Hi team,
I read that in the 60s Northrop considered building the Harrier for the US Army (they having already assessed the F-5, A-4 and G-91). I also saw a factory display model in overall OD and simple US Army marks and I thought "Yes....."
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87634768-1E99-4F54-A672-90A58B8A6A3B_zpswpsjzzpq by
Zac Yates, on Flickr
Although the US Army had experienced success with the Douglas A-4D Skyhawk in Vietnam it became clear that, although it was a rough field-capable machine, the type’s reliance on runways/strips was a serious liability. As a result in 1967 the Army began investigation into vertical/short take-off and landing (V/STOL) types to replace the A-4D.
Clear frontrunner was the Hawker Siddeley Harrier, soon to enter Royal Air Force and West German Luftwaffe service and having been assessed by US pilots in its Kestrel development form. This previous experience, combined with the desire of the US Marine Corps to also purchase the aircraft, made the Harrier the obvious choice. Although Northrop had initially looked at producing an American Harrier it was McDonnell Douglas who ultimately signed a partnership agreement with Hawker Siddeley to produce 170 AV-8A Harriers.
Unlike the USMC model the Army’s Harriers were not equipped to carry any air-to-air missiles, being dedicated ground attack/close support aircraft relying on USAF fighters for protection. The twin 20mm cannon pods under the belly were permanent fixtures, rather than being optional, and a wide range of bombs and rockets were cleared for use on the five weapons pylons. Sixty of the type were ordered for the Army in early 1969.
The type entered service in 1970 with a limited deployment to South Vietnam, where one unit was activated with a combination of Army pilots and Royal Air Force advisors. The type’s unique flight controls made it tricky for the Army crews to master but before long the RAF pilots had checked out enough new fliers to return home. The first all-Army-crewed Harrier strike mission was flown on May 4, resulting in several NVA tanks being disabled. This was followed by a series of strikes against NVA troop positions throughout the month. Although some of the machines suffered shrapnel damage and small-arms fire, not one was lost in combat.
The success of the first missions inspired the Army to focus on the Harrier for its close-support needs, deploying the remainder of its fleet for active service in the theatre. The Army increased its order by another 20 aircraft but these were not to see service in Vietnam as the situation there deteriorated during 1972 and ’73. By mid-1973 the Harriers, as with the vast majority of US forces and equipment, were back in the USA.
During the post-Vietnam wind-down of Army aviation assets several of the Harriers were placed into storage or used for maintenance training. A proposal to base a Harrier unit in West Germany was considered but ultimately not followed through, due to RAF and Luftwaffe Harriers already there in considerable numbers.
Due to this perceived lack of need, and a general feeling that the close-support role in any future conflict would be performed by a combination of helicopters and USMC/USAF aircraft, the decision was made to stand down the Harrier units and retire the 73 surviving aircraft. Army chiefs were criticised for having ordered more aircraft during the withdrawal for Vietnam when no plans for deployment were in place, and despite the type’s admirable combat record the retirement was controversial.
Because of the age of the aircraft – the newest was less than four years old when retired – the Army offered them for sale. The RAF and USMC declined due to manufacturing differences between the variants, but the Luftwaffe accepted an offer for 36 airframes in June 1976. These were ferried to West Germany and entered service in 1977, remaining on strength until 1985 when they were replaced by Harrier GR.23s.
After the Luftwaffe transfer 37 Harriers remained in US Army hands. With no further sales looking likely the Chief of the Army authorised the transfer of one airframe to the Smithsonian Institution for museum display, two for the Army’s own aviation museum at Fort Rucker, Al, and directed the remaining 34 aircraft be placed in long-term storage. These were flown to the Military Aircraft Storage and Disposition Center at Davis-Monthan AFB, and several have since been scrapped there. Six to 10n airframes remain there today.
The United States Army Aviation Museum at Fort Rucker restored and placed 71-4512 on display in its main hall in 1980 while 71-3978 (pictured) is on outdoor display as a Vietnam-era machine. One of the original Vietnam deployment aircraft and a former Luftwaffe machine, 69-7844, is being restored to fly by the Collins Foundation in Massachusetts and it is hoped it will fly (in US colours) before 2017. A handful of Luftwaffe machines are on museum display in Germany.
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More, better photos soon :)
