Indian Navy formally retired its British Aerospace Sea Harrier FRS51 naval strike/air defense fighter, becoming the last operator of the ty...
Indian Navy formally retired its British Aerospace Sea Harrier FRS51 naval strike/air defense fighter, becoming the last operator of the type.
The Sea Harrier fleet, which constituted the Indian Naval Air Squadron (INAS 300) ‘White Tigers’, flew for the last time during the farewell ceremony at INS Hansa naval base in Goa, on 11 May.
During its 33 year service, the Indian Navy operated a total of 30 aircraft including five twin seat trainer variants.The Sea Harrier operated from both INS Vikrant and INS Viraat aircraft carrriers, where use of the ski jump allowed the aircraft to take off from a short flight deck with a heavier load than otherwise possible, although it can also take off like a conventional loaded fighter without thrust vectoring from a normal airport runway.
Unusual in an era in which most naval and land-based air superiority fighters were large and supersonic, the principal role of the subsonic Sea Harrier was to provide air defense to naval fleet by operating from their aircraft carriers.
The Sea Harrier is equipped with four wing and one fuselage pylons for carrying weapons and external fuel tanks in addition to two removable 30 mm Aden Gunpods on the fuselage. The Sea Harriers were also equipped with the French MBDA Matra Magic II and the Israeli Derby Air to Air Beyond Visual Range (BVR) Missiles which makes the Sea Harrier a potent air defense fighter for the fleet at sea.
The Sea Harrier was fitted with anti-ship Sea Eagle missile providing the best stand-off range anti ship capability to the fleet. In addition, the fighters were also capable of firing rockets and dropping bombs in shore bombardment role or in action against lightly armed ship.
The aircraft were operated by Indian Navy and Royal Navy. Its usage in the Falklands War (1982) was its most high profile and important success, where it was the only fixed-wing fighter available to protect the British Task Force over 8000 miles from homeland.
The farewell ceremony also marked the INAS 300 squadron being re-equipped with the more lethal MiG-29K swing role air dominance fighter giving the squadron enhanced combat power and offensive capability.
The air display during the farewell ceremony included supersonic pass by MiG-29s and formation flying by two each Sea Harriers and MiG 29Ks. The composite air display symbolized a smooth transition from the old to the new.
For the versatile White Tigers, this resurrection also marks a full cycle from commissioning ‘Tail Hooking Sea Hawks’ to the ‘Vectored Thrust’ Sea Harrier era; and now with the induction of the MiG-29k to this elite squadron, marks the return of the ‘Tail Hookers’.
The MiG-29K squadron operates from Navy's new INS Vikramaditya aircraft carrier.
Originally developed by British manufacturer Hawker Siddeley in the 1960s, the Harrier emerged as the only truly successful Vertical / Short Take Off and Landing (V/STOL) jet design of the many attempted during that era.
It first entered service with the Royal Navy in April 1980. The fighter was conceived to operate from improvised bases, taking off and landing vertically like a helicopter, using the four side mounted vectorable nozzles on the single Rolls Royce Pegasus turbofan engine that produced 21500 pounds of thrust propelling the fighter at approximately 635 Knots.
The White Tigers or INAS 300 who stand for excellence, determination and aggressive spirit, heralded the era of carrier borne aviation into the Indian Navy. Almost six decades ago the squadron was commissioned at RNAS Brawdy with its distinctive ‘White Tiger’ logo and equipped with the Sea Hawk aircraft. After providing yeoman service for over two decades, the squadron was subsequently reincarnated with Sea Harriers in 1983.
The second generation of Sea Harrier jump jets were designed and developed by U.S. McDonnell Douglas, dubbed the AV-8B II in 1970s. The variant is currently operated by US Marine Corps, Spanish Navy and the Italian Navy.
The Sea Harrier fleet, which constituted the Indian Naval Air Squadron (INAS 300) ‘White Tigers’, flew for the last time during the farewell ceremony at INS Hansa naval base in Goa, on 11 May.
During its 33 year service, the Indian Navy operated a total of 30 aircraft including five twin seat trainer variants.The Sea Harrier operated from both INS Vikrant and INS Viraat aircraft carrriers, where use of the ski jump allowed the aircraft to take off from a short flight deck with a heavier load than otherwise possible, although it can also take off like a conventional loaded fighter without thrust vectoring from a normal airport runway.
Unusual in an era in which most naval and land-based air superiority fighters were large and supersonic, the principal role of the subsonic Sea Harrier was to provide air defense to naval fleet by operating from their aircraft carriers.
The Sea Harrier is equipped with four wing and one fuselage pylons for carrying weapons and external fuel tanks in addition to two removable 30 mm Aden Gunpods on the fuselage. The Sea Harriers were also equipped with the French MBDA Matra Magic II and the Israeli Derby Air to Air Beyond Visual Range (BVR) Missiles which makes the Sea Harrier a potent air defense fighter for the fleet at sea.
The Sea Harrier was fitted with anti-ship Sea Eagle missile providing the best stand-off range anti ship capability to the fleet. In addition, the fighters were also capable of firing rockets and dropping bombs in shore bombardment role or in action against lightly armed ship.
The aircraft were operated by Indian Navy and Royal Navy. Its usage in the Falklands War (1982) was its most high profile and important success, where it was the only fixed-wing fighter available to protect the British Task Force over 8000 miles from homeland.
The farewell ceremony also marked the INAS 300 squadron being re-equipped with the more lethal MiG-29K swing role air dominance fighter giving the squadron enhanced combat power and offensive capability.
The air display during the farewell ceremony included supersonic pass by MiG-29s and formation flying by two each Sea Harriers and MiG 29Ks. The composite air display symbolized a smooth transition from the old to the new.
For the versatile White Tigers, this resurrection also marks a full cycle from commissioning ‘Tail Hooking Sea Hawks’ to the ‘Vectored Thrust’ Sea Harrier era; and now with the induction of the MiG-29k to this elite squadron, marks the return of the ‘Tail Hookers’.
The MiG-29K squadron operates from Navy's new INS Vikramaditya aircraft carrier.
Originally developed by British manufacturer Hawker Siddeley in the 1960s, the Harrier emerged as the only truly successful Vertical / Short Take Off and Landing (V/STOL) jet design of the many attempted during that era.
It first entered service with the Royal Navy in April 1980. The fighter was conceived to operate from improvised bases, taking off and landing vertically like a helicopter, using the four side mounted vectorable nozzles on the single Rolls Royce Pegasus turbofan engine that produced 21500 pounds of thrust propelling the fighter at approximately 635 Knots.
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| On board the INS Viraat aircraft carrier |
The second generation of Sea Harrier jump jets were designed and developed by U.S. McDonnell Douglas, dubbed the AV-8B II in 1970s. The variant is currently operated by US Marine Corps, Spanish Navy and the Italian Navy.
