spejic
25 Feb 2008, 05:12 PM
History is full of examples of promising military technology that was tried, found wanting, and then abandoned (such as hydrofoils for patrol boats). It is interesting that the Harrier has survived so long, given its problematic history. It has a crazy high accident rate - about a third of all US Marine Harriers have been lost to accidents in the history of the type, and some users (like India) have lost half of theirs. They have also been shown to be weak in combat, with limited payloads and ranges. The position of the engine exhausts mean that hits by small IR missiles will hit them directly in the center instead the much more survivable rear, as was demonstrated during the Gulf War. And the reason for their creation (dispersion from vulnerable airfields) has been rendered moot by better thinking. Modern European aircraft are designed to use roads as landing strips. The only place they have performed well is in the Falklands conflict.
This applies to other V/STOL aircraft as well. The requirement for this capability for a version of the F-35 has made the whole program slow and very expensive, and the V/STOL version has a almost uselessly small weapons bay and no gun. I like the Osprey a lot, but it too is extremely complex and expensive.
This applies to other V/STOL aircraft as well. The requirement for this capability for a version of the F-35 has made the whole program slow and very expensive, and the V/STOL version has a almost uselessly small weapons bay and no gun. I like the Osprey a lot, but it too is extremely complex and expensive.