Originally Posted by
Boxer42
My understanding was that the Harrier would have operated from more 'rural' sites with Jaguars 'possibly' using the roads.
The pic I posted is the only time I knew of Harriers using an autobahn (was also there 90-92, when the wall came down), although you could count Eberhard as a road. I have other pics of them landing on concrete or mexe pads but never roads. Take off was generally from a 1000 foot mexe strip (laid by the RE) in the middle of a forested area.
Harriers deployed 4 times a year, 3 x 2 week periods and a single week in the winter. For the 2 week periods there were 6 flying sites, each of which could accomodate 7 or 8 aircraft but generally had 6. There were 3 logistics sites which resupplied the flying sites at night with materiel and provisions. There was one FWOC (Forward Wing Ops Centre).
The sites often exercised moving, at short or no notice (especially the FWOC), to other sites so mobility was a key. The whole operation worked very well and Gutersloh was always awarded a 1 (highest 1, lowest 4) during the annual TacEval (Tactical Evaluation) by other NATO units.
BD