HARRIER II PLUS (AV-8B) VSTOL FIGHTER AND ATTACK AIRCRAFT,
USA
The Harrier II Plus (AV-8B), manufactured by BAE SYSTEMS and
Boeing, is a V/STOL fighter and attack aircraft operational with
the US Marine Corps, the Spanish Navy and the Italian Navy.
The Harrier II Plus extends the capabilities of the Harrier with
the introduction of a multi-mode radar and beyond-visual-range
missile capability. The US Marine Corps received the first AV-8B in
1993. The USMC has 215 aircraft. The Italian Navy has 18 and the
Spanish Navy 17. The UK Royal Air Force has 60 Harrier GR.7
aircraft which are being upgraded to GR.9. The upgrade is scheduled
to enter service in September 2006.
Since 1969, 824 Harrier variants have been delivered. Manufacture
of new Harriers concluded in 1997. The last aircraft remanufactured
to the Harrier II Plus configuration was delivered in December
2003. This marked the end of the Harrier production line.
The AV-8B has been deployed in Operation Desert Storm, Somalia,
Bosnia and Operation Iraqi Freedom.
COCKPIT
The cockpit is fully integrated for day and night operability and
is equipped with head-up and head-down displays, a digital moving
map, an inertial navigation system (INS), and a hands-on throttle
and stick system (HOTAS).
WEAPONS
The Harrier II Plus is capable of deploying a wide range of weapon
systems, including the air-to-air AMRAAM and Sparrow missiles,
air-to-surface AGM-65 Maverick missiles, anti-ship Harpoon and Sea
Eagle missiles, 25mm cannon, and a range of bombs and
rockets.
The AIM-120A advanced medium-range air-to-air missile (AMRAAM) from
Raytheon Missile Systems is an all-weather, fire-and-forget
air-to-air missile, equipped with an active radar seeker and high
explosive warhead. The range is over 50 miles, and the speed of the
missile is 1.2km per second.
The Maverick AGM-65 anti-tank missile is installed on the Italian
Harrier II Plus. The AIM-7 Sparrow medium-range air-to-air missile,
a predecessor to the Raytheon AIM-120 AMRAAM, is held in the arms
inventories of many countries, including the user countries of the
Harrier II Plus aircraft. The Harrier II Plus is capable of
deploying the Sea Eagle anti-ship missile from MBDA (formerly Matra
BAe Dynamics), which is a fire-and-forget sea-skimming missile also
carried on the Sea Harrier, and the air-launch version of Harpoon
AGM-84 surface strike missile from Boeing.
AV-8B aircraft have been fitted with the Northrop Grumman Litening
II targeting and reconnaissance pod. Litening II consists of a CCD
TV camera for video reconnaissance and FLIR and laser spot
tracker/rangefinder for targeting. These are to be replaced with
the latest generation Litening AT (Advanced Targeting) pod.
SENSORS
The Harrier II Plus is equipped with the Raytheon APG-65 digital
radar to provide day and night and adverse weather capability. The
APG-65 is a jam-resistant, all-weather detection and tracking
radar. In the air-to-air role, the radar operates in search, track
and combat modes. Long-range interception missions use the radar's
long-range detection capability and, for the close-in air defense
role, the radar uses rapid acquisition modes for the aircraft's
25mm cannon and heat-seeking missiles.
In the air-to-surface role, the APG-65 radar provides
high-resolution, long-range surface mapping and detection, and
tracking of land-based and sea-based targets. The radar has the
capability to locate small, fast patrol boats in high sea states
and to detect large naval ships at long range.
AV-8B aircraft are being fitted with the Northrop Grumman Litening
II targeting and reconnaissance pod. Litening II consists of a CCD
TV camera for video reconnaissance and FLIR and laser spot
tracker/rangefinder for targeting.
AVIONICS
The avionics suite of the Harrier II Plus is very similar to that
of the US Marine Corps' Night Attack AV-8B, and is equipped with a
forward-looking infrared (FLIR) sensor, night-vision goggles (NVG)
and an NVG-compatible cockpit. The image from the FLIR is projected
on the wide-field-of-view head-up display or on one of the
multi-purpose head-down displays to provide night-time and
reduced-visibility capability.
ENGINE
The Pegasus engine 11-61 (F402-RR-40
from
Rolls-Royce provides a high thrust-to-weight ratio and retains its
performance in hot and high-altitude conditions. The significant
aerodynamic features of the aircraft are large leading-edge root
extensions (LERX) and under-fuselage lift-improvement devices
(LIDS), drooping ailerons (i.e. the control surface that forms part
of the trailing edge of the wing), and the slotted flaps augmented
vectored engine thrust.
