Argentinian Harriers

In 1960 the development of what was to become the Harrier family began with the Kestrel.

Foreseen as a way of overcoming the inevitable loss of airfields in a clash with the USSR, a Maritime application was readily apparent.

It attracted attention from several nations, the UK, the USA and West Germany initially.

In the late 1960s and early 1970s, the first-generation Harriers entered service with the Royal Air Force (1969) and US Marine Corps (USMC) but were handicapped in range and payload.

A US built variant, designed more with the ground attack role in mind - the AV-8S was ordered via the USMC in July 1973.

Delivered in December 1976. Used by 008 Escuadrilla for the fighter attack role. Five more delivered later. Total of ten acquired. Retired in 1996 and sold to the Thai Navy.

In short takeoff and landing configuration, the AV-8A (American designation for the Harrier) carried less than half the 4,000 lb (1,800 kg) payload of, notably, the smaller A-4 Skyhawk, over a more limited radius.

The BAE Sea Harrier is a naval V/STOL jet fighter, reconnaissance and attack aircraft; it was a navalised development of the Hawker Siddeley Harrier. The first version entered service with the Royal Navy Fleet Air Arm in April 1980 as the Sea Harrier FRS.1 - and in 1983 with the Indian Air force.

However these were not the only interested parties.

Australia were interested in purchasing HMS Invincible with its Harriers, Switzerland also looked at the type.

Perhaps more exotic potential customers included the Shah of Iran and - most bizarrely - The Peoples Republic of China expressed an interest in the Harrier as early as 1975 that was seriously considered by the UK but the sale was halted due to the Sino - Vietnamese war.

Another potential customer was Argentina, to whose detriment the Harrier became an iconic part of British Aviation History.

Britain and Argentina had a long political and military partnership. The UK never had an issue supplying Argentina with weapons despite the fact it was a brutal Military junta

At the outbreak of the Falklands war, Argentina had two British built Type 42 destroyers (one that had just been delivered in June 1981) and eight BAC Canberras were deployed.

The LPD HMS Intrepid (L11) had been decommissioned by the Royal Navy and was due for sale to Argentina at the outbreak of the war! She went on to serve a crucial role during the conflict.

In 1969, during her maiden cruise as flagship of the Argentine Navy ARA 25 de Mayo (V2) (ex HMS Venerable [R63], ex HNLMS Karel Doorman [R81] ) after a refit in the Netherlands did deck trials with the Harrier !!

When the Argentinian Navy looked for newer fighters in 1968 the US government only offered old A-4A planes instead of the A-4Fs Argentina wanted.

Argentina contacted the British government in 1969 and expressed interest in buying from six to twelve Harrier GR.1s.

On her voyage home, the British company Hawker Siddeley demonstrated a RAF Harrier GR.Mk.1 (XV757) but Argentina opted for the A-4Q Skyhawk instead.

There were several problems to supply Argentina with Harrier jets and engines that prevented the deal from being closed, and when the US knew about the Harrier negotiations they quickly offered a better deal to Argentina.

Some years later, before the 1982 war, British officials offered Argentina an aircraft carrier (Hermes I believe) and the Sea Harrier aircraft.