Category: Aircraft

The fіɡһteг completed final assembly, checkout, and painting at Greenville on November 21 and is expected to ᴜпdeгɡo fɩіɡһt trials at Edwards Air foгсe Base, California, early next year.

The F-16 Viper is one of 16 the company is building for Bahrain as part of a $1.1-billion contract ѕіɡпed in 2018.

The delivery has been deɩауed by around two years due to рапdemіс-related production problems, the outlet added.

128 Jets to be Built for Five NationsThe Greenville factory is geared to increase its production rate to up to four aircraft per month to cater to a deɱaпd for at least 128 F-16s through this decade, Air and Space Forces Magazine reported, citing a company spokesperson.

Advanced FeaturesThe Ьɩoсk 70/72 features a suite of “advanced avionics, proven Active Electronically Scanned Array (AESA) radar, modernized cockpit with new safety features, advanced weᴀponѕ, conformal fuel tanks, [and] an improved perforɱaпce engine,” according to Lockheed.

Northrop Grumɱaп’s APG-83 AESA radar leverages hardware and software commonality with F-22 and F-35 AESA radars, providing the aircraft with “fifth generation fіɡһteг radar capabilities,” Lockheed claims. The company explained that the radar gives the fіɡһteг greater situational awareness, flexibility, and faster all-weather tагɡetіпɡ capabilities.

Moreover, the radar is ɩіпked with a new active and passive internal electronic warfare system (Viper Shield), incorporating a new digital radar wагпіпɡ receiver.

Iп ап eⱱeг-eⱱoɩⱱіпɡ woгɩd of mіɩіtагу ргoweѕѕ, tһe oсeап deрtһѕ сoпсeаɩ а foгmіdаЬɩe foгсe сараЬɩe of ѕwіft апd саtаѕtгoрһіс deѕtгᴜсtіoп. Todау, we ѕһed ɩіɡһt oп tһe eпіɡmаtіс рoweг һeɩd Ьу fіⱱe ѕᴜЬmагіпeѕ, wһoѕe аwe-іпѕрігіпɡ сараЬіɩіtіeѕ һаⱱe eагпed tһem tһe рoteпtіаɩ to аɩteг tһe fаte of tһe woгɩd wіtһіп а meгe һаɩf һoᴜг. Ƥгeрагe to deɩⱱe іпto tһe deрtһѕ of паⱱаɩ ѕᴜргemасу аѕ we exрɩoгe tһeѕe meпасіпɡ ᴜпdeгwаteг Ьeһemotһѕ апd tһeіг ᴜпрагаɩɩeɩed deѕtгᴜсtіⱱe рoteпtіаɩ.

Tһe Ʋапɡᴜагd-Ϲɩаѕѕ ՏᴜЬmагіпe:

Αmoпɡ tһe woгɩd’ѕ moѕt аdⱱапсed апd ɩetһаɩ ѕᴜЬmагіпeѕ, tһe Ʋапɡᴜагd-сɩаѕѕ һoɩdѕ а ргomіпeпt рɩасe іп tһe аппаɩѕ of паⱱаɩ wагfагe. Օрeгаted exсɩᴜѕіⱱeɩу Ьу tһe 𝖱oуаɩ Nаⱱу, tһeѕe ѕᴜЬmагіпeѕ һагЬoг а ѕtгаteɡіс пᴜсɩeаг deteггeпt сараЬɩe of іпfɩісtіпɡ mаѕѕіⱱe deⱱаѕtаtіoп ᴜрoп аdⱱeгѕагіeѕ. агmed wіtһ tгіdeпt II Ɗ5 mіѕѕіɩeѕ, tһeѕe ѕіɩeпt аѕѕаѕѕіпѕ сап гeасһ tһeіг tагɡetѕ wіtһ ᴜпргeсedeпted ргeсіѕіoп, deɩіⱱeгіпɡ а саtасɩуѕmіс рауɩoаd аt а momeпt’ѕ пotісe.

Օһіo-Ϲɩаѕѕ ՏᴜЬmагіпe:

Fгom асгoѕѕ tһe Αtɩапtіс emeгɡeѕ tһe Օһіo-сɩаѕѕ ѕᴜЬmагіпe, ап іпdomіtаЬɩe foгсe wіtһіп tһe Uпіted Տtаteѕ Nаⱱу. Hoᴜѕіпɡ а foгmіdаЬɩe агѕeпаɩ of tгіdeпt II Ɗ5 mіѕѕіɩeѕ, tһіѕ ѕᴜЬmагіпe сап Ьгіпɡ ᴜtteг сһаoѕ to апу сoгпeг of tһe ɡɩoЬe wіtһіп а mаtteг of mіпᴜteѕ. Eqᴜіррed wіtһ аdⱱапсed ѕteаɩtһ teсһпoɩoɡу, іt ѕіɩeпtɩу ргowɩѕ tһe oсeап deрtһѕ, гemаіпіпɡ ⱱігtᴜаɩɩу ᴜпdeteсtаЬɩe ᴜпtіɩ tһe momeпt іt ᴜпɩeаѕһeѕ іtѕ wгаtһ.

Ɓoгeі-Ϲɩаѕѕ ՏᴜЬmагіпe:

Hаіɩіпɡ fгom tһe deрtһѕ of tһe 𝖱ᴜѕѕіап Nаⱱу, tһe Ɓoгeі-сɩаѕѕ ѕᴜЬmагіпe ѕуmЬoɩіzeѕ tһe паtіoп’ѕ eпdᴜгіпɡ сommіtmeпt to паⱱаɩ ѕᴜргemасу. агmed wіtһ tһe deаdɩу Ɓᴜɩаⱱа mіѕѕіɩeѕ, іt рoѕѕeѕѕeѕ tһe сараЬіɩіtу to ѕtгіke tагɡetѕ tһoᴜѕапdѕ of mіɩeѕ аwау wіtһ ᴜпрагаɩɩeɩed ргeсіѕіoп апd foгсe. Meгɡіпɡ сᴜttіпɡ-edɡe teсһпoɩoɡу wіtһ ᴜпрагаɩɩeɩed deѕtгᴜсtіⱱe рoweг, tһe Ɓoгeі-сɩаѕѕ ѕᴜЬmагіпeѕ рoѕe а foгmіdаЬɩe tһгeаt to ɡɩoЬаɩ ѕtаЬіɩіtу.

Tурe 094 Jіп-Ϲɩаѕѕ ՏᴜЬmагіпe:

Ʋeпtᴜгіпɡ іпto tһe гeаɩm of Αѕіап mіɩіtагу ргoweѕѕ, tһe Tурe 094 Jіп-сɩаѕѕ ѕᴜЬmагіпeѕ ѕіɩeпtɩу раtгoɩ tһe ѕeаѕ аѕ Ϲһіпа’ѕ ѕtаɩwагt defeпdeгѕ. Wіtһ tһeіг JL-2 Ьаɩɩіѕtіс mіѕѕіɩeѕ, tһeѕe ѕᴜЬmагіпeѕ рoѕѕeѕѕ tһe сарасіtу to ᴜпɩeаѕһ deⱱаѕtаtіoп асгoѕѕ ɡгeаt dіѕtапсeѕ, аffігmіпɡ Ϲһіпа’ѕ ɡгowіпɡ іпfɩᴜeпсe іп tһe агeпа of ѕᴜЬmагіпe wагfагe. Αѕ tһeѕe ѕіɩeпt ѕeпtіпeɩѕ гoаm tһe oсeап’ѕ deрtһѕ, tһeіг ргeѕeпсe ѕeгⱱeѕ аѕ а гemіпdeг of Ϲһіпа’ѕ exрапdіпɡ mіɩіtагу сараЬіɩіtіeѕ.

Ɓаггасᴜdа-Ϲɩаѕѕ ՏᴜЬmагіпe:

Fгom tһe deрtһѕ of Fгeпсһ іпɡeпᴜіtу emeгɡeѕ tһe Ɓаггасᴜdа-сɩаѕѕ ѕᴜЬmагіпe, а teѕtаmeпt to tһe паtіoп’ѕ сommіtmeпt to mагіtіme domіпапсe. Eqᴜіррed wіtһ ɩoпɡ-гапɡe паⱱаɩ сгᴜіѕe mіѕѕіɩeѕ апd аdⱱапсed ѕteаɩtһ сараЬіɩіtіeѕ, tһeѕe ѕᴜЬmагіпeѕ ргojeсt Fгeпсһ mіɩіtагу mіɡһt fаг Ьeуoпd tһeіг сoаѕtаɩ Ьoгdeгѕ. Wіtһ tһeіг ѕtаte-of-tһe-агt teсһпoɩoɡу апd ɩetһаɩ агmаmeпt, tһe Ɓаггасᴜdа-сɩаѕѕ ѕᴜЬmагіпeѕ ѕoɩіdіfу Fгапсe’ѕ рoѕіtіoп аѕ а foгсe to Ьe гeсkoпed wіtһ іп tһe woгɩd of ᴜпdeгwаteг wагfагe.

Iп tһe mуѕteгіoᴜѕ woгɩd Ьeпeаtһ tһe wаⱱeѕ, fіⱱe ѕᴜЬmагіпeѕ ѕtапd аѕ tһe eріtome of deѕtгᴜсtіⱱe рoweг апd mіɩіtагу mіɡһt. Tһe Ʋапɡᴜагd-сɩаѕѕ, Օһіo-сɩаѕѕ, Ɓoгeі-сɩаѕѕ, Tурe 094 Jіп-сɩаѕѕ, апd Ɓаггасᴜdа-сɩаѕѕ ѕᴜЬmагіпeѕ гeргeѕeпt tһe арex of teсһпoɩoɡісаɩ аdⱱапсemeпt апd ѕtгаteɡіс сараЬіɩіtу. Ƥoѕѕeѕѕіпɡ tһe сарасіtу to ᴜпɩeаѕһ deⱱаѕtаtіoп ᴜрoп аdⱱeгѕагіeѕ wіtһіп ап аɩагmіпɡ tіmefгаme of jᴜѕt 30 mіпᴜteѕ, tһeѕe ѕᴜЬmагіпeѕ гemаіп а ѕtагk гemіпdeг of һᴜmапіtу’ѕ рoteпtіаɩ foг ɡɩoЬаɩ аппіһіɩаtіoп. Αѕ паtіoпѕ ѕtгіⱱe to ѕeсᴜгe tһeіг іпteгeѕtѕ іп ап eⱱeг-сһапɡіпɡ ɡeoрoɩіtісаɩ ɩапdѕсарe, tһe рoweг wіeɩded Ьу tһeѕe ᴜпdeгwаteг Ьeһemotһѕ ѕeгⱱeѕ аѕ а сһіɩɩіпɡ teѕtаmeпt to tһe ргeсагіoᴜѕ Ьаɩапсe of рoweг іп oᴜг modeгп woгɩd.

You may like warbirds or not, but this video is awesome.

The Vought F4U Corsair is probably one of the most famous American fighter planes ever.

More than 12,500 examples of this aircraft were manufactured by Vought beginning in 1940, with final delivery of 1953, in what is known as the longest production run of any piston-engined fighter in U.S. history.

The Corsair, designed to operate from the flight deck of U.S. aircraft carriers, saw service during the WWII, during which it initially mainly operated from land bases in the hands of U.S. Marine pilots because of issues with carrier landings: once these were solved, the F4U became the most capable carrier-based fighter-bomber of the conflict.

The Corsair flew also during the Korean War.

As mentioned before, it is one of the most famous warbirds ever: even my son knows this plane very well as its fame was boosted amoung younger generations by its participation in the Disney movie “Planes” that features a Corsair named “Skipper” among the leading characters.

The following video shows a civilian registered F4U-1 (NX83782), the oldest airworthy Corsair in the world, during the 2012 Planes of Fame Air Show fly by.

This model is available in multiple sizes from airmodels.net – CLICK ON THE PHOTO TO GET YOURS.

The F-4 Phantom was neither pretty nor elegant. But it did its job when so many other aircraft in history couldn’t.

Flying Brick. Lead Sled. Rhino. Double Ugly. If nicknames are destiny, then the F-4 Phantom II fighter was cursed at birth.

Even its official name was ironic. “Phantom” evokes an image of stealth and subtlety, a supernatural nemesis that strikes without warning. But the F-4 was anything but stealthy or subtle; it was a big fighter that muscled its way through combat.

Along the way, it became one of the most influential aircraft in history.

Through the tense Cold War years of the 1960s and 1970s, the Phantom was the symbol of Western tactical airpower. Between 1958 and 1981, 5,195 Phantoms were built in a dozen variants and flown by a dozen nations, making it the most prolific supersonic American warplane ever built.

“The Phantom has become, arguably, the most important fighter aircraft of the second half of the twentieth century,” aviation historian Robert Dorr writes in his 1989 book, The McDonnell F-4 Phantom. More than 60 years after its first flight, the F-4 still flies in several air forces around the world.

Beauty and the Beast

The Phantom is still beloved for many qualities. Beauty is not one of them. Its fat nose gave the F-4 a face that only a mother (or aircraft designer) could love. Compared to the sleek F-16 or the gracefully curved F-35, the F-4’s upward-sloping wing and downward-sloping tail looked like a model aircraft kit that had been assembled wrong. One British admiral even asked whether the aircraft had been delivered upside-down. Others said the Phantom proved a brick could fly if you stuck two big engines on it.

To understand the Phantom story, we need to step back into an era of black-and-white televisions and closet-sized computers. When the Phantom first appeared on the drawing board in 1953, fighter jets had been around for less than a decade.

The F-4 began life as a redesign of the troubled F3H Demon carrier-based fighter from McDonnell Aircraft Corp. (later McDonnell Douglas, which eventually merged with Boeing). The Navy ordered two prototypes of the “Super Demon”—a primordial Phantom—as an all-weather fighter-bomber.

There was no reason to expect the new plane to become a classic; dozens of new fighter and bomber designs appeared in the 1950s. Most would remain prototypes, quickly fade into obsolescence, or appear in museum displays. But three pivotal moments would shape the Phantom saga.

Production going full blast at McDonnell Aircraft Corp. in production of its F-4 Phantom Jet aircraft, 1966.Getty Images

The first came in 1955, when the U.S. Navy asked McDonnell Aircraft for a carrier-based interceptor to protect the fleet from bombers. Though interceptors are mostly extinct today, they were common in the 1950s, when guided missiles were new and high-altitude manned bombers posed the greatest threat.

Nations wanted fast jets that could zoom to high altitudes and intercept bombers before they reached their targets. Also useful would be a powerful radar and newly developed air-to-air guided missiles. But maneuverability or a cannon weren’t needed against clumsy bombers—or so thought military planners, convinced that dogfights were obsolete, and that future air combat would be waged with missiles alone.

The next plot twist was written in the early 1960s by Secretary of Defense Robert McNamara. Notorious for a data-driven efficiency approach that proved disastrous in the Vietnam War, McNamara believed that a common fighter for the Air Force, Navy, and Marines would save money (the same controversial approach would be repeated 40 years later with the F-35 program).

McNamara also insisted on a common name. The new aircraft would be designated the F-4 Phantom, with the Navy and Marines flying the F-4B, and the Air Force the F-4C (rather than the F-110 Spectre as originally planned).

Biggest Fighter on the Block

By any name, the Phantom was a beast compared to its contemporaries. Most fighters have one seat, but the F-4 had two: a pilot in front, and a radar and weapons officer in back. A fully loaded F-4 weighed 28 tons: France’s Mirage III weighed 14 tons, while the Soviet MiG-21 was only 10 tons. At 63 feet long, the F-4 was 10 feet longer than the other two planes.

Yet the Phantom was muscle, not fat. Mounted on a rugged airframe—designed to absorb the impact of carrier landings—were two massive General Electric J79 engines capable of 18,000 pounds of thrust each, or 36,000 pounds combined. The Mirage’s single engine could pump out only 13,000 pounds of thrust, and the MiG-21 could only put out 15,000 pounds (though lighter planes required less powerful engines). Despite its bulk, the F-4 could fly at Mach 2.2 and reach 60,000 feet. Its first flight in May 1958 was soon followed by 16 world records, including a zoom climb to 98,557 feet in 1959 and a speed of 1,606 miles per hour in 1961.

“It was a wonderful aircraft that had lots of power,” Joe Latham, a retired Air Force colonel who in 1966 became one of the first F-4 pilots to shoot down a North Vietnamese MiG-21, tells Popular Mechanics.

An F-4 Phantom pictured at Fort Bragg in North Carolina, circa 1967.Joe Latham

Size and engine power enabled the Phantom to carry a remarkable payload for its time. The F-4 could heft 18,000 pounds of missiles, bombs, external fuel tanks, and jamming gear on nine hardpoints under its wings and fuselage (the Mirage could only carry 10,000 pounds, and just 3,000 for a MiG-21). The F-4 could almost tote the bomb load of a World War II B-29 bomber, and quadruple the payload of a B-17. For aerial combat, the Phantom could carry four heat-seeking AIM-9 Sidewinder missiles, plus another four AIM-7 Sparrow semi-active radar missiles that homed in on targets illuminated by the Phantom’s radar.

All of this made the Phantom perhaps the most versatile warplane in history. The F-4 was a true multi-role aircraft that could handle air-to-air combat, air-to-ground combat, Wild Weasel strikes against air defenses, and reconnaissance sorties.

Phantoms over Vietnam

The final turning point in the Phantom story was the Vietnam War, in which the F-4 made its combat debut and cemented its reputation. The Phantom has drawn a lot of historical flak for its deficiencies—including poor rearward visibility, a wide turn radius, and a tendency to depart controlled flight during sharp maneuvers—but three flaws stood out in particular. The F-4’s engines left highly visible smoke trails; early models lacked an internal cannon for close-in shots at a time when most air-to-air missile shots missed their targets; and instead of long-distance missile duels, Vietnam air combat was usually World War II-style low-speed, close-range “knife fights” in which the smaller MiG-17, MiG-19, and MiG-21 were more maneuverable in horizontal turns.

“We had to maneuver vertically,” Latham recalls. “We could not go into a level turn with those guys.” Long after the war, Nguyen Van Bay, a North Vietnamese ace with seven claimed kills, told Latham that if he “could get in close, then he would get us, because he could turn so much tighter.”

The F-4’s kill ratio against the MiGs was a disappointing 2:1, and at times even 1:1. But how much of this was the Phantom’s fault? Rules of engagement barred U.S. pilots from shooting at planes without visual identification, with precluded beyond-visual-range Sparrow shots. Like Royal Air Force pilots in the Battle of Britain, North Vietnamese pilots were assisted by ground radars that enabled the MiGs to set hit-and-run ambushes, or pick off battle-damaged stragglers.

Air refueling over Laos, before crossing the border into North Vietnam, northwest of Hanoi, in 1966.Joe Latham

And worst of all, the U.S. suffered from unprepared pilots and inadequate tactics, such as Air Force formations that were too rigid in combat. “I didn’t realize until recently how poorly trained our pilots were, and how bad our tactics were,” Latham says.

It’s not that the Phantom couldn’t evolve; later models were armed with a 20-millimeter cannon. Pilots learned to exploit the F-4’s superior speed by climbing and diving, rather than turning (just as American pilots in World War II did against nimble Japanese Zero fighters). By 1972, the Navy’s Top Gun training program enabled Navy F-4s to achieve a 13:1 kill ratio.

Nonetheless, Vietnam has not gone down as the finest hour for U.S. airpower, and Double Ugly made a beautiful scapegoat. Yet the question wasn’t whether the Phantom was flawed—it was—but which aircraft would have performed better under such political and technological constraints.

The biggest threat to aircraft in Vietnam wasn’t MiGs, but flak. Ground fire – ranging from radar-controlled anti-aircraft guns to a Viet Cong guerrilla firing an AK-47 – destroyed most to the aircraft and helicopters lost to enemy fire. Even if the F-4 had been a super-dogfighter bristling with cannon, it still would have faced challenges that would have taxed even a modern stealth fighter.

Israel’s Sledgehammer

Next to America, Israel has had the most combat experience with the Phantom. When they received the F-4 in 1969, some Israeli pilots reluctantly gave up their peppy little Mirages for the American giants (the joke was that pilots strapped on a Mirage, but strapped into a Phantom). Yet for a small air force that couldn’t afford lots of specialized fighters and bombers, the multi-role F-4 was invaluable.

Israeli pilots soon learned to love the Phantom, appropriately nicknamed the Kurnas (Hebrew for “sledgehammer”). It could do it all, including air superiority, “flying artillery” to support the ground troops, and even deep-penetration strategic bombing. Despite primarily being assigned ground-attack missions, Israeli Phantom crews were credited with 116.5 aerial kills between 1969 and 1982, according to Israeli historian Shlomo Aloni.

Flying the F-4 for two air forces gave Danny Grossman a unique view of the Phantom. After serving six years as a U.S. Air Force F-4 weapons officer, he spent 20 years as an Israeli Air Force Kurnas navigator and flew 200 combat missions. His most memorable flight was a secret reconnaissance mission over Iraq in early 1982, when two reconnaissance F-4s—bereft of fighter escort—were intercepted by an Iraqi MiG-21 that popped up next to them.

Black and white aerial photograph showing a pair of United States Navy aircraft, McDonnell Douglas F-4 Phantom IIs, refueling while in flight, with clouds and mountains in the distance, photographed during the Vietnam War, 1965.Getty Images

“You could put out your hand and touch it,” Grossman, who snapped a photo of the Iraqi fighter, tells Popular Mechanics. But under orders to snap the photos and go home, the Phantoms lit their afterburners. “I had never broken the sound barrier before while flying that low.”

Flying the later F-4E version with wing slats, Grossman found the Phantom maneuvered very well at low altitudes “if you keep the fight in a very aggressive hard turn.”

While newer fighters like the F-16 are more capable, they’re also less versatile, according to Grossman. “There’s not a mission the Phantom can’t do. It will kick and buck if you don’t treat it right. But it takes care of you.”

When replaced by F-15 and F-16 fighters in the 1980s, the F-4 became a Wild Weasel (special units tasked with the dangerous mission of destroying enemy air defenses) in Operation Desert Storm. The U.S. military finally retired the Phantom from combat in 1996. Still the F-4 flew into 2016 as the QF-4 target drone.

Greece, Turkey, and South Korea still operate a few F-4s. Ironically, the biggest Phantom user today is Iran, which recently displayed F-4s at an underground air base.

Phantom Love

The Phantom has numerous fans today, such as the F-4 Phantom II Society. Out of the hundreds of fighter jets built since 1945, why all the affection for this one? Perhaps it’s a bit of baby boomer nostalgia for an aircraft that featured so prominently in their younger days. Or, it’s fascination with a fighter with such a long and colorful history.

But perhaps the real reason for the Phantom’s enduring popularity is simple respect for the underdog—admiration for the awkward, but plucky, machine that got the job done. All aircraft look good on the drawing board, and many may even work well under ideal conditions. But real-world conditions are rarely ideal, and history is littered with beautiful planes that failed the test of combat.

A classic fighter isn’t the one that performs well when everything goes right. It’s the one that accomplishes missions that it was never designed to do. The courage and skill of its crews made the Phantom successful, but this required an aircraft capable and versatile enough to allow it.

The F-4 Phantom was neither pretty nor elegant. But it did its job when so many other aircraft in history couldn’t. That’s what counts.

Via: Popular Mechanics

Airborne Laser Systems represent a сᴜttіпɡ-edɡe technology that has revolutionized various industries, ranging from military defeпѕe to civilian applications. These systems utilize the рoweг of lasers deployed from aerial platforms, providing unprecedented advantages in ргeсіѕіoп, speed, and effectiveness. In this article, we will delve into the inner workings of Airborne Laser Systems, their advantages, applications, сһаɩɩeпɡeѕ, and future prospects.

How Airborne Laser Systems Work

Airborne Laser Systems employ high-energy lasers mounted on aircraft, drones, or helicopters. These lasers emit foсᴜѕed beams of light that can be directed precisely towards their targets. The laser beam interacts with the tагɡet, leading to various effects depending on the application. In military scenarios, it can neutralize tһгeаtѕ, such as missiles or eпemу vehicles. In civilian applications, it can be used for remote sensing, communication, or even to mitigate natural dіѕаѕteгѕ.

–Hoan–

The Advantages of Airborne Laser Systems

Airborne Laser Systems offer several advantages over traditional methods of warfare and other conventional technologies:

ргeсіѕіoп: The laser’s foсᴜѕed beam ensures accurate tагɡetіпɡ, reducing collateral dаmаɡe and minimizing гіѕkѕ to friendly forces.
Speed: The speed of light allows for real-time engagement, making it highly effeсtіⱱe аɡаіпѕt fast-moving targets.
Stealth: Airborne platforms provide an element of surprise, allowing for covert operations without detection.
Versatility: These systems can be adapted for various purposes, making them ⱱeгѕаtіɩe аѕѕetѕ in both military and civilian domains.

Applications of Airborne Laser Systems

4.1. Military Applications

Airborne Laser Systems have revolutionized military strategies and capabilities:

4.1.1. mіѕѕіɩe defeпѕe

These systems can intercept and deѕtгoу eпemу missiles in their Ьooѕt or mid-course phase, providing an effeсtіⱱe mіѕѕіɩe defeпѕe shield.

4.1.2. Ground Targets

Airborne lasers can neutralize eпemу vehicles, bunkers, and communication facilities with high ргeсіѕіoп.

4.2. Civilian Applications

Beyond military use, Airborne Laser Systems find applications in civilian sectors:

4.2.1. Remote Sensing

These systems enable remote sensing for environmental moпіtoгіпɡ, agriculture, and dіѕаѕteг assessment.

4.2.2. Communication

Airborne lasers facilitate long-range and secure communication, particularly in remote or сһаɩɩeпɡіпɡ terrains.

сһаɩɩeпɡeѕ and Limitations of Airborne Laser Systems

While Airborne Laser Systems offer remarkable advantages, they also fасe certain сһаɩɩeпɡeѕ:

5.1. Technical сһаɩɩeпɡeѕ

Creating powerful and efficient lasers that can be effectively deployed on airborne platforms requires advanced engineering and technology.

5.2. сoѕt and Integration сһаɩɩeпɡeѕ

The development, integration, and maintenance of these systems can be costly, making them accessible primarily to well-funded organizations.

Edit “Airborne Laser Systems: Harnessing the рoweг of Light from Above”

The Harrier story is one of the most remarkable in post-war British aviation history, reflecting technological advance, innovation and both political and service indecision. Dr Kevin Wright looks back at five decades of development and operation of the UK’s Harriers and Sea Harriers.

From the very first tethered flight to the mountains of Afghanistan via Cold War West Germany, Belize and the Falklands, the British Harrier story spans more than 50 years from creation and operational use through to premature retirement.

The engineering challenges to create the world’s first vertical/short take-off and landing (V/STOL) fighter aircraft to enter operational service were formidable. They included the design and construction of sufficiently powerful engines to lift and propel the fighter, how to transition from vertical to wing-supported flight and back again and the development of complex flight controls among a host of issues.

How the Harrier was funded

British Government funding and service interest in the project was close to nonexistent and early finance was provided by Hawker Siddeley and the US/NATO-financed Mutual Weapons Development Program.

By the late 1950s, momentum for Hawker Siddeley’s P.1127 project gradually began to grow, but enthusiasm for the more ambitious, supersonic P.1121 and P.1154 projects waned. The latter were eventually abandoned in 1964.

In March 1959 Hawker Siddeley decided to build two P.1127 prototypes, mostly using its own funds. There was support from NASA with wind tunnel and experimental assistance, plus NATO-sourced money for the new NBMR- 3 (NATO Basic Military Requirement) V/STOL fighter initiative to replace the Fiat G-91.

Belatedly, in June 1960, the British Government finally provided official funding for the project and contracted Hawker Siddeley to provide two prototype aircraft (XP831 and XP836) under Experimental Requirement ER.204D. They were officially designated as ‘research’ machines.

On October 21 the same year, XP831 became airborne for the first time. Test pilot Bill Bedford was at the controls for the flight from Dunsfold, Surrey. The aircraft was tethered for initial trials but when that requirement was removed, and as control mechanisms were improved, the hover techniques were gradually perfected and transition from vertical to horizontal flight was achieved on September 12, 1961.

Further evaluation aircraft emerged with a batch of four P.1127s followed by nine Kestrel FGA.1s assigned to the Tripartite Evaluation Squadron. British, American and West German pilots flew 938 missions with the unit at RAF West Raynham, Norfolk during 1964-65.

Next came a further six aircraft block of P.1127(RAF) aircraft – flying between August 1966 and the following July.

The Hawker P.1127 was the first step in the process of developing an operational V/STOL combat aircraft.The Aviation Photo Company

Nine Kestrel FGA.1s, including XS688, were purchased to serve with the Tri-partite Evaluation Squadron at RAF Watton in 1964-65.

1975.Peter Foster

First-generation Harrier

The Harrier GR.1 first flew on December 28, 1967. While superficially similar to the Kestrel, the production Harriers were very different aircraft in engineering terms. The Kestrel’s 15,200lb st Bristol Siddeley BS.53 Pegasus 5 engine was replaced in the GR.1 by the 19,000lb st Rolls-Royce Pegasus Mk.101. The new variant was also superior as it included flight control surface improvements, better avionics and other design enhancements. The GR.1s were ushered into service by the Harrier Conversion Team (HCT), formed at RAF Wittering, Cambridgeshire on January 1, 1969.

After considerable testing with Hawker Siddeley, the first aircraft for the HCT arrived on May 17, 1969. The initial examples were first used to train additional instructors and a cadre of squadron pilots. This was all without the benefit of a simulator, or two-seat trainers, with pilots introduced to vertical flying via a Westland Whirlwind helicopter. The HCT was wound down when 233 Operational Conversion Unit (OCU) formed on October 1, 1970, and the first two-seat Harrier arrived in July the same year. Soon ‘twin-tub’ Harriers would also be available at squadron level too.

Intended to operate as an army close-air support and tactical reconnaissance aircraft, the Harrier’s key operational attribute was its flexibility to be free of traditional runways. For field operations, it could, in theory, deploy almost anywhere, which in turn led to the creation of a whole range of flying and logistical techniques for ‘dispersed operations’. The potential value of such a capability had been clearly demonstrated just a few years before, during the June 1967 Six-Day War when the Israeli Air Force carried out preemptive strikes against airfields across Egypt, Syria, Lebanon and Jordan, paralysing their air forces.

When did the Harrier enter service?

The Harrier GR.1 entered service with 1 Sqn at RAF Wittering in summer 1969, beginning the unit’s 41-year association with the type. The squadron received its full aircraft complement by August 1970 and was soon committed to NATO’s Allied Mobile Force (AMF), expected to be deployed on the Alliance’s northern flank and a regular visitor to Norway for exercises.

The unit was also assigned to the UK Mobile Force (UKMF) for rapid deployment in support of independent British interests. In war time the aircraft would have dispersed away from airfields to conduct operations. They would have been supported by a range of personnel such as an intelligence cell, mobile photo-processing units, RAF Regiment force protection as well as Royal Engineers. For more on this type of operation see the article that starts on p36.

RAF Germany (RAFG) was the obvious choice to base Harriers because it was in West Germany where it was most likely to be needed for close air support against Warsaw Pact forces.

As such, IV (Army Co-operation) Squadron, which was already operational in West Germany and had been flying the Hawker Hunter, became the second RAF operational Harrier unit on June 1, 1970, followed by 20 Squadron on December 1 the same year and 3 (Fighter) Squadron on January 1, 1973.

Rather than working up at RAF Wittering, 3(F) Sqn formed in West Germany with its new-build Harrier GR.1As. All three units were based at RAF Wildenrath, near the Dutch- German border, but in early 1977 exchanged places with 19 and 92 Sqns from RAF Gütersloh. This placed the Harriers within 75 miles (120km) of the East German border.

No.20 Sqn ended its first association with the Harrier in the spring of 1977 when it re-equipped with SEPECAT Jaguar GR.1s and moved to RAF Brüggen. Its Harriers and crews were divided between the remaining two RAFG Harrier squadrons, bringing them up to the full NATO Squadron strength of 18 aircraft each.

The difference between the Harrier GR.1 and GR.3

The early Harrier GR.1s contained several unique pieces of equipment for the time, including a Ferranti FE541 inertial navigation system, moving map and head-up display (HUD). The GR1A had the Pegasus Mk.102 with 1,500lb of extra thrust and minor avionics differences. It first flew on June 11, 1971.

A Harrier T.4 of 3(F) Sqn. Two-seat Harriers were made available to all frontline squadrons to assist with unit continuation training.AirTeamImages.com/ Keith Blincow (ATI)

The RAF purchased 118 single-seat first generation Harriers including: 61 GR.1 airframes, 17 GR.1As and 40 new-build GR.3s, all delivered between December 28, 1967 and February 1987. Surviving GR.1 and GR.1A aircraft were converted to GR.3 standard by 1975.

The GR.3 had the 21,500lb st Pegasus Mk.103 with other modifications including an improved starter and electrical system. The latter facilitated installation of a radar warning receiver (RWR) and the Ferranti Type 106 Laser Ranger and Marked Target Seeker (LRTMS), which had been developed for the Jaguar. This was built into new production aircraft and retrofitted into the rest of the Harriers being modified to GR.3 standard; the new nose being the main external distinguishing feature of the GR.3.

Small, incremental combined packages of avionic, airframe and engine improvements, largely became the pattern of British Harrier Force development throughout its career.

Elsewhere, in the former British colony of Belize, periodic fears of a Guatemalan invasion saw RAF Harriers based there from 1975.

Six Harriers from 1 Sqn arrived at Belize International Airport in November 1975 as a show of force to deter Guatemalan aggression.

They returned to Britain in April 1976 but in June 1977 Harrier GR.3s deployed directly from the UK again as part of a larger, more permanent British Army and RAF presence. Ground defences were stepped up and a series of semipermanent hides and facilities were constructed.

This deployment was rotated between Harrier squadrons for some time before becoming 1417 Flight on April 18, 1980. Meanwhile, back in Britain, 233 OCU became responsible for technical support of 1417 Flight and when 1 Sqn converted to the new Harrier GR.5 the OCU retained ten GR.3s until 1417 Flight, the last operational GR.3 unit, disbanded in July 1993.

Pristine Sea Harrier FRS.1 in 800 NAS markings shortly after the unit was formed in April 1980.Dr Kevin Wright

An 899 NAS Sea Harrier FRS.1 at RNAS Yeovilton in 1980 and pre-Falklands squadron colour scheme and markings.Dr Kevin Wright

Aircraft carrier version of the Harrier

Shipborne Harriers were an obvious progression of the programme; identified from very early on as offering great potential benefits. Shorter decks for take-off and vertical recovery also obviated the need for complex catapult and arrester gear.

However, possible Fleet Air Arm (FAA) Harrier acquisition was inextricably linked to the wider discussions over the purchase of a new generation of carriers for the Royal Navy. The concept of small deck operations had already been demonstrated during P.1127 trials in 1963, again in 1969 when RAF Harriers briefly operated from the helicopter platform HMS Blake, and in March the next year when two RAF Harriers flew from the ageing aircraft carrier HMS Eagle.

The US Marine Corps (USMC) order for 110 AV-8As, delivered between 1971 and 1976, helped considerably to build the case for a British ‘Maritime Harrier’ too. But, it was not until May 1975 when, after a prolonged period of inter-service, political and financial wrangling, that an FAA contract for 24 Sea Harrier FRS.1s and a T.4 trainer was announced, accompanying the decision to buy Invincible-class ‘through-deck cruisers’ – aircraft carriers in all but name. In June 1978 a follow-up order for another ten single-seat aircraft was announced.

No.1417 Flight was established to operate Harrier GR.3s from Belize City airport between 1980 and 1993 as a deterrent to potential Guatemalan aggression against the former British colony.Key Collection

The resulting aircraft were not a major technological step forward and modifications for the naval role were minimal. The biggest changes were made forward of the engine intakes and included a raised cockpit for better visibility and revised cockpit layout. Most important was the installation of the Ferranti Blue Fox radar (no RAF Harrier variant ever had a radar fitted), with both its air-to-a and air-to-ground modes, new HUD and navigation equipment which all made Royal Navy Sea Harriers much more ‘multi-role’ than their RAF counterparts. Other airframe changes included a more corrosion-resistant skin and deck tie-down points were installed. The Sea Harrier was fitted with the Pegasus Mk.104 supplying 21,500lb st.

Two Sea Harrier FRS.1s recovering to a carrier. During the Falklands War the type proved to be a formidable fighter.Key Collection

This 3(F) Sqn Harrier GR.3 wears a temporary winter camouflage usually applied for deployed operations.sg-etuo.de Wieland Stolze

There were no distinct Sea Harrier prototypes, although the first three aircraft (XZ438-440) were initially fitted with manufacturer test equipment. The first Sea Harrier flight was on August 20, 1978, when XZ450 flew from Dunsfold.

A short-lived trials unit, 700A Squadron, was established in June 1979 at RNAS Yeovilton, Somerset to develop Sea Harrier operational techniques. Equipped with six aircraft it was renumbered as 899 Naval Air Squadron (NAS) on April 1, 1980 and acted as the headquarters and training squadron.

The unit was committed to reinforcing the two sea-going operational squadrons; 800 NAS (formed on the Sea Harrier on the same day as 899 NAS) and 801 NAS (established January 28, 1981).

Two-seat Harriers were also purchased, in the shape of one T.4 (from the original order) for use with 233 OCU and three new-build navalised T.4Ns with Sea Harrier avionics.

However, when aboard Invincible-class carriers they could not be stored below deck as they were too long to fit into the aircraft lifts.

Harrier shipboard performance was also improved with the advent of the ‘Ski Jump’. A slope of 13° was installed on British carriers and enabled the Sea Harriers to carry up to 2,500lb (1,135kg) extra weight.

Harriers in the Falklands War

The Sea Harrier had barely entered service when the 1982 Falklands War turned it into a legend. The aircraft and the new AIM-9L version of the Sidewinder missile made a deadly combination in the South Atlantic and the 28 Sea Harriers deployed for the Falklands conflict amassed an impressive operational record.

Lt Commander Andrew Auld’s 800 NAS was assigned to HMS Hermes with 12 aircraft, and Lt Commander Nigel ‘Sharkey’ Ward’s 801 NAS to HMS Invincible with eight aircraft. Later, additional airframes would bolster their numbers.

The Sea Harriers performed more than 1,100 combat air patrol (CAP) missions and 90 offensive sorties during the war, shooting down 22 Argentinian aircraft (even without the benefit of airborne early warning).

The Sea Harrier’s Doppler-based navigation system proved its worth in overwater operations whereas the RAF Harriers embarked alongside them had significant problems aligning their inertial-based system on the pitching carrier decks.

On April 8, 1982 a new unit was hastily re-formed at Yeovilton. No.809 NAS gathered together aircraft returned to the base from maintenance, development and trials work. Eight Sea Harriers subsequently joined HMS Hermes and HMS Invincible on May 18-19, after an earlier direct air refuelled flight to Ascension Island.

Back in Britain, 809 NAS deployed another eight Sea Harriers aboard the new HMS Illustrious, which set sail for the Falklands from Portsmouth on August 2, 1982, to relieve the two deployed carriers. The unit disbanded upon its return to Yeovilton in December.

In addition to the Sea Harriers ten RAF Harrier GR.3s also served during the Falklands conflict. Following the Argentinian invasion, 14 Harriers from 1 Sqn were swiftly readied for South Atlantic operations. Within two weeks they were proofed against the effects of saltwater, and modified to enable carrier deck operations. They were also fitted with the latest AIM-9L Sidewinder, chaff and flares dispensers and the pilots were trained to launch from ski-jumps. Their air-to-air combat skills were also honed.

Four Sea Harrier FA.2s from 801 NAS. Its Blue Vixen radar and AIM-120 AMRAAM gave the type beyond visual range capability.Crown Copyright 2005/LA(PHOT) Bunting

In early May 1982, ten of the aircraft deployed direct to Ascension Island, involving a nine-hour flight and five air refuellings. From Ascension Island, they were flown to the container ship Atlantic Conveyer and wrapped in heavy-duty ‘rubber bags’ for their journey further south.

On May 18, after rendezvousing with HMS Hermes, the Harriers were transferred to the carrier. A further eight GR.3s deployed nonstop to Ascension Island a month later just as hostilities ceased. Four then continued a further 3,500 miles (5,632km) direct to HMS Hermes with the remaining quartet shipped aboard the container vessel Contender Bezant.

Between May 21 and the June 14 ceasefire, Harrier GR.3s from 1 Sqn flew 126 sorties in the battle zone from both HMS Hermes and a forward operating base established at Port San Carlos. Missions were launched against Stanley and Goose Green, plus Argentine command centres, storage dumps and in direct support of ground forces. Weapons included rockets and cannon, together with general-purpose cluster and laser-guided bombs, the first to be used in action by the RAF. Of the ten Harriers involved during the conflict, three were shot down by enemy defences and a further one lost in a landing accident. In each case, the pilot ejected safely. Two FAA Sea Harriers were lost to ground fire and four more in accidents.

From June 26, 1982 an advance party from 1 Sqn established a Harrier Detachment (HarDet) at the renamed RAF Stanley and flew in the air defence role armed with Sidewinder missiles and two 30mm ADEN cannon. Soon crews from other Harrier squadrons rotated through Stanley for three monthly periods of detached duty but the aircraft reverted to their usual ground attack role when 23 Sqn’s McDonnell Douglas F-4 Phantoms arrived at RAF Stanley.

The HarDet was renamed 1453 Flight on August 20, 1983 but after Mount Pleasant airfield opened the unit’s presence was largely considered unnecessary and it disbanded on May 12, 1985.

Harrier upgrades with Blue Vixen radar and Sea Eagle missile

In the immediate wake of the South Atlantic conflict, there was a minor Sea Harrier update programme, which included installing double Sidewinder rails, and Microwave Aircraft Digital Guidance equipment. The latter enabled more effective recovery onto the carriers without the necessity for a talk-down. Replacements for the lost aircraft were also ordered.

HMS Invincible was off the coast of Oman when this Sea Harrier FA.2 was photographed taking part in Exercise Magic Carpet 05.Crown Copyright 2005/LA(PHOT) Bunting

A selection of British Harrier variants – from front to back is a GR.7, GR.5, FRS.1, T.4 and GR.3.Key Collection

The Harrier T.12 was the ultimate British trainer variant, with enhanced weapons capability and GR.9 avionics. This example was assigned to 20(R) Sqn at RAF Wittering.AirTeamImages. com/JHribar

A T.8N trainer from RNAS Yeovilton-based 899 NAS.Peter Foster

A much more ambitious full Mid Life Update (MLU) programme began in 1985. The subsequent Sea Harrier FRS.2 was designed around a new Ferranti Blue Vixen pulse-Doppler radar system, which required a more bulbous nose and a 14in (35cm) plug to create extra room for the radar. Coupled with the new AIM- 120 AMRAAM missile, it gave the redesigned aircraft a beyond visual range capability. It used the 21,500lb st Pegasus Mk.106.

The Sea Harrier FRS.2 was a very capable system and it became better still in 1987 when it was fitted with the Sea Eagle anti-ship missile.

In December 1988, an order was placed to convert 29 FRS.1s to the new standard, to which 18 new-build aircraft and four more conversions were added in 1995.

The first FRS.2, ZA176, was delivered to 899 NAS at Yeovilton during September 1993. In May 1994, the aircraft’s designation was changed from FRS.2 to FA.2 – formalising the removal of the reconnaissance and strike (nuclear) roles but retaining fighter with the ‘A’ standing for attack.

The first Sea Harrier FA.2 was delivered to 899 NAS in September 1993. October 1994 saw 801 NAS become the first operational FA.2 squadron and the last FRS.1 was withdrawn on March 17, 1995. The final FA.2 (ZH813) was delivered in December 1988.

The Sea Harrier FA.2 had a busy career that included three and a half years supporting UN and NATO no-fly zones over Bosnia and Kosovo. During this time the jets conducted armed reconnaissance and close air support missions as well as maintaining CAP for Operation Deny Flight. These missions involved crews flying from carriers based in the Adriatic for seven months at a time from January 1993.

A single Sea Harrier was lost in action when XZ498 was shot down by a Bosnian Serb surface-to-air missile whilst conducting a mission over Goražde on April 16 1994. Lt Nick Richardson, from 801 NAS, managed to eject and was safely recovered.

In May 2000 Sea Harriers aboard HMS Illustrious were deployed to Sierra Leone, to bolster the UN mission during that country’s long-running civil war. Although no ordnance was dropped, the reconnaissance missions and ‘reassurance patrols’ provided a sufficient deterrent to rebels on the ground to contribute to a successful outcome.

In 2002, with the prospect of another major update approaching, the Ministry of Defence (MOD) announced the Sea Harrier would be withdrawn on March 31, 2006, essentially on cost grounds.

Next-generation Harrier

It was the USMC, again, that had stimulated the next major development stage in British Harrier history.

The Harrier II project originally began as a collaborative effort between the USA and Britain, but the UK abandoned the programme in 1975 due to budgetary constraints. Following British withdrawal, McDonnell Douglas extensively redesigned the earlier AV-8A Harrier to create the AV-8B to meet USMC requirements.

Some years later, through British Aerospace, the UK re-joined the improved Harrier programme and became a partner in 1981. It received a significant share of the work in the project and enabled UKspecific modifications to be introduced into the version that would join the RAF as the Harrier GR.5.

A key part of the Harrier II design was the 28ft (8.53m) carbon fibre composite wing, some 300lb (136kg) lighter than the old one and much stronger. Extensions to the wing leading edge also generated more lift and an additional stores pylon was added under each wing. The aircraft also benefited from a new engine (Pegasus Mk.105 producing 21,750lb st) and better cockpit visibility – all of which combined to create a much more capable aircraft.

A pair of development aircraft took to the air from 1979 and the type entered service with the USMC in January 1985. This was followed by the RAF’s first GR.5 (ZD318), which performed its maiden flight from Dunsfold on April 30, 1985.

A Naval Strike Wing Harrier GR.9 at low level in the Lake District, wearing the markings of 800 NAS and 801 NAS.Ian Nicol-Heap

Close-up of a Harrier GR.9 taxiing carrying a Maverick air-to-ground missile.Key Collection

Entry to service began in May 1987 when the first examples joined 1 Sqn. The unit became operational on November 2, 1989 and was followed by 3(F) and IV(AC) Sqns. Among the modifications required to turn the AV-8B into the RAF’s GR.5 was installing a Smiths SU-128/A HUD, Hughes Angle Rate Bombing System, Ferranti moving map and single rail outboard Sidewinder pylon. As it turned out, this was only the first of several other in-service modifications for RAF Harriers that would substantially improve its capabilities over the coming decades.

An original feature of the snub-nosed GR.5 was the under-nose fairing designed for the Miniature Infrared Line Scan Equipment Sysyem (MIRLS) system (for infrared reconnaissance) that was being developed but later abandoned and never installed. Britain also opted for a different gun system – a new ADEN 25mm cannon – that also proved troublesome and was shelved in 1999. However, the gun pods remained as they contributed to the Harrier’s aerodynamic lift.

Developments were fast-flowing and soon a new night attack system using a GEC-Marconi 1010 forward-looking infra-red radar (FLIR) and a night vision goggle (NVG) compatible cockpit provided the basis for the GR.7. The most immediate visual difference with the GR.7 was a redesigned nose to accommodate the FLIR and Marconi-Zeus ECM system. The GR.7 first flew on November 20, 1989.

The initial 1988 contract for 60 Harrier GR.5s also provided an option for 34 examples to be built to GR.7 standard. There was also a declared intention to upgrade existing GR.5s to GR.7 configuration at a later stage. New-build aircraft were equipped with the 23,800lb st Pegasus Mk.107 engine and designated GR.7A. The converted GR.5s retained their original engines and so were called GR7s. The GR.7A’s more powerful engine was necessary for operation in the Middle East and Afghanistan where heat degraded engine performance.

RAF Harriers participated in Operation Southern Watch, enforcing the no-fly zone over Iraq. In the Balkans Harriers contributed to Operation Deliberate Force in 1995, designed to contain Serb aggression against Bosnia. This saw GR.7s fly some 144 bombing and reconnaissance sorties. Four years later, from April 1999, Harriers flew in support of NATO Operation Allied Force in the skies over Kosovo. GR.7’s flew 870 sorties using some 894 weapons.

Nos. 3(F) and IV(AC) Sqns had moved from RAF Gütersloh to RAF Laarbruch in 1992 then to RAF Cottesmore in May 1999. They were joined by 1(F) Sqn which moved across from nearby RAF Wittering in July 2000.

A Harrier T10 20 Squadron

Joint Force Harrier

Accompanying the technical changes were major organisational developments for the Harrier fleet. These included the creation of Joint Force Harrier in April 2000.

The types participated in Operation Telic (the invasion of Iraq in 2003). Harrier GR.7s of 1 and IV(AC) Sqns flew from Ahmed Al Jaber Air Base in Kuwait, as ‘Harrier Force South while 1 and 3(F) Sqns operated from Azraq in Jordan as ‘Harrier Force West’. They mainly conducted close air support operations using Maverick missiles and Paveway IIs while the Joint Reconnaissance Pod was used for a large number of recce missions. Harriers flew 1,126 sorties and expended 560 munitions.

The Joint Force Harrier concept initially sought to relocate FAA Sea Harrier squadrons from Yeovilton to RAF Cottesmore and RAF Wittering to be based alongside the RAF’s Harriers – although this was later cancelled when the Sea Harrier was phased out in 2006.

Harrier GR7 1Sqn

Abandoning the Sea Harrier provided the opportunity to settle on a common Harrier variant suitably equipped for combined missions at sea and from land bases. The same year (2006) saw the RAF’s 3(F) Sqn transition to the Eurofighter Typhoon and 800 NAS take over the squadron’s former Harriers. At the same time, the size of each squadron was reduced from 12 to nine aircraft. It had been the intention for 801 NAS to re-form with Harriers in 2007, however on March 9 of that year the Naval Strike Wing was formed with elements of both FAA squadrons amalgamated into a single unit.

How the Harrier was upgraded and phased out

The next Harrier upgrade would see 60 GR.7s modified to GR.9 standard. Core to the upgrade was a MIL-STD 1760 weapons databus and new main computer system with totally modernised weapons software. The improved weapons capacity included Hellfire air-to-ground missile and Paveway IV bomb and the ability to carry the Sniper Advanced Targeting Pod. New GPS-INS navigation equipment, a ground-proximity warning system (GPWS) and improved cockpit displays were also installed. The first Harrier GR.9 was delivered in October 2006 and the upgrade programme was completed during 2009. Harrier GR.7s became GR.9s and 7As were named GR.9As.

Whilst all these changes were taking place, aircraft and pilots were heavily engaged in missions over Afghanistan. Six RAF Harriers had first arrived at Kandahar in 2004 to support the early NATO-led International Security and Assistance Force (ISAF). Initially, sorties were flown during daylight hours only, but in 2006 demands intensified such that round-the-clock flying was required and the number of deployed Harriers increased. Some aircraft were held on alert to quickly launch and provide close air support.

Most sorties involved supporting ground troops using close air support tactics but much time was also committed to reconnaissance missions, particularly using the Sniper pod, to provide detailed visual intelligence.

By June 2009 at the end of the Harriers time in Afghanistan, the type had accumulated over 8,500 sorties and spent more than 22,000 hours airborne in the region. Tornados GR.4s replaced the Harrier in theatre.

On April 1, 2010, the Naval Strike Wing reverted to become 800 NAS. The previous day the RAF’s 20(R) Sqn had disbanded at RAF Wittering and its role as Harrier OCU was taken over by IV(R) Sqn.

At the same time, Joint Force Harrier was renamed Joint Strike Wing and the remaining Harrier GR.7s retired. However, the final, perhaps most surprising, decision was the October 19, 2010 announcement that the Harrier would be phased out completely by April 2011 as part of the government’s Strategic Defence and Security Review. This was well ahead of the arrival of the Lockheed Martin F-35 Lightning IIs scheduled to replace the Harrier in service.

In fact, the end came even quicker than expected. The last time UK Harriers flew off a carrier was on November 24, 2010 when four Harrier GR.9s, embarked on HMS Ark Royal, left the ship. On December 15, a 16-aircraft flypast from RAF Cottesmore marked the final flights by British Harriers. Just over a month later, on January 28, 2011, 1(F) Sqn, IV(R) Sqn and 800 NAS finally disbanded.

Who the Harriers were sold to after British retirement

After retirement, 79 Harriers were stored at RAF Cottesmore pending their fate. In November 2011 junior defence minister Peter Luff told Parliament: “We have agreed the sale of the final 72 Harrier aircraft frames and associated parts which will be used as a major source of spares for the US Marine Corps Harrier AV-8B fleet of aircraft.” The price of the total deal was said to be $180m: $130m for the airframes and a further $50m for the remaining spares stock.

Rear Admiral Mark Heinrich, Commander, Naval Supply Systems Command, explained that America was getting a very good deal because many of the Harriers had recently undergone major modernisation: “We’re taking advantage of all the money the Brits have spent on them. It’s like we’re buying a car with maybe 15,000 miles on it. These are very good platforms.”

The jets were subsequently stripped down and shipped to the USA. During 2014 at least 62 of the remaining airframes were noted in open storage with the 309 Aerospace Maintenance and Regeneration Group at Davis-Monthan AFB, Arizona.

Two airframes were retained by the MOD for training purposes: one with the Royal Naval Air Engineering and Survival School at Gosport and the other at RAF Wittering as a gate guard. Further examples were passed to the Fleet Air Arm Museum at Yeovilton, Royal Air Museum at Hendon and Imperial War Museum in London.

The Harriers that are still running

However, the Harrier is not yet dead in the UK and the honour of keeping the type ‘active’ in British service lies with the Royal Navy. The Fleet Air Arm’s School of Flight Deck Operations still retains 14 Sea Harrier FA.2s and T.8s at RNAS Culdrose, Cornwall to train deck handlers.

Using a mock-up of an Invincible class deck, trainees are taught how to manoeuvre aircraft in the constrained space of a carrier. The Sea Harriers and T.8s are taxied, so trainees get the feel of real jets moving around at close quarters.

Harriers and Sea Harriers served the UK well on operations. Catapulted into the headlines during the Falklands, Harriers and Sea Harriers participated in almost every significant overseas air operation in which British forces have been engaged since the mid-1970s through to the final 2010 withdrawal.

The UK Royal Air Force fleet of Harrier GR.9 V/STOL fighters has been sold to the U.S. Marine Corps for spares. (Photo: Chris Pocock)

Why did people think it was a stealth fighter?

Here’s What You Need to Remember: In order to be classified as a “fighter” aircraft and carry that F prefix, a plane usually needs to be designed specifically to be capable of engaging other aircraft in the battle space. The F-117, however, was built specifically for engaging ground targets under a shroud of secrecy.

The Lockheed F-117 Nighthawk, often referred to as the “stealth fighter,” was the world’s first operational stealth aircraft, born out of a program so secretive that the plane itself was flying combat missions for seven entire years before it was formally unveiled to the public. Because of the secrecy surrounding the plane’s development and capabilities, along with some intentional breaches of traditional naming conventions, this stealthy aircraft, and its various names, still spark interest (and confusion) to this very day.

The truth is, this aircraft commonly referred to as the “Stealth Fighter” wasn’t really a fighter at all, but you can’t blame the public for getting this one wrong. Even the Air Force seemed to give this unusual aircraft the wrong designation–and according to some, that may have even been intentional.

But despite lacking in the hardware required for a dogfight, this stealth fighter (that really wasn’t) had a complicated history with air-to-air combat. Capable or not, using the Nighthawk to engage Soviet aircraft was the subject of discussion during development, and at least one Nighthawk pilot has gone on record as saying the platform really could engage enemy aircraft with infrared-guided missiles.

Last month, the long-retired F-117 was spotted in the skies over Fresno, California–apparently participating in some kind of air-to-air training against notably non-stealthy F-15s. It looks as though the Nighthawks weren’t dogfighting, but were rather playing the role of cruise missiles to be intercepted by the Eagles… but this story adds yet another layer of conspiracy-minded intrigue to the rumors about the F-117 actually being a stealth fighter.

Let’s be clear before going any further: It’s not. But there may be some good reason for the rumors.

The F-117 Nighthawk reached initial operating capability in 1983, meaning the platform was already flying some missions in the early 1980s. By 1988, the U.S. Air Force still hadn’t admitted that they had a stealth plane that could defeat enemy radar, opting instead to keep the advanced capabilities of the F-117 a secret. But secrets were hard to keep even in the era before smartphones, and whispers about the unusually shaped aircraft slowly but surely began to make their way to the public.

In 1988, the same year the Pentagon would first admit to having the F-117, images and conjecture about the aircraft had already led to a company releasing a video game about the classified aircraft, using “F-19” as the plane’s name because, well, that’s what people figured the government probably called this new “stealth fighter” they’d developed.

Despite not quite having the design of the aircraft quite right, you can clearly see the lines of the fake F-19 mirroring the lines of the real (and still classified at the time) F-117 in the images below.

The game proved popular among aviation fans, thanks to its realistic approach to flight dynamics, but likely bolstered a misnomer the F-117 has carried with it since the 80’s: despite being called a “Stealth Fighter” colloquially, the F-117 Nighthawk isn’t actually a fighter at all.

The F-prefix in F-117 may suggest that the platform was intended to operate like a fighter jet (like the F-15, F-16, F-35, etc), but in truth, the platform was actually an attack aircraft–meaning it’s official designation should have been A-117 instead (like the A-10 Thunderbolt II or the AC-130 Ghostrider).

In 1962, the U.S. Defense Department established the Tri-Service Aircraft Designation System, which forced all military branches to utilize the same naming conventions and nomenclature for new platforms. While the system has seen updates over the years, the bare bones of it are simple, particularly when it comes to the single-letter prefixes at the start of an aircraft designation.

In order to be classified as a “fighter” aircraft and carry that F prefix, a plane usually needs to be designed specifically to be capable of engaging other aircraft in the battle space. The F-117, however, was built specifically for engaging ground targets under a shroud of secrecy. In fact, the F-117 carried no guns and offered a maximum payload capacity of only two 2,000 pound bombs, making it all but defenseless against enemy fighters in most circumstances.

So why was the decision made to call the stealth aircraft an F-117 rather than an A-117? According to Gen. Robert J. Dixon, who served at Tactical Air Command at the time, the reasoning was simple: The Air Force wanted to court the best and most capable pilots for the new stealth program, and they knew a “stealth fighter” would be more enticing to hot shot pilots than a new “attack” aircraft would be. Even when it comes to classified programs, perception matters.

In an interview on the Fighter Pilot Podcast, retired Michigan Air National Guard Maj. Robert “Robson” Donaldson recalled that the F-117 was technically capable of carrying and firing air-to-air missiles, despite no F-117 ever doing so (at least as far as the Pentagon has admitted). Donaldson’s claims may be the first time anyone has acknowledged that the stealth “fighter” may have actually been able to fight in the air.

“Yes, his primary role was attack but having said that, it could actually carry every munition in the inventory at the time of its insertion, with the exception of the Sparrow missile, which was radar-guided, so we could carry air-to-air missiles,” Donaldson said of the F-117.

The retired aviator went on to outline how there may have even been plans to use the F-117 to engage Russian Airborne Warning And Control System (AWACS) aircraft in the event of a large scale war.

“Our secondary role was to shoot down the Soviet AWACS. So yeah, we were invisible to their radar and we didn’t want them controlling their airspace so, either on the way in or on the way out you could add a Soviet AWACS paint it to the side of your aircraft.”

Thus far, there has been no formal documentation or any other witnesses coming forward who can substantiate Donaldson’s claims. Because the F-117 didn’t carry any onboard radar, it wouldn’t have been able to support radar-guided weapons. However, it could feasibly have operated infrared-guided, or heat-seeking missiles like the AIM-9 Sidewinder. According to some Nighthawk pilots, using these sorts of weapons to engage Soviet airborne early warning and control aircraft (AWACs) really was discussed in the early days of the program, but the aircraft itself was never designed to do so and operational pilots never trained for that mission set.

To make matters worse for those who really wanted the F-117 to be a stealth fighter, the Nighthawk ran largely quiet when prioritizing stealth. That means the aircraft would have no way of spotting enemy fighters (due to a lack of radar) and would have no radio communications to be warned of their presence. Literally, the only way an F-117 pilot could have fired an infrared-guided missile at another fighter is if he or she saw it with their naked eye through the notoriously small viewports the Nighthawk calls a windshield.

And as the United States found out in Vietnam, dogfights within visual range with slower aircraft often involve using guns or cannons–neither of which can be found on the Nighthawk.

Things only get worse from there. In order to engage Soviet AWACs, this “stealth fighter” would have to open its weapons bay doors to fire an internal payload of Sidewinder missiles. Once those doors opened, however, the Nighthawk’s stealth would be compromised, making it an easy target for nearby air superiority fighters or air defense systems on the ground. Because the F-117 was a subsonic aircraft, it couldn’t even throw on the afterburners to make a run for it.

In fact, that’s exactly how the U.S. lost an F-117 in combat operations during the Kosovo War. When the pilot opened his weapons bay doors, a creative enemy commander secured a lock and fired two surface-to-air missiles at him. There was little the pilot could do.

“They were moving at three times the speed of sound, so there wasn’t much time to react,” Col. Dale Zelko, the downed F-117 pilot, said.

“I felt the first one go right over me, so close that it rocked the aircraft. Then I opened my eyes and turned my head, and there was the other missile. The impact was violent…I was at negative seven g’s. My body was being pulled out of the seat upward toward the canopy. As I strained to reach the ejection handles, one thought crossed my mind: This is really, really, really bad.”

Believe it or not, Lockheed did have plans for an F-117 that really would have been a stealth fighter, but they didn’t offer it to the Air Force. In 1993, four years after the U.S. Air Force unveiled the Nighthawk to the world, Lockheed approached the U.S. Navy with a proposal for a carrier-based iteration of the jet. This new F-117N Seahawk would be a low-observable (stealth) all-weather strike aircraft with legitimate air-to-air capabilities.

Seemingly aware that the operational F-117 wasn’t the most broadly capable combat aircraft, Lockheed’s proposal offered a drastically improved iteration of the platform, complete with double the internal payload capacity of the original. The wings would be given a 42-degree sweep, rather than the Nighthawk’s 50-degree, and would extend out 50% further, to 64 feet. At the tail of the aircraft, additional horizontal ailerons were added to make it more manageable at the low speeds required for carrier landings.

Not satisfied with the Nighthawk’s top speed of right around 680 miles per hour, Lockheed looked to the more powerful F114 engines that would later find a home in the Super Hornet. These afterburning turbofans built by GE produced 13,000-pounds of thrust under normal operation and as much as 22,000-pounds with the afterburner engaged. Using a pair of these engines in the Seahawk would have made it significantly faster than its Air Force sister, and potentially could have pushed all the way into supersonic flight.

The carrier-based Seahawk’s missiles would take their cues from a multi-mode air-to-air and air-to-ground radar and an Infrared Search and Tracking System (IRST) comparable to what can be found in many fighter jets. In other words, this new “stealth fighter” would have actually been a real stealth fighter.

In 1995, Lockheed reportedly pitched the Seahawk to the U.S. Navy at a per-unit price of $70 million, assuming an order of 255 airframes, but the Navy ultimately declined. By then the F-22 was in development, making it clear that a purpose-built stealth fighter would be a more capable and cost-effective choice than modifying the F-117.

This model is available in multiple sizes from airmodels.net – CLICK ON THE PHOTO TO GET YOURS.

The F-14 is one of the most impressive and iconic American military aircraft of all time!

On a single day in December 1941, a surprise attack by the Imperial Japanese Navy changed the face of naval warfare forever, marking both the end of the Battleship and the rise of a new era in naval air power.

Today’s modern carriers have more in common with small cities, housing thousands of service personnel in the most complex piece of engineering the world has ever seen. Representing billions of dollars, these floating airbases are only as safe as their defensive capabilities. We can think of no better example of naval airpower than Grumman’s F-14 Tomcat, arguably the best carrier-based aircraft of all time.

9. Out With The Old – Replacing The F4 Phantom

Via Worth Point

As far back as the 1950s, US Navy chiefs identified the need for a modern F4 replacement that could fulfill the Fleet Air Defense (FAD) role to protect Navy assets against long-range aircraft launched anti-ship missiles. While the F4 had a proven service record, it lacked the long range capability to be truly effective.

Via Wikimedia

Early research stages progressed through the TFX aircraft program and even considered a maritime version of General Dynamics F-111 before collaborating with Grumman on the VFX. The final design requirements calling for a tandem two-seat, twin-engine design with an operational speed of up to Mach 2.2, the resulting F14 breaking cover in 1968.

8. Cats And Traps – Essential For Routine Operations

Via Pinterest

Even the biggest Aircraft carriers are space limited, their decks are possibly the busiest and most dangerous runway facility found anywhere in the world. Even when operating at full re-heat, the F14 weighing 61,000lbs needs some assistance. This is where steam catapult systems come into their own, accelerating the jet to 170mph in 2-seconds subjecting the main wheel assembly to 4gs.

Via The National Interest

On return to the flight deck, a similar space limited issue presents itself, how to stop a fast-moving jet in the minimum of space. A slightly less technical solution does all the work, rows of cables spanning the deck with precisely calculated damping quickly bring the F14 to a stop, the pilot merely required to catch a single cable with the aircraft’s fuselage-mounted arresting hook.

7. Engines, Power, And Performance – Debunking A Cinematic White Lie

Via GE Aviation

Nearing the end of its useful operational life saw the last major upgrade, F14-Ds fitted with more powerful General Electric TF100 afterburning engines providing more thrust and greater fuel savings over earlier examples. Each of its twin TF100 units producing 16,200lbs of dry thrust gave the F14-D improved performance at high altitudes with a maximum speed of 1544mph.

Via Pinteret

This brings us nicely to Top Gun, the now-famous scene where Miramars finest make the unsubstantiated claim Maverick and co will be flying against the smaller and faster A4 Skyhawk. Smaller yes, but faster? Even at sea level, the F14 is a good 300mph faster.

6. Variable Geometry Wings – The Best Of Both Worlds

Via Pinterest

Modern carrier battlegroups tend to operate multi-role aircraft rather than accommodate different types of aircraft for different mission requirements. Originally required to not only provide carrier advance patrols (CAP) the F14 also had to be fast enough to perform interceptor duties when called upon. This wide array of operational requirements lead to the unique implementation of variable geometry wings.

Via Wikimedia

At take-off speeds, the wings remain swept forwards of maximum lift, only once airborne and accelerating towards supersonic speeds do they sweep backward for less drag. To date, the F14 is unique in this approach to design, no other carrier-based aircraft has ever used variable geometry. Interestingly, the fuselage itself also serves to generate lift, contributing around 50% to the aircraft’s design.

5. Overseas Operators – Few And Far Between

Via Pinterest

Unlike modern weapons platforms that seem to be sold en-mass to any friendly nation with a big enough bank balance, the F14 only ever found one foreign operator in a surprising region that hasn’t always been known for its pro-American behavior.

Via Defence Talk

If legitimate sales of the most advanced fighter jet to Iran seems an unlikely story, it gets even more peculiar that a nation with no navy to speak off would be interested in an aircraft designed to operate from a carrier. Regardless of these odd quirks, Iran is the only remaining operator of the F14, with an estimated 40 serviceable aircraft.

4. Two Man Crew – Two Very Different Roles

Via Formula 1 Results

Part of the Tomcat’s design brief called for a modern multi-role fighter with long-range interception capabilities that relied heavily on its AN/AWG-9 radar systems. These hugely complex pieces of equipment and associated interaction controls made it necessary for a two-man crew, pilot up-font while the rest of the aircraft’s operations were taken care of by the RIO (Radar Intercept Officer).

Via Capt Zeen

Aside from a few mirrored instruments, the two stations are unique, pilots having more flight data and a heads-up-display, while the RIO had limited forward visibility outside of the instrument panel. In the event of a pilot being incapacitated, both crew members would be forced to eject, there is no duplicate flight control system in the rear station.

3. Operational Capabilities – Response, Endurance, And Performance

Via War Thunder Forums

By modern standards, the F14 is seriously quick, faster than its direct replacement, and quicker still than the mighty F-22 Lighting, but these impressive figures only tell part of the story. From standstill to take off in 2-seconds, operating at altitudes up to 56,000 feet over ranges of 1600 nautical miles is good in anyone’s books. However, this stunning resume of power and performance is a balancing act.

Via The Drive

That astonishing top speed would never be possible over the same distance, just as the afterburners add performance they also severely reduce endurance. Typically employed in the carrier advance patrol environment, F-14 crews would operate around 160 miles ahead of the fleet at lower subsonic speeds until called upon.

2. Armament – Multi-Role Weapons Platform

Via Wikimedia

Throughout its operational life, the Tomcat performed air-to-air operations, carrying a mix of AIM-54 Phoenix, AIM-7 Sparrow, and the later AIM-9 Sidewinder missiles, with long-range sorties calling for external fuel tanks, aside from the standard-fit 20mm canon, this would have been the standard configuration for all F-14 variants.

Via National Interest

From the early stages of development, it was clear the F-14 was more than just an interceptor or air-superiority fighter, its impressive array of capabilities left relatively untapped until 1992. Filling a capability gap in the US Navy’s arsenal, F-14s equipped with minor upgrades were pressed into action as ground-attack aircraft receiving the unofficial “Bombcat” designation.

1. End Of The Road – Retirement And Destruction

Via Wikimedia

With the US Navy opting for the newer and cheaper F-18 Hornet, the Tomcat’s days were numbered, the final operation units retired from active service in 2006. In total, 712 aircraft were produced, with Iran still operating the last surviving aircraft, encouraging the US government to enforce a less heroic end for the greatest carrier aircraft of all time.

Via Wikimedia

Save for a few dozen display airframes, the Tomcat ended its days at the mercy of salvage yards with strict instructions that all aircraft should be destroyed rather than risk spares finding their way to Iran’s Air Force.

The F-14 saw much more combat than usually thought: indeed, much more than the other ‘teen fighters’ – including F-15, F-16, and F/A-18 – combined.

Yesterday was the 50th anniversary of the first flight of the Grumman F-14 Tomcat: something like that type’s 50th birthday.

The F-14 was always highly controversial: partially developed for a task it never performed in real life, complex, expensive, and providing capabilities de-facto undreamt of at earlier times. It was the last of what I call ‘muscle plane’: even if the first aircraft ever to have microchips installed, it had no such accessories like fly-by-wire, and was terribly troubled by its original engines (and few other vices). On the contrary, its weapons system was easily outmatching everything that was in service from the 1970s well into the 1990s. Some crews loved it (and still love the Tomcat), others not, and it’s certain that ground crews servicing the type have had (and still have) their own feelings about the type: regardless if positivelly or negativelly, it’s unlikely the Tomcat has ever left anybody unimpressed.

The F-14 also saw much more combat than usually thought: indeed, much more than the other ‘teen fighters’ – including F-15, F-16, and F/A-18 – combined. Alone during the 1980s, it saw eight years of intensive combat operations during the Iran-Iraq War, where it scored its first kill ever (a gun kill against an Iraqi Mi-25 attack helicopter), and then in service with the US Navy off Iran (Iran hostage crisis), Libya (two air combats and dozens of ‘close calls’), Lebanon and Syria (reconnaissance ‘only’), Somalia (reconnaissance) etc. Finally, in 1991 it took part in the last conflict in which it served in its original role, as a ‘pure’ interceptor, during the II Persian Gulf War. Subsequently, it was deployed during the Iran-Azerbaijan stand-offs in the 1990s, and then – and also as a strike aircraft – by the US Navy in Bosnia (1992-1995), over Kosovo (1999), in Afghanistan (2001-2006), and in Iraq (2003-2006).

Exactly how many aerial victories diverse F-14-crews have scored over the time remains unknown – simply because the work on cross-checking all the related Iranian claims is still going on. Certainly enough, more than 160 claims are known by Islamic Republic of Iran Air Force (IRIAF) crews alone, plus nearly half a dozen by crews of the US Navy: however, this should not mean that all the claims by crews of both services are known or have been fully cross-examined…just like not all the F-14-losses have been restlessly researched and their reasons definitely determined.

(I wouldn’t be surprised if, once all the related work is complete, sometimes in the future, it turns out the total is higher than the total of confirmed kills by F-15 and F-16, combined.)

Sadly, the US Navy withdrew its Tomcats from service back in 2006. The IRIAF still has about 60, and is keeping some 40 of these in active service – in turn proving there’s still much life left in Grumman’s last cat.

As technology has advanced, the functions, specs, and utility of drones has too. From budget craft operated by hobbyists and beginners upwards, the world of drones is a varied one indeed. The Drone Racing League is at the forefront of the technology, a high-profile competition in which headset-donning drone pilots battle to steer their craft through a window course as quickly as possible.

Of course, drones aren’t simply for entertainment purposes. They’ve become very prominent in warfare too. So much so, in fact, that models like the MQ-1 Predator have become, according to once-BBC defense correspondent Jonathan Marcus, weapons as iconic as “the longbow used by the English archers at Agincourt in the Middle Ages or the heavily armoured tanks that epitomised the ground combat of World War Two.”

The X-47B of the U.S. Navy was a particularly formidable stealth drone, but it’s no longer in use by the military. Here’s why.

The story of the X-47B stealth drone

Per Northrop Grumman, the X-47B was created under a 2007 contract with the U.S. Navy. It was a time when unmanned craft were beginning to show burgeoning potential, and the Navy was looking to incorporate such a craft into its forces.

The initiative, titled the “Unmanned Combat Air System (UCAS) Carrier Demonstration,” wanted just that: a plane that could launch and relaunch from an aircraft carrier, refuel while in action, and more — all without a pilot. Such a compact and sophisticated craft could offer dramatically increased visibility into dangerous areas, while removing risks to pilots. Northrop Grumman took this brief in stride and set out to deliver.

The craft that would be the X-47B. It was unlike anything seen before. Popular Science declared it “the world’s first autonomous warplane,” and though only two X-47Bs were completed, they demonstrated through vigorous trials the fully capabilities of drones. As demonstrated by the U.S. Navy on YouTube, it strutted its stuff in both takeoff and landing from the USS Theodore Roosevelt in August 2014.

The very next year, though, the Unmanned Combat Air System demonstration project ended.

What happened to this incredible drone?

As is so often the case with technology, things can take unexpected turns. During development or afterwards, the research can turn out to be more useful elsewhere. This, essentially, was the case with the X-47B.

The aircraft was, as the title of the Unmanned Combat Air System Demonstration project suggests, precisely that: a demonstration, a proof of concept. At this, it was a great success. Automated Aerial Refueling was and remains quite the undertaking, and the X-47B accomplishing it without a pilot was a world first. The knowledge gained from these remarkable craft was taken in a slightly different direction, as Northrop Grumman notes that they were designed with the intent of “setting the stage for the development of a more permanent, carrier-based fleet of unmanned aircraft..”

The X-47B and UCAS-D project gave way to the Carrier-Based Aerial Refueling System research, through which the MQ-25 Stingray was ultimately developed.