U.K. Navy Says Farewell to Harrier Operations

[razgriz19]

LONDON - Britain's interest in carrier-borne STOVL operations officially ended at 9 a.m. on Nov. 24 when a BAE Harrier GR9 launched from the deck of HMS Ark Royal for the last time.

A GR9 Harrier launches in wet weather from HMS Ark Royal. (U.K. Ministry of Defence) The aircraft carrier and the Joint Force Harrier squadrons operated by the Royal Navy Fleet Air Arm and the Royal Air Force are being axed by the British government as part of broad defense cuts announced last month.


The decision caused widespread controversy here, not least in the Royal Navy itself. The government had intended to ground the Royal Air Force's Tornado strike squadrons, but under pressure from the Royal Air Force changed its mind at the last minute to ditch the Harrier and Ark Royal instead.

The decision leaves Britain without a naval air strike capability until at least 2020 when the government intends to revive the force with the arrival of the conventional takeoff naval variant of the F-35 fighter onboard a new 65,000-ton aircraft carrier now in the early stages of construction.

The British had intended to fly the STOVL version of the F-35 from two new aircraft carriers but switched to the conventional variant of the aircraft as part of the strategic defense and security review that accompanied the defense spending cuts in October.

The government said the conventional aircraft had better performance and would be cheaper to operate than the STOVL variant. Fitting catapult and arrestor gear to one of the carriers would also improve interoperability with U.S. and French navy fighters.

The second carrier could either be sold or used as a helicopter carrier.

The government has quickly moved to take both Ark Royal and the Harrier force out of commission. Both weapon systems will officially leave military service early next.

Joint Force Harrier will continue operating from its base at RAF Cottesmore until the aircraft are decommissioned.

The launch, about 40 miles of the northeast coast of Britain, brings to a close the Royal Navy's 30-year association with the Harrier.




Looks like Royal Navy aint a blue water navy anymore.....
NO AIRCRAFT CARRIERS!!

 

[LongLiveBritian]

Usual scaremongering, what has North Korea to do with us? like we could afford to antagonise China. Britain is no longer a world power, face it. The capitalist boil has burst and we can no longer bully the world into accepting our ideology over theirs. I mean really why in God's name would we want to pick a fight against North Korea? What has North Korea ever done to us, ever????? it is nothing to do with us, they aren't our neighbours.

 

[Safriz]

they will end up losing money instead of saving....they are getting rid of jumpjets but the carriers will still remain operational waiting for F-35..Until tyne the carriers will fly helicopters instead of harrier...
Aircraft carrier with helicopters....what a laugh...

But saying that...hour to hour....an aircraft flight is cheaper than a helicopter's.

 

[razgriz19]

they will end up losing money instead of saving....they are getting rid of jumpjets but the carriers will still remain operational waiting for F-35..Until tyne the carriers will fly helicopters instead of harrier...Aircraft carrier with helicopters....what a laugh...

But saying that...hour to hour....an aircraft flight is cheaper than a helicopter's.

noo only one of the carrier will become "helicopter carrier" the other one will retire by the year end!

so UK is left with NO CARRIERS untill the first elizabeth class come out!
they will have to wait for another decade!! till 2020!!!

 

[Safriz]

noo only one of the carrier will become "helicopter carrier" the other one will retire by the year end!

so UK is left with NO CARRIERS untill the first elizabeth class come out!
they will have to wait for another decade!! till 2020!!!

oh well thats better...being a UK tax payer myself i am always concerned about where our money is being spent.

 

[Alphatech]

Anybody interested in going to Britain and setting up an "Indian East Britain Company" to help us establish trade with that small Island Nation??

 

[Safriz]

Anybody interested in going to Britain and setting up an "Indian East Britain Company" to help us establish trade with that small Island Nation??

Lol...i understand your sarcasm...but its not that bad yet.

 

[Whiplash]

Anybody interested in going to Britain and setting up an "Indian East Britain Company" to help us establish trade with that small Island Nation??

The east india company was named so on account of India being to the east of Britain.
So your company should more appropriately be called the west britain company

 

[Alphatech]

Lol...i understand your sarcasm...but its not that bad yet.

I know........ couldn't resist taking a potshot at them though, especially since they themselves can't afford the British made harriers and yet many countries including ours still use them.

But on a more serious note, the lose of the carrier capability will significantly affect their reputation. It's is hard to build up an image as a naval power, and if you lose it, it is even harder to get it back. Not to mention the psychological effect on the military and the Nation as a whole. No one likes to hear that you cannot afford to operate the flagship of your navy, especially people like the British, who established their erstwhile empire based on naval supremacy. But I guess that times are hard, though IMAO they should have tried all other options even if it saved less money.

 

[Alphatech]

The east india company was named so on account of India being to the east of Britain.
So your company should more appropriately be called the west britain company

Oh...wasn't aware of the reason for the name, ok...well I guess we will name it the "Indian west Britain company" . Oh....and another interesting thing I just learned is that an Indian purchased the reestablished version of the "East India Company" recently.

 

[rockstarIN]

Anybody interested in going to Britain and setting up an "Indian East Britain Company" to help us establish trade with that small Island Nation??

It should be 'Royal west Britain Company India Ltd'

 

[mkkm]

It's Time UK hands over the Indian Ocean Islands to India.

i55.tinypic.com/2u7u9ab.jpg

USA can leave Diego Garcia after it's lease expires in 2016.

 

[amalakas]

I know........ couldn't resist taking a potshot at them though, especially since they themselves can't afford the British made harriers and yet many countries including ours still use them.

But on a more serious note, the lose of the carrier capability will significantly affect their reputation. It's is hard to build up an image as a naval power, and if you lose it, it is even harder to get it back. Not to mention the psychological effect on the military and the Nation as a whole. No one likes to hear that you cannot afford to operate the flagship of your navy, especially people like the British, who established their erstwhile empire based on naval supremacy. But I guess that times are hard, though IMAO they should have tried all other options even if it saved less money.

Well, that serves them right.

The british, are expressing the outmost of capitalism.
In a vain effort to maximize profit on EVERYTHING they outsourced their entire productive base to countries such as India and China etc.
That way you are in the short-term maximising your profit, but in the long-run undermining your economic foundations.

It is not uncommon to call your bank in the UK and be connected to a telephone centre in India, it is not uncommon for major manufacturing brands in the UK to be manufacturing every silly thing in China and then import it.

That would eventually turn and stab them in the back.

With less people in the UK have decent jobs, with companies hiring highly qualified people only to fire them 4 months later as redundant, with the base economy relying on an artificially inflated housing market, where your 300 year old pile of c**p house is bound to worth 5% more at the end of every year and banks relaying on silly mortgages .. then what do you expect ?

the UK does not produce anything anymore, only financial services which have proven are not enough to offer prosperity to the populous

 

[Safriz]

Well, that serves them right.

The british, are expressing the outmost of capitalism.
In a vain effort to maximize profit on EVERYTHING they outsourced their entire productive base to countries such as India and China etc.
That way you are in the short-term maximising your profit, but in the long-run undermining your economic foundations.

It is not uncommon to call your bank in the UK and be connected to a telephone centre in India, it is not uncommon for major manufacturing brands in the UK to be manufacturing every silly thing in China and then import it.

That would eventually turn and stab them in the back.

With less people in the UK have decent jobs, with companies hiring highly qualified people only to fire them 4 months later as redundant, with the base economy relying on an artificially inflated housing market, where your 300 year old pile of c**p house is bound to worth 5% more at the end of every year and banks relaying on silly mortgages .. then what do you expect ?

the UK does not produce anything anymore, only financial services which have proven are not enough to offer prosperity to the populous

Although the economy may have suffered due to lack of manufacturing inside UK...But the worst impact was the failure of British banks to take care of their responsibility as since about 2003 UK changed from Manufacturing to Services industry and put almost all investment in Banks.As a result the country is now a hostage to her own banks..as they are the only bread winners for the country,although they have failed to make any significant profits due to careless planning and policies and overburdening British Public with unjust fines and hidden charges..to a level that many people simply stopped paying up.
Current Government being predominantly a bunch of overenthusiastic youngsters are trying to fix the financial problems overnight which is causing public unrest already.

Lets see how it goes.