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| Royal Air Force Harrier GR9 | |
|---|---|
| Name | Harrier GR9 |
| Caption | Harrier GR9 of No. 1 Squadron RAF |
| Manufacturer | British Aerospace |
| First flight | 1967 (Harrier family) |
| Introduced | 2006 (GR9 upgrade) |
| Primary user | Royal Air Force |
| Role | Close air support, reconnaissance, interdiction |
| Status | Retired 2011 (RAF) |
Royal Air Force Harrier GR9 The Harrier GR9 was a Royal Air Force ground-attack and close air support aircraft upgraded from the Harrier GR7 platform, serving during operations over Iraq War, Afghanistan War, and in NATO commitments. The GR9 combined airframe changes and avionics improvements derived from British Aerospace and BAe Systems modernization programs to extend service life alongside carriers such as HMS Ark Royal and RAF expeditionary basing at Camp Bastion. It formed a bridge between earlier vertical/short takeoff and landing developments and export variants used by partner air arms like the United States Marine Corps and the Spanish Navy.
The GR9 emerged from Ministry of Defence initiatives influenced by procurement reviews involving Gordon Brown and defence policy debates with input from Philip Hammond and Geoff Hoon. The upgrade program was driven by requirements defined by Air Chief Marshal Sir Jock Stirrup and industrial proposals from BAe Systems and subcontractors with experience from the original Hawker Siddeley Harrier lineage. Incremental modernization reflected lessons from Operation Telic and Operation Herrick, prompting avionics workpackages coordinated with NATO partners including lessons from Operation Unified Protector. Funding and timelines intersected with parliamentary scrutiny by the Public Accounts Committee and strategic reviews such as the Strategic Defence Review.
The GR9 retained the Pegasus vectored-thrust engine concept developed under Sir Sydney Camm-era programs, specifically the Rolls-Royce Pegasus turbofan variants maintained under contracts with Rolls-Royce plc. Airframe modifications included strengthened wing pylons and stores interfaces compatible with pylons shared in interoperability trials with McDonnell Douglas and Lockheed Martin equipment. Cockpit updates incorporated a wide-angle HUD and multifunction displays influenced by avionics suites used by Eurofighter Typhoon and systems developed for Panavia Tornado. Landing gear, intake geometry, and nozzle controls remained part of the vectored-thrust control system that defined STOVL capability tested at facilities like Boscombe Down and Dunsfold Aerodrome.
GR9s deployed with expeditionary forces during Iraq War sorties flown from Basra International Airport and from carrier decks on HMS Illustrious during NATO maritime operations. In Afghanistan War, GR9s provided close air support for units such as British Army brigades and Special Forces elements, integrating with forward air controllers from formations including 1st Battalion, Parachute Regiment and liaison teams embedded with International Security Assistance Force. Deployments were coordinated through RAF command nodes at RAF Wittering and RAF Marham, with sortie rates influenced by logistical links to Falkland Islands support chains following lessons from the Falklands War.
Armament options on the GR9 included unguided rocket pods compatible with systems from Thales Group, laser-guided bombs interoperable with targeting designators used by General Dynamics AN/ASQ-series equipment, and the internal Vickers-derived gun packs adapted from legacy Harrier designs. Integration of the LITENING targeting pod and compatibility with precision-guided munitions mirrored capabilities fielded by US Air Force partners, while defensive avionics incorporated radar warning receivers and countermeasures in concert with suites fielded on Panavia Tornado and export Harrier derivatives. Data-link interoperability aligned with NATO standards used by AWACS platforms and tactical networks operated by RAF Regiment units.
The GR9 represented an upgrade path alongside GR7 and GR3 predecessors, and it shared commonality with export-oriented variants used by the Italian Navy and operators such as the Indian Navy in separate Harrier families. Modifications included GR9A avionics improvements and occasional field retrofits performed at depots like Rochester Airport and industrial centres operated by BAe Systems Regional Aircraft. Some airframes received bespoke mission equipment for reconnaissance tasks modeled on kits used by RAF Sentry and adaptations from the Harrier II Plus programs evaluated by USMC units.
Primary operator was the Royal Air Force, with frontline squadrons including No. 1 Squadron RAF, No. 3 Squadron RAF, and No. 20 Squadron RAF operating GR9s from bases such as RAF Cottesmore and RAF Wittering. Carrier-capable detachments worked with HMS Ark Royal and interoperability exercises with NATO partners like Royal Netherlands Navy and Spanish Navy aviation units. Training and conversion units included squadrons at Royal Air Force College Cranwell and operational conversion units linked to No. 4 Squadron RAF doctrines.
GR9 incidents prompted investigations by the Air Accidents Investigation Branch and inquiries that involved coronial considerations under English legal procedures, sometimes leading to grounding actions similar to past responses after incidents involving Harrier family aircraft in the 1980s and 1990s. Notable accidents resulted in loss of airframes during operational deployments with subsequent reviews by the Ministry of Defence and operational recommendations filed with NATO safety boards and service safety regulators. Several airframes were written off and later preserved in institutions such as Royal Air Force Museum exhibits.
Category:Royal Air Force aircraft Category:Harrier Jump Jet