Spain decides to extend Harriers beyond 2025

[maus92]

Spain to extend AV-8B Harrier service life

David Ing, Madrid - IHS Jane's Defence Weekly
26 May 2014

"The Spanish Navy has been promised EUR70.3 million (USD95.7 million) for extending the lifespan of its Harrier EAV-8B carrier-borne strike aircraft beyond 2025.

The allocation was announced by the cabinet on 23 May, five months after the Chief of Navy Staff, Admiral General Jaime Muñoz-Delgado, warned that the Armada's fixed-wing capability could be coming to an end.

A government statement said the investment was necessary because funds were not available to buy replacement aircraft to operate from the service's sole flat top, the 27,000 tonne Juan Carlos I .

"In the current economic circumstances, and faced with not having a weapons system to substitute the EAV-8B Plus, this will increase their useful life in order to maintain the projection capability of our armed forces beyond the year 2025," said the statement.

"The opportunity to extend the programme of our EAV-8B Plus Harrier has opened up because the United States is [also] going to extend the useful life of its Harrier aircraft, in the face of development delays with the new vertical take-off F-35 [Joint Strike Fighter].""

http://www.janes.com/article/38382/spai ... rvice-life

[gtx]

So, you were so excited by this news you had to post it twice?

Given Spain is not on the schedule yet for F-35s (A, Bs or whichever), this doesn't impact the F-35 program at all at this stage. I also strongly suspect that we will still see F-35Bs in Armada Española markings sometime in the 2020s…and am happy to take wagers on this. Are you?

In the meantime, here's something to put as your new screensaver:

[weasel1962]

There is an equal likelihood that Spain might eliminate that capability altogether on affordability when the Harriers retire (same with Thailand). The Harrier extension move is a smart one as it buys time.

[lookieloo]

Easy there G. Jane's has long since degraded into a complete joke. My favorite was their scoop on a new, twin-engined, Chinese STOVL fighter that turned out to be nothing more than a mis-captioned Japanese RC toy.

It's much more likely the Spain will give up naval TACAIR altogether before it drags a dozen or-so Matadors from the 1980s that far. To provide some perspective, that would be akin to the USN flying a squadron of F2H Banshees against Iraq in 1991.

PS. Dang, Weasel beat me to it.

[mk82]

Its awesome news for you Maus92. Irrelevant to the F35 forum, but I guess you can now ask the Spanish government whether you can have a joyride in their EAV 8B plus (yay...it will be in service until 2025...plenty of time to ask for your joyride). Just don't fly "low" and "slow" buddy, its not that exciting.....unless there are SHORADs and MANPADs around .

[thepointblank]

There is an equal likelihood that Spain might eliminate that capability altogether on affordability when the Harriers retire (same with Thailand). The Harrier extension move is a smart one as it buys time.

Spain still needs a Hornet replacement, unless they want to dramatically cut their fighter jet force. The Hornets make up close to 60% of Spain's current fighter jet force, and even if they take up all of their Eurofighter deliveries, Hornets will make up 55% of the fighter jet force.

[tritonprime]

DELETED

[sferrin]

I take it you didn't notice that article is about a year and a half old?

[lookieloo]

I take it you didn't notice that article is about a year and a half old?

He types the dates on these pieces himself, so it's definitely intentional. Just report him for continually re-posting years-old flamebait and move on.

[tritonprime]

DELETED

[checksixx]

You don't find this information interesting?

Yes, found it interesting over a year ago. Now, its irrelevant.

[XanderCrews]

You don't find this information interesting?

Yes, found it interesting over a year ago. Now, its irrelevant.

But what about the Thai harriers the F-35 failed to replace even though that was never the plan beyond possibility, because F-35?