regarding harriers...
Marines Confident In Troubling Harriers
http://www.military.com/NewsContent?file=FL_harrier_031803
March 17, 2003
ABOARD THE USS SAIPAN - The Harrier fighter jet, known for its
potential and its problems, will get a crucial test if war erupts
in Iraq, Marine officials say.
One of the most menacing-looking aircraft in the U.S. arsenal, the
Harrier is the only plane capable of lifting vertically like a
helicopter and then flying at near the speed of sound. But
questions of reliability and battlefield vulnerability have dogged
the plane for decades. "I trust this aircraft with the lives of
Marines. Absolutely, I do," declared Col. Robert "Boomer" Milstead,
commander of Marine Aircraft Group 29.
Milstead pointed to the aircraft's successes over the years,
including missions in Kosovo and Afghanistan and during the 1982
Falklands War between Britain and Argentina. It also was used "to
great success" during the gulf war, he said, when Harrier squadrons
flew more than 3,000 sorties, destroying Iraqi radar sites, armored
vehicles and ground forces.
During the 1991 gulf war, five Harriers were shot down. Two pilots
died, and two others ejected from their aircraft and became Iraqi
prisoners.
Since the plane was introduced by the British to the U.S. military
about 30 years ago, nearly 400 of the "jump jets" have become part
of the Marines' fleet. Today, however, only about 150 are in
service. A Los Angeles Times investigation last year found more
than a third of the Harriers have been lost in 143 accidents that
killed 45 Marines. It is the highest accident rate of any aircraft
in use by any of the U.S. armed services, the newspaper
reported.
Improvements since the gulf war enable the aircraft to elude
heat-seeking missiles more effectively, Marine officials say. The
Harrier's laser-guided bombs allow the plane to fly higher than it
once did during an attack, making it less vulnerable to fire from
the ground.
The Harrier was designed to provide close cover for advancing
Marines. It can use runways as short as 800 feet to take off when
it is fully loaded with bombs and missiles. It needs only a level
spot on solid ground to land, an advantage that allows it to make
use of bombed-out runways. And it packs a fierce punch, capable of
carrying Sidewinder and Maverick missiles. A 25 mm six-barrel gun
can be mounted on the aircraft, and it can drop conventional bombs
as well as cluster bombs.
"I think people forget sometimes that this jet can do more than any
other jet," said Marine Capt. Seth Munson, 28, a Harrier
pilot.
"Maybe this will be its time to show everyone what an effective
aircraft it really is."
More than 60 of the planes are on ships in the Persian Gulf,
including more than a dozen on the USS Saipan. Others are on bases
in the region. Mechanics say the plane is "labor intensive" but no
more so than any other military aircraft.
"I can't say this plane has lots of problems," Master Sgt.
A.R.
Timmons said. "It just gets wear and tear and you have to check it
out regularly. It's a shame the aircraft is getting
badmouthed."
But another pilot aboard the Saipan who did not want to be
identified said one of the plane's biggest flaws is not
mechanical.
He said the Harrier carries only one pilot and the pilot is asked
to perform many tasks at once, including navigating, firing
missiles, looking at radar and keeping tabs on the dozens of gauges
in the cockpit. All of those actions are being done while the plane
is within reach of shoulder-launched rockets and gunfire.
Many versions of the successful F-16 fighter have two pilots who
split up those duties.
"I am not complaining, mind you. It's just a fact. The pilot is
under a lot of pressure and at close range of the enemy," he
said.
"Having said that, I can tell you for certain this plane can really
kick some butt. And I think we will do that despite what some
people might say."
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