BAES has
been awarded a £574 million Harrier Platform Availability
Contract (HPAC) under which BAES takes over responsibility for the
maintenance of the UK Harrier fleet until the aircraft go out of
service, currently expected to be in 2018. The maintenance work will be
carried out jointly with RAF and RN personnel at RAF Cottesmore. The
contract also covers the provision of spares and technical advice.
Existing contracts in operation at Cottesmore, such as the Joint
Upgrade and Maintenance Programme (JUMP), are incorporated in HPAC. To
date, every achievement milestone has been met by BAES.
A
National Audit Office report on fast jet support states that existing
BAES contracts with the Ministry of Defence have already reduced the
cost of Harrier maintenance by £109 million, have helped cut the cost
per flying hour by 44%, and made an additional eleven aircraft
available to the front line.
After five years, more than 22,000 flying hours and 8,500
sorties, the Harriers have returned to Cottesmore from Afghanistan.
Operation Herrick was completed when the Harriers of No.1(F) Squadron
returned to their home base, the first aircraft, GR9 ZD322, landing on
1 July.
Joint Force Harrier (JFH), represented by No. 3(F) Squadron
deployed to Kandahar in Helmand Province in August 2004 to relieve the
USMC AV-8Bs based there. The most significant role of JFH was close air
support where more than 2,000 missions were flown.
Working with
tactical air controllers the Harriers supported the troops, fighting
the Taliban, with CRV7 rockets, Paveway precision guided bombs, and
1,000lb free-fall bombs.
Other roles included surveillance,
reconnaissance, ‘show of force’ and anti-drug operations. In one strike
against the Taliban drug trade the world’s biggest drugs haul was
accomplished with 260 tons of hashish and 2.5 tons of opium destroyed;
value £200 million.
Some
Herrick highlights: August 2004 - No.3(F) Squadron deploys for the
first time; December 2004 - No.1(F) Squadron deploys for the first
time; April 2005 - No.IV(AC) Squadron deploys for the first time; June
2006 - 24 hour operations commence; September 2006 - No.800 Naval Air
Squadron deploys for the first time; January 2007 - first GR9s deploy;
October 2007 - Naval Strike Wing deploys for the first time; December
2008 - first all-GR9 force in Kandahar; July 2009 - JFH returns to RAF
Cottesmore.
Updated on 11Oct2009