What Gull and Fod have forgotten, glojo, is that this thread is about Harrier, not RAF/RN. I think both service operated them? It's quite possible that the French chappies were talking about an RAF Harrier.
Plus RAF pilots flew the SHAR in combat...
PLUS he whose name must not be mentioned
had highly qualified RAF pilots in his squadron and entrusted one such pilot with the ongoing training and development of his operational pilots, both Fleet Air Arm and RAF..