https://en.wikipedia.org/wiki/McDonnell_Douglas_AV-8B_Harrier_II
The McDonnell Douglas (now Boeing) AV-8B Harrier II is a single-engine
ground-attack aircraft that constitutes the second generation of the Harrier
Jump Jet family. Capable of vertical or short takeoff and landing (V/STOL), the
aircraft was designed in the late 1970s as an Anglo-American development of the
British Hawker Siddeley Harrier, the first operational V/STOL aircraft. The
aircraft is primarily employed on light attack or multi-role missions, ranging
from close air support of ground troops to armed reconnaissance. The AV-8B is
used by the United States Marine Corps (USMC), the Spanish Navy, and the Italian
Navy. A variant of the AV-8B, the British Aerospace Harrier II, was developed
for the British military, while another, the TAV-8B, is a dedicated two-seat
trainer.
The project that eventually led to the AV-8B's creation started in the early
1970s as a cooperative effort between the United States and United Kingdom (UK),
aimed at addressing the operational inadequacies of the first-generation
Harrier. Early efforts centered on a larger, more powerful Pegasus engine to
dramatically improve the capabilities of the Harrier. Due to budgetary
constraints, the UK abandoned the project in 1975.
Following the withdrawal of the UK, McDonnell Douglas extensively redesigned the
earlier AV-8A Harrier to create the AV-8B. While retaining the general layout of
its predecessor, the aircraft incorporates a new wing, an elevated cockpit, a
redesigned fuselage, one extra hardpoint per wing, and other structural and
aerodynamic refinements. The aircraft is powered by an upgraded version of the
Pegasus, which gives the aircraft its V/STOL ability. The AV-8B made its maiden
flight in November 1981 and entered service with the USMC in January 1985. Later
upgrades added a night-attack capability and radar, resulting in the AV-8B(NA)
and AV-8B Harrier II Plus, respectively. An enlarged version named Harrier III
was also studied, but not pursued. The UK, through British Aerospace, re-joined
the improved Harrier project as a partner in 1981, giving it a significant
work-share in the project. After corporate mergers in the 1990s, Boeing and BAE
Systems have jointly supported the program. Approximately 340 aircraft were
produced in a 22-year production program that ended in 2003.
Typically operated from small aircraft carriers, large amphibious assault ships
and simple forward operating bases, AV-8Bs have participated in numerous
military and humanitarian operations, proving themselves versatile assets. U.S.
Army General Norman Schwarzkopf named the USMC Harrier II as one of several
important weapons in the Gulf War. The aircraft took part in combat during the
Iraq War beginning in 2003. The Harrier II has served in Operation Enduring
Freedom in Afghanistan since 2001, and was used in Operation Odyssey Dawn in
Libya in 2011. Italian and Spanish Harrier IIs have taken part in overseas
conflicts in conjunction with NATO coalitions. During its service history, the
AV-8B has had a high accident rate, related to the percentage of time spent in
critical take-off and landing phases. USMC and Italian Navy AV-8Bs are to be
replaced by the Lockheed Martin F-35B Lightning II, with the former expected to
operate its Harriers until 2025.
The AV-8B Harrier II is a subsonic attack aircraft of metal and composite
construction that retains the basic layout of the Hawker Siddeley Harrier, with
horizontal stabilizers and shoulder-mounted wings featuring prominent anhedral
(downward slope). The aircraft is powered by a single Rolls-Royce Pegasus
turbofan engine, which has two intakes and four synchronized vectorable nozzles
close to its turbine. Two of these nozzles are located near the forward, cold
end of the engine and two are near the rear, hot end of the engine. This
arrangement contrasts with most fixed-wing aircraft, which have engine nozzles
only at the rear. The Harrier II also has smaller valve-controlled nozzles in
the nose, tail, and wingtips to provide control at low airspeeds
The technological advances incorporated into the Harrier II, compared with the
original Harrier, significantly reduce the workload on the pilot. The
supercritical wing, hands-on-throttle-and-stick (HOTAS) control principle, and
increased engineered lateral stability make the aircraft fundamentally easier to
fly. Ed Harper, general manager for the McDonnell Douglas Harrier II development
program, summarized: "The AV-8B looks a lot like the original Harrier and it
uses the same operating fundamentals. It just uses them a lot better". A large
cathode-ray tube multi-purpose display, taken from the F/A-18, makes up much of
the instrument panel in the cockpit. It has a wide range of functions, including
radar warning information and weapon delivery checklist. The pilots sit on
UPC/Stencel 10B zero-zero ejection seats, meaning that they are able to eject
from a stationary aircraft at zero altitude.
Role
V/STOL ground-attack aircraft
National origin
United States / United Kingdom
Manufacturer
McDonnell Douglas / British Aerospace
Boeing / BAE Systems
First flight
YAV-8B: 9 November 1978
AV-8B: 5 November 1981
Introduction
January 1985
Status
In service
Primary users
United States Marine Corps
Italian Navy
Spanish Navy
Produced
Number built
AV-8B: 337 (excluding the YAV-8B)
Program cost
US$6.5 billion (1987)
Unit cost
Developed from
Hawker Siddeley Harrier
Variants
British Aerospace Harrier II
Nassau and Tarawa, and at on-shore bases, initially flew training and support
sorties, as well as practicing with coalition forces. The AV-8Bs were to be held
in reserve during the initial phase of the preparatory air assault of Operation
Desert Storm. The AV-8B was first used in the war on the morning of 17 January
1991, when a call for air support from an OV-10 Bronco forward air controller
against Iraqi artillery that was shelling Khafji and an adjacent oil refinery,
brought the AV-8B into combat. The following day, USMC AV-8Bs attacked Iraqi
positions in southern Kuwait. Throughout the war, AV-8Bs performed armed
reconnaissance and worked in concert with coalition forces to destroy targets.
During Operations Desert Shield and Desert Storm, 86 AV-8Bs amassed 3,380
flights and about 4,100 flight hours, with a mission availability rate of over
90 percent. Five AV-8Bs were lost to enemy surface-to-air missiles, and two USMC
pilots were killed. The AV-8B had an attrition rate of 1.5 aircraft for every
1,000 sorties flown. U.S. Army General Norman Schwarzkopf later named the AV-8B
played a crucial role in the war. In the aftermath of the war, from 27 August
1992, until 2003, USMC AV-8Bs and other aircraft patrolled Iraqi skies in
support of Operation Southern Watch. The AV-8Bs launched from amphibious assault
ships in the Persian Gulf, and from forward operating bases such as Ali Al Salem
Air Base, Kuwait.
In 1999, the AV-8B participated in NATO's bombing of Yugoslavia during Operation
Allied Force. Twelve Harriers were split evenly between the 24th and 26th Marine
Expeditionary Units (MEU). AV-8Bs of the 24th MEU were introduced into combat on
14 April, and over the next 14 days flew 34 combat air support missions over
Kosovo. During their six-month deployment aboard USS Nassau, 24th MEU Harriers
averaged a high mission-capable rate of 91.8 percent. On 28 April, the 24th MEU
was relieved by the 26th MEU, based on USS Kearsarge. The first combat sorties
of the unit's AV-8Bs occurred two days later, one aircraft being lost. The 26th
MEU remained in the theater of operations until 28 May, when it was relocated to
Brindisi, Italy.
The AV-8B is to be replaced by the F-35B version of the Lockheed Martin F-35
Lightning II, which was planned to enter service in 2012. The USMC had sought a
replacement since the 1980s, and has argued strongly in favor of the development
of the F-35B. The Harrier's performance in Iraq, including its ability to use
forward operating bases, reinforced the need for a V/STOL aircraft in the USMC
arsenal
Specifications (AV-8B Harrier II Plus)
General characteristics
Crew: 1 pilot
Length: 46 ft 4 in (14.12 m)
Wingspan: 30 ft 4 in (9.25 m)
Height: 11 ft 8 in (3.55 m)
Airfoil: supercritical airfoil
Empty weight: 13,968 lb (6,340 kg)
Loaded weight: 22,950 lb (10,410 kg)
Max. takeoff weight:
Rolling takeoff: 31,000 lb (14,100 kg)
Vertical takeoff: 20,755 lb (9,415 kg)
turbofan, 23,500 lbf (105 kN)
Performance
Maximum speed: Mach 0.9 (585 knots, 673 mph, 1,083 km/h)
Range: 1,200 nmi (1,400 mi, 2,200 km)
Combat radius: 300 nmi (350 mi, 556 km)
Ferry range: 1,800 nmi (2,100 mi, 3,300 km)
Rate of climb: 14,700 ft/min (75 m/s)
Armament
cannon mounted under-fuselage in the left pod, with 300 rounds of ammunition in
the right pod
payload:
Rockets:
Missiles:
missiles
Bombs: CBU-100 cluster bombs (CBUs)
Mark 80 series of unguided bombs (including 3 kg [6.6 lb] and 14 kg [31 lb]
practice bombs)
Paveway series of laser-guided bombs (LGBs)
Joint Direct Attack Munitions (GBU-38, GBU-32, and GBU-54)
Mark 77 fire bomb
B61 nuclear bomb
5 are wet plumbed)
Intrepid Tiger II electronic jammer
Avionics
Raytheon APG-65 radar
AN/AAQ-28V LITENING targeting pod (on AV-8B Night Attack and radar-equipped
AV-8B Plus variants)
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