Office Depot and British Aerospace Sea Harrier: Difference between pages
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company_name = Office Depot| |
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{{Infobox Aircraft |
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company_logo = [[Image:Office Depot logo.svg|220px|Office Depot logo]]| |
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|name= Sea Harrier |
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company_type = [[Public company|Public]] ({{nyse|ODP}}) | |
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|image= Image:SeaHarrier.jpg |
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foundation = [[1986]]| |
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|caption= A Sea Harrier FA2 of 801 NAS in flight at the [[Royal International Air Tattoo]]. |
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location = [[Delray Beach, Florida]]| |
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|type= [[Vertical/Short Takeoff and Landing|V/STOL]] attack aircraft |
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industry = [[Retailing|Retail]]| |
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|national origin = [[United Kingdom]] |
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|manufacturers= [[Hawker Siddeley]] <br/>[[British Aerospace]] <br/>[[BAE Systems]] |
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revenue = {{gain}} $15.5 billion [[US dollar|USD]] (2007)| |
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|first flight= |
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homepage = http://www.officedepot.com/| |
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|introduced= 20 August 1978 (FRS1) <br/>2 April 1993 (FA2) |
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|retired= March 2006 ([[Royal Navy]]) |
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|status= Active service with [[Indian Navy]] |
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|primary user= [[Royal Navy]] |
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|more users= [[Indian Navy]] |
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|produced=<!--years in production, e.g. 1970-1999, if still in active use but no longer built--> |
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|number built= |
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|unit cost=US$18 million in 1991<ref>[http://www.aeronautics.ru/nws002/military_aircraft_prices.htm Military aircraft prices]</ref> |
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|developed from = [[Hawker Siddeley Harrier]] |
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|variants with their own articles = [[AV-8B Harrier II]] <br/>[[BAE Harrier II]] |
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}} |
}} |
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[[Image:Officedepotheadquarters.jpg|thumb|right|270px|Office Depot headquarters in Delray Beach]] |
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'''Office Depot''' ({{nyse|ODP}}) is a supplier of office products and services. The Company's selection of brand name office supplies includes business machines, computers, computer software and office furniture, while its business services encompass copying, printing, document reproduction, mailing and shipping. |
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The '''[[BAE Systems]] Sea Harrier''' is a [[Navy|naval]] [[VTOL]]/[[STOVL]] [[jet fighter]], [[reconnaissance]] and [[attack aircraft]], a development of the [[Hawker Siddeley Harrier]]. It first entered service with the [[Royal Navy]] in April 1980 as the '''Sea Harrier FRS1'''. The latest version is the '''Sea Harrier FA2'''. Informally known as the "'''Shar'''", the Sea Harrier was withdrawn from Royal Navy service in March 2006. |
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The Company sells its products through multiple distribution channels, including over 2,000 [[office supply]] stores, direct mail, Internet websites, business-to-business e-commerce, and sales forces. Office Depot operates under the Office Depot, Viking Office Products, Viking Direct, Guilbert, TechDepot and 4sure.com brand names. An S&P 500 company, Office Depot generates revenues of over US $15 billion annually and has 52,000 employees worldwide. It is headquartered in [[Delray Beach]], [[Florida]]. |
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== History == |
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Office Depot was founded in [[Lauderdale Lakes, Florida]] (near [[Fort Lauderdale, Florida|Fort Lauderdale]]) in [[1986]] by three partners: Pat Sher, Stephen Dougherty, and Jack Kopkin. Sher, the company's first [[Chief executive officer|CEO]], died the next year from [[leukemia]]. Sher's estate donated the proceed of his life insurance policy to help the fledgling company meet its payroll. <ref> Jeffrey Rodengen "Taking Care of Business: the First 20 years" ISBN 193202221 </ref> The company retained professional executive [[recruiter]]s (so-called "headhunters") to find a replacement for Sher. David Fuente, formerly an executive with [[Sherwin-Williams]], was selected as the new chairman and CEO. |
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==Development== |
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Fuente immediately launched an aggressive nationwide expansion program. To finance it, he arranged for an [[initial public offering]] of stock in [[1988]]. In [[1991]], Office Depot expanded to the West Coast region with the purchase of competitor Office Club. By [[1993]], it was operating over 350 stores in the U.S. and Canada. This acquisition moved Office Depot onto the national stage. <ref> Jeffrey Rodengen "Taking Care of Business: the First 20 years" ISBN 193202221 </ref> Mark Begelman, founder and president of Office Club, joined Office Depot as president and chief operating officer. |
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In 1966 the planned [[CVA-01]] class [[aircraft carrier]]s for the Royal Navy were cancelled, apparently ending the Royal Navy's involvement in fixed-wing carrier aviation. However, beginning in the early 1970s, the first of a new class of "through deck cruisers" was planned, carefully named to avoid the term "aircraft carrier" to increase the chances of funding. These ships would eventually become the [[Invincible class aircraft carrier|''Invincible'' class]] aircraft carriers. With little modification, a 'ski-jump' was added to the end of the 170 m deck, enabling the carriers to operate a small number of V/STOL jets. |
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Office Clubs store were slated to continued operations under the Office Club brand and operate as a subsidiary of Office Depot. This was because Office Club operated under a "Membership format" (Similar to what is employed by [[Costco]] and [[Sam's Club]]) and the company was at first reluctant to part with that. Within a year of the merger, Office Club stores dropped the membership format and became fully assimilated with Office Depot.<ref> Jeffrey Rodengen "Taking Care of Business: the First 20 years" ISBN 193202221 </ref> |
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===Sea Harrier FRS1=== |
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The company began to run into problems in the late 1990s when many key North American markets became saturated with too many of the big three office supply chains: Office Depot, [[OfficeMax]], and [[Staples, Inc.|Staples]]. |
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[[Image:FRS.1 ski-jump take-off HMS Invincible.JPEG|thumb|right|A Sea Harrier FRS 1 on [[HMS Invincible (R05)|HMS Invincible]]]] |
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The [[Royal Air Force]]'s [[Hawker Siddeley Harrier|Hawker Siddeley Harrier GR1]]s had entered service in April 1969. In 1975 the Royal Navy ordered 34 Sea Harrier FRS.1s (later FRS1)('''F'''ighter/'''R'''econnaissance/'''S'''trike Mk. 1), the first of which entered service in 1978. In total 57 FRS1s were delivered between 1978 and 1988. |
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=== Later expansion and acquisitions === |
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[[Image:Officedepot.jpg|right|195px|thumb|A typical Office Depot store in East Palo Alto, California]] |
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In search of new opportunities, Office Depot began to expand overseas to many more countries. In 1998, it launched its public [[Web site]] and merged with the catalog company Viking Office Products. |
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===Harrier T4N=== |
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In June 2003, Office Depot Inc. acquired Guilbert, formerly part of the Pinault-Printemps Redoute Group (PPR). With this strategic acquisition, Office Depot has doubled its presence in Europe to around 3 billion Euros and with this move confirms its European market leadership (Office Depot European headquarters is located in [[the Netherlands]] - [[Venlo]]). |
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The Harrier T4N is not strictly a variant of the Sea Harrier, but is a two-seat naval [[Trainer (aircraft)|training version]] of the Harrier T2. Four '''Harrier T4N''' were purchased by the Royal Navy for land-based training. It did not have radar and had a few Sea Harrier instruments, but was used for pilot conversion training for the Sea Harrier FRS1. |
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During the [[dot-com collapse]] in late [[2000]], the company's sales took a dive. Over 70 stores were closed and Fuente was reportedly forced out of his job as CEO; he was replaced by the head of the company's international operations, Bruce Nelson. On [[October 4]], [[2004]], Office Depot [http://www.officedepot.de/eu_content/de/content/presse_chairman_bruce_nelson.htm announced] that [[Neil R. Austrian]], former President of the [[National Football League]], was succeeding Nelson as interim chairman and CEO. Succeeding Austrian was [[Steve Odland]], formerly CEO of [[Autozone]]. |
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=== |
===Sea Harrier FRS51=== |
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[[Image:Harrier IN Malabar 07.jpg|thumb|right|Sea Harrier FRS51. of the [[Indian Navy]] taking off from [[INS Viraat]]]] |
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The domain ''officedepot.com'' attracted at least [http://siteanalytics.compete.com/officedepot.com?metric=uv 37 million visitors] annually by 2008 according to a [[Compete.com]] survey. |
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Single-seat fighter, reconnaissance and attack aircraft. The Sea Harrier FRS51 is similar to the FRS1. Unlike the British Sea Harrier, it is fitted with Matra [[R550 Magic]] [[air-to-air missiles]]. The first of twenty-three FRS51s were delivered to the Indian Navy in 1983. |
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== Private label brands == |
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In addition to selling many nationally recognized [[name brand]]s, Office Depot sells products under several [[store brand]]s, including: |
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*'''Ativa''', for [[paper shredder|shredder]]s, [[telephone]]s and certain computer hardware components such as [[CD]]s, keyboards, and [[USB drive]]s |
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*'''Break Escape''', for coffee, snacks, and other break room supplies and water. |
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*'''Castlebridge''', for executive [[briefcase]]s and portfolios |
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*'''Christopher Lowell''', for office [[furniture]], in association with the [[Christopher Lowell|television personality]] |
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*'''Foray''', for [[pen]]s, [[pencil]]s, [[highlighter]]s, correction tape, and other writing instruments, as well as CD cases. |
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*'''Furniture at Work''', for office [[furniture]] |
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*'''Niceday''', for most standard office supplies |
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*'''Office Depot''' brand, for most standard office supplies and technology such as [[Staple (fastener)|staple]]s, [[Ring binder|binder]]s, file folders, remanufactured ink & toner, etc. |
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*'''Real Space''', for office furniture |
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*'''TUG''', for school [[backpacks]] |
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*'''Worklife''', for higher-quality presentation and résumé papers |
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===Harrier T60=== |
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== Customer Incentive Programs == |
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Export version of the T4N two-seat training version for the Indian Navy. At least four '''Harrier T60s''' were purchased by the Indian Navy for land-based training. |
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=== Ink Cartridge Recycling === |
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Similar to other office supply chains, Office Depot has a program set up to encourage customers to recycle their used ink cartridges. Once per day, a customer has the opportunity to drop off empty cartridges for a discount on their purchase. Previously, a $2.50 discount was available towards the purchase of a new ink cartridge. Since [[February 12]], [[2006]], the discount was increased to a $3.00 coupon which can be used towards any purchase over $3.00. As of [[July 27]], [[2007]] you may redeem up to twenty-five cartridges a day and redeem up to 3 coupons per for any amount totaling more than the dollar amount per purchase. |
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===Sea Harrier FA2=== |
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Only inkjet cartridges that contain an internal printhead qualify for the program. This includes the majority of [[Hewlett-Packard|HP]] and [[Lexmark]] produced cartridges as well as the Office Depot remanufactured brand version of those cartridges. It also includes a very limited number of newer [[Canon Inc.|Canon]] cartridges. Cartridges that do not contain printheads do not qualify. Some cartridges contain electrical contacts that may be confused as being a printhead, but these contacts are only to allow communication with the printer for purposes of measuring ink levels or to determine whether or not the cartridge has expired. Most toner and toner/drum units can be recycled, but not those that are simply plastic toner containers such as many fax machine ink produced by [[Brother Industries]] and [[Panasonic]]. This program excludes ink tanks, such as almost all [[Epson]] brand inks. |
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[[Image:Sea Harrier FA.2 ZE694 at MAM 22n07.JPG|right|thumb|Sea Harrier FA2 ZE694 at the [[Midland Air Museum]]]] |
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[[Image:Vector-nozzle-sea-harrier-jet.jpg|thumb|Sea Harrier FA2 ZA195 (upgrade) vector thrust nozzle - distinguishing feature of the jump jet]] |
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Lessons learned from the aircraft's performance in the Falklands led to the requirement for an upgrade of the fleet, incorporating increased air-to-air weapons load, look-down radar, increased range, and improved cockpit displays. Approval for an upgrade to '''FRS.2''' standard was given in 1984. First flight of the prototype took place on September 1988 and a contract was signed for 29 upgraded aircraft in December that year, with the upgraded aircraft to be known as the '''F/A.2''' (later '''FA2'''). In 1990 the Navy ordered 18 new-build FA2s, at a unit cost of around £12 million, and a further 5 upgrades were ordered in 1994. The Sea Harrier FA2 featured the Blue Vixen radar, which was described as one of the most advanced [[pulse doppler radar]] systems in the world. The Blue Vixen formed the basis for development of the [[Eurofighter Typhoon]]'s [[Euroradar CAPTOR|CAPTOR radar]]. The Sea Harrier FA2 carries the [[AIM-120 AMRAAM]] missile and was the first UK aircraft to be provided with this capability. The first aircraft was delivered on 2 April 1993 and the first operational deployment was in April 1994 as part of the [[United Nations|UN]] force in [[Bosnia and Herzegovina|Bosnia]]. |
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=== Office Depot Worklife Rewards === |
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On [[June 1]], [[2006]], Office Depot launched the Worklife Rewards program which combined several benefits of the former "Advantage Reward" and Star Teacher program. It offered 10% rewards on the total amount spent past $200 (excluding computers, monitors, UPS shipping and postage stamp purchases) in a three-month period, with no cap on the amount of rewards that could be earned. Office Depot brand ink qualified for a double credit 10% reward. Theoretically, if an individual spent $50,000 in a three-month period, they would earn $2,500 in rewards credits. The credits are issued on a store gift card. For Design, Print, & Ship services, 15% rewards were given on all purchases past $35. |
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The final new-build Sea Harrier FA2 was delivered on 18 January 1999. |
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On September 1, 2007, the Worklife Rewards program was relaunched as Worklife Rewards 10% Plus to issue a return of 10% on all ink, toner, paper and Design, Print, & Ship services, and 1% of all other qualifying purchases to members (excluding laptops, desktops, monitors, and TVs).<ref name='TWICE 2007-09-24'>{{cite news | first=Colleen | last=Bohen | coauthors= | title=TWICE: Office Depot Expands Rewards Program | date=2007-09-24 | publisher= | url =http://www.twice.com/article/CA6480927.html?industryid=23098 | work = | pages = | accessdate = 2008-03-21 | language = }}</ref> There are no rewards granted for warranties, postage stamps, or other services. Unlike the previous payout period system, the member must exceed a payout of $10 before a gift card will be issued. The accumulation period for points is no longer three months, but rather until a member gains enough points to receive a gift card.<ref> {{cite web|url=http://www.myworkliferewards.com/customerservice/tc.asp#tc_wlr |title=Office Depot Worklife Rewards Program |accessdate=2008-03-21 }}</ref> |
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===Harrier T8=== |
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Worklife members also receive exclusive coupons through postal mail and email as well in store savings on select items. |
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Seven Harrier T4s two-seat trainers updated with Sea Harrier FA2 instrumentation but no radar. Retired from service in March 2006. |
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==Design== |
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=== STAR Teacher Program === |
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The STAR Teacher Program is specifically for educators and school administrators, and incorporates the benefits of the Office Depot Worklife Program. In addition to Worklife benefits, the STAR program also carries a 15% discount on copy center purchases in addition to the 15% reward for copy center purchases past $35. There is no longer a 5% discount on other items. There are also many events at the Office Depot stores for teachers, including bi-annual Teacher Appreciation Breakfasts that offer free breakfast and giveaways for teachers. |
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The Sea Harrier was largely based on the Harrier GR3, but was modified to have a raised cockpit with a "[[bubble canopy|bubble]]" canopy (to give better visibility for the air defence role) and an extended forward [[fuselage]] to accommodate the [[Ferranti]] (now BAE Systems) Blue Fox radar. Parts were changed to use corrosion resistant [[alloy]]s or coatings were added to protect against the marine environment.<ref name=Jenkins_p51>Jenkins 1998, pp. 51-55.</ref> |
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=== 5% Back To Schools Program === |
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The 5% Back To School Program contributes a portion of a purchase to a local school as a store credit that the school may use to purchase Office Depot merchandise. Schools must register with the program to receive the store credit. Some merchandise does not qualify for the program. |
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The cockpit in the Sea Harrier includes a conventional [[centre stick]] arrangement and left-hand throttle. In addition to normal flight controls, the Harrier has a lever for controlling the direction of the four vectorable nozzles. The nozzles point rearward with the lever in the forward position for horizontal flight. With the lever back, the nozzles point downward for vertical takeoff or landing.<ref>Markman, Steve and Bill Holder. "MAC-DAC/BAe AV-8 Harrier Vectored Thrust VTOL". ''Straight Up: A History of Vertical Flight''. Schiffer Publishing, 2000. ISBN 0-7643-1204-9.</ref><ref name=Jenkins_p25>Jenkins 1998, p. 25.</ref> |
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== Sponsorships == |
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Office Depot previously owned the naming rights to an indoor arena in [[Sunrise]], [[Florida]]. Called Office Depot Center from 2002 to 2005, it was subsequently renamed [[BankAtlantic Center]] after the arena lost exposure because of the NHL lockout. |
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{{Expand-section|Add details|date=August 2008}} |
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Office Depot is currently the primary sponsor of the [[NASCAR]] [[Sprint Cup]] #99 Ford Fusion, owned by [[Roush Fenway Racing]] and driven by [[Carl Edwards]]. After the 2008 season, when [[Aflac]] takes over full-time sponsorship, it is rumored that Office Depot will move its sponsorship to Tony Stewart after his equity partnership in [[Haas CNC Racing]], to be renamed Stewart Haas Racing. |
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==Operational history== |
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Office Depot currently sponsors [[FreeRice]], a program to fight world hunger. |
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===Falklands War=== |
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Sea Harriers took part in the [[Falklands War]] of 1982, flying from the aircraft carriers [[HMS Invincible (R05)|HMS ''Invincible'']] and [[HMS Hermes (R12)|''HMS Hermes'']]. The Sea Harriers were to operate in their primary air defence role with a secondary role of ground attack, with the RAF Harrier GR3 providing the main ground attack force. The Sea Harrier squadrons shot down [[Argentine air forces in the Falklands War|21]] [[Argentina|Argentine]] aircraft in air-to-air combat with no air-to-air losses, although two Sea Harriers were lost to ground fire and four to accidents.<ref>[http://www.britains-smallwars.com/Falklands/brit-aircraftlosses.htm One of Our Aircraft is Missing], Britains-smallwars.com.</ref> |
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==Activities per country== |
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===Stores owned by and operated under the Office Depot name=== |
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*[[Image:Flag of the United States.svg|25px]] [[United States]], 1193 locations (2008) |
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*[[Image:Flag of Israel.svg|25px]] [[Israel]], 44 locations (2008) |
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*[[Image:Flag of Canada.svg|25px]] [[Canada]], 29 locations (2008) |
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*[[Image:Flag of France.svg|25px]] [[France]], 47 locations (2008) |
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*[[Image:Flag of Japan.svg|25px]] [[Japan]], 27 locations (2008) |
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*[[Image:Flag of Hungary.svg|25px]] [[Hungary]], 17 locations (2008) |
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*[[Image:Flag of Puerto Rico.svg|25px]] [[Puerto Rico]] (US), 2 locations (2008)<ref name='10K 2008-20-26'> {{cite web|url=http://investor.officedepot.com/phoenix.zhtml?c=94746&p=irol-sec |title=Office Depot Company Information - SEC Filings |accessdate=2008-03-19 |date=2008-02-26 }}</ref> |
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A number of factors contributed to the failure of the Argentinian fighters to shoot down a Sea Harrier.{{Fact|date=September 2008}} Although the [[Dassault Mirage III|Mirage III]] and [[IAI Nesher|Dagger]] jets were considerably faster, the Sea Harrier was more manoeuvrable. Moreover, the Harrier employed the latest [[AIM-9 Sidewinder|AIM-9L Sidewinder]] missiles and the [[Blue Fox]] [[radar]]. The British pilots had superior air-combat training, one manifestation of which was that they noticed Argentinian pilots occasionally releasing weapons outside of their operating parameters.{{Fact|date=September 2008}} |
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===Stores operating with the Office Depot name under joint venture / license agreements=== |
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British aircraft received fighter control from warships in San Carlos Water, although its effectiveness was limited by their being stationed close to the islands, which severely limited the effectiveness of their radar. |
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157 stores (joint venture with Office Depot de Mexico) in: |
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*[[Image:Flag of Mexico.svg|25px]] [[Mexico]] |
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*[[Image:Flag of Costa Rica.svg|25px]] [[Costa Rica]] |
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*[[Image:Flag of El Salvador.svg|25px]] [[El Salvador]] |
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*[[Image:Flag of Guatemala.svg|25px]] [[Guatemala]] |
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*[[Image:Flag of Honduras.svg|25px]] [[Honduras]] |
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*[[Image:Flag of Panama.svg|25px]] [[Panama]] |
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Both sides' aircraft were operating in adverse conditions. Argentine aircraft were forced to operate from the mainland because airfields on the Falklands were only suited for propellor-driven transports.<ref>[http://www.airpower.maxwell.af.mil/airchronicles/apj/apj02/fal02/corum.html Argentine Airpower in the Falklands War], Air & Space Power Journal, Fall 2002.</ref> In addition, fears partly aroused by the bombing of Port Stanley airport by a British [[Avro Vulcan|Vulcan]] bomber added to the Argentinians' decision to operate them from afar. As most Argentine aircraft lacked in-flight refuelling capability, they were forced to operate at the limit of their range. The Sea Harriers also had limited fuel reserves due to the tactical decision to station the British carriers out of [[Exocet missile]] range and the dispersal of the fleet. The result was that, although an Argentine aircraft could only allow five minutes over the islands to search and attack an objective and without any capable air-to-air missile, a Sea Harrier could stay near to 30 minutes waiting in the Argentine approach corridors. |
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92 stores (licensing and merchandise agreements) in: |
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*[[Image:Flag of South Korea.svg|25px]] [[South Korea]] |
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The Sea Harriers were outnumbered by the available Argentinian aircraft and were on occasion decoyed away by the activities of the ''[[Escuadrón Fénix]]'' or civilian jet aircraft used by the Argentine Air Force. They had to operate without a fleet early warning system such as [[AWACS]] that would have been available to a full NATO fleet in which the Royal Navy had expected to operate. |
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*[[Image:Flag of Thailand.svg|25px]] [[Thailand]] <ref name='10K 2008-20-26'>{{cite web|url=http://investor.officedepot.com/phoenix.zhtml?c=94746&p=irol-sec |title=Office Depot Company Information - SEC Filings |accessdate=2008-03-19 |date=2008-02-26 }}</ref> |
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The result was that the Sea Harriers could not establish complete air superiority and prevent Argentine attacks during day or night, nor could they stop the daily [[C-130 Hercules]] transports' night flights to the islands. A total of six Sea Harriers were lost to either ground fire, accidents or mechanical failure during the war.<ref>[http://www.naval-history.net/F63braircraftlost.htm Harriers lost in the Falklands], naval-history.net</ref> |
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===Bosnia and Kosovo=== |
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It was deployed by the United Kingdom in the 1991–1995 war in Bosnia (part of [[Yugoslav wars]]) as a part of the international operations [[Operation Deny Flight|Deny flight]], and [[Operation Deliberate Force|Deliberate Force]] directed against [[Army of Republika Srpska]]. In 1994 a Sea Harrier of the 801 Naval Air Squadron operating from the light carrier [[HMS Ark Royal]] was brought down by a SAM fired by Army of Republika Srpska (most probably [[Strela 2]]) while attempting to bomb two Serbian tanks. The pilot, Lieutenant Nick Richardson ejected and landed in the territory controlled by friendly Bosnian Muslims. He later described his experiences in a book titled ''No Escape Zone''.<ref>[http://www.historicalwarfare.com/articles/20070929_1 Historical warfare]</ref> |
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It was used again in 1999 NATO campaign against [[Federal Republic of Yugoslavia]] (operation [[Allied Force]]). |
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===Royal Navy retirement=== |
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[[Image:SHAR NMM.JPG|thumb|A Sea Harrier FA2 on display at the [[National Maritime Museum]] in May 2006]] |
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The Sea Harrier was withdrawn from service in 2006 and the last remaining aircraft from [[801 Squadron]] were decommissioned on 29 March 2006.<ref>[http://news.bbc.co.uk/1/hi/england/shropshire/4856774.stm "Last Sea Harriers' flight at base."] BBC NEWS, England. Retrieved: 15 July 2008.</ref> The plans were announced in 2002 by the [[Ministry of Defence (United Kingdom)|Ministry of Defence]]. The aircraft's replacement, the [[F-35|Lockheed/Northrop/BAE F-35]], is not due until 2012 at the earliest. However, the MoD argued that significant expenditure would be required to upgrade the fleet for only six years of service. |
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Both versions of Harrier experienced reduced engine performance (Pegasus Mk 106 in FA2 - Mk 105 in GR7) in the higher ambient temperatures of the Middle East and this restricted the payloads able to be returned to the carrier decks in 'vertical' recoveries. Typically, in the era of 'Joint Force Harrier' combined operations in such theatres, the GR7 component detached from the carrier approximately two weeks before the Sea Harrier deck operations ceased. This was solely due to the safety factors associated with aircraft "land-on" weights. The natural option to install higher rated Pegasus engines would not be as straightforward as the Harrier GR7 upgrade and would likely be an expensive and slow process. Furthermore, the Sea Harriers were subject to a generally more hostile environment than land-based Harriers, with corrosive salt spray a particular problem. {{As of|2006|3}}, all Sea Harriers have been retired from service. A number of aircraft have been retained for use by the School of Flight Deck Operations at [[RNAS Culdrose (HMS Seahawk)|RNAS Culdrose]], and in theory these could be regenerated if needed. |
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The Royal Navy's [[Fleet Air Arm]] will continue to share the other component of [[Joint Force Harrier]], the [[RAF Harrier II|Harrier GR7]] and the upgraded [[RAF Harrier II|Harrier GR9]] with the RAF, with the two front-line squadrons, 800 NAS re-commissioned in 6 April and 801 NAS are expected to reform in 2007 both using the GR9 by 2007. The projected purchase of around 150 F-35s will be split between the two services and they will operate from the [[Royal Navy CVF programme|Royal Navy's Future Carrier]] (CVF). |
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===Indian Navy upgrades=== |
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The [[Indian Navy]] is in the process of upgrading up to fifteen Sea Harriers in collaboration with [[Israel]] by installing the [[Elta]] EL/M-2032 radar and the [[Rafael Advanced Defense Systems Ltd.|Rafael]] 'Derby' medium range air to air missile. This will enable the Sea Harrier to remain in Indian service until beyond 2012, and also see limited service off the new carriers it will acquire by that time frame. |
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The Indian Navy is currently interested in acquiring up to eight of the Royal Navy's retired Sea Harrier FA2s in order to maintain their operational Sea Harrier fleet.<ref>[http://www.flightglobal.com/articles/2006/03/28/205735/hover-and-out-uk-royal-navy-retires-the-sea-harrier.html Hover and out: UK Royal Navy retires the Sea Harrier]</ref> which consists of 13 Pegasus 104-powered Sea Harrier FRS51s. If the deal goes through it will have to involve ongoing support from BAE Systems and Rolls Royce. The sale will not involve the Sea Harrier FA2's Blue Vixen radar, the RWR and the AMRAAM capability.<ref>[http://www.flightglobal.com/articles/2006/03/28/205735/hover-and-out-uk-royal-navy-retires-the-sea-harrier.html Hover and out: UK Royal Navy retires the Sea Harrier]</ref> Certain [[United States|US]] software will be deleted prior to shipment. With the loss of another Sea Harrier on 24 December 2007 (attempting a vertical landing, pilot ejected to safety), the total number of Sea Harriers with the Indian Navy has fallen to 13. India purchased 30 Sea Harriers in 1983, using 25 of these for operational flying and the remaining to train pilots. Since then seven pilots have died in 17 crashes involving the Sea Harrier and more than half of the fleet is now gone, lost mostly to routine sorties.<ref>[http://www.hindustantimes.com/StoryPage/StoryPage.aspx?id=d62db99f-b28c-46e2-93f6-17322e8f7cf8&&Headline=Sea+Harrier+crashes%2c+pilot+safe Sea Harrier crashes, pilot safe- Hindustan Times<!-- Bot generated title -->]</ref> |
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==Variants== |
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;Sea Harrier FRS1 |
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:Initial production version of a navalised Harrier, 57 built survivors converted to Sea Harrier FA2 |
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;Sea Harrier FA2 |
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:Upgraded version, new build and conversions from FRS1. |
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;Sea Harrier FRS51 |
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:Indian Navy variant of the FRS1, 23 built |
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==Operators== |
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;{{IND}} |
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* [[Indian Navy]] |
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** No. 300 Squadron |
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;{{UK}} |
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* [[Fleet Air Arm]] |
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** [[800 Naval Air Squadron]] |
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** [[801 Naval Air Squadron]] |
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** [[809 Naval Air Squadron]] |
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** [[899 Naval Air Squadron]] |
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==Survivors== |
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* Sea Harrier FA2 ZE694, [[Midland Air Museum]], [[Coventry]], [[England]]. |
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==Specifications (Sea Harrier FA2)== |
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{{aircraft specifications |
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|ref= Norden<ref>Norden 2006, Appendix C.</ref> |
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|crew=1 |
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|length main=46 ft 6 in |
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|length alt=14.2 m |
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|span main=25 ft 3 in |
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|span alt=7.6 m |
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|height main=12 ft 4 in |
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|height alt=3.71 m |
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|area main=201.1 ft² |
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|area alt=18.68 m² |
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|empty weight main=14,052 lb |
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|empty weight alt=6,374 kg |
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|loaded weight main=<!-- lb--> |
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|loaded weight alt=<!-- kg--> |
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|max takeoff weight main=26,200 lb |
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|max takeoff weight alt=11,900 kg |
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|engine (jet)=[[Rolls-Royce Pegasus]] |
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|type of jet=[[turbofan]] |
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|number of jets=1 |
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|thrust main=21,500 lbf |
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|thrust alt=95.64 kN |
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|max speed main=635 knots |
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|max speed alt=735 mph, 1182 km/h |
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|combat radius main= 540 nmi |
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|combat radius alt=620 mi, 1,000 km |
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|ferry range main=1,740 nmi |
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|ferry range alt=2,000 mi, 3,600 km |
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|ceiling main=51,000 ft |
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|ceiling alt=16,000 m |
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|climb rate main=50,000 ft/min |
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|climb rate alt=250 m/s |
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|loading main=<!-- kg/m²--> |
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|loading alt=<!-- lb/ft²--> |
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|thrust/weight=<!-- a unitless ratio --> |
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|guns=2× 30 mm (1.18 in) [[ADEN cannon]] pods under the fuselage |
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|rockets=4× Matra rocket pods with 18× [[SNEB]] 68 mm rockets each |
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|bombs=5,000 lb (2,268 kg) of payload on four external [[hardpoint]]s, including a variety of bombs, [[WE.177]] (until 1992), reconnaissance pods, ''or'' [[Drop tank]]s for extended range |
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|missiles=<br/> |
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** [[AIM-9 Sidewinder]] |
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** [[AIM-120 AMRAAM]] |
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** [[ALARM]] |
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** [[R550 Magic]] (Sea Harrier FRS51) |
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** [[Sea Eagle (missile)|Sea Eagle]] |
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** [[Martel missile]] |
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|avionics= |
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}} |
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==Popular culture== |
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{{main|Harrier Jump Jet#Popular culture}} |
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The Harrier's unique characteristics have led to it being featured a number of films and video games. |
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==See also== |
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{{aircontent |
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|see also= |
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* [[Harrier Jump Jet]], an overview of the Harrier family |
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* [[Portal:British aircraft since World War II]] |
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|related= |
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* [[Hawker Siddeley Harrier]] |
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* [[AV-8B Harrier II]] |
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* [[BAE Harrier II]] |
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|similar aircraft= |
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* [[Boeing X-32]] |
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* [[F-35 Lightning II]] |
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* [[Yakovlev Yak-38]] |
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|lists= |
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* [[List of aircraft of the Fleet Air Arm]] |
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* [[List of attack aircraft]] |
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* [[List of fighter aircraft]] |
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}} |
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==References== |
==References== |
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===Notes=== |
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{{Reflist}} |
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{{reflist|1}} |
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===Bibliography=== |
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{{refbegin}} |
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* Gunston, Bill and Mike Spick. Modern Air Combat: The Aircraft, Tactics and Weapons Employed in Aerial Warfare Today. New York: Crescent Books, 1983. ISBN 0-51741-265-9. |
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* Jenkins, Dennis R. ''Boeing/BAe Harrier''. North Branch, Minnesota: Specialty Press, 1998. ISBN 1-58007-014-0. |
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* Spick, Mike and Bill Gunston. ''The Great Book of Modern Warplanes''. Osceola, WI: MBI Publishing, 2000. ISBN 0-7603-0893-4. |
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{{refend}} |
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==External links== |
==External links== |
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{{Commons|Hawker Siddeley Harrier|Hawker Siddeley Harrier and its derivatives}} |
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* [http://www.officedepot.com/ Office Depot] |
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* [http:// |
* [http://www.combataircraft.com/aircraft/fseaharrier.aspx British Aerospace Sea Harrier] |
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* [http://www.airsceneuk.org.uk/hangar/2003/shars/shars.htm Sea Harrier Still Alive and Kicking (archive article)] |
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* [http://officedepotracing.com/home.html Office Depot Racing] |
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* [http://www.officedepot.nl Office Depot Netherlands] |
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{{Harrier variants}} |
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* [http://www.niceday.com Niceday, Office Depot brand in Europe] |
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{{aviation lists}} |
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[[Category:British attack aircraft 1970-1979]] |
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[[Category:British fighter aircraft 1970-1979]] |
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[[Category:Fleet Air Arm aircraft]] |
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[[Category:VTOL aircraft]] |
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[[Category:Falklands War aircraft]] |
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Revision as of 00:29, 14 October 2008
 | This article needs additional citations for verification. (November 2007) |
The BAE Systems Sea Harrier is a naval VTOL/STOVL jet fighter, reconnaissance and attack aircraft, a development of the Hawker Siddeley Harrier. It first entered service with the Royal Navy in April 1980 as the Sea Harrier FRS1. The latest version is the Sea Harrier FA2. Informally known as the "Shar", the Sea Harrier was withdrawn from Royal Navy service in March 2006.
Development
In 1966 the planned CVA-01 class aircraft carriers for the Royal Navy were cancelled, apparently ending the Royal Navy's involvement in fixed-wing carrier aviation. However, beginning in the early 1970s, the first of a new class of "through deck cruisers" was planned, carefully named to avoid the term "aircraft carrier" to increase the chances of funding. These ships would eventually become the Invincible class aircraft carriers. With little modification, a 'ski-jump' was added to the end of the 170 m deck, enabling the carriers to operate a small number of V/STOL jets.
Sea Harrier FRS1
The Royal Air Force's Hawker Siddeley Harrier GR1s had entered service in April 1969. In 1975 the Royal Navy ordered 34 Sea Harrier FRS.1s (later FRS1)(Fighter/Reconnaissance/Strike Mk. 1), the first of which entered service in 1978. In total 57 FRS1s were delivered between 1978 and 1988.
Harrier T4N
The Harrier T4N is not strictly a variant of the Sea Harrier, but is a two-seat naval training version of the Harrier T2. Four Harrier T4N were purchased by the Royal Navy for land-based training. It did not have radar and had a few Sea Harrier instruments, but was used for pilot conversion training for the Sea Harrier FRS1.
Sea Harrier FRS51
Single-seat fighter, reconnaissance and attack aircraft. The Sea Harrier FRS51 is similar to the FRS1. Unlike the British Sea Harrier, it is fitted with Matra R550 Magic air-to-air missiles. The first of twenty-three FRS51s were delivered to the Indian Navy in 1983.
Harrier T60
Export version of the T4N two-seat training version for the Indian Navy. At least four Harrier T60s were purchased by the Indian Navy for land-based training.
Sea Harrier FA2
Lessons learned from the aircraft's performance in the Falklands led to the requirement for an upgrade of the fleet, incorporating increased air-to-air weapons load, look-down radar, increased range, and improved cockpit displays. Approval for an upgrade to FRS.2 standard was given in 1984. First flight of the prototype took place on September 1988 and a contract was signed for 29 upgraded aircraft in December that year, with the upgraded aircraft to be known as the F/A.2 (later FA2). In 1990 the Navy ordered 18 new-build FA2s, at a unit cost of around £12 million, and a further 5 upgrades were ordered in 1994. The Sea Harrier FA2 featured the Blue Vixen radar, which was described as one of the most advanced pulse doppler radar systems in the world. The Blue Vixen formed the basis for development of the Eurofighter Typhoon's CAPTOR radar. The Sea Harrier FA2 carries the AIM-120 AMRAAM missile and was the first UK aircraft to be provided with this capability. The first aircraft was delivered on 2 April 1993 and the first operational deployment was in April 1994 as part of the UN force in Bosnia.
The final new-build Sea Harrier FA2 was delivered on 18 January 1999.
Harrier T8
Seven Harrier T4s two-seat trainers updated with Sea Harrier FA2 instrumentation but no radar. Retired from service in March 2006.
Design
The Sea Harrier was largely based on the Harrier GR3, but was modified to have a raised cockpit with a "bubble" canopy (to give better visibility for the air defence role) and an extended forward fuselage to accommodate the Ferranti (now BAE Systems) Blue Fox radar. Parts were changed to use corrosion resistant alloys or coatings were added to protect against the marine environment.[1]
The cockpit in the Sea Harrier includes a conventional centre stick arrangement and left-hand throttle. In addition to normal flight controls, the Harrier has a lever for controlling the direction of the four vectorable nozzles. The nozzles point rearward with the lever in the forward position for horizontal flight. With the lever back, the nozzles point downward for vertical takeoff or landing.[2][3]
![[icon]](/wiki/File:Wiki_letter_w_cropped.svg){kind=small} | This section needs expansion with: Add details. You can help by adding to it. (August 2008) |
Operational history
Falklands War
Sea Harriers took part in the Falklands War of 1982, flying from the aircraft carriers HMS Invincible and HMS Hermes. The Sea Harriers were to operate in their primary air defence role with a secondary role of ground attack, with the RAF Harrier GR3 providing the main ground attack force. The Sea Harrier squadrons shot down 21 Argentine aircraft in air-to-air combat with no air-to-air losses, although two Sea Harriers were lost to ground fire and four to accidents.[4]
A number of factors contributed to the failure of the Argentinian fighters to shoot down a Sea Harrier.[citation needed] Although the Mirage III and Dagger jets were considerably faster, the Sea Harrier was more manoeuvrable. Moreover, the Harrier employed the latest AIM-9L Sidewinder missiles and the Blue Fox radar. The British pilots had superior air-combat training, one manifestation of which was that they noticed Argentinian pilots occasionally releasing weapons outside of their operating parameters.[citation needed]
British aircraft received fighter control from warships in San Carlos Water, although its effectiveness was limited by their being stationed close to the islands, which severely limited the effectiveness of their radar.
Both sides' aircraft were operating in adverse conditions. Argentine aircraft were forced to operate from the mainland because airfields on the Falklands were only suited for propellor-driven transports.[5] In addition, fears partly aroused by the bombing of Port Stanley airport by a British Vulcan bomber added to the Argentinians' decision to operate them from afar. As most Argentine aircraft lacked in-flight refuelling capability, they were forced to operate at the limit of their range. The Sea Harriers also had limited fuel reserves due to the tactical decision to station the British carriers out of Exocet missile range and the dispersal of the fleet. The result was that, although an Argentine aircraft could only allow five minutes over the islands to search and attack an objective and without any capable air-to-air missile, a Sea Harrier could stay near to 30 minutes waiting in the Argentine approach corridors.
The Sea Harriers were outnumbered by the available Argentinian aircraft and were on occasion decoyed away by the activities of the Escuadrón Fénix or civilian jet aircraft used by the Argentine Air Force. They had to operate without a fleet early warning system such as AWACS that would have been available to a full NATO fleet in which the Royal Navy had expected to operate.
The result was that the Sea Harriers could not establish complete air superiority and prevent Argentine attacks during day or night, nor could they stop the daily C-130 Hercules transports' night flights to the islands. A total of six Sea Harriers were lost to either ground fire, accidents or mechanical failure during the war.[6]
Bosnia and Kosovo
It was deployed by the United Kingdom in the 1991–1995 war in Bosnia (part of Yugoslav wars) as a part of the international operations Deny flight, and Deliberate Force directed against Army of Republika Srpska. In 1994 a Sea Harrier of the 801 Naval Air Squadron operating from the light carrier HMS Ark Royal was brought down by a SAM fired by Army of Republika Srpska (most probably Strela 2) while attempting to bomb two Serbian tanks. The pilot, Lieutenant Nick Richardson ejected and landed in the territory controlled by friendly Bosnian Muslims. He later described his experiences in a book titled No Escape Zone.[7]
It was used again in 1999 NATO campaign against Federal Republic of Yugoslavia (operation Allied Force).
The Sea Harrier was withdrawn from service in 2006 and the last remaining aircraft from 801 Squadron were decommissioned on 29 March 2006.[8] The plans were announced in 2002 by the Ministry of Defence. The aircraft's replacement, the Lockheed/Northrop/BAE F-35, is not due until 2012 at the earliest. However, the MoD argued that significant expenditure would be required to upgrade the fleet for only six years of service.
Both versions of Harrier experienced reduced engine performance (Pegasus Mk 106 in FA2 - Mk 105 in GR7) in the higher ambient temperatures of the Middle East and this restricted the payloads able to be returned to the carrier decks in 'vertical' recoveries. Typically, in the era of 'Joint Force Harrier' combined operations in such theatres, the GR7 component detached from the carrier approximately two weeks before the Sea Harrier deck operations ceased. This was solely due to the safety factors associated with aircraft "land-on" weights. The natural option to install higher rated Pegasus engines would not be as straightforward as the Harrier GR7 upgrade and would likely be an expensive and slow process. Furthermore, the Sea Harriers were subject to a generally more hostile environment than land-based Harriers, with corrosive salt spray a particular problem. As of March 2006[update], all Sea Harriers have been retired from service. A number of aircraft have been retained for use by the School of Flight Deck Operations at RNAS Culdrose, and in theory these could be regenerated if needed.
The Royal Navy's Fleet Air Arm will continue to share the other component of Joint Force Harrier, the Harrier GR7 and the upgraded Harrier GR9 with the RAF, with the two front-line squadrons, 800 NAS re-commissioned in 6 April and 801 NAS are expected to reform in 2007 both using the GR9 by 2007. The projected purchase of around 150 F-35s will be split between the two services and they will operate from the Royal Navy's Future Carrier (CVF).
The Indian Navy is in the process of upgrading up to fifteen Sea Harriers in collaboration with Israel by installing the Elta EL/M-2032 radar and the Rafael 'Derby' medium range air to air missile. This will enable the Sea Harrier to remain in Indian service until beyond 2012, and also see limited service off the new carriers it will acquire by that time frame.
The Indian Navy is currently interested in acquiring up to eight of the Royal Navy's retired Sea Harrier FA2s in order to maintain their operational Sea Harrier fleet.[9] which consists of 13 Pegasus 104-powered Sea Harrier FRS51s. If the deal goes through it will have to involve ongoing support from BAE Systems and Rolls Royce. The sale will not involve the Sea Harrier FA2's Blue Vixen radar, the RWR and the AMRAAM capability.[10] Certain US software will be deleted prior to shipment. With the loss of another Sea Harrier on 24 December 2007 (attempting a vertical landing, pilot ejected to safety), the total number of Sea Harriers with the Indian Navy has fallen to 13. India purchased 30 Sea Harriers in 1983, using 25 of these for operational flying and the remaining to train pilots. Since then seven pilots have died in 17 crashes involving the Sea Harrier and more than half of the fleet is now gone, lost mostly to routine sorties.[11]
Variants
- Sea Harrier FRS1
- Initial production version of a navalised Harrier, 57 built survivors converted to Sea Harrier FA2
- Sea Harrier FA2
- Upgraded version, new build and conversions from FRS1.
- Sea Harrier FRS51
- Indian Navy variant of the FRS1, 23 built
Operators
- Indian Navy
- No. 300 Squadron
Survivors
- Sea Harrier FA2 ZE694, Midland Air Museum, Coventry, England.
Specifications (Sea Harrier FA2)
Data from Norden[12]
General characteristics
- Crew: 1
Performance
Armament
- Guns: 2× 30 mm (1.18 in) ADEN cannon pods under the fuselage
- Rockets: 4× Matra rocket pods with 18× SNEB 68 mm rockets each
- Missiles:
- AIM-9 Sidewinder
- AIM-120 AMRAAM
- ALARM
- R550 Magic (Sea Harrier FRS51)
- Sea Eagle
- Martel missile
- Bombs: 5,000 lb (2,268 kg) of payload on four external hardpoints, including a variety of bombs, WE.177 (until 1992), reconnaissance pods, or Drop tanks for extended range
Popular culture
The Harrier's unique characteristics have led to it being featured a number of films and video games.
See also
- Harrier Jump Jet, an overview of the Harrier family
- Portal:British aircraft since World War II
Related development
Aircraft of comparable role, configuration, and era
Related lists
References
Notes
- ^ Jenkins 1998, pp. 51-55.
- ^ Markman, Steve and Bill Holder. "MAC-DAC/BAe AV-8 Harrier Vectored Thrust VTOL". Straight Up: A History of Vertical Flight. Schiffer Publishing, 2000. ISBN 0-7643-1204-9.
- ^ Jenkins 1998, p. 25.
- ^ One of Our Aircraft is Missing, Britains-smallwars.com.
- ^ Argentine Airpower in the Falklands War, Air & Space Power Journal, Fall 2002.
- ^ Harriers lost in the Falklands, naval-history.net
- ^ Historical warfare
- ^ "Last Sea Harriers' flight at base." BBC NEWS, England. Retrieved: 15 July 2008.
- ^ Hover and out: UK Royal Navy retires the Sea Harrier
- ^ Hover and out: UK Royal Navy retires the Sea Harrier
- ^ Sea Harrier crashes, pilot safe- Hindustan Times
- ^ Norden 2006, Appendix C.
Bibliography
- Gunston, Bill and Mike Spick. Modern Air Combat: The Aircraft, Tactics and Weapons Employed in Aerial Warfare Today. New York: Crescent Books, 1983. ISBN 0-51741-265-9.
- Jenkins, Dennis R. Boeing/BAe Harrier. North Branch, Minnesota: Specialty Press, 1998. ISBN 1-58007-014-0.
- Spick, Mike and Bill Gunston. The Great Book of Modern Warplanes. Osceola, WI: MBI Publishing, 2000. ISBN 0-7603-0893-4.
External links
