Days after arriving in Kandahar, the Harriers of 800 Naval Air Squadron were in the thick of fierce fighting. Armed with rockets and bombs, the pilots were flying crucial danger-close attack missions in defence of troops engaged in the most intense battles seen by British forces since the Korean War. While facing the constant threat of surface-to-air missiles, the British Top Guns knew that any mistake would have fatal consequences for the soldiers who depended on their skill and determination. Written by the Commanding Officer of the first Royal Navy squadron to deploy to Afghanistan, Joint Force Harrier is a compelling insight into the exciting world of modern air warfare.
The 'Jump-jet' was the world's first vertical/short take-off and landing (VSTOL) operational jet aircraft. Developed using the revolutionary Pegasus engine, the Harrier has served the RAF and US Marine Corps well for over 30 years. Here, vividly told, is the fascinating story from tentative hovering by the Hawker P1127 in 1960 to today's frontline Harrier GR9 and AV-8B warplanes. A naval version, the Sea Harrier, entered service with the Royal Navy in 1979. Alongside the RAF Harrier it saw action in the Falklands War in 1982. More recently, Harriers have seen combat over Kosovo, Bosnia and Iraq. In the USA, a license-built version (the AV8-A/B) equips the US Marine Corps and is in service today in Iraq. Harriers also equip air forces in Spain and Thailand. This competitively priced, full colour hardback is packed with clear and accessible information and is the latest in a series including The Concorde Story and The Spitfire Story.
This comprehensive pocket guide includes full and up-to-date details of all British military organizations and structures. This edition includes detail regarding all of the UK MoDs latest future force proposals.The Armed Forces of the United Kindom 2007–2008 is an invaluable reference tool and essential reading for all those who wish to be informed of the current state of the UKs defence forces.
When the first Harrier strike fighter was introduced by the Royal Air Force in the late 1960s, it was hailed as a technological breakthrough with its speed, vertical, short takeoff and landing capability (V/STOL). Today, the Harrier II is one of the top weapons of choice for ground troops in Iraq and Afghanistan who need effective air support. This book chronicles the incredible development of this tactical fixed wing aircraft, a journey that, in the author's opinion, was successful solely because of the unswerving commitment of the U.S. Marine Corps. In tracing the Harrier II's history, Lon Nordeen highlights the teamwork, creativity, and innovation that went into the design, development, fielding, and operation of this unique aircraft. The story begins with the development of the U.S. Marine Corps air-ground team close air support concepts in the 1920s, on the battlefields of the Pacific in the Second World War and the Korean conflict. Later in Vietnam, efforts were directed at improving the aviators' response time to calls for air support. Seeing V/STOL tactical airplanes as the only practical solution to this problem, the Marine Corps received their first AV-8As in 1971 and then set out to improve the Harrier's capability. This is the Harrier II's story, including its near-cancellation in the late 1970s during the Carter Administration, developmental challenges in the early 1980s, international growth path with the addition of night attack capability and radar to its success in the Gulf War, Afghanistan and Operation Iraqi Freedom. This book includes interviews and insights from those involved- from pilots and military commanders to engineers and production personnel and even tothose who opposed the program. It is the first book to be written about the Harrier II from the U.S. Marine Corps perspective that also discusses the selection and operational use of the aircraft by the United Kingdom, Spain and Italy.
Since 1900, the Royal Navy has seen vast changes to the way it operates. This book tells the story, not just of defeats and victories, but also of how the navy has adjusted to over 100 years of rapid technological and social change. The navy has changed almost beyond recognition since the far-reaching reforms made by Admiral Fisher at the turn of the century. Fisher radically overhauled the fleet, replacing the nineteenth-century wooden crafts with the latest in modern naval technology, including battleships (such as the iconic dreadnoughts), aircraft carriers and submarines. In World War I and World War II, the navy played a central role, especially as unrestricted submarine warfare and supply blockades became an integral part of twentieth-century combat. However it was the development of nuclear and missile technology during the Cold War era which drastically changed the face of naval warfare - today the navy can launch sea-based strikes across thousands of miles to reach targets deep inland. This book navigates the cross currents of over 100 years of British naval history. As well as operational issues, the authors also consider the symbolism attached to the navy in popular culture and the way naval personnel have been treated, looking at the changes in on-board life and service during the period, as well as the role of women in the navy. In addition to providing full coverage of the Royal Navy's wartime operations, the authors also consider the functions of the navy in periods of nominal peace - including disaster relief, diplomacy and exercises. Even in peacetime the Royal Navy had a substantial role to play. Covering the whole span of naval history from 1900 to the present, this book places the wars and battles fought by the navy within a wider context, looking at domestic politics, economic issues and international affairs. It will be essential reading for anyone interested in naval history and operations, as well as military history more generally.
Author: Great Britain: Parliament: House of Commons: Defence Committee
Publisher: The Stationery Office
ISBN: 021502673X
Category: Technology & Engineering
Page: 99
View: 874
The Ministry of Defence plans to replace the Royal Navy's current strength of three aircraft carriers with two larger, more versatile carriers capable of carrying a more powerful force, including new aircraft to replace the Harrier. This report analyses the progress of the Future Carrier and related Joint Combat Aircraft programmes. There is a serious risk that the two carriers will not enter service in 2012 and 2015 as planned, due to delays in investment decision-making. The novel 'Alliance' between MoD and three commercial companies has not yet been finalised. Delays are already impacting UK shipyards, and threatening jobs and the survival of the yards.The Joint Strike Fighter, a US-led programme, is the aircraft of choice for the new carriers, but there are unresolved weight problems. The target In-Service Date has been put back from 2012 to 2014, so it is possible that the new carrier would be operational (in 2012) before the new aircraft is available. There must be adequate assurances that the UK will have access to all the relevant technology (the 'Sovereign Capability') to enable maintenance and upgrading of new aircraft. Otherwise, the UK should consider withdrawing from the Fighter programme.
This annual statistical compendium from the Ministry of Defence contains a wide range of data relating to the armed forces, defence expenditure, service and civilian personnel and defence activities. Findings for the period 2003-04 include: i) defence spending was the Government's fourth highest expenditure, with a provisional outturn against the Departmental Expenditure Limits of £37.2 billion, and a total value of MoD fixed assets of £86.3 billion as of March 2003; ii) the total number of MoD personnel fell by 34 per cent between 1990 to 2004, with service personnel down by 32 per cent; iii) the proportion of serving personnel from the ethnic minorities stood at 4.9 per cent at April 2004, compared with 4.3 per cent the previous year; iv) in 2002-03, MoD net expenditure on R&D activity totalled £2.7 billion; and v) the MoD spent around £1.7 billion on conflict prevention activities worldwide during the year 2003-04.
The British Army Pocket Guide 2008-2009 will be a comprehensive guide to the organization, equipment and tactics of today's British Army. This latest edition incorporates details of all army reorganization and regimental amalgamations plus details of major systems and equipment introduced.
The two key components of air warfare conducted by the Royal Air Force virtually for the whole of the last century were the fighters and the bombers. By the 1960s these two roles had evolved into a single force known in the RAF by its current title, Strike Command. Colloquially, their pilots were known as Top Guns. Full of personal tales of airborne derring-do in just about every conflict in which Britain has been engaged, this is the latest in John Parker's excellent series of elite fighting units.
In the second volume of Harrier Boys, as with the first, the history of this remarkable aircraft in service with UK armed forces is illustrated through personal reminiscences of the people who worked with it. The book begins with explanations of the mature concept of operations with the Harrier GR3 in the Cold War. It then progresses through the evolution of Harrier II, starting with the GR5, and updates to the Sea Harrier, while the potential battles to be fought necessitated ever-changing tactics and technology. The new Harriers used digital developments for airframe, engine and weapons control. Conflicts in Iraq, Bosnia, Kosovo, Sierra Leone and Afghanistan saw ground-attack missions move towards the delivery of smart weapons from medium level, rather than the dumb bombs and low level of the Cold War era – meaning that the Harrier had once more to demonstrate its legendary versatility. The introduction of the Sea Harrier FA2, with its beyond visual range air-to-air missiles and improved radar, gave much improved air defense. The UK Harrier story ends with the closer integration of the RN and RAF forces, before the aircraft's all-too-early retirement in 2010, possibly decades before other countries forsake this unique capability.
