RAF Harrier II
By Chris Banyai-Riepl
Warpaint Series No 150
Author: Andy Evans
Publisher: Guideline Publications
ISBN: 9781916759305
Binding: Softcover
Pages: 56
The Harrier was iconic when it first flew, with its directional nozzles allowing for vertical flight making it a unique sight around all the supersonic jets of the day. As a completely new concept aircraft, it did not take long before upgrading the type became a goal. Thus, the next generation Harrier got its start in 1973, only a few years after the first-generation Harrier had entered service. While starting in the 1970s, it wasn’t until the early 1980s that the first second-generation Harrier was delivered to the US Marine Corps, with the RAF getting theirs a few years later. The RAF flew the Harrier II for over 20 years, finally retiring the type in 2010.
The latest title in the Warpaint Series looks at this second-generation Harrier in RAF service, from its origins to its retirement. This family of Harriers went through three main single-seat variants and two two-seat variants, updating as technology improved over the years. The text does a great job of explaining the differences between those variants, which is good as visually the differences are minimal (especially between the GR7 and GR9). The photos, as usual, are of a high quality and add to variant difference discussion, and the color profiles further add to the overall content, highlighting the different unit markings, personal markings, and color schemes worn by the Harrier II over the years.
In addition to the technical description, this book also covers the operational history of the RAF Harrier II. From the 1980s until retirement in 2010, the RAF Harrier II saw extensive operations in many conflict regions around the world. This included peacekeeping operations following the Gulf War in the Middle East, missions over Bosnia-Herzegovina and Kosovo in the late 1990s, Operation Palliser in Sierra Leone in 2000, and their final actions over Iraq and Afghanistan throughout the early 2000s.
This is a solid overview of the RAF Harrier II, from its origins to retirement, and makes a great addition to the extensive Warpaint Series. My thanks to Guideline Publications for the review copy.