huge significant for the entire Navy.
However, the April 2006 copy of
Navy News has a section dedicated to it. It mentions that the RN has around fifty Harrier pilots (presumably this includes ones on other duties) which is a figure I read in the same publication over ten years ago. It includes a diagram of the aircraft, covers the Sea Harrier's role in the Falklands, and talks about 801 and their recent activities. It also mentions the fact that less people have flow it than have flown in space.
The defence/aviation press have covered it widely. The April 2006 edition of
Air International dedicates eight pages to it. The author (Jamie Hunter) suggests that the limitations of the Blue Fox were what caused problems when trying to engage low flying Argentine aircraft (I've heard first hand accounts from people who found themselves on the receiving end of air attacks - not pleasant), something that Blue Vixen was intended to overcome, as well as providing AMRAAM capability. He also mentions that the batch of new build aircraft in the 1990s was to enable the aircraft to last until 2012 (of course the replacement won't be delayed......) and mentions that the long deployment caused problems for both machines and men.
He discusses the participation in the Bosnian theatre by both the FRS1 and FA2 (I personally remember a lot of the media coverage from the time) and their swing missions (as mentioned much earlier in this and other threads by Nozzles), and the good serviceability they achieved. He goes on to mention the participation of 800 NAS in operation over Kosovo, and quotes the then CO as expressing frustration with the widespread ignorance of the Sea Harrier's capabilities. He mentions the five hour sorties that they did at night. He goes on to mention the early 2000 deployment to the Gulf of
Illustrious to take part in enforcing the no fly zone, and how on their return they were tasked to go to Sierra Leone - to provide noise, reconnaissance and potentially cannon fire. In addition the presence of several grey ships off of the coast probably had a psychological effect as well as other capabilities like helicopters, medical support, naval gunfire support from frigates/destroyers etc.
Towards the end of the article, he says "
Many believed the aircraft was simply too important to be retired from the Fleet defence role."
However, it is now time to look to the future, and in particular
Future Carrier.