The Hawker Siddeley Harrier, developed in the 1960s, was the first of the Harrier Jump Jet series of aircraft. It was the first operational close-support and reconnaissance fighter aircraft with vertical/short takeoff and landing (V/STOL) capabilities and the only truly successful V/STOL design of the many that arose in that era. The Harrier was developed directly from the Hawker Siddeley Kestrel prototype aircraft, following the cancellation of a more advanced supersonic aircraft, the Hawker Siddeley P.1154. The British Royal Air Force (RAF) ordered the Harrier GR.1 and GR.3 variants in the late 1960s. It was exported to the United States as the AV-8A, for use by the US Marine Corps (USMC), in the 1970s.
Source: Hawker Siddeley Harrier on Wikipedia
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The Hawker Siddeley Harrier is a British aircraft that was developed in the 1960s and 1970s. It is the first operational jet fighter capable of vertical/short takeoff and landing (V/STOL), meaning it can take off and land on short runways or even on ships. The Harrier uses four vectoring nozzles to direct its thrust downwards or backwards, allowing it to hover, fly backwards, or perform other maneuvers. The Harrier was used by the Royal Air Force (RAF), the Royal Navy, and several other countries, including the United States Marine Corps (USMC). The Harrier played a significant role in the Falklands War in 1982, where it proved its effectiveness against Argentine forces. The Harrier was also deployed in various conflicts in the Middle East, the Balkans, and Afghanistan. The Harrier was retired from service in 2011 by the RAF and the Royal Navy, and replaced by the Lockheed Martin F-35B Lightning II. The USMC still operates the AV-8B Harrier II, a second-generation version of the Harrier that was developed jointly by McDonnell Douglas and British Aerospace.
New set of 45 photos of a Harrier II RAF GR.7