US buying UK's decommissioned Harrier jump jets
IRNA - Islamic Republic News Agency
London, Nov 16, IRNA -- The US is buying Britain's entire fleet of 74 Harrier jump jets, which were controversially decommissioned in last year's defence review, it was reported Wednesday.
The bizarre sale to the US marines for intended use until 2025 is expected to be finalised within the next week and raises further questions about the retiring of the much-admired aircraft, which leaves Britain without carrier strike capability until the Queen Elizabeth class aircraft carriers in 2019.
The Ministry of Defence confirmed that negotiations were in their final stages of the deal, which the Americans are reportedly paying $59 million for spare parts alone.
The US Marine Corps currently operates around 120 Harrier AV-8B aircraft, including training variants, which are expected to be phased out in the middle of the next decade when the vertical landing variant of the Joint Strike Fighter (JSF), comes into service.
The British Harriers have been kept in storage since being decommissioned last year in a move which the MoD said would save millions of pounds.
Fresh concern was raised about the premature retirement when British forces became involved in operations to defend Libyan civilians during the country's revolution.
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Islamic Republic News Agency/IRNA NewsCode: 30666204
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