The iconic Hawker-Siddeley Harrier was designed to fight the Cold War
from the fields of West Germany but won its battle spurs in the
Falklands, Belize and Afghanistan. It was controversially scrapped by
the British Government fifty years after entering service with the RAF
and its loss raised serious questions over Royal Navy fleet protection.
This book not only describes the aircraft and its operations but
includes quotes from the pilots who flew and fought in it. Author David
Oliver describes the development and production of the Harrier from the
original Kestrel project, which was the only successful attempt at a
vertical take-off and landing aircraft at the time. He follows the
Harrier into service with the RAF and also covers the development of the
Sea Harrier, with its special characteristics and its extraordinarily
successful performance in the Falklands War where its unique engine made
it an agile fighter. He also describes the use of the Harrier in other
deployments such as Belize and Afghanistan, covers Anglo-US developments
and examines the legacy of the Harrier in the shape of the F-35B
Lightning II multi-role fighter.