JF
Did the original upgrade planned post Falklands include include a larger wing?
Anyway, going back to an earlier comment of mine, about how the Sea Harrier had suffered from a lack of public recognition, I recently noticed a couple of things on the net. This
Channel Four page, from during the time of the ash cloud from the volcano in Iceland, talks of HMS
Ocean, and quotes a very old website when it says:
The 22,5000 tonne HMS Ocean is capable of carrying a maximum force of 1275 Royal Marines or aircrew, 12 Sea King helicopters, 6 Lynx AH7s and 15 Sea Harriers.
This story, from journalists that you might reasonably expect to be more
au fait with naval matters, proves that more work is needed on the basics.
A ROYAL Navy Sea Harrier roared its way up the River Dart to salute scores of young naval officers passing out from Dartmouth's naval college.
If only!
I see that the Sea Harrier took part in the recent airday at Culdrose, although obviously only on the ground. It was mentioned in a number of places - such as
Flightline UK:
The show can boast a few items you will see no where else, certainly in the numbers seen at Culdrose. Many of the Royal Navy's Sea Harrier FA2s and Harrier T8s were "retired" to Culdrose to provide aircraft for the Royal Navy's School of Flight Deck Operations. The aircraft are taxied and position around a mock up of a flight deck at Culdrose. Several of the FA2 were parked together on the cross runway while a single T8 appeared alongside other aircraft in the main static area.
And this photo blog (what?)
here - a few nice pictures too:
There are around 20 retired Sea Harriers at Culdrose now and they are used by the SAH as dummy deck aircraft allowing handlers to practice moving aircraft around the deck of a ship without losing too many over the side!
Sad to see so many de commissioned aircraft but at least they still have an active role within the service.
I'm guessing that all the ones at Shawbury were moved to Culdrose (see previous posts about the MOD refusing to sell them etc). Just out of interest, how did they move them? I assume that they didn't fly them.
With respect to the YouTube video of the first part of
Navy Pilots that I posted a link to, I would like to apologise to the person I quoted, in case they read the post and thought I was calling them a retard. I was not. Assuming that it was genuine, then the comment implies that the people who work with the SFDO (and other) Sea Harriers consider that they could be regenerated. No idea where the 24 hours comes from, though!
Did the Sea Harrier deter? As part of a something larger - a task group, yes. Does it still deter? Perhaps, in a limited way, although mostly in situations where the opponent needs a lot of time to build up their forces, thereby giving plenty of warning.
In terms of a Falklands scenario, the Argentines are in no position to invade, as their navy and air force have both been in decline. Building up a significant amphibious force would take time, and produce intelligence warnings - which the politicians might pay attention to. It would take them to generate an invasion task force than it would for us to generate a task group including regenerated Sea Harriers. In the meantime, the forces maintained down South should be able to stop any surprise attack. As I noted, since the Sea Jet left service there does seem to be more emphasis put into maintaining the
Atlantic Patrol Task (South) role, despite many other operational commitments and dwindling frigate/destroyer numbers. There seems to be an effort to make sure that the APT(S) ship is never far from the Falklands area.
Cutbacks to the Fleet became a secondary theme of this thread, you will recall that in late 2004 the then First Sea Lord told the Commons Defence Select Committee that the UK needs "about thirty" escorts, not only to provide sensors and weapons for a task group, but also for the single ship type roles that provide deterrence, reassurance, intelligence, and defence diplomacy. Less ships means less deterrence in peacetime, and less defence in wartime. It also raises the stakes, as our ability to withstand attrition is reduced. Will the forthcoming SDSR consider this? Will the increased vulnerability of a task group without organic air defence be borne in mind? Both the Conservatives and Liberal Democrats opposed the axing of the Sea Harrier at the time.
Closer to home, Russian aircraft are probing Western and UK airspace. Russian submarine activity is also high - witness the recent alleged attempt to track a Trident boat. Is the Bear still being used to monitor NATO naval forces? Wasn't the original reason for developing the Sea Harrier to intercept and shadow Bears? So what now for the Bear shadowing role? What about other nations who might decide to use transports and maritime patrol aircraft in maritime ISTAR roles? Are we relying on allies to shadow Bears and the like?