Modern What Iffer Harrier GR.31, RNZAF

[Maverick]

Yet another group of ideas.

BAe Harrier GR.31 History
Late in 2010, the RNZAF began to search for a new aircraft to replace it's ageing A-4K Skyhawks.  Many types were studied, but financial constraints and realisation of the new aircraft's role put paid to many of them.  An understanding that the best option would be a CAS aircraft with a secondary air defence capability rather than a true dual-role 'strikefighter', led them to look towards the RAF's fleet of Harrier GR.11s that were being offered for sale due to that service's adoption of the F-35 Scimitar and F-32 Wyvern.

The RAF had been steadily replacing their ageing 'jump jets' with the new machines as they came into service, the aircraft having been updated during it's service and still a potent attack machine in it's final GR.11 guise, including a multi-mode radar and a plethora of stores including AMRAAM capability.  This allowed it to fly all weather CAS sorties whilst not only being able to defend itself, but to provide an air defence role when required.

The aircraft seemed perfect for the RNZAF's needs and BAe entered into a contract to supply a squadron of machines, refurbished to extend their fatigue life along with some minor avionic upgrades, the most significant being the ability to launch the AGM-84 Harpoon anti-ship missile or it's AGM-84D SLAM-ER land attack variant.

No 75 Squadron was declared operational on the type in 2011 and deployed four years later as part of Operation Eastern Crusade, the ANZAC intervention in Indonesia.  The Kiwi Harriers were able to provide valuable air support during the night and in foul weather by virtue of their avionics, something the Aussie F/A-35M Timberwolves were unable to do.

[Radish]

Ooooohhhhhh      

[Maverick]

   

[Ja Worsley]

Interesting idea mate, but I think the first solution to this is the assination of the unpopular Prime-Minister Hellen Clarke who had turned the mighty nation into a dictatorship. (call it Operation "Silence of the Lambs"- I think you can see the humor in that joke).

Forget the GR-11's, the RNZAF would actually get the FA.2's which had been in storage for a while at bargin prices because the British government were a) sick of spending money on theses planes that were doing nothing and being kept in storage for a sale to any favourable country since the list of such countries is very short. and B) rewarding the Kiwi government for it's loyalty over the years especially throughout the recent crisis involving the loyalist upsergings who were calling for the Queen to finally retire and pass on the crown to Charles.