thedrifter
03-18-03, 11:59 AM
Marines Confident In Harriers
Chicago Tribune
March 17, 2003
ABOARD THE USS SAIPAN - The Harrier fighter jet, known for its potential and its problems, will get a crucial test if war erupts in Iraq, Marine officials say.
One of the most menacing-looking aircraft in the U.S. arsenal, the Harrier is the only plane capable of lifting vertically like a helicopter and then flying at near the speed of sound. But questions of reliability and battlefield vulnerability have dogged the plane for decades. "I trust this aircraft with the lives of Marines. Absolutely, I do," declared Col. Robert "Boomer" Milstead, commander of Marine Aircraft Group 29.
Milstead pointed to the aircraft's successes over the years, including missions in Kosovo and Afghanistan and during the 1982 Falklands War between Britain and Argentina. It also was used "to great success" during the gulf war, he said, when Harrier squadrons flew more than 3,000 sorties, destroying Iraqi radar sites, armored vehicles and ground forces.
During the 1991 gulf war, five Harriers were shot down. Two pilots died, and two others ejected from their aircraft and became Iraqi prisoners.
Since the plane was introduced by the British to the U.S. military about 30 years ago, nearly 400 of the "jump jets" have become part of the Marines' fleet. Today, however, only about 150 are in service. A Los Angeles Times investigation last year found more than a third of the Harriers have been lost in 143 accidents that killed 45 Marines. It is the highest accident rate of any aircraft in use by any of the U.S. armed services, the newspaper reported.
Improvements since the gulf war enable the aircraft to elude heat-seeking missiles more effectively, Marine officials say. The Harrier's laser-guided bombs allow the plane to fly higher than it once did during an attack, making it less vulnerable to fire from the ground.
The Harrier was designed to provide close cover for advancing Marines. It can use runways as short as 800 feet to take off when it is fully loaded with bombs and missiles. It needs only a level spot on solid ground to land, an advantage that allows it to make use of bombed-out runways. And it packs a fierce punch, capable of carrying Sidewinder and Maverick missiles. A 25 mm six-barrel gun can be mounted on the aircraft, and it can drop conventional bombs as well as cluster bombs.
"I think people forget sometimes that this jet can do more than any other jet," said Marine Capt. Seth Munson, 28, a Harrier pilot.
"Maybe this will be its time to show everyone what an effective aircraft it really is."
More than 60 of the planes are on ships in the Persian Gulf, including more than a dozen on the USS Saipan. Others are on bases in the region. Mechanics say the plane is "labor intensive" but no more so than any other military aircraft.
"I can't say this plane has lots of problems," Master Sgt. A.R.
Timmons said. "It just gets wear and tear and you have to check it out regularly. It's a shame the aircraft is getting badmouthed."
But another pilot aboard the Saipan who did not want to be identified said one of the plane's biggest flaws is not mechanical.
He said the Harrier carries only one pilot and the pilot is asked to perform many tasks at once, including navigating, firing missiles, looking at radar and keeping tabs on the dozens of gauges in the cockpit. All of those actions are being done while the plane is within reach of shoulder-launched rockets and gunfire.
Many versions of the successful F-16 fighter have two pilots who split up those duties.
"I am not complaining, mind you. It's just a fact. The pilot is under a lot of pressure and at close range of the enemy," he said.
"Having said that, I can tell you for certain this plane can really kick some butt. And I think we will do that despite what some people might say."
Sempers,
Roger
Chicago Tribune
March 17, 2003
ABOARD THE USS SAIPAN - The Harrier fighter jet, known for its potential and its problems, will get a crucial test if war erupts in Iraq, Marine officials say.
One of the most menacing-looking aircraft in the U.S. arsenal, the Harrier is the only plane capable of lifting vertically like a helicopter and then flying at near the speed of sound. But questions of reliability and battlefield vulnerability have dogged the plane for decades. "I trust this aircraft with the lives of Marines. Absolutely, I do," declared Col. Robert "Boomer" Milstead, commander of Marine Aircraft Group 29.
Milstead pointed to the aircraft's successes over the years, including missions in Kosovo and Afghanistan and during the 1982 Falklands War between Britain and Argentina. It also was used "to great success" during the gulf war, he said, when Harrier squadrons flew more than 3,000 sorties, destroying Iraqi radar sites, armored vehicles and ground forces.
During the 1991 gulf war, five Harriers were shot down. Two pilots died, and two others ejected from their aircraft and became Iraqi prisoners.
Since the plane was introduced by the British to the U.S. military about 30 years ago, nearly 400 of the "jump jets" have become part of the Marines' fleet. Today, however, only about 150 are in service. A Los Angeles Times investigation last year found more than a third of the Harriers have been lost in 143 accidents that killed 45 Marines. It is the highest accident rate of any aircraft in use by any of the U.S. armed services, the newspaper reported.
Improvements since the gulf war enable the aircraft to elude heat-seeking missiles more effectively, Marine officials say. The Harrier's laser-guided bombs allow the plane to fly higher than it once did during an attack, making it less vulnerable to fire from the ground.
The Harrier was designed to provide close cover for advancing Marines. It can use runways as short as 800 feet to take off when it is fully loaded with bombs and missiles. It needs only a level spot on solid ground to land, an advantage that allows it to make use of bombed-out runways. And it packs a fierce punch, capable of carrying Sidewinder and Maverick missiles. A 25 mm six-barrel gun can be mounted on the aircraft, and it can drop conventional bombs as well as cluster bombs.
"I think people forget sometimes that this jet can do more than any other jet," said Marine Capt. Seth Munson, 28, a Harrier pilot.
"Maybe this will be its time to show everyone what an effective aircraft it really is."
More than 60 of the planes are on ships in the Persian Gulf, including more than a dozen on the USS Saipan. Others are on bases in the region. Mechanics say the plane is "labor intensive" but no more so than any other military aircraft.
"I can't say this plane has lots of problems," Master Sgt. A.R.
Timmons said. "It just gets wear and tear and you have to check it out regularly. It's a shame the aircraft is getting badmouthed."
But another pilot aboard the Saipan who did not want to be identified said one of the plane's biggest flaws is not mechanical.
He said the Harrier carries only one pilot and the pilot is asked to perform many tasks at once, including navigating, firing missiles, looking at radar and keeping tabs on the dozens of gauges in the cockpit. All of those actions are being done while the plane is within reach of shoulder-launched rockets and gunfire.
Many versions of the successful F-16 fighter have two pilots who split up those duties.
"I am not complaining, mind you. It's just a fact. The pilot is under a lot of pressure and at close range of the enemy," he said.
"Having said that, I can tell you for certain this plane can really kick some butt. And I think we will do that despite what some people might say."
Sempers,
Roger