UK Harriers to be sold to US Marines for £34M - Telegraph
 

Harrier jump-jets sold 'for peanuts' - Telegraph

I'm utterly speechless. :sad:

Half a million pounds per each 20 year old out of service ground attack jet. I say that the MoD actually got a good deal seeing that most ex British military aircraft disposals go for a fraction of that. Yanks are buying them to rob for spares that fit their AV-8Bs anyway, not to fly. Anyhow we have begged, borrowed and stole off the Yanks for years to support operations hence I've not go a problem with giving them a bargin back.

Harrier in the UK is gone...Live with it.

I don't see the problem here. It's better than letting them quietly rust away in a shed somewhere and it keeps the very busy USMC Harrier fleet flying until replaced by F35B (hopefully!).

Not as if the RAF's using them for anything...:p

What else were we going to do with them? Who else could we have sold them to? How could we get a better deal?

Do they want any redundant Daleks to go with them? (See Caption Comp)

Anyone know if the T-birds are going too?

Did anybody really think they were coming back?

Hopefully this will finally put an end to the matter.

MAINJAFAD

Begged borrowed and stole? I admire the USA and have found all the Americans I have met (mostly mil) to have been respectful and courteous. I am a fan. If I could get a Green Card, I would go there tomorrow and eventually retire. Nowhere is perfect, but America is the world's 'go to' country for most of the world. But. Despite all the guff about 'special relationships', the US will usually act in it's own interests. Lend/Lease during WW2 crippled the UK financially. We were not perfect, but lack of US support in the Suez led to humiliating climbdowns for France, UK and Israel. France took a more independent stance to the US after that, and it may have contributed to UK's refusal (despite US pressure) to get involved in Vietnam. The Americans took the cream of German rocket scientists after WW2 and would not share research with UK. Which is why today Trident is not UK designed and built. So I don't think you can say it's all one-way traffic. When politically expedient, the special relationship is trotted out, usually by the Brits. When sh*t comes to shove, Uncle Sam will do what's best for him. Don't start me on Frank Whittle. That apart, I shall continue to enjoy as many holidays as possible in the United States. When you have surfing, skiing, desert, mountains, cities, vast wilderness and pretty much anything else, I can understand why most Americans don't feel the need for a passport. In Europe's defence, it is compact, the cathedrals are pretty, it's expensive and the waiters are spectacularly rude. Amen.

Yes, now the RN can concentrate on flying conventional carrier aircraft and getting ready for F35.

Much better than using them all as gate guardians!!:D

You're joking aren't you? The yanks have borrowed our forces and stole our peace for years by dragging us into their conflicts, costing us money and the safety on our own streets from home grown terrorism.

mmmmmmm, I wonder why the US still find a use for the Harrier deployed from carriers? Which jets were flying in Libya on day 1? oh, that'll be the Harrier and the French.

The UK got everything for free, excepting trade agreements and basing rights, from the US on lend lease. It started because the UK had run out of money.

According to the Beeb (see here) on the first wave it included Tornado sqns from Marham as well as the Candians, US, French and Italians forces. Plus Tomahawk missiles.;)

And to be fair, when SDSR was announced we were 'friends' with Libya. Hindsight is a wonderful thing though.:E

Except that it was a bit more complicated than that:

Of course the USMC might use them to form a squadron manned by the Fleet Air Arm - out of RAF control....can we book them for RIAT?

I was actually wondering whether WEBF had won the super-duper-double-triple-Euro roll over and was creating his own independent air wing. Need to keep an eye on the coded ads for pilot jobs in Navy News ;):ok:

Pretty much what I was thinking there Bismark. One way of quietly keeping the skill set and capability going...

Sell em off cheap to the Americans, then send the crews over on 'long' exchange trips...

Of course, it'll never happen will it.

Look at the cost of a 109 engine and the fact that they are not built any more and the deal is incredibly good value for the USMC! Undoubtedly the aircraft will be shipped to somewhere like Davis Mothan and become spare parts -it means the RAF can wash its hands of the cost of maintaining these machines and off load its spares inventory quick as well.