Navy is planning on purchasing the entire inventory of Royal Navy and Air Force Harrier jets, according to Defense News:
Britain has agreed to sell all of its 74 decommissioned Harrier jump jets, along with engines and spare parts, to the U.S. Navy and Marine Corps – a move expected to help the Marines operate Harriers into the mid-2020s and provide extra planes to replace aging two-seat F-18D Hornet strike fighters.
Rear Adm. Mark Heinrich, chief of the U.S. Navy’s Supply Corps, confirmed the two-part deal Nov. 10 during a conference in New York sponsored by Bank of America Merrill Lynch in association with Defense News…
A spokesman for the Ministry of Defence in London confirmed the Disposal Services Agency was in talks with the U.S. Navy for the sale of the Harriers. The deal had yet to be concluded, he said Nov. 11.
Britain retired its joint force of Royal Air Force and Royal Navy Harrier aircraft late last year in one of the most controversial moves of the defense reductions, which also cut the aircraft carriers that operated the jets, other warships, maritime patrol planes and personnel.
The article goes on to say that the Harriers – perhaps representing Britain’s final transfer of empire – will initially go towards replacing fatigued FA-18D aircraft in Marine squadrons, while providing a bridge capability awaiting the roll-out of the vertical take-off F-35B.
In other Marine aviation news, with the retirement of the previous Deputy Commandant for aviation the gospel has changed, and the Corps has committed to procuring five squadrons of the Navy’s F-35C, designed for conventional shipboard catapult launches and arrested landings. These 80 aircraft will increase Team Green’s contribution to the Tactical Aircraft Integration program over the three FA-18C squadrons now deploying off big deck carriers. The procurement may also serve to reduce risk if the B-model F-35 runs into further technical or programmatic headwinds – a risk augmented by the dreadful state of the national fisc.
In which case, can you say “Super Hornet”?
Sure you can.
“Super Hornet.” Now, now, Lex, baby steps, baby steps; we can’t force-feed ‘em what they need to do all at once. They’ll figure out that single-seat FastFAC doesn’t work so good, and then we can kind of sidle up alongside ‘em and go “pssst, wanna buy some F-18F’s cheap, buddy?”
i always thought hornets were super anyhow.
Our Marine Corps friends wanted only the Osprey to replace the Phrog. And had to stick with the Phrog way too long in order to get the Osprey.
Maybe the same scenario is setting up here. I hope they still buy the V/STOL version. It’ll be a nice force multiplier off amphibs. We’ll have 20 carriers rather than the 10/9/8 that the Obama administration will let us have. Of course, there are better uses for those dollars, like propping up green energy “companies” like Solyndra, whose principals invested heavily in the president’s election, but hey…that’s not corrupt. No, not at all.
Smart, and very economical, move by the Marines on the Harriers.
They get CAS capability that can operate from Gator decks integral to the MEU, without relying on the decreasing odds that one of our dwindling number of CVNs will be close enough to help, and otherwise unemployed.
The Marines are so used to hand-me-downs and having to go cheap that they are flexible enough to recognize and seize opportunities like this. I bet this investment will pay off handsomely some day.
The F-35 program is pretty pricey and our nation simply cannot afford it, no matter how badly we need it. That may force us into a less expensive, and less capable “Hornets forever” policy. Adequate for adventures in the third world, but suicidal if facing the growing new generation threat from our largest trading partner.
Still, it is a very sad sight to see the Royal Navy’s demise, and this mark the final end of the Fleet Air Arm. The Brits have been our strongest allies, and even the “special relationship” suffers if we cannot combine forces for our mutual benefit and strength. Of course, on our present trajectory, we may not have any forces to contribute either in a decade.
Spare parts, get ‘em while you can!
Back in another life (ooooh. Just realized. 20 years ago!) I worked at a computer company that had an issue with an aging computer line. They had made a last buy of custom chips to support the processor into the foreseeable future, but the chips had a design flaw that only became apparent after the end-of-life buy. Oops. There were some microcode work-arounds for the issue, but the “better” fix was to replace the older model (read:Harrier) with the newer model (read:SuperHornet). My take (as the field service rep) from the meetings was “The only way to improve the quality of (the product) is to sell the user a newer machine” I wish I could take credit for the impetus to marketing to do such, but the whole team had come to the same consensus so the recommendation to the company president was such. And so it came to be.
Maybe the Marines just need better marketing, eh?
Maybe they can buy some super hornets or buy Spain’s legacy hornets (in exchange for bailout) and then share flight time off of one of our CVNs or the Charles de Gaule.
Maybe the Brits I mean… Oops.
(Grumble, mutter, splutter) Well at least the Ministry of bloody Defence didn’t give them away to the Pakistani Air force. So glad they’re in hands that appreciate these good bits of kit.
PS: Did the contract include the tea dispensers fitted to the RN variant? Guess you guys would prefer coffee or bubble gum anyway? (Goes back to cussing and berating the MO bloody D – evening totally ruined)
PS: Overheard whispered conversation in a Pentagon corridor: (Yiddish accent)”Hey Yanks, vanna buy some Crown Jewels?”
Here’s hoping your deal to buy used kit off the Brits goes better than our’s (Canada) did.
http://www.cbc.ca/news/canada/nova-scotia/story/2011/09/23/ns-disabled-submarines.html
http://www.defenseindustrydaily.com/sub-support-contract-creating-canadian-controversy-04563/
Good luck with that.
Ian, I met the CO and some of the crew of the Chicoutimi when they were over here doing the conversion training at HMS Collingwood in a civvy police/Navy liaison capacity. Great blokes one and all. Bloody tragedy, that fire. Those Upholder class boats were actually rated by our submariners. What the heck went wrong? Bad business all round eh?
How close to being an AV-8B is a HARRIER II? Will they need a lot of work to make them into something that the USMC will be comfortable to use? This is an honest question, I don’t know how similar the two planes are.
As I understand it, we’re buying the ex-RAF Harrier GR9s. Which are very, very close to AV-8B standard. RN Sea Harriers would be another matter entirely – they are based on the early model Harrier/AV-8A.
U.S. Marines Won’t Fly Brit Harriers
By CHRISTOPHER P. CAVAS 17 Nov 2011
http://defensenews.com/story.php?i=8286920&c=EUR&s=SEA
“An official announcement could come within days of Britain’s sale of its remaining Harrier jump jets to the U.S. Marine Corps, but sources are saying privately the purchase will be strictly for spare parts and logistic support, and not a move to increase the operational fleet.
We have no intent at any point to ever fly any of these” British jets, said one U.S. source….
…One U.S. source, however, said that acquisition of the British aircraft and their spares could save the Marines up to $1 billion over the life of the fleet. The Marines plan to operate the AV-8B at least until 2025, when conversion to the F-35B Joint Strike Fighter is expected to be completed….
…British and U.S. Harrier II aircraft had a high degree of commonality from the beginning….
“There are significant differences between Royal Air Force GR Mark 9s and Marine AV-8Bs, which would be a challenge to overcome,” Nordeen added. “However, the engines and spare parts would be very valuable for long-term sustainment of the Marine Corps Harrier fleet….”
Too bad they could not throw in the carriers as well. Do the Harriers come with right hand drive?
CTm:
We’re good as long as they didn’t throw in Jeremy Clarkson.
Paul
those poor WSO’s are wunnering if they come with a 2nd seat.
F-35B is the only hope for potential small straight deck carrier navies to get going these days as a replacement for the Harrier [USMC just hedging bets].
http://www.hrana.org/articles.asp#F35BShowsUp
If memory serves, the SeaHarrier is a fleet defense interceptor and the RAF Harriers are ground attack, or were in
the Falklands.
UH-1Y, AH-1Z cuts could help pay for F-35
http://www.marinecorpstimes.com/news/2011/11/marine-ah1-uh1-helo-programs-may-be-cut-111511/
“…The Marines need all of the aircraft that it is developing or currently procuring, Trautman said. The service desperately needs the F-35B, UH-1Y, AH-1Z, MV-22 and CH-53K, he [Trautman] said.
“There is not a lot of flexibility in the Marine Corps aviation portfolio because a lot of money is tied up in platforms,” Trautman said. “They are 100 percent committed to these platforms,” he said.” Nov 15, 2011
Hey whats the truth here?…
…with my own lying eyes I personally observed Arnold Schwarzenegger commandeer a USMC Harrier Jump Jet from some hapless Jarhead aviator in the 1994…I repeat 1994 movie “True Lies” and procced to blow the holy sh*t out of some bad guys…what gives ? Best
More Super Hornets? I got no problem with that, as long as we get to pick up some F-16INs and Silent Eagles as well.
I am actually surprised that we didn’t make an effort to purchase the carriers as well.
Alternately, perhaps we could do some sort of reverse lend-lease deal whereby we kick in funding to help the Brits keep the carriers and other assets in play?
Hate to see that grand ally be broken down like that.
I hope we got a good deal on them. Lord knows, we’re broke, and can no longer afford to go halfway around the planet kicking wog ass for dubious purposes.
As somebody said a long time ago, we are the friends of liberty everywhere, but the guardians only of our own.
lex:
i hope to shout that the marines, u.s., buy the harriers.
a great plane. and, the marines know how to use them, perhaps better than anyone else.
they will have a good & caring home with the marines.
john jay
milton freewater, oregon usa