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**cestsennY** · 06-03-2012, 08:50 AM

By Adam Luck: 23:16 GMT, 2 June 2012

They were once the pride of Britain’s RAF and Royal Navy – but now these stripped-down Harrier vertical take-off jump
jets sit like skeletons in the famous US aircraft ‘Boneyard’ in the Arizona desert.

The once iconic aircraft – whose original versions first saw active service more than 40 years ago – are among some of
the 72 Harriers that Britain prematurely scrapped and then sold to America for a knockdown £116 million last November.

They are now used for spare parts for US Harriers, which America still consider viable fighting planes.

Despite being the world’s only successful combat-tested jump jets – and at one time considered ideal for the Navy’s two
new £6.2 billion aircraft carriers, HMS Queen Elizabeth and HMS Prince of Wales – the Harriers were decommissioned two
years ago as part of the Coalition’s defence cuts.

They are due to be replaced towards the end of the decade by the US’s F-35B jump jet, which experts believe will cost as
much as £200 million each – about 75 per cent more per plane than the Americans paid for Britain’s entire Harrier fleet.

The US-made jets will not be available until 2018 at the earliest – leaving Britain with two new super-carriers but no planes
to fly from them.

A Ministry of Defence spokeswoman said last night: ‘Savings had to be made to tackle the multi-billion-pound black hole inherited
from the last Government. The difficult but necessary decision to retire Harrier early and sell the aircraft will save the Government
around £1 billion.

06-03-2012, 08:50 AM	#1
cestsennY Join Date Oct 2005 Posts 390 Senior Member	British Once-Mighty Fleet of Harriers By Adam Luck: 23:16 GMT, 2 June 2012 They were once the pride of Britain’s RAF and Royal Navy – but now these stripped-down Harrier vertical take-off jump jets sit like skeletons in the famous US aircraft ‘Boneyard’ in the Arizona desert. The once iconic aircraft – whose original versions first saw active service more than 40 years ago – are among some of the 72 Harriers that Britain prematurely scrapped and then sold to America for a knockdown £116 million last November. They are now used for spare parts for US Harriers, which America still consider viable fighting planes. Despite being the world’s only successful combat-tested jump jets – and at one time considered ideal for the Navy’s two new £6.2 billion aircraft carriers, HMS Queen Elizabeth and HMS Prince of Wales – the Harriers were decommissioned two years ago as part of the Coalition’s defence cuts. They are due to be replaced towards the end of the decade by the US’s F-35B jump jet, which experts believe will cost as much as £200 million each – about 75 per cent more per plane than the Americans paid for Britain’s entire Harrier fleet. The US-made jets will not be available until 2018 at the earliest – leaving Britain with two new super-carriers but no planes to fly from them. A Ministry of Defence spokeswoman said last night: ‘Savings had to be made to tackle the multi-billion-pound black hole inherited from the last Government. The difficult but necessary decision to retire Harrier early and sell the aircraft will save the Government around £1 billion.
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