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AV-8 Harrier II
April 7th 2003: an AV-8B Harrier takes off from on board the assault ship USS Nassau, to engage targets over Iraq in support of Operation Iraqi Freedom.
Description
Role	Attack aircraft
Crew	1 or 2
First Flight
Entered Service
Manufacturer	BAE Systems or McDonnell Douglas
Dimensions
Length	46 ft 4 in	14.1 m
Wingspan	30 ft 4 in	9.2 m
Height	11 ft 9 in	3.5 m
Wing Area	ft²	m²
Weights
Empty	12,500 lb	5,700 kg
Loaded	lb	kg
Maximum Takeoff	lb	kg
Capacity
Powerplant
Engines	One Rolls Royce F402-RR-408 Pegasus
Thrust	lb	kN
Performance
Maximum Speed	661 mph	1,065 km/h
Combat Range	miles	km
Ferry Range	miles	km
Service Ceiling	50,000 ft	15,000 m
Rate of Climb	ft/min	m/min
Wing Loading	lb/ft²	kg/m²
Thrust/Weight
Power/Mass	hp/lb	kW/kg
Avionics
Avionics
Armament
Guns
Bombs	Paveway 2, Paveway 3 and general purpose bombs
Missiles	Maverick, Brimstone, Storm Shadow, Sidewinder, ASRAAM
Rockets	CRV-7
Other	Joint Reconnaissance Pod

See also Hawker Siddeley Harrier

The AV-8B Harrier II, is a second generation, vertical/short takeoff and landing (V/STOL) light-attack jet aircraft used by the United States Marine Corps, Royal Air Force, Spanish Armada and Italian navy. The AV-8A was an unmodified Hawker Siddeley Harrier GR.3 procured for the US Marine Corps. Primary mission of the AV-8B is to provide responsive close air support for ground forces. This single-piloted, advanced V/STOL aircraft can operate from short fields, forward sites, roads and surface ships providing minimum response time to targets.

Three AV-8B squadrons stationed about 40 miles (64 km) from the Kuwaiti border, were the most forward deployed tactical strike aircraft during Operation Desert Storm and operated from relatively unprepared sites. One AV-8B squadron and one six-aircraft detachment operated off the landing helicopter ship USS Nassau in the Persian Gulf. The average turnaround time during the ground war surge was 23 minutes. A total of 86 Marine Harriers flew 3,567 sorties against Iraqi targets in Kuwait and Iraq. Five Harriers were lost, four in combat. Following the war, Marine Corps analysis showed that the placement of the engine nozzles that allow for the Harrier's Vertical Take-Off/Landing made the aircraft far more vulnerable to infrared surface-to-air missile fire than other aircraft.

In the Iraq campaign of 2003, the Harrier II saw extensive usage by both the USMC and RAF. USMC Harriers were based on two USMC amphibious assault ships, USS Bataan (LHD-5) and USS Bonhomme Richard (LHD-6). Each carried 24 Harriers, about four times their normal complement of fixed wing aircraft, and tried out the long dormant secondary purpose of the LHDs and LHAs, that of a small aircraft carrier, or sea control ship. RAF Harriers were shore based in Kuwait. Two detachments from RAF Cottesmore were sent to the region, with one known to have been based at the al Jaber airbase in Kuwait, and the other at an undisclosed location. A total of 23 RAF Harriers took part in the campaign.

The current AV-8B Remanufacture Program converts older AV-8B day attack aircraft to the most recent production radar/night attack configuration. This radar-equipped version of the AV-8B, called the AV-8B+, became operational in the summer of 1994.

Variants

• AV-8A Harrier
• AV-8B Harrier II
• AV-8B+ - AV-8B with radar allowing firing of radar guided air-to-air missiles
• Harrier GR5 - First RAF version of Harrier II
• Harrier GR7 - Avionics upgrade to GR5
• Harrier GR7A - GR7 with more powerful engine
• Harrier GR9 - Avionics upgrade to GR7
• Harrier GR9A - Both avionics upgrade and more powerful engine fitted

General Characteristics

• Primary Function: Support ground forces in amphibious or land operations
• Contractor: Boeing Aircraft Corp.
• Cost: Remanufactured aircraft at a cost of US$21.6 million each.
• Propulsion: One Rolls-Royce F402-RR-408
• Length: 46 ft 4 in (14.1 m)
• Wingspan: 30 ft 4 in (9.2 m)
• Height: 11 ft 9 in (3.5 m)
• Weight: 12,500 lb (5,700 kg) empty; 29,750 lb (13,400 kg) max gross take-off
• Speed: 547 knots (629 mile/h, 1000 km/h)
• Ceiling: 50,000 ft (15,000 m)
• Armament: Wing points for AIM-9 Sidewinder and an assortment of air-to-ground weapons and AGM-65 Maverick missiles
• Crew: One
• Date Deployed: January 1985

Units Using the AV-8 Harrier II

USMC

• VMA-211
• VMA-214
• VMA-223
• VMA-231
• VMA-311
• VMA-513
• VMA-542

RAF

• No. 1 Squadron
• No. 3 Squadron
• No. 4 Squadron
• No. 20 Squadron
• RAF SAOEU Strike Attack Operational Evaluation Unit