I1L2T3 Posted November 15, 2011 Share Posted November 15, 2011 But the bad news is they are being purchased by the US Marine Corps air arm which expects to use them operationally into the 2020s Harrier Jump Jets Un-retired "The sale of the Harriers is bound to raise fresh questions about the wisdom of retiring the much-admired aircraft, which the Americans intend to use until 2025." "We're taking advantage of all the money the Brits have spent on them," he said. "It's like we're buying a car with maybe 15,000 miles on it. These are very good platforms." Retiring these planes looks like a very, very serious mistake by the government. We were led to believe these planes were no longer viable. The truth is they've got years more life in them. I don't buy the nonsense about us not being able to afford them, not when the entire operational cost and way more besides could have been met by making the likes of Vodafone meet its tax obligations. Link to comment Share on other sites More sharing options...
Harleyman Posted November 15, 2011 Share Posted November 15, 2011 But the bad news is they are being purchased by the US Marine Corps air arm which expects to use them operationally into the 2020s Harrier Jump Jets Un-retired "The sale of the Harriers is bound to raise fresh questions about the wisdom of retiring the much-admired aircraft, which the Americans intend to use until 2025." "We're taking advantage of all the money the Brits have spent on them," he said. "It's like we're buying a car with maybe 15,000 miles on it. These are very good platforms." Retiring these planes looks like a very, very serious mistake by the government. We were led to believe these planes were no longer viable. The truth is they've got years more life in them. I don't buy the nonsense about us not being able to afford them, not when the entire operational cost and way more besides could have been met by making the likes of Vodafone meet its tax obligations. The US have been using Harriers for years. I was sure that I heard that the Marine Corps had declared them obsolete but obviously I was wrong. The Harriers are the only type that can be used on British navy carriers as they have no flight decks that can be used by conventional aircraft. Maybe the RN is planning on scrappings it's carriers also Link to comment Share on other sites More sharing options...
Rampent Posted November 15, 2011 Share Posted November 15, 2011 I would love to 'hoover' in one. Link to comment Share on other sites More sharing options...
Tradescanthia Posted November 16, 2011 Share Posted November 16, 2011 Why use expensive aircraft to assault the enemy when we have groundtroops which are cheaper and easier to replace when killed. Thats how our MOD and govt thinks. I wouldn't risk one life in Afghanistan when a jet can do the job quicker and safer. Jets knock the fight out of the Taliban a bit quicker as well. I liked the one about the US sniper when he was asked what he felt when he had just 'taken out' a target. All he said was "RECOIL". Link to comment Share on other sites More sharing options...
fruitisbad Posted November 16, 2011 Share Posted November 16, 2011 I though we replacfed them with eurofighters, went to an air show and sat in one when I was ten, about 16yrs ago, and still they don't seem to be rocking about, sort it out. Link to comment Share on other sites More sharing options...
Tradescanthia Posted November 16, 2011 Share Posted November 16, 2011 Was sat on a breakwater at Hornsea a few weeks ago and one of them Eurofighter jobbies was heading out to sea. It sounded brilliant as it accellerated, a really fearsome noise. Link to comment Share on other sites More sharing options...
Rampent Posted November 16, 2011 Share Posted November 16, 2011 Was sat on a breakwater at Hornsea a few weeks ago and one of them Eurofighter jobbies was heading out to sea. It sounded brilliant as it accellerated, a really fearsome noise. My V8 lada quicker, and makes a bigger noise with my blast pipes. And it flys over bumps. Link to comment Share on other sites More sharing options...
MrSmith Posted November 16, 2011 Share Posted November 16, 2011 The US have been using Harriers for years. I was sure that I heard that the Marine Corps had declared them obsolete but obviously I was wrong. The Harriers are the only type that can be used on British navy carriers as they have no flight decks that can be used by conventional aircraft. Maybe the RN is planning on scrappings it's carriers also HMS Invincible, HMS Ark Royal and HMS Illustrious have all been decommissioned, we don’t have any aircraft carries left, and the Queen Elizabeth class aircraft carrier aren’t built yet and don’t need the harrier. It was a fanatic aircraft I have many fond memories of my time working on them. Link to comment Share on other sites More sharing options...
littlebasher Posted November 16, 2011 Share Posted November 16, 2011 I bet they get pushed back beyond 2025 as well. The American Marines have always admired the Harrier, as a weapons platform it's pretty hard to beat. That Admiral must have been rubbing his hands together in glee when he heard he could get his hands on 70+ used ones, all upgraded and in tip top condition for bottom dollar. Link to comment Share on other sites More sharing options...
Cyclone Posted November 16, 2011 Share Posted November 16, 2011 But the bad news is they are being purchased by the US Marine Corps air arm which expects to use them operationally into the 2020s Harrier Jump Jets Un-retired "The sale of the Harriers is bound to raise fresh questions about the wisdom of retiring the much-admired aircraft, which the Americans intend to use until 2025." "We're taking advantage of all the money the Brits have spent on them," he said. "It's like we're buying a car with maybe 15,000 miles on it. These are very good platforms." Retiring these planes looks like a very, very serious mistake by the government. We were led to believe these planes were no longer viable. The truth is they've got years more life in them. I don't buy the nonsense about us not being able to afford them, not when the entire operational cost and way more besides could have been met by making the likes of Vodafone meet its tax obligations. They don't work very well in the situations were trying to use them in at the moment, for example Afghanistan. Too high and hot. Link to comment Share on other sites More sharing options...
Recommended Posts
Archived
This topic is now archived and is closed to further replies.