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BAE Systems Sea Harrier FA2

Type
Multi-role combat aircraft with short take-off/vertical landing capabilities

Country (Land)
Great Britain (Großbritannien)

Manufacturer (Hersteller)
BAE Systems
Warton Aerodrome
Preston, Lancashire PR4 1AX
UK

Phone: 0044/1772-852 514
Fax: 001/44/1772-855 279
Intenet: www.baesystems.com

General (Allgemeine Angaben)
Crew (Besatzung): 1 on Martin-Baker Mk.10H zero-zero ejection seat

Weapons: No internal armament. Four wing and three underfuselage stations can carry weapons like:

4 x Raytheon AIM-120B ARAAM
4 x AIM-9 Sidewinder
2 x 30 mm Aden gun pods (150 rounds each)
500 kg free fall or retarded bombs (Freifallbomben oder Bomben mit Bremsmechanismus)
2 x Sea Eagle anti-ship missiles (Anti-Schiffs-Lenkwaffen von BAE)

Power plant (Antrieb)
1 x Rolls-Royce Pegasus Mk 106 turbofan with swivelling nozzles
Thrust (Schub): 95,6 kN (21500 lbs)

Dimensions (Abmessungen)
Length (Länge): 14,17 m
Length, nose cone folded (Länge mit beigeklappter Nase): 13,06 m
Height (Höhe): 3,61 m
Span (Spannweite): 7,70 m
Wing area (Flügelfläche): 18,7 sq m
Wheelbase (Radstand): ca. 3,45 m

Weights (Massen)
Operating weight empty (Leermasse): 6616 kg
Max. payload (max. Nutzlast): 3855 kg
Max. external weapons laod (Waffenlast): 3629 kg
Max. fuel (Max. Kraftstoff): 2295 kg internal, up to 3000 litres external
Vertical take-off (Senkrechtsart): 7992 kg
Max. take-off weight (Max. Startmasse): 11 880 kg

Performance (Flugleistungen)
Max. speed (max. Fluggeschwindigkeit): Mach 0.94 at sea level (1145 km/h, 618 kts)
Max. speed at high altitude (Geschwindigkeit in großer Höhe): Mach 0.97 (1070 km/h, 578 kts)
Cruise speed (Marschgeschwindigkeit): around 850 km/h at 10975 m
Combat air patrol: 1 h 30 min on station at 110 NM (185 km) from carrier
Surface attack mission radius: 200 NM (370 km) with two Sea Eagle missiles and 30 mm guns
g-Limits: +7,8/-4,2

Customers (Kunden)
The Royal Navy ordered 18 new-built Sea Harrier FA2s, and 36 of the 54 series production FRS1 airframes were rebuilt to the new standard (including two prototype FRS2s). Operational units are:

800 Naval Air Squadron at RNAS Yeovilton. Put out of service on 31 March 2004
801 Naval Air Squadron at RNAS Yeovilton. It was commissioned on 28 January 1981 with the Sea Harrier FRS1. Due to disband in 2006
899 Naval Air Squadron at RNAS Yeovilton. Primary task is training of the pilots. Should disband sometime in 2005.

The only other Sea Harrier customer is Indian Navy, which got 23 FRS51 (equivalent to the FRS1) plus eight trainers. They are in service with No.300 “White Tiger” squadron.

Competitors (Konkurrenz)
none

Remarks (Bemerkungen)
Main improvement of the FA2 (Fighter Attack) version of the Sea Harrier is the BAE Systems (previously GEC Marconi) Blue Vixen pulse Doppler radar in a lengthened nose. To fit the electronics, the aft fuselage has also been lengthened by 35 cm. Main armament is now the AIM-120 AMRAAM, giving BVR combat capabilities for the first time. The cockpit features two CRT displays and HOTAS controls.
Work on the Sea Harrier FA2 was concentrated at Dunsfold (final assembly).

History (Geschichte)
BAe received a project definition contract in January 1985 that included the conversion of two FRS1s to FRS2 standard.
A contract for the conversion of 29 FRS1 to FRS2 standard was signed on 8 December 1988.
The first FA2 prototype (XZ439, then designated FRS2) flew on 19 September 1988, with the second following on 8 March 1989.
The Blue Vixen radar was flown in the Sea Harrier for the first time on 24 May 1990.
Carrier qualification trials with the FA2 were conducted on HMS Ark Royal in November 1990, with the first deck landing conducted on 7 November.
AMRAAM firing trials were undertaken at Eglin AFB in Florida, starting on 29 March 1993. A total of 10 launches was made against subscale target drones and QF-106 drones. For the task, the second prototype was transported by ship to Norfolk, Virginia and then ferried to Eglin.
Delivery of modified aircraft started on 2 April 1993. In June 1993, a trails unit was formed at Boscombe Down.
BAe got a contract for the construction of 18 new FA2s in January 1994. It also covered the conversion of an additional four FRS1 to FA2 standard.
The first new-build Sea Harrier FA2 (ZH796) was handed over on 20 October 1995, with the last entering service in 1999.
On 22 February 2002, the Armed Forces Minister Adam Ingram announced that the Joint Harrier Force (Royal Navy, Royal Air Force) will become an all ground attack force concentrating on the RAF GR7 and GR9 variants of the Harrier. This entails the withdrawal of the FA2 until 2006.
On 31 March 2004, the 800 Naval Air Squadron stood down as a Sea Harrier FA2 unit. It had conducted its last carrier deployment in February aboard the HMS “Ark Royal”. Plans in March 2004 foresaw the closing of 899 NAS in March 2005 and 800 NAS in March 2006.
The 899 Naval Air Squadron was officially decommissioned in a ceremony on 9 May 2005. At that time, it had four staff pilots and some 100 members in total.
The Harrier will be replaced in UK service by the F-35 (JSF) from around 2012.

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Last updated 20 August 2005

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