Spanish Harrier meets British F-35B Lightning - Royal International Air Tattoo (RIAT) 2023
ฝัง
- เผยแพร่เมื่อ 28 ส.ค. 2024
- A pair of McDonnell Douglas EAV-8B Harrier II+ aircraft from 9ª Escuadrilla Aeronaves (9th Aeronaval Squadron), Armada Española (Spanish Navy) took part in the flying display during The Royal International Air Tattoo (RIAT) 2023 at RAF Fairford, UK. One of them is seen in a unique display together with a Royal Air Force (RAF) Lockheed Martin F-35B Lightning from 617 Squadron 'The Dambusters', based at RAF Marham. This display was on the Sunday of the Airshow. Pilot of the Spanish Harrier was Capitán de Corbeta (CC) Andres 'Andy' Medina.
The McDonnell Douglas AV-8B Harrier II was a joint project between the US and UK to develop a new generation of Harrier. The UK initially left the project in 1975 only to re-join it after the aircrafts first flight in 1981. The key differences between the original Harrier and the Harrier II were a more powerful engine, a larger composite wing with additional hard points, a better structure and an elevated cockpit. The Harrier II entered service with the RAF as the Harrier GR.5 which was later upgraded into the GR.7 and GR.9 variants before they were eventually retired in 2010. In the US the AV-8B went through a number of upgrades eventually creating two variants - the AV-8B(NA) standing for night attack and the AV-8B+ Harrier II Plus which featured an APG-65 muti-mode radar giving the aircraft the ability to carry the Aim-120 Amraam beyond visual range air to air missile.
In October 1972 the Spanish Navy took a step forward integrating into the Harrier V/STOL program developed by Hawker Siddeley. In 1987 12 AV-8S were procured and formed the core of the 9th Squadron. The first three units, purchased from the United States, arrived on October 6th 1987 and were dubbed 'Cobras', although the official name for the first AV-8S aircraft in Spanish service was the 'Matador'. The VA.1 Matador was the Spanish designation for the AV-8S which, in turn, was the export designation of the USMC AV-8A. This Matador was produced in two production batches under the company designations of Harrier Mk 53 (first batch) and Harrier Mk 54 (second batch) respectively. A two-seat trainer Matador also existed under the designation of VAE.1, a Spanish designation for the TAV-8S which, in turn, was the export designation of the same TAV-8A in service with the USMC. 9 of these aircraft went on to serve with the Spanish Navy until 1996, when they were sold to the Royal Thai Navy. These were superseded in Spanish service from 1987 by the EAV-8B Harrier II which have also since been replaced with the radar equipped EAV-8B Harrier II Plus, 12 of which remain in service, together with 1 two seat TAV-8B model.
The Harrier II PLUS has a totally redesigned and larger fuselage. New wing fuel tanks were incorporated and Rolls-Royce Pegasus 11-61 (US designation - F402-RR-408) engines installed. The plane has carbon-fibre composite leading edge root extension wings (LERX).
However, the main feature is the nose with its state-of-the-art AN/APG-65 pulse Doppler radar with different configurations: air-air, air-surface with an advanced multi-mode, all-weather, day and night system. In 1996 and 1997 8 further 'Harrier' II PLUS were built under licence in Spain by Construcciones Aeronauticas S.A.
This aircraft is the same model as that also still flown by the United States Marine Corps and the Italian Navy.
Today the entire Spanish Harrier fleet is operated by 9 Escuadrilla who are based at Rota and operate from the Juan Carlos 1 amphibious assault ship.The Squadron has since clocked up more than 50,000 flight hours. The Spanish Navy is expecting to retain the Harrier in service until 2030 and intends to continue upgrading its Harrier squadron with better versions in order to keep this valuable tactical asset fully operational.
For an interesting overview of the team and Spanish Navy operation of the Harrier II Plus there is an interesting article here:-
www.airshows.c...
The Royal Air Force and Royal Navy both operate the Lockheed Martin
F-35B, currently as part of the Joint Lightning Force based at RAF Marham. Known simply as the Lightning in British service, it has replaced the Harrier GR9, which was retired in 2010, and Tornado GR4, which was retired in 2019. No. 617 (The Dambusters) Squadron are the RAF's first operational F-35B squadron.
The UK has ordered 48 F-35B's. As of November 2022, 26 F-35Bs were based in the United Kingdom (with 617 and 207 Squadrons) and a further three were permanently based in the United States (with 17 Squadron) for testing and evaluation purposes.
Video and Audio content is Copyright © High Flight
Qué crack el comandante español!😎
I know the F35 is super hi-tech and everything, but it does look like a flying bath tub. The Harrier on the other hand, looks like it means business.
Well ! That was a treat Steve! I did not know there were any real Harriers in service, the F-35B looks like it could be a typical too sophisticated iteration of a perfect concept. Many thanks for posting. Chris B.
Thanks Chris. Italy also still has Harriers. I have film of 2 arriving and leaving this Airshow which I'll add soon. It's interesting to see the difference in size between the EAV-8B and the F-35B and also consider that EAV-8B is larger than the original Harrier. I think that the F-35 will be around for a long time? Steve.
@@HighFlight US Navy Marines Corps still fly EAV-8B too. Operational until 2029.
@@luisvega7 Thanks for reminding me. I have no idea why I missed out the most obvious and currently, user of the largest number of remaining AV-8Bs/Harriers. A 'doh' moment! USMC also benefitted from getting our Harriers for spares when they retired, for a snip at £180 million!
@@luisvega7 "US Navy Marines Corps still fly EAV-8B too."(sic)
The United States Marine Corps continues to operate the McDonnell Douglas AV-8B Harrier II with two squadrons - VMA-223 and VMA-231 - not the Navy.
@@HighFlight
Its really an AV8B+ which gives it a multi-mode radar and beyond visual range missile capability.
The first time a Harrier landed on a navy ship, was on the Dedalo aircraft carrier, it was 1972. The ship had fought in Iwo Jima during WW2.
P.S: Spain has had 2 Dedalos. The first one was a sea plane carrier. It also has a first, it was the carrier in the first successful amphibious landing of the modern era.
Modern and museum aircrafts...
No tienes idea , los Harrier americanos , españoles e italianos llevan un proceso de modernización conjunto desde 2017 hasta 2023 , está última modernización reforzó su capacidad de ataque nocturno y combate aéreo
@@antoniodelatorre4714 Aún así, se pueden mejorar más a instancia de parte...
Pero el problema de los Harrier en la AE...es otro...
@@diegomoreno9843 los yankees van alargar la vida de sus Harrier hasta 2030 , igual que nosotros , la idea primigenia de los italianos era retirarlos en 2024 , leí estos días que también deciden alargar su vida hasta 2030 ,
@@antoniodelatorre4714 Los americanos, al igual que los italianos, ya tienen el F-35B y además operativo...
Lo que se ha hecho es una chapuza para mejorar algo puesto que se puede, para igualar al B+ con el F-18C, puesto que comparten mucha de su aviónica.
Pero...el F-35B...es de otro planeta...
@@antoniodelatorre4714 Y por cierto, si no te importa manejar chatarra y la AE es especialista en ello...el Harrier B+ podría durar hasta 2035-2040, puesto que no tiene tantos años...