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Royal Navy Sea Harrier

By on Friday, September 1st, 2006

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In service with the
Royal Navy since 1979, the Sea Harrier has been improved and updated to
cope with the technological changes that the changing threat has posed. The aircraft remains the most advanced ship-borne Short Take Off and Vertical Landing (STOVL) aircraft in the world.



The
aircraft has a maritime fighter / reconnaissance / strike role and
proved itself as an effective, flexible and reliable aircraft in the
Falklands Campaign, where 29 aircraft flew over 2,300 sorties and
destroyed 22 enemy aircraft in air-to-air combat without loss.
The
original version in Royal Naval Service was the FRS1, with the newer
FA2 (FRS2) variant entering service in 1994. The FRS2 differs from the
earlier model in that it has a Blue Vixen look-down/shoot -down radar
combined with the fire-and-forget Advanced Medium-Range Air-to-Air
Missile (AMRAAM) which allows the aircraft to engage targets beyond
visual range. In addition, the Sea Eagle (anti-ship missile) and laser
guided bombs can be carried.
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