Harrier GR.9
 

Demise of the Sea Harrier

As its original title indicates, the FCBA was originally conceived as a purely carrier-based replacement for the RN's Sea Harrier FA.2s, with a planned buy of about 60 aircraft due to enter service in 2012.  However the capabilities and selection of FJCA were greatly affected by the 1998 Strategic Defence Review which announced the creation of a "Joint Force 2000" (JF2000).  This is tasked "To provide a force able to deploy from land and sea, capable of precision attack of sea, land and air targets, able to undertake timely reconnaissance, and air escort of joint and allied assets."  

On 1 April 2000 all RN and RAF Harriers squadrons formed a combined Joint Harrier Force (JHF), as the JF2000 had by then been renamed.  JFH initially became part of RAF No.3 (Maritime) Group, which unusually has became commanded by a RN Rear Admiral (titled Flag Officer Maritime Aviation - FOMA).  In February 2003 the RAF announced that the JFH would be transferred to No 1 Group by April 2004, and that it was therefore no longer appropriate for a RN "two star" to command No 3 Group.

With RN Sea Harriers FA.2 and RAF Harrier GR.7's now under a single joint command, and plans formulated for a common replacement aircraft, the FCBA appellation was seen to represent legacy thinking.  The Future Carrier Borne Aircraft was thus renamed in May 2001 as the "Future Joint Combat Aircraft" (FJCA) to better reflect its status as a common Royal Navy/Royal Air Force (RN/RAF) aircraft capable of both sea- and land-based operations.  "The term FCBA is obsolete for two reasons," said RAF Wing Cdr Mark Green, Joint Combat Aircraft (JCA) Integrated Project Team (IPT) requirements manager. "First, the aircraft is no longer a dedicated carrier-borne aircraft, and second, it is no longer a purely naval programme.  FJCA reflects the shift to a joint RN/RAF offensive aircraft able to deploy from bases at sea and ashore."  In January 2003 it was announced that the "Future Joint Combat Aircraft" (FJCA) had been renamed the "Joint Combat Aircraft" (JCA).

It was announced on 28 February 2002 that  "It has been decided to withdraw the Sea Harrier from service in 2004-6, but upgrade the Harrier GR7 to a new GR9 standard, to be flown by pilots from both Services. ... The transition to a single aircraft type in the [Joint Harrier] Force will simplify logistics, particularly when embarked aboard carriers, whilst the upgrade to GR9 will ensure a potent capability until the introduction of the Future Joint Combat Aircraft - most likely met by the Joint Strike Fighter programme."

The first front-line Sea Harrier squadron (800 NAS) decommissioned (disbanded) on 31 March 2004 and reformed at RAF Cottesmore on 31 March 2006, initially equipped with ex-RAF 3 Squadron Harrier GR.7's, but will later get the Harrier GR.9.  899 NAS decommissioned on 23 March 2005 and was absorbed in to No 20(R) RAF squadron at RAF Wittering.  The second and final front-line 801 NAS squadron disbanded on 31st March 2006, marking the end of the Sea Harrier in RN service after some 28 years.  801 NAS reformed on 1 October 2006 as a Harrier GR.9 squadron. 

Re-equipped with the Harrier GR.7/9, 800 and 801 squadrons will have an authorised front-line strength of 9 aircraft - compared with their previous 7 Sea Harrier FA.2's.  In the long term (post-2012) this strength may increase to 12 aircraft when they get the F-35 JSF - although there is considerable speculation (late 2006) that that they will remain at 9 and the RAF will instead get a JSF variant to fulfil a land based manned deep strike role (partial Tornado GR.4 replacement, formerly FOAS).

JFH and the Harrier GR.9

A £150 million pound contract for part of the Harrier GR.9 upgrade programme was signed in January 2003 with BAE Systems Solutions & Support.   The full £500 million-plus programme will "provide U.K. Joint Force operations with up-rated digital systems and clearance for digital weapons, broadening RAF strike capabilities over a wider variety of targets, from longer ranges."  The upgrade will introduce a base-line aircraft system capability to integrate and deliver smart weapons, including MBDA's Brimstone, 500-lb. Raytheon Paveway IV precision guided bombs, AGM-65D/G Maverick ASMs, and AIM-9L/BOL Sidewinder AAMs.  Unfortunately the integration of several originally planned weapons systems has been abandoned as a cost saving measured, most notably the MBDA ASRAAM AAM.

The new equipment is being introduced in a phased series of capability releases (Cap A, B, C, etc.) to the MOD in three production batches over five years. Cap A release was planned by BAE Systems in November 2004, for a February 2005 in-service date, while Cap B will add Brimstone and TIALD 500 targeting pod integration through the smart Mil-Std-1760 stores management system from December 2005. Cap C1 will facilitate Phase III dynamic weapon aiming, for Enhanced Paveway III and similar missiles from September 2006. Cap C2/D will integrate AGM-65G2 Maverick IR/TV versions; such precision-guided bombs as Paveway IV; and Raytheon's Mk 12 Successor IFF (SIFF) in 2006 to 2007.  A Capability C2 contract worth about £100 million was awarded to BAE Systems in January 2004.

Some GR.9s will incorporate the up-rated (23,400lb of thrust) Rolls-Royce Pegasus Mk.107 engine, 40 of which were ordered from Rolls-Royce in December 1999 at a cost of £150 million.  By late 2004 these will have been installed by BAE Systems in to 20 GR.7s in place of their Pegasus Mk.105s, the upgraded aircraft then becoming GR.7As.  The upgrade requires replacement rear-fuselages in order to accommodate the new power plant, which allows an increase in maximum take-off weight to 34,000 lbs, thus improving the Harrier's hot-and-high performance envelope and extending carrier-based operations.  When the GR.7A's are eventually upgraded to the GR.9 standard, they will be designated the GR.9A, in addition another 10 GR.7's will go straight to the GR.9A standard - with the Pegasus Mk.107 replacing their old Mk.105.

Upgraded from GR.7/7A's, the GR.9/9A's will enhance the Harrier's existing capability for air-to-ground attack and reconnaissance. Navigation, data processing, thermal imaging, electronic warfare and communications capabilities are further improved in support of the smart weapon delivery system.

Also as part of the Harrier GR.7-GR.9 upgrade plan, 10 of the 12 existing Harrier T.10 two-seat combat trainers will be re-fitted with GR.9 mission systems avionics and redesignated as the T.12.  They will all remain powered by the Pegasus Mk 105. They will mainly be on the strength of the joint training unit, 20(R) Squadron

Joint Force Harrier became an all-GR-equipped unit between 2004 and 2006, while the Sea Harrier FA.2 air defence fighters were retired.  Instead of the three RN and four RAF Sea Harrier/Harrier squadrons extant in March 2004, by October 2006 the JFH will have 50/50 RN/RAF manning and its five squadrons will be solely equipped with upgraded Harrier aircraft, the with former No. 3 squadron RAF converting away from the Harrier to the Typhoon.  There will be four front-line JFH squadrons, each (by 2008) with 9 Harrier GR.9/9A's.  Two "dark blue" squadrons (800 and 801NASs) will have a majority of Royal Navy personnel, while there will be two "light blue" squadrons (No.1(F) and IV squadrons RAF ) with a manning balance in favour of the RAF.  In general one squadron of each colour will swap between high operational availability and low availability.  There will also be a second-line squadron (in RAF parlance the Operational Conversion Unit - OCU), 20(R), with about 16 aircraft (including Harrier T.12 trainers), this will have mixed manning.  The two naval orientated squadrons will get priority allocation of the limited number of aircraft of Harrier GR.9A's fitted with the up-rated Pegasus Mk.107 engine because of the proven need for extra lift for carrier-based Harrier operations - particularly in hot climates.

Rumours in August 2006 suggested that in fact 800 & 801 squadrons will share a pool of 12 GR7/9 aircraft - the reason being given as a lack of sufficient RN pilots  to operate any more.  The FAA has struggled to recruit fast jet pilots since the 1970's; with 800 & 801 squadrons now operating from an RAF base rather than RNAS air station, and the two squadrons expected to be tasked with traditional RAF-type land based deployments at least as much as sea time on a carrier, it seems that it may be difficult for the RN's FAA to attract over the RAF an adequate number of potential fast jet pilots to fly its Harrier's.

Joint Force Harrier will eventually have available (active or in storage) some 27 Harrier GR.9's, 30 GR.9A's and 10 T.12's - before attrition or other losses are taken in to account (e.g. one GR.9 crashed in July 2006).  In addition to JFH's requirements, several Harrier's will normally be allocated to the units at Boscombe Down for training, trials, testing and experimentation purposes.  Airframe numbers appear to have been stretched thin by the MOD in the hope that the GR.9/9A and T.12 will serve for less than a decide, and can thus be hard worked during that time.

JFH will continue operating the Harrier until its replaced between about 2014 to 2018 by the UK's new Joint Combat Aircraft (JCA), for which the Lockheed Martin F-35B STOVL JSFs has been provisionally selected for purchase.