War Thunder Wiki - User contributions [en]

R-27T

2024-05-10T10:04:42Z

U75993721: This missile isn't the longest range ir missile in game. There is at least one missile with more range than this: R-27ET.

{{About
| about = infrared homing missile '''{{PAGENAME}}'''
| usage = other versions
| link = R-27 (Family)
}}
== Description ==

The '''R-27T''' (and its export version '''R-27T1''') is a Soviet [[Air-to-air missiles#Infrared homing .28heat-seeking.29 missiles|infrared homing air-to-air missile]]. It was introduced in [[Update "Apex Predators"]]. It is an aircraft-mounted all-aspect IR-guided anti-air missile.

=== Vehicles equipped with this weapon ===


;R-27T

* {{Specs-Link|mig_29_9_13}}
* {{Specs-Link|mig_29smt_9_19}}
* {{Specs-Link|yak_141}}
* {{Specs-Link|su_27}}

;R-27T1

* {{Specs-Link|mig_29_9_12_germany}}
* {{Specs-Link|mig_29_9_12g}}
* {{Specs-Link|mig_29_9_12b_hungary}}
* {{Specs-Link|j_11}}

== General info ==


{| class="wikitable" style="text-align:center"
! colspan="2" | Missile characteristics
|-
| '''Mass''' || 245.5 kg
|-
| '''Guidance''' || IR
|-
| '''Aspect''' || All-aspects
|-
| '''Lock range (rear-aspect)''' || 18 km
|-
| '''Lock range (all-aspect)''' || 4.8 km
|-
| '''IRCCM''' || Yes
|-
| '''Launch range''' || 50 km
|-
| '''Maximum speed''' || 3.5 M
|-
| '''Maximum overload''' || 35 G
|-
| '''Missile guidance time''' || 60 secs
|-
| '''Explosive mass''' || 24 kg TNTe
|-
|}

=== Effective damage ===

The R-27T has the same damage as its SARH contemporary, the R-27R. One missile will often be enough to destroy an aircraft entirely, and rarely does the R-27T only critically damage an aircraft.

=== Comparison with analogues ===

Its most common contemporaries are the AIM-9L, PL-8, and Python-3, though all of these missiles are better at shorter ranges due to the R-27T's long acceleration, which makes it sluggish during the burner's duration; so it's best used when in engagements beyond 1.5 km. The PL-8 and Python-3 will outmanoeuvre the R-27T by a long shot, but their shorter burn time makes them poorer at longer range IR scenarios. The R-27T is also unique in its ability to counteract the Su-25T/Su-39s Infrared Countermeasure system, making it useful for rear aspect engagements against those aircraft.

== Usage in battles ==

The R-27T is useful while engaging unaware opponents who are either preoccupied with other engagements or are not good at their surroundings. The R-27T offers some of the best IR tracking in the game, able to lock all-aspect from 6 km away and from a rear-aspect shot, it can be almost impossible to flare off.

The proper use of the R-27T depends on the skill of the player using it. As an IR tracking missile, it will engage a friendly's engine or flares just as easily as it engages an enemy's so proper positioning as to decrease the chance of the missile engaging a friendly is paramount to its success. Best used with the IRST function, it can silently lock onto any heat signature without an RWR notification. While possible to do front or side aspect shots, it is more liable to being flared off, but is still certainly able to get kills if the pilot knows what they are doing.

=== Pros and cons ===


'''Pros:'''

* All-aspect targeting ability
* The aircraft fired upon has no RWR indicator of the incoming missile
* Very high overload
* Large explosive mass

'''Cons:'''

* Bleeds energy fairly quickly

== History ==
''Examine the history of the creation and combat usage of the weapon in more detail than in the introduction. If the historical reference turns out to be too long, take it to a separate article, taking a link to the article about the weapon and adding a block "/History" (example: <nowiki>https://wiki.warthunder.com/(Weapon-name)/History</nowiki>) and add a link to it here using the <code>main</code> template. Be sure to reference text and sources by using <code><nowiki><ref></ref></nowiki></code>, as well as adding them at the end of the article with <code><nowiki><references /></nowiki></code>.''

== Media ==
''Excellent additions to the article would be video guides, screenshots from the game, and photos.''

== See also ==


;Related development

* [[R-27 (Family)]]

== External links ==
''Paste links to sources and external resources, such as:''

* ''topic on the official game forum;''
* ''other literature.''

{{Missiles}}

[[Category:Suspended armaments]]

S-24

2024-03-21T10:08:51Z

U75993721: Some planes like MiG-21MF are unable to launch S-24 one by one.

{{About
| about = Soviet rocket '''{{PAGENAME}}'''
| usage = the other version
| link = S-24B
}}
== Description ==

[[File:WeaponImage S-24.png|thumb|left|420px|The S-24 rocket (scale is approximate)]]
{{Break}}
The '''{{PAGENAME}}''' is a Soviet air-launched rocket with a diameter of 240 mm. It is a heavy unguided HE bomb with a rocket motor attached and basic aerodynamic fins and nose cone.

=== Vehicles equipped with this weapon ===


{{Navigation-Start|Vehicles equipped with this weapon}}

{{Navigation-First-Line|'''Jet fighters'''}}{{Specs-Link|mig-21_f13}}{{-}}{{Specs-Link|mig-21_pfm}}{{-}}{{Specs-Link|mig-21_s}}{{-}}{{Specs-Link|mig-21_smt}}{{-}}{{Specs-Link|mig-21_bis}}
{{Navigation-Line| }}{{Specs-Link|mig-21_bis_lazur}}{{-}}{{Specs-Link|mig-21_sps_k}}{{-}}{{Specs-Link|mig-21_mf}}{{-}}{{Specs-Link|mig-21_bis_sau}}

{{Navigation-Line|'''Strike aircraft'''}}{{Specs-Link|su-7b}}{{-}}{{Specs-Link|su-7bkl}}{{-}}{{Specs-Link|su-7bmk}}

{{Navigation-Line|'''Jet bombers'''}}{{Specs-Link|il_28sh}}

{{Navigation-Line|'''Attack helicopters'''}}{{Specs-Link|mi_24d}}{{-}}{{Specs-Link|mi_24d_hungary}}{{-}}{{Specs-Link|mi_24p_hungary}}{{-}}{{Specs-Link|mi_24v_hungary}}

{{Navigation-End}}

== General info ==

The S-24 is a HE rocket type with a peak velocity of 410 m/s and minimal launch angle variance. The S-24, alongside the smaller [[S-21]] and [[S-1of]] rockets, are often called "Tiny Ivans" due to their similar usage in ground battles to the [[Tiny Tim]].

{| class="wikitable" style="text-align:center"
! colspan="2" | Rocket characteristics
|-
| '''Mass''' || 235 kg
|-
| '''Maximum speed''' || 410 m/s
|-
| '''Explosive mass''' || 25.5 kg TNTeq
|-
| '''Warhead type''' || HE
|-
|}
{| class="wikitable" style="text-align:center" width="100%"
! colspan="8" | Penetration statistics
|-
! rowspan="2" data-sort-type="text" | Ammunition
! rowspan="2" | Type of warhead
! colspan="6" | Penetration @ 0° Angle of Attack (mm)
|-
! 10 m !! 100 m !! 500 m !! 1,000 m !! 1,500 m !! 2,000 m
|-
| S-24 || Rocket || 65 || 65 || 65 || 65 || 65 || 65
|-
|}

=== Effective damage ===

The S-24 rocket has approximately a 71 m fragment dispersion radius.

=== Comparison with analogues ===

The S-24 performs similar to the smaller [[S-21]] and [[S-1of]] ground strike rockets, only with larger explosive factor.

== Usage in battles ==

The S-24 has a timed fuse so it may be used against aircraft and the strong explosive filler allows it to be used to knock out Ground Vehicles, pillboxes and even ships with 65 mm penetration and a TNT filler of 25.5 kg.

=== Pros and cons ===


'''Pros:'''

* Excellent anti-everything tool
* Slightly faster than the S-21

'''Cons:'''

* It can take some time getting used to the different ranges which the rocket should be launched from if you intend to hit aircraft
* Rockets dip much more after losing propulsion compared to the S-21

== History ==

The S-24 was an unguided rocket intended for anti-infantry and other light target ground strikes with a ground proximity fuse which can be set between 3 and 33 metres with a forward direction biased shrapnel spray. Initially, it did not have a proximity fuse, however, this was added later as testing showed over 70% of the shrapnel was uselessly embedded into the ground in the vicinity where the rocket landed.

== Media ==
''Excellent additions to the article would be video guides, screenshots from the game, and photos.''

== See also ==


* [[S-24B]]

== External links ==
''Paste links to sources and external resources, such as:''

* ''topic on the official game forum;''
* ''other literature.''

{{Rockets}}

[[Category:Suspended armaments]]

Ka-50

2024-01-09T16:50:38Z

U75993721: Vikhr's range has been changed long time ago after a document revealed that its range was at least km if launched from low altitude.

{{Specs-Card
|code=ka_50
|images={{Specs-Card-Image|GarageImage_{{PAGENAME}}.jpg|Ka-50 Black Shark Store Pack Image 04.jpg|Ka-50 WebsiteImage 1.jpg}}
|cockpit=cockpit_ka_50.jpg
|store=6987
}}

== Description ==

The '''{{Specs|name}}''' (NATO Code: Hokum-A) is a Soviet attack helicopter developed in the 1980s with the intent to complement the capabilities of other helicopters, such as the Mi-24. It emerged as the successor to the Kamov V-80, aiming to address the shortcomings of conventional helicopters in terms of stability, manoeuvrability, and anti-tank capabilities. It was specifically designed for anti-tank warfare and is armed with a wide range of weapons, including guided missiles and a 30 mm cannon. Its unique rotor system allows for precise control, stability, and improved aerobatic qualities. Unlike most Kamov designs, the {{Specs|name}} features a single-seat cockpit, most likely to reduce weight and increase agility. Additionally, the helicopter is equipped with advanced avionics and sensor systems, enhancing its reconnaissance and target acquisition capabilities.

The {{Specs|name}} was introduced in [[Update 1.93 "Shark Attack"]] as a [[wt:en/news/6422-development-ka-50-black-shark-en|premium pack]]. It features a wide variety of gameplay due to the durable airframe and potent armament options. One of its standout features is the 9K127 Vikhr missile, which provides the helicopter with the capability to engage targets from long distances, further enhancing its effectiveness in combat.

== General info ==
=== Flight performance ===
{{Specs-Heli-Flight}}


{| class="wikitable" style="text-align:center"
|-
! rowspan="2" | Characteristics
! colspan="2" | Max Speed (km/h at 1,000 m)
! rowspan="2" | Max altitude (metres)
|-
! AB !! RB
|-
! Stock
| 299 || 268 || rowspan="2" | {{Specs|ceiling}}
|-
! Upgraded
| 320 || 310
|-
|}

=== Survivability and armour ===
{{Specs-Heli-Armour}}


Due to the low weight, this helicopter is fast and agile, and so it is easy to dodge even the missiles from ADATS or incoming fighters on head-on. Even in the case of damages, the twin rotor design can help keep control the damage even in cases where the tail is destroyed.
[[File:Armour of Ka-50.jpg|thumb|Black shark armour locations|right]]
Lots of sensors on the {{PAGENAME}} help establish situational awareness to keep an eye for threats. A radar warning receiver (RWR) will keep the {{PAGENAME}} informed of the presence (distance and direction) of active radars (enemies AA, jets with radar), also with sounds (beeping). A Missile Approach Warning system (MAW) will automatically deploy false targets - flares (128 pcs) and inform the Ka-50 pilots of incoming missiles (even in SB). In other environmental conditions, the Ka-50 also has a night vision device (only image an intensifier without thermal sight) to keep some form of visibility.

Distance is also the Ka-50's best friend, with an ATGM with active radius of 10 km that will help keep the helicopter out of range of most AA, except ADATS, 2K22 Tunguska, and the VT1 equipped European AAs.

The crew has a highly armoured cockpit, as shown in image: Black shark: Armour locations

*Bullet proof glass covers only the front windscreen of the helicopter - 22 mm thick.
*Aluminium alloy covers the front, and sides of the helicopter located on each side of the cockpit - 20 mm thick.
*Aluminium alloy covers only the bottom of the self-sealing fuel tanks - 20 mm thick.

The helicopter has four separate fuel tanks, three at the rear of the fuselage and one just behind the cockpit. Engines are placed above the autocannon with the fuel tanks, spaced out around it.

=== Modifications and economy ===
{{Specs-Economy}}

== Armaments ==
{{Specs-Heli-Armaments}}
{| class="wikitable" style="text-align:center"
|-
! colspan="3" | [[Ballistic Computer]]
|-
! CCIP (Guns) !! CCIP (Rockets) !! CCIP (Bombs)
|-
| {{Tick}} || {{Tick}} || {{Tick}}
|-
|}
=== Offensive armament ===
{{Specs-Heli-Offensive}}

{{main|2A42 (30 mm)}}

The '''''{{PAGENAME}}''''' is armed with:

* A choice between two presets:
** 1 x 30 mm 2A42 cannon, right fuselage-mounted (460 rpg)
** 1 x 30 mm 2A42 cannon + 128 x countermeasures

The 30 mm 2A42 cannon can be equipped with mixed belt, belt for air targets or ground targets

* '''Default:''' {{Annotation|AP-T|Armour-piercing tracer}}{{-}}{{Annotation|HEF-I*|High-explosive fragmentation incendiary (self-destroying)}}; max penetration: 63 mm at 100 metres
* '''Ground targets:''' {{Annotation|APDS|Armour-piercing discarding sabot}}{{-}}{{Annotation|AP-T|Armour-piercing tracer}}{{-}}{{Annotation|HEF-I*|High-explosive fragmentation incendiary (self-destroying)}}{{-}}{{Annotation|HEF-I*|High-explosive fragmentation incendiary (self-destroying)}}; max penetration: 81 mm at 100 metres
* '''Air targets:''' {{Annotation|HEF-T*|High-explosive fragmentation tracer (self-destroying)}}{{-}}{{Annotation|AP-T|Armour-piercing tracer}}{{-}}{{Annotation|HEF-I*|High-explosive fragmentation incendiary (self-destroying)}}{{-}}{{Annotation|HEF-I*|High-explosive fragmentation incendiary (self-destroying)}}; max penetration: 63 mm at 100 metres
* '''Armoured targets:''' {{Annotation|APDS|Armour-piercing discarding sabot}}; max penetration: 81 mm at 100 metres

Due to the risk of flying directly over a battlefield, and that the Ka-50's optimal firing distance is from a long way from the enemy ground targets, the ''Ground targets'' belt for the 30 mm is not useful. As such, being equipped against air targets would be better; so pick ''Default'' or ''Air targets'' belt from personal preferences, but the Default belt will have some AP shells in case the opposing enemy aircraft is armoured.

=== Suspended armament ===
{{Specs-Heli-Suspended}}

{{main|OFAB-250sv (250 kg)|FAB-500M-62 (500 kg)}}
{{main|9K127 Vikhr|9M39 Igla|S-8KO|GSh-23L (23 mm)}}

The '''''{{PAGENAME}}''''' can be outfitted with the following ordnance presets:

* Without load
* 2 x 9M39 Igla missiles
* 80 x S-8KO rockets
* 12 x 9K127 Vikhr missiles
* 4 x 250 kg OFAB-250sv bombs (1,000 kg total)
* 2 x 500 kg FAB-500M-62 bombs (1,000 kg total)
* 4 x 23 mm GSh-23L cannons (250 rpg = 1,000 total)

The Ka-50 equips these weapons by means of pylons, with 4 pylons total on the helicopter (2 on each wing). Each pylon holds one of the following:

* 6 x 9K127 Vikhr ATGMs (range: 10 km; TNT equivalent: 5.16 kg; max speed: 600 m/s) - A tandem warhead with 800 mm penetration of armour after ERA with proximity fuse. Can only be mounted on the outer pylons for 12 missiles maximum.
* 2 x 9M39 Igla air-to-air missiles (IR guided; lock-on range: 6 km in rear aspect, 4 km in all aspect; max speed: 1,000 m/s; max overload: 18 G; has {{Annotation|ECCM|Electronic Counter Counter Measure (missile is immune to interference from enemy Electronic Counter Measure (ECM))}}) - Mounted on outer pylons with 2 missiles each. Can currently only be equipped on 1 outer pylon, with the other having 6 x Vikhr ATGM.
* 20 x S-8KO unguided rockets (speed: 610 m/s; TNT equivalent: 1.32 kg; max armour penetration: 400 mm) - All four pylons can be equipped with rocket pods for a maximum of 80 rockets total.
* 1 x 23 mm GSh-23L cannon with 250 rounds each, can be equipped on all 4 pylons (1,000 ammo with 4 cannons in total)

==== Custom loadout options ====
{| class="wikitable" style="text-align:center" width="100%"
|-
! !! width="11%" | 1 !! width="11%" | 2 !! width="11%" | 3 !! width="11%" | 4
| rowspan="8" width="30%" | <div class="ttx-image">[[File:Hardpoints_{{PAGENAME}}.png]]</div>
|-
! 23 mm GSh-23L cannons (250 rpg)
| 1 || 1 || 1 || 1
|-
! 250 kg OFAB-250sv bombs
| 1 || 1 || 1 || 1
|-
! 500 kg FAB-500M-62 bombs
| || 1 || 1 ||
|-
! S-8KO rockets
| 20 || 20 || 20 || 20
|-
! 9K127 Vikhr missiles
| 6 || || || 6
|-
! 9M39 Igla missiles
| 2 || || ||
|-
| colspan="5" | Maximum permissible weight imbalance: 480 kg
|-
|}

=== Defensive systems ===

The Ka-50 has a MAW - Missile Approach Warning system and 128 Flares.

*128 Flares are installed on tips of the wings, in those two pods.
*The Missile Approach Warning (MAW) detects the incoming missile and notifies you about them as well deploying the flares automatically.

== Usage in battles ==

The most preferable playstyle for this helicopter should be firing ATGM from long range since Vikhr has the longest range in the game (10 km).

'''Versus ADATS''' - From the beginning, try to keep the ADATS more than 10 km away from the Ka-50's position and focus on closer targets. For this, reach the battlefield at the middle (usually some point to capture is around 9.5 km from you). If the Ka-50 has already detected some ADATS within 10 km, be prepared with the fact that the ADATS also may know that the Ka-50 is there and may already be firing missiles. If an incoming missile is spotted, begin evasive manoeuvres. To do this, turn-off hover mode and sharply turn the Ka-50 to one side (left or right) or do the barrel roll. Never fire for at the ADATS after he fired first, his missiles are twice as fast as yours (1,200 m/s vs 600 m/s). To eliminate the ADATS, lock-on target in gunner sight and fire. If you see incoming fire, switch to 3rd view/pilot view and begin evasive manoeuvres as mentioned above, but keep in mind that the target has to stay in your targeting view so your ATGM could hit the target while manoeuvring.

'''Versus jets''' - On a head on, you can lock them and try to fire the Vikhr ATGM (it has proximity fuse) or lock them with Igla A2A (and fire only if distance is at least greater than 1 km). If they survived and approached their firing range, begin evasive manoeuvres. Simply turn on one side (left or right) or do the barrel-roll. This is the only time you could use your right side mounted 30 mm cannon, so use it and fire for enemy while manoeuvring. If enemy passed you (and is still alive) turn around ASAP and lock him with your Igla A2A missiles and fire. In 99% of the cases, this should be enough to send any plane down.

If the is Ka-50 is not equipped with Igla missiles, just wait for the enemy pilot and repeat the process mentioned above until someone is shot down or have had the engagement broken off.

=== Pros and cons ===


'''Pros:'''

* Has a potent ATGM (between 8 and 10 km range depending on altitude with 800 mm penetration after ERA), able to fire after air targets with its proximity fuse
* Fast and agile, maximum reached speed is around 330 km/h in level flight (with minimum fuel, payload of 6 x Vikhr, 2 x Igla and 2 x Gsh-23-2 cannons in RB)
* Up to 12 x 9K127 Vikhr missiles which can be carried into combat, able to destroy a whole enemy team
* The Ka-50's twin rotor concept can allow the helicopter to survive even after the tail is destroyed

'''Cons:'''

* Limited choices of payload, compromises on ATGM and loadout payloads have to be made in order to use Igla air-to-air missiles
* Absence of thermal sight can make enemy detection more difficult at lower altitude
* Autocannon is mounted on the right-hand side of the helicopter
* Limited autocannon firing arcs - horizontal and vertical angles
* Poor optical zoom

== History ==


'''Development'''

The Ka-50 is the production name for the V-80Sh-1 prototype; production was authorized on 14 December 1987. The Western nations first saw reports of its development in 1984, and the first photograph was seen in 1989. The design went through testing from 1985 to 1986, and the pilot workload was found to be comparable to that of a fighter-bomber. As such, one pilot was sufficient for the operation of the helicopter, and space was only provided for one crew member.

Like other helicopters designed by Kamov, the Ka-50 utilized a coaxial fonts-rotating rotor system, allowing the regal of a tail rotor. The coaxial rotor system also increases manoeuvrability, allowing manoeuvres such as loops, rolls, and circle-strafing. The removal of the tail rotor allows more engine power to be focused towards the main rotors. Additionally, the lack of a tail rotor can, in certain scenarios, increase survivability.

The Ka-50 featured a K-37-800 pilot ejection system; it was one of the first production helicopters to utilize that feature, and even today it is one of the only helicopters to do so. Before the pilot rejects, the main rotors are blown off by an explosive charge along with the canopy. These measures allow higher pilot survivability if the helicopter is critically damaged.

The first batch of Ka-50 helicopters was ordered in 1990 after successful completion of testing and trials. It was first publicly called the Ka-52 in March 1992, at a symposium in the UK. It was first unveiled at the Mosaeroshow '92 at Zukovskiy in August 1992. The first international display was made at the Farnborough Air Show in September, where the second production unit was on display with a werewolf painted on the rudder - it was sometimes referred to as the "Werewolf" after that. The fifth production unit was used in the movie Black Shark, which is how the Ka-50 became known as the "Black Shark".

Field trials began in November 1993, when four helicopters were flown to the Army Aviation Combat Training Center. Authorization for the fielding of the Ka-50 was given by the President of the Russian Federation on 28 August 1995. Due to the fall of the Soviet Union, production was reduced to only a dozen Ka-50s instead of hundreds (it had previously been intended to replace the Mil Mi-24).

The NATO nations believed that a single-seat helicopter was impractical, and the first two Ka-50 prototypes had false windows painted on to give the allusion they were two-seat helicopters. This threw off some of the first western reports on the project; they believed that the new helicopter might even be designed to shoot down NATO helicopters. This was seen as logical because of the recent American J-CATCH program, which covered the tactics that should be used to shoot down an enemy helicopter. The misconception as to the Ka-50's role did not last long, but it did throw off NATO planners at first.

The Russian Military designated the Ka-50 as the main helicopter to provide support of special forces, while the Mi-28 replaced the Mi-24 as the main helicopter gunship in service. Production of the Ka-50 recommenced in 2006; in 2009 three Ka-50s were delivered that were built from incomplete airframes from the 1990s.

'''Design'''

The Ka-50 features a coaxial rotor design, and the rotors are made with polymers. Because of the coaxial rotor design no tail rotor is necessary, so it was excluded from the design. The powerplant features two Klimov VK-2500 engines; the Ka-50 has a high performance and manoeuvrability. It features an inertial navigation system (INS), an autopilot system, and a head-up display (HUD). A terrain-following radar is included, as is a Forward Looking Infrared (FLIR) device. Combat in both VFR and IFR conditions is allowed by the electronic radio and sighting-pilot-navigating system. These systems allow information such as enemy coordinates to be transmitted between helicopters and ground command systems.

A radar warning receiver, electronic warfare system, and chaff and flare dispensers with thirty-two 26 mm countermeasures each - located at the end of both wings - are fitted for the protection of the helicopter. The cockpit is armoured for protection against 12.7 mm (.50 cal) armour-piercing bullets and 23 mm projectile fragments. The rotors are designed to withstand several hits from ground-based automatic weapons. Additionally, there is protection for vital systems, and the fuselage and landing gear are designed to be crash absorbing. The two engines increase survivability as well, for if one is damaged the other can still provide power.

The Ka-50 is armed with one Shipunov 2A42 30 mm cannon, which can attain a fire rate of 200 to 800 rounds per minute with its dual feed ammunition system; 460 rounds are carried. The cannon is mounted on the starboard side of the fuselage, and its traverse is limited to slight elevation and azimuth adjustments. The semi-rigid mounting allows a greater accuracy than would a turret mount. A K-37-800 ejection system is provided for the pilot, allowing escape at any altitude and speed.

The suspended armament is carried on four hardpoints mounted on the wings. These mounts can carry fuel tanks or various armaments, and they can be tilted up to ten degrees downwards. Twelve laser-guided 9K121 Vikhr or 9M120 anti-tank guided missiles can be carried. These missiles are claimed to be almost jam-proof and have fire-and-forget capability, allowing the helicopter to take evasive action after launch. The Ka-50 can also be fitted with S-13, S-8 rockets, or UPK-23-250 gun pods.

'''Service'''

The first major usage of the Ka-50 was during the Second Chechen War. Two Is-50s arrived in December of 2000; a Ka-29 operated with the Ka-50s to provide reconnaissance and target designation. The first time the Ka-50 used its weapons in combat was on 6 January 2001. On 9 January, one Ka-50 accompanied by an Mi-24 used S-8 unguided rockets to destroy a Chechen insurgent warehouse near Komsomolskoye which was used to store ammunition. On 6 February, the two Ka-50s and the Ka-29 destroyed an insurgent camp south of Tsentoroj with the launch of two 9K121 Vikhr missiles; they were launched at a range of 3 kilometers. On 14 February, the helicopters carried out a similar mission near Oak-Yurt and Hatun. The group had located and destroyed eight targets, and these operations in mountainous terrain validated the Ka-50 design.

The Ka-50 was used by the Russian Military during many military exercises, including "Boundary 2004" in the Edelweiss mountain range of Kyrgyzstan during August 2004. During this exercise, the Ka-50 operated at high altitudes and warm air temperatures. One Ka-50 was used to provide cover for landing troops and used cannons and rockets against ground targets.

== Media ==


;Skins

* [https://live.warthunder.com/feed/camouflages/?vehicle=ka_50 Skins and camouflages for the {{PAGENAME}} from live.warthunder.com.]

;Images
<gallery mode="packed" caption="Store Pack Images" heights="150">
File:Ka-50 Black Shark Store Pack Image 01.jpg|
File:Ka-50 Black Shark Store Pack Image 02.jpg|
File:Ka-50 Black Shark Store Pack Image 03.jpg|
File:Ka-50 Black Shark Store Pack Image 04.jpg|
File:Ka-50 Black Shark Store Pack Image 05.jpg|
</gallery><gallery mode="packed" heights="150" caption="Devblog Images">
File:Ka-50 WTWallpaper 001.jpg|
File:Ka-50 WTWallpaper 002.jpg|
File:Ka-50 WTWallpaper 003.jpg|
File:Ka-50 WTWallpaper 004.jpg|
File:Ka-50 WTWallpaper 005.jpg|
File:Ka-50 WTWallpaper 006.jpg|
File:Ka-50 WTWallpaper 007.jpg|
</gallery>

;Videos
{{Youtube-gallery|KaBzj3iWU9I|'''Ka-50 Ultimate Review''' - ''Bob Dickinson''|1ELo-DevC-o|'''Should You Buy The Ka-50 "Black Shark"''' - ''Sako Sniper''|Xd9m6rPtN3U|'''The Shooting Range #172''' - ''Metal Beasts'' section at 00:32 discusses the Ka-50.}}

== See also ==


;Related development

* [[Ka-52]] - Another Soviet attack helicopter developed from the Ka-50.

;Other helicopters of similar configuration and role

* [[AH-64 (Family)]]
* [[EC-665 Tiger HAP]]

== External links ==


* [[wt:en/news/6422-development-ka-50-black-shark-en|[Devblog] Ka-50 "Black Shark"]]
* [[wikipedia:Kamov_Ka-50|[Wikipedia] Kamov Ka-50]]
* [https://www.army-technology.com/projects/ka50-black-shark/ <nowiki>[Army Technology]</nowiki> Ka-50 Black Shark (Hokum) Attack Helicopter]
* [http://www.military-today.com/helicopters/kamov_ka50_hokum.htm <nowiki>[Military Today]</nowiki> Kamov Ka-50]

{{AirManufacturer Kamov}}
{{USSR helicopters}}

Ka-50

2024-01-09T16:35:46Z

U75993721: ADATS and Tunguska are no longer the only SAMs with 10+ km range.

{{Specs-Card
|code=ka_50
|images={{Specs-Card-Image|GarageImage_{{PAGENAME}}.jpg|Ka-50 Black Shark Store Pack Image 04.jpg|Ka-50 WebsiteImage 1.jpg}}
|cockpit=cockpit_ka_50.jpg
|store=6987
}}

== Description ==

The '''{{Specs|name}}''' (NATO Code: Hokum-A) is a Soviet attack helicopter developed in the 1980s with the intent to complement the capabilities of other helicopters, such as the Mi-24. It emerged as the successor to the Kamov V-80, aiming to address the shortcomings of conventional helicopters in terms of stability, manoeuvrability, and anti-tank capabilities. It was specifically designed for anti-tank warfare and is armed with a wide range of weapons, including guided missiles and a 30 mm cannon. Its unique rotor system allows for precise control, stability, and improved aerobatic qualities. Unlike most Kamov designs, the {{Specs|name}} features a single-seat cockpit, most likely to reduce weight and increase agility. Additionally, the helicopter is equipped with advanced avionics and sensor systems, enhancing its reconnaissance and target acquisition capabilities.

The {{Specs|name}} was introduced in [[Update 1.93 "Shark Attack"]] as a [[wt:en/news/6422-development-ka-50-black-shark-en|premium pack]]. It features a wide variety of gameplay due to the durable airframe and potent armament options. One of its standout features is the 9K127 Vikhr missile, which provides the helicopter with the capability to engage targets from long distances, further enhancing its effectiveness in combat.

== General info ==
=== Flight performance ===
{{Specs-Heli-Flight}}


{| class="wikitable" style="text-align:center"
|-
! rowspan="2" | Characteristics
! colspan="2" | Max Speed (km/h at 1,000 m)
! rowspan="2" | Max altitude (metres)
|-
! AB !! RB
|-
! Stock
| 299 || 268 || rowspan="2" | {{Specs|ceiling}}
|-
! Upgraded
| 320 || 310
|-
|}

=== Survivability and armour ===
{{Specs-Heli-Armour}}


Due to the low weight, this helicopter is fast and agile, and so it is easy to dodge even the missiles from ADATS or incoming fighters on head-on. Even in the case of damages, the twin rotor design can help keep control the damage even in cases where the tail is destroyed.
[[File:Armour of Ka-50.jpg|thumb|Black shark armour locations|right]]
Lots of sensors on the {{PAGENAME}} help establish situational awareness to keep an eye for threats. A radar warning receiver (RWR) will keep the {{PAGENAME}} informed of the presence (distance and direction) of active radars (enemies AA, jets with radar), also with sounds (beeping). A Missile Approach Warning system (MAW) will automatically deploy false targets - flares (128 pcs) and inform the Ka-50 pilots of incoming missiles (even in SB). In other environmental conditions, the Ka-50 also has a night vision device (only image an intensifier without thermal sight) to keep some form of visibility.

Distance is also the Ka-50's best friend, with an ATGM with active radius of 10 km that will help keep the helicopter out of range of most AA, except ADATS, 2K22 Tunguska, and the VT1 equipped European AAs.

The crew has a highly armoured cockpit, as shown in image: Black shark: Armour locations

*Bullet proof glass covers only the front windscreen of the helicopter - 22 mm thick.
*Aluminium alloy covers the front, and sides of the helicopter located on each side of the cockpit - 20 mm thick.
*Aluminium alloy covers only the bottom of the self-sealing fuel tanks - 20 mm thick.

The helicopter has four separate fuel tanks, three at the rear of the fuselage and one just behind the cockpit. Engines are placed above the autocannon with the fuel tanks, spaced out around it.

=== Modifications and economy ===
{{Specs-Economy}}

== Armaments ==
{{Specs-Heli-Armaments}}
{| class="wikitable" style="text-align:center"
|-
! colspan="3" | [[Ballistic Computer]]
|-
! CCIP (Guns) !! CCIP (Rockets) !! CCIP (Bombs)
|-
| {{Tick}} || {{Tick}} || {{Tick}}
|-
|}
=== Offensive armament ===
{{Specs-Heli-Offensive}}

{{main|2A42 (30 mm)}}

The '''''{{PAGENAME}}''''' is armed with:

* A choice between two presets:
** 1 x 30 mm 2A42 cannon, right fuselage-mounted (460 rpg)
** 1 x 30 mm 2A42 cannon + 128 x countermeasures

The 30 mm 2A42 cannon can be equipped with mixed belt, belt for air targets or ground targets

* '''Default:''' {{Annotation|AP-T|Armour-piercing tracer}}{{-}}{{Annotation|HEF-I*|High-explosive fragmentation incendiary (self-destroying)}}; max penetration: 63 mm at 100 metres
* '''Ground targets:''' {{Annotation|APDS|Armour-piercing discarding sabot}}{{-}}{{Annotation|AP-T|Armour-piercing tracer}}{{-}}{{Annotation|HEF-I*|High-explosive fragmentation incendiary (self-destroying)}}{{-}}{{Annotation|HEF-I*|High-explosive fragmentation incendiary (self-destroying)}}; max penetration: 81 mm at 100 metres
* '''Air targets:''' {{Annotation|HEF-T*|High-explosive fragmentation tracer (self-destroying)}}{{-}}{{Annotation|AP-T|Armour-piercing tracer}}{{-}}{{Annotation|HEF-I*|High-explosive fragmentation incendiary (self-destroying)}}{{-}}{{Annotation|HEF-I*|High-explosive fragmentation incendiary (self-destroying)}}; max penetration: 63 mm at 100 metres
* '''Armoured targets:''' {{Annotation|APDS|Armour-piercing discarding sabot}}; max penetration: 81 mm at 100 metres

Due to the risk of flying directly over a battlefield, and that the Ka-50's optimal firing distance is from a long way from the enemy ground targets, the ''Ground targets'' belt for the 30 mm is not useful. As such, being equipped against air targets would be better; so pick ''Default'' or ''Air targets'' belt from personal preferences, but the Default belt will have some AP shells in case the opposing enemy aircraft is armoured.

=== Suspended armament ===
{{Specs-Heli-Suspended}}

{{main|OFAB-250sv (250 kg)|FAB-500M-62 (500 kg)}}
{{main|9K127 Vikhr|9M39 Igla|S-8KO|GSh-23L (23 mm)}}

The '''''{{PAGENAME}}''''' can be outfitted with the following ordnance presets:

* Without load
* 2 x 9M39 Igla missiles
* 80 x S-8KO rockets
* 12 x 9K127 Vikhr missiles
* 4 x 250 kg OFAB-250sv bombs (1,000 kg total)
* 2 x 500 kg FAB-500M-62 bombs (1,000 kg total)
* 4 x 23 mm GSh-23L cannons (250 rpg = 1,000 total)

The Ka-50 equips these weapons by means of pylons, with 4 pylons total on the helicopter (2 on each wing). Each pylon holds one of the following:

* 6 x 9K127 Vikhr ATGMs (range: 10 km; TNT equivalent: 5.16 kg; max speed: 600 m/s) - A tandem warhead with 800 mm penetration of armour after ERA with proximity fuse. Can only be mounted on the outer pylons for 12 missiles maximum.
* 2 x 9M39 Igla air-to-air missiles (IR guided; lock-on range: 6 km in rear aspect, 4 km in all aspect; max speed: 1,000 m/s; max overload: 18 G; has {{Annotation|ECCM|Electronic Counter Counter Measure (missile is immune to interference from enemy Electronic Counter Measure (ECM))}}) - Mounted on outer pylons with 2 missiles each. Can currently only be equipped on 1 outer pylon, with the other having 6 x Vikhr ATGM.
* 20 x S-8KO unguided rockets (speed: 610 m/s; TNT equivalent: 1.32 kg; max armour penetration: 400 mm) - All four pylons can be equipped with rocket pods for a maximum of 80 rockets total.
* 1 x 23 mm GSh-23L cannon with 250 rounds each, can be equipped on all 4 pylons (1,000 ammo with 4 cannons in total)

==== Custom loadout options ====
{| class="wikitable" style="text-align:center" width="100%"
|-
! !! width="11%" | 1 !! width="11%" | 2 !! width="11%" | 3 !! width="11%" | 4
| rowspan="8" width="30%" | <div class="ttx-image">[[File:Hardpoints_{{PAGENAME}}.png]]</div>
|-
! 23 mm GSh-23L cannons (250 rpg)
| 1 || 1 || 1 || 1
|-
! 250 kg OFAB-250sv bombs
| 1 || 1 || 1 || 1
|-
! 500 kg FAB-500M-62 bombs
| || 1 || 1 ||
|-
! S-8KO rockets
| 20 || 20 || 20 || 20
|-
! 9K127 Vikhr missiles
| 6 || || || 6
|-
! 9M39 Igla missiles
| 2 || || ||
|-
| colspan="5" | Maximum permissible weight imbalance: 480 kg
|-
|}

=== Defensive systems ===

The Ka-50 has a MAW - Missile Approach Warning system and 128 Flares.

*128 Flares are installed on tips of the wings, in those two pods.
*The Missile Approach Warning (MAW) detects the incoming missile and notifies you about them as well deploying the flares automatically.

== Usage in battles ==

The most preferable playstyle for this helicopter should be firing ATGM from long range since Vikhr has the longest range in the game (10 km).

'''Versus ADATS''' - From the beginning, try to keep the ADATS more than 10 km away from the Ka-50's position and focus on closer targets. For this, reach the battlefield at the middle (usually some point to capture is around 9.5 km from you). If the Ka-50 has already detected some ADATS within 10 km, be prepared with the fact that the ADATS also may know that the Ka-50 is there and may already be firing missiles. If an incoming missile is spotted, begin evasive manoeuvres. To do this, turn-off hover mode and sharply turn the Ka-50 to one side (left or right) or do the barrel roll. Never fire for at the ADATS after he fired first, his missiles are twice as fast as yours (1,200 m/s vs 600 m/s). To eliminate the ADATS, lock-on target in gunner sight and fire. If you see incoming fire, switch to 3rd view/pilot view and begin evasive manoeuvres as mentioned above, but keep in mind that the target has to stay in your targeting view so your ATGM could hit the target while manoeuvring.

'''Versus jets''' - On a head on, you can lock them and try to fire the Vikhr ATGM (it has proximity fuse) or lock them with Igla A2A (and fire only if distance is at least greater than 1 km). If they survived and approached their firing range, begin evasive manoeuvres. Simply turn on one side (left or right) or do the barrel-roll. This is the only time you could use your right side mounted 30 mm cannon, so use it and fire for enemy while manoeuvring. If enemy passed you (and is still alive) turn around ASAP and lock him with your Igla A2A missiles and fire. In 99% of the cases, this should be enough to send any plane down.

If the is Ka-50 is not equipped with Igla missiles, just wait for the enemy pilot and repeat the process mentioned above until someone is shot down or have had the engagement broken off.

=== Pros and cons ===


'''Pros:'''

* Has a potent ATGM (10 km range with 800 mm penetration after ERA), able to fire after air targets with its proximity fuse
* Fast and agile, maximum reached speed is around 330 km/h in level flight (with minimum fuel, payload of 6 x Vikhr, 2 x Igla and 2 x Gsh-23-2 cannons in RB)
* Up to 12 x 9K127 Vikhr missiles which can be carried into combat, able to destroy a whole enemy team
* The Ka-50's twin rotor concept can allow the helicopter to survive even after the tail is destroyed

'''Cons:'''

* Limited choices of payload, compromises on ATGM and loadout payloads have to be made in order to use Igla air-to-air missiles
* Absence of thermal sight can make enemy detection more difficult at lower altitude
* Autocannon is mounted on the right-hand side of the helicopter
* Limited autocannon firing arcs - horizontal and vertical angles
* Poor optical zoom

== History ==


'''Development'''

The Ka-50 is the production name for the V-80Sh-1 prototype; production was authorized on 14 December 1987. The Western nations first saw reports of its development in 1984, and the first photograph was seen in 1989. The design went through testing from 1985 to 1986, and the pilot workload was found to be comparable to that of a fighter-bomber. As such, one pilot was sufficient for the operation of the helicopter, and space was only provided for one crew member.

Like other helicopters designed by Kamov, the Ka-50 utilized a coaxial fonts-rotating rotor system, allowing the regal of a tail rotor. The coaxial rotor system also increases manoeuvrability, allowing manoeuvres such as loops, rolls, and circle-strafing. The removal of the tail rotor allows more engine power to be focused towards the main rotors. Additionally, the lack of a tail rotor can, in certain scenarios, increase survivability.

The Ka-50 featured a K-37-800 pilot ejection system; it was one of the first production helicopters to utilize that feature, and even today it is one of the only helicopters to do so. Before the pilot rejects, the main rotors are blown off by an explosive charge along with the canopy. These measures allow higher pilot survivability if the helicopter is critically damaged.

The first batch of Ka-50 helicopters was ordered in 1990 after successful completion of testing and trials. It was first publicly called the Ka-52 in March 1992, at a symposium in the UK. It was first unveiled at the Mosaeroshow '92 at Zukovskiy in August 1992. The first international display was made at the Farnborough Air Show in September, where the second production unit was on display with a werewolf painted on the rudder - it was sometimes referred to as the "Werewolf" after that. The fifth production unit was used in the movie Black Shark, which is how the Ka-50 became known as the "Black Shark".

Field trials began in November 1993, when four helicopters were flown to the Army Aviation Combat Training Center. Authorization for the fielding of the Ka-50 was given by the President of the Russian Federation on 28 August 1995. Due to the fall of the Soviet Union, production was reduced to only a dozen Ka-50s instead of hundreds (it had previously been intended to replace the Mil Mi-24).

The NATO nations believed that a single-seat helicopter was impractical, and the first two Ka-50 prototypes had false windows painted on to give the allusion they were two-seat helicopters. This threw off some of the first western reports on the project; they believed that the new helicopter might even be designed to shoot down NATO helicopters. This was seen as logical because of the recent American J-CATCH program, which covered the tactics that should be used to shoot down an enemy helicopter. The misconception as to the Ka-50's role did not last long, but it did throw off NATO planners at first.

The Russian Military designated the Ka-50 as the main helicopter to provide support of special forces, while the Mi-28 replaced the Mi-24 as the main helicopter gunship in service. Production of the Ka-50 recommenced in 2006; in 2009 three Ka-50s were delivered that were built from incomplete airframes from the 1990s.

'''Design'''

The Ka-50 features a coaxial rotor design, and the rotors are made with polymers. Because of the coaxial rotor design no tail rotor is necessary, so it was excluded from the design. The powerplant features two Klimov VK-2500 engines; the Ka-50 has a high performance and manoeuvrability. It features an inertial navigation system (INS), an autopilot system, and a head-up display (HUD). A terrain-following radar is included, as is a Forward Looking Infrared (FLIR) device. Combat in both VFR and IFR conditions is allowed by the electronic radio and sighting-pilot-navigating system. These systems allow information such as enemy coordinates to be transmitted between helicopters and ground command systems.

A radar warning receiver, electronic warfare system, and chaff and flare dispensers with thirty-two 26 mm countermeasures each - located at the end of both wings - are fitted for the protection of the helicopter. The cockpit is armoured for protection against 12.7 mm (.50 cal) armour-piercing bullets and 23 mm projectile fragments. The rotors are designed to withstand several hits from ground-based automatic weapons. Additionally, there is protection for vital systems, and the fuselage and landing gear are designed to be crash absorbing. The two engines increase survivability as well, for if one is damaged the other can still provide power.

The Ka-50 is armed with one Shipunov 2A42 30 mm cannon, which can attain a fire rate of 200 to 800 rounds per minute with its dual feed ammunition system; 460 rounds are carried. The cannon is mounted on the starboard side of the fuselage, and its traverse is limited to slight elevation and azimuth adjustments. The semi-rigid mounting allows a greater accuracy than would a turret mount. A K-37-800 ejection system is provided for the pilot, allowing escape at any altitude and speed.

The suspended armament is carried on four hardpoints mounted on the wings. These mounts can carry fuel tanks or various armaments, and they can be tilted up to ten degrees downwards. Twelve laser-guided 9K121 Vikhr or 9M120 anti-tank guided missiles can be carried. These missiles are claimed to be almost jam-proof and have fire-and-forget capability, allowing the helicopter to take evasive action after launch. The Ka-50 can also be fitted with S-13, S-8 rockets, or UPK-23-250 gun pods.

'''Service'''

The first major usage of the Ka-50 was during the Second Chechen War. Two Is-50s arrived in December of 2000; a Ka-29 operated with the Ka-50s to provide reconnaissance and target designation. The first time the Ka-50 used its weapons in combat was on 6 January 2001. On 9 January, one Ka-50 accompanied by an Mi-24 used S-8 unguided rockets to destroy a Chechen insurgent warehouse near Komsomolskoye which was used to store ammunition. On 6 February, the two Ka-50s and the Ka-29 destroyed an insurgent camp south of Tsentoroj with the launch of two 9K121 Vikhr missiles; they were launched at a range of 3 kilometers. On 14 February, the helicopters carried out a similar mission near Oak-Yurt and Hatun. The group had located and destroyed eight targets, and these operations in mountainous terrain validated the Ka-50 design.

The Ka-50 was used by the Russian Military during many military exercises, including "Boundary 2004" in the Edelweiss mountain range of Kyrgyzstan during August 2004. During this exercise, the Ka-50 operated at high altitudes and warm air temperatures. One Ka-50 was used to provide cover for landing troops and used cannons and rockets against ground targets.

== Media ==


;Skins

* [https://live.warthunder.com/feed/camouflages/?vehicle=ka_50 Skins and camouflages for the {{PAGENAME}} from live.warthunder.com.]

;Images
<gallery mode="packed" caption="Store Pack Images" heights="150">
File:Ka-50 Black Shark Store Pack Image 01.jpg|
File:Ka-50 Black Shark Store Pack Image 02.jpg|
File:Ka-50 Black Shark Store Pack Image 03.jpg|
File:Ka-50 Black Shark Store Pack Image 04.jpg|
File:Ka-50 Black Shark Store Pack Image 05.jpg|
</gallery><gallery mode="packed" heights="150" caption="Devblog Images">
File:Ka-50 WTWallpaper 001.jpg|
File:Ka-50 WTWallpaper 002.jpg|
File:Ka-50 WTWallpaper 003.jpg|
File:Ka-50 WTWallpaper 004.jpg|
File:Ka-50 WTWallpaper 005.jpg|
File:Ka-50 WTWallpaper 006.jpg|
File:Ka-50 WTWallpaper 007.jpg|
</gallery>

;Videos
{{Youtube-gallery|KaBzj3iWU9I|'''Ka-50 Ultimate Review''' - ''Bob Dickinson''|1ELo-DevC-o|'''Should You Buy The Ka-50 "Black Shark"''' - ''Sako Sniper''|Xd9m6rPtN3U|'''The Shooting Range #172''' - ''Metal Beasts'' section at 00:32 discusses the Ka-50.}}

== See also ==


;Related development

* [[Ka-52]] - Another Soviet attack helicopter developed from the Ka-50.

;Other helicopters of similar configuration and role

* [[AH-64 (Family)]]
* [[EC-665 Tiger HAP]]

== External links ==


* [[wt:en/news/6422-development-ka-50-black-shark-en|[Devblog] Ka-50 "Black Shark"]]
* [[wikipedia:Kamov_Ka-50|[Wikipedia] Kamov Ka-50]]
* [https://www.army-technology.com/projects/ka50-black-shark/ <nowiki>[Army Technology]</nowiki> Ka-50 Black Shark (Hokum) Attack Helicopter]
* [http://www.military-today.com/helicopters/kamov_ka50_hokum.htm <nowiki>[Military Today]</nowiki> Kamov Ka-50]

{{AirManufacturer Kamov}}
{{USSR helicopters}}

MC 485

2024-01-06T12:47:17Z

U75993721: /* Description */

{{Specs-Card
|code=it_mc_485
|images={{Specs-Card-Image|GarageImage_{{PAGENAME}}.jpg}}
}}

== Description ==

With the Presidential Decree of 11 February 1952, several torpedo motorboats of the Elco and Vosper types were acquired, but one of them in particular was the S-26 of German origin renamed MC-485, part of the 1 February 1952, the patrol boat (MV) 621 was registered in the State Military Naval Register, the unit was a German torpedo boat of the S-26 type which survived the war and was captured by Great Britain in 1945, in 1948 it had been sold to private individuals for commercial use under the name of ''Torus'', it was acquired at the beginning of 1952 and sent to the La Spezia Military Arsenal to be refitted, on 1 November 1952 she was reclassified as torpedo motor torpedo boat, taking the name MS 621 and as NATO pennant number (P) 460, in 1953 the construction work was completed, on 1 January 1954 she was given the new name MC 485 and the pennant number changed to (P) 485 and was classified as a motor torpedo boat, in 1963 she was sent to the Taranto Arsenal for a cycle of extraordinary works, but as the hull had given way in several places, it was not considered advisable to proceed with her refit, and the unit was laid up on 1 July 1964 and then decommissioned on 1 March 1966.

The MC-485 introduced in the [[Update "La Royale"|"La Royale" Update]], as a Battle Pass reward vehicle: [[Battle Pass: Season XII, "Armour Breaking Ambusher"|Season XII, "Armour Breaking Ambusher"]], is a German Schnellboot class ship modified by the Italians with radar, 2 Italian 40mm cannons and the replacement of the German torpedoes with Italian ones, being Premium grants more PR and SL, the ship has good manoeuvrability and firepower thanks to the two 40mm Bofors mounted at the rear that guarantee continuous damage and penetration of enemy boats, but as they are positioned behind the guns cannot aim frontally, this causes a major weakness to the ship at the front the survivability of the Schnellboot is very low, but is always compensated for by the speed and manoeuvrability that helps you to aim and make surprise attacks on larger ships with torpedoes

== General info ==
=== Survivability and armour ===
{{Specs-Fleet-Armour}}

''Talk about the vehicle's armour. Note the most well-defended and most vulnerable zones, e.g. the ammo magazine. Evaluate the composition of components and assemblies responsible for movement and manoeuvrability. Evaluate the survivability of the primary and secondary armaments separately. Don't forget to mention the size of the crew, which plays an important role in fleet mechanics. Save tips on preserving survivability for the "Usage in battles" section. If necessary, use a graphical template to show the most well-protected or most vulnerable points in the armour.''

=== Mobility ===
{{Specs-Fleet-Mobility}}

''Write about the ship's mobility. Evaluate its power and manoeuvrability, rudder rerouting speed, stopping speed at full tilt, with its maximum forward and reverse speed.''

{{NavalMobility}}

=== Modifications and economy ===
{{Specs-Economy}}

== Armament ==
{{Specs-Fleet-Armaments}}
=== Primary armament ===
{{Specs-Fleet-Primary}}

{{main|Bofors L/60 Mark 3 (40 mm)}}

''Provide information about the characteristics of the primary armament. Evaluate their efficacy in battle based on their reload speed, ballistics and the capacity of their shells. Add a link to the main article about the weapon: <code><nowiki>{{main|Weapon name (calibre)}}</nowiki></code>. Broadly describe the ammunition available for the primary armament, and provide recommendations on how to use it and which ammunition to choose.''

* '''Universal:''' {{Annotation|AP-T|Armour-piercing tracer}}{{-}}{{Annotation|HEFI-T|High-explosive fragmentation incendiary tracer}}
* '''40 mm AP clips:''' {{Annotation|AP-T|Armour-piercing tracer}}{{-}}{{Annotation|AP-T|Armour-piercing tracer}}{{-}}{{Annotation|AP-T|Armour-piercing tracer}}{{-}}{{Annotation|HEFI-T|High-explosive fragmentation incendiary tracer}}
* '''40 mm HE clips:''' {{Annotation|HEFI-T|High-explosive fragmentation incendiary tracer}}{{-}}{{Annotation|HEFI-T|High-explosive fragmentation incendiary tracer}}{{-}}{{Annotation|HEFI-T|High-explosive fragmentation incendiary tracer}}{{-}}{{Annotation|AP-T|Armour-piercing tracer}}

{{:Bofors L/60 Mark 3 (40 mm)/Ammunition|HEFI-T, AP-T}}

=== Additional armament ===
{{Specs-Fleet-Additional}}

{{main|S.I. 270/533X6.84 Tipo L (533 mm)}}

''Describe the available additional armaments of the ship: depth charges, mines, torpedoes. Talk about their positions, available ammunition and launch features such as dead zones of torpedoes. If there is no additional armament, remove this section.''

== Usage in battles ==

''Describe the technique of using this ship, the characteristics of her use in a team and tips on strategy. Abstain from writing an entire guide – don't try to provide a single point of view, but give the reader food for thought. Talk about the most dangerous opponents for this vehicle and provide recommendations on fighting them. If necessary, note the specifics of playing with this vehicle in various modes (AB, RB, SB).''

=== Pros and cons ===


'''Pros:'''

* Fast and very agile vessel

'''Cons:'''

* Very little armour, allowing almost any calibre to penetrate it

== History ==

''Describe the history of the creation and combat usage of the ship in more detail than in the introduction. If the historical reference turns out to be too long, take it to a separate article, taking a link to the article about the ship and adding a block "/History" (example: <nowiki>https://wiki.warthunder.com/(Ship-name)/History</nowiki>) and add a link to it here using the <code>main</code> template. Be sure to reference text and sources by using <code><nowiki><ref></ref></nowiki></code>, as well as adding them at the end of the article with <code><nowiki><references /></nowiki></code>. This section may also include the ship's dev blog entry (if applicable) and the in-game encyclopedia description (under <code><nowiki>=== In-game description ===</nowiki></code>, also if applicable).''

== Media ==


;Videos
{{Youtube-gallery|9emoh5qAlO4|'''Battle Pass: Armour Breaking Ambusher''' discusses the {{PAGENAME}} at 0:54 - ''War Thunder Official Channel''}}

== See also ==

''Links to articles on the War Thunder Wiki that you think will be useful for the reader, for example:''

* ''reference to the series of the ship;''
* ''links to approximate analogues of other nations and research trees.''

== External links ==


* [[wt:en/news/8360-development-battle-pass-vehicles-mc-485-en|[Devblog] Battle Pass vehicles: MC 485]]

{{ShipManufacturer Lürssen}}
{{Italy boats}}
{{Italy premium ships}}

Harrier GR.1

2024-01-04T00:34:34Z

U75993721: /* Pros and cons */

{{About
| about = premium British strike aircraft '''{{PAGENAME}}'''
| usage = other versions
| link = Harrier (Family)
}}
{{Specs-Card
|code=harrier_gr1
|images={{Specs-Card-Image|GarageImage_{{PAGENAME}}.jpg}}
}}

== Description ==

The '''{{Specs|name}}''' was developed from the Hawker-Siddeley P.1127 and the Hawker-Siddeley Kestrel FGA.1 prototype aircraft that demonstrated the feasibility of using vectored thrust to achieve V/STOL capability. Recognizing the potential of this technology to operate from unprepared sites and evade enemy air defenses, the Royal Air Force (RAF) adopted it for their use. In 1969, the {{Specs|name}} was officially introduced into service. It was primarily designed for ground-attack and reconnaissance missions, capitalizing on its unique ability to take off and land in a variety of environments. This flexibility made it a valuable asset in the RAF's arsenal. Beyond its primary roles, the {{Specs|name}} was also tested with Short Range Air-to-Air Missiles (SRAAMs), a British project that spanned from 1968 to 1980. These infrared homing missiles were capable of executing high-G turns, making them ideal for close-range dogfights. It paved the way for future advancements in aircraft design and missile technology, setting the stage for the next generation of combat aircraft and air-to-air missiles.

The {{Specs|name}} was introduced in [[Update "New Power"]]. Like all members of the [[Harrier (Family)|Harrier family]], the Harrier GR.1 is a [[VTOL]] aircraft with thrust vectoring nozzles, which allow it to take off and land vertically. The Harrier GR.1 can be equipped with a variety of ordnance, including SRAAMs, bombs, and rockets. It excels at low-altitude combat, where it can use its VTOL capabilities to surprise enemies and evade attacks. However, it also has low top speed and agility, making it easy prey for faster and more manoeuvrable enemies. Additionally, it lacks any kind of countermeasures, such as chaff or flares, leaving it vulnerable to enemy missile attacks. On the bright side, the aircraft can use its SRAAMs to intercept incoming missiles head-on. It is a challenging but rewarding aircraft to master, offering a unique gameplay experience and a versatile loadout.

== General info ==
=== Flight performance ===
{{Specs-Avia-Flight}}

The Harrier GR.1 has an impressive climb rate, though it is put down by Soviet jets that it may face, like the [[MiG-19PT]], [[Su-7B]], and [[Su-7BKL]]. The Harrier's climb rate also suffers the more armament it carries; even just 4 [[SRAAM]]s drops the climb rate from 80 m/s to 68.2 m/s. Equipping 4 x 1,000 lb bombs cuts the climb rate by more than half. Because the Pegasus engine loses thrust at higher altitudes, the climb rate decreases with it.

The Pegasus engine has amazing low-altitude acceleration, but continues to suffer more at higher altitudes. In the early game, the [[Harrier (Family)]] planes will usually be seen pulling ahead of planes with afterburner (From the airfield, air spawns start the planes with a higher top speed at a higher start speed), but the subsonic status makes the planes with a higher speed catch up after a bit.

The turn rate of the GR.1 is mediocre compared to other planes it may face, especially planes from the [[F-86 (Family)]] and the previously mentioned Soviet planes. The rate of turn suffers the higher it climbs, as with the climb rate. Takeoff flaps, with their very high limit, can be utilized to turn sharper, as well as using the [[VTOL]] function correctly.

'''''Controls tend to lock up at altitudes over 7,000 m (23,000 feet), because of the massive lost of thrust in the Pegasus engine.'''''

{| class="wikitable" style="text-align:center" width="70%"
! rowspan="2" | Characteristics
! colspan="2" | Max Speed (km/h at 0 m - sea level)
! rowspan="2" | Max altitude (metres)
! colspan="2" | Turn time (seconds)
! colspan="2" | Rate of climb (metres/second)
! rowspan="2" | Take-off run (metres)
|-
! AB !! RB !! AB !! RB !! AB !! RB
|-
! Stock
| 1,124 || 1,118 || rowspan="2" | {{Specs|ceiling}} || 32.5 || 33.9 || 63.0 || 61.5 || rowspan="2" | 550
|-
! Upgraded
| 1,143 || 1,133 || 31.5 || 32.0 || 98.5 || 80.0
|-
|}

==== Details ====
{| class="wikitable" style="text-align:center" width="50%"
|-
! colspan="6" | Features
|-
! Combat flaps !! Take-off flaps !! Landing flaps !! Air brakes !! Arrestor gear !! Drogue chute
|-
| X || ✓ || ✓ || ✓ || X || X 
|-
|}

{| class="wikitable" style="text-align:center" width="50%"
|-
! colspan="7" | Limits
|-
! rowspan="2" | Wings (km/h)
! rowspan="2" | Gear (km/h)
! colspan="3" | Flaps (km/h)
! colspan="2" | Max Static G
|-
! Combat !! Take-off !! Landing !! + !! -
|-
| {{Specs|destruction|body}} || {{Specs|destruction|gear}} || N/A || 829 || 556 || ~14 || ~6
|-
|}

{| class="wikitable" style="text-align:center"
|-
! colspan="4" | Optimal velocities (km/h)
|-
! Ailerons !! Rudder !! Elevators !! Radiator
|-
| < 648 || < 950 || < 790 || N/A
|-
|}

==== Engine performance ====
{| class="wikitable" style="text-align:center"
|-
! colspan="3" | Engine
! colspan="5" | Aircraft mass
|-
! colspan="2" | Engine name || Number
! colspan="2" | {{Annotation|Basic Mass|Mass of the aircraft with pilot, engine oil, and full water tank; but no fuel or weapons load}} || colspan="3" | Wing loading (full fuel)
|-
| colspan="2" | Rolls-Royce Pegasus Mk.101 || 1
| colspan="2" | 5,868 kg || colspan="3" | 439 kg/m2
|-
! colspan="3" | Engine characteristics
! colspan="4" | Mass with fuel (no weapons load) || rowspan="2" | Max Takeoff Weight
|-
! Weight (each) || colspan="2" | Type
! 10m fuel || 20m fuel || 30m fuel || 34m fuel
|-
| 1,640 kg || colspan="2" | Vectored-thrust low-bypass turbofan
| 6,542 kg || 7,216 kg || 7,890 kg || 8,160 kg || 12,679 kg
|-
! colspan="3" | {{Annotation|Maximum engine thrust @ 0 m (RB / SB)|The maximum thrust produced by each engine, while mounted in the aircraft. NOTE: Thrust varies significantly depending on speed & altitude.}}
! colspan="5" | Thrust to weight ratio @ 0 m (WEP)
|-
! Condition || 100% || WEP
! 10m fuel || 20m fuel || 30m fuel || 34m fuel || MTOW
|-
| ''Stationary'' || 8,708 kgf || 9,240 kgf
| 1.41 || 1.28 || 1.17 || 1.13 || 0.73
|-
| ''Optimal'' || 8,708 kgf (0 km/h) || 9,240 kgf (0 km/h)
| 1.41 || 1.28 || 1.17 || 1.13 || 0.73
|-
|}
{{Notice|The Pegasus engine loses a significant amount of thrust as your speed increases}}

=== Survivability and armour ===
{{Specs-Avia-Armour}}


The Harrier GR.1 has no armour. The engine and all fuel tanks are packed in a tight cluster in the centre of the fuselage. However, a Harrier with critical damage, even losing both wings, can often still make it back to the airfield. This has to be done at VTOL speeds, meaning under 300 km/h, making you a big target.

=== Modifications and economy ===
{{Specs-Economy}}

== Armaments ==
{{Specs-Avia-Armaments}}
{| class="wikitable" style="text-align:center"
|-
! colspan="4" | [[Ballistic Computer]]
|-
! CCIP (Guns) !! CCIP (Rockets) !! CCIP (Bombs) !! CCRP (Bombs)
|-
| {{Tick}} || {{Tick}} || {{Tick}} || {{Tick}}
|-
|}
=== Offensive armament ===
{{Specs-Avia-Offensive}}

{{main|ADEN Mk.4 (30 mm)}}

The '''''{{PAGENAME}}''''' is armed with:

* 2 x 30 mm ADEN Mk.4 cannons, belly-mounted (130 rpg = 260 total)

=== Suspended armament ===
{{Specs-Avia-Suspended}}


The '''''{{PAGENAME}}''''' can be outfitted with the following ordnance:

{| class="wikitable" style="text-align:center" width="100%"
|-
! !! width="9%" | 1 !! width="9%" | 2 !! width="9%" | 3 !! width="9%" | 4 !! width="9%" | 5
| rowspan="7" width="25%" | <div class="ttx-image">[[File:Hardpoints_Harrier_GR.3.png]]</div>
|-
! [[H.E. M.C. Mk.II (500 lb)|500 lb H.E. M.C. Mk.II]] bombs
| 1 || 1, 2 || 1 || 1, 2 || 1
|-
! [[H.E. M.C. Mk.13 (1,000 lb)|1,000 lb H.E. M.C. Mk.13]] bombs
| || 1, 2 || 1 || 1, 2 ||
|-
! [[H.E. M.C. Mk.13 No.117 (1,000 lb)|1,000 lb H.E. M.C. Mk.13 No.117]] bombs
| || 1, 2 || 1 || 1, 2 ||
|-
! [[Mk 77 mod 4 incendiary]] bombs
| 1 || 1 || 1 || 1 || 1
|-
! [[SNEB type 23]] rockets
| 18 || 36 || || 36 || 18
|-
! [[SRAAM]] missiles
| 2 || || || || 2
|-
|}

{{Navigation-Start|Default weapon presets}}
{{Navigation-First-Simple-Line}}

* Without load
* 4 x SRAAM missiles
* 108 x SNEB type 23 rockets
* 5 x 500 lb H.E. M.C. Mk.II bombs (2,500 lb total)
* 4 x 500 lb H.E. M.C. Mk.II bombs (2,000 lb total)
* 3 x 1,000 lb H.E. M.C. Mk.13 bombs (3,000 lb total)
* 3 x 1,000 lb H.E. M.C. Mk.13 No.117 bombs (3,000 lb total)
* 4 x 1,000 lb H.E. M.C. Mk.13 bombs (4,000 lb total)
* 4 x 1,000 lb H.E. M.C. Mk.13 No.117 bombs (4,000 lb total)
* 5 x Mk 77 mod 4 incendiary bombs
{{Navigation-End}}

== Usage in battles ==


Despite having a weaker engine than other members of the [[Harrier (Family)|Harrier family]], the Harrier GR.1 still possesses exceptional acceleration and rate of climb. Coupled with a decent selection of load-outs (including the extremely powerful [[SRAAM]] missiles), and VTOL capability; this makes the Harrier GR.1 a very potent aircraft for both air-to-air combat and ground attack.

Generally a good way to start the game in the Harrier GR.1, when you are are facing aircraft around your BR or lower, is to takeoff and use your incredible acceleration and climb rate to get up and above the enemy aircraft. Climb slightly to the side of the battle and once you have sufficient altitude begin to swoop down on enemy aircraft below you, dispensing of them with your SRAAMs, or ADEN cannons. When climbing it is best to keep the throttle at only 90-95%, and to not use WEP; even at 90% throttle the mighty Pegasus engine is still capable of giving the Harrier a very impressive climb rate. This is advisable as the Harrier only has about 90 seconds of total WEP time, and there are better uses for it than climbing; in addition the Pegasus engine is not designed to be run a full power for extended periods of time and will overheat if left on 100% throttle for too long. As the battle goes on you can drop down to lower altitude to engage your enemies; you should generally avoid turn fighting, instead opting to make high speed attacks from the side of enemies. How much fuel you take is up to you: the minimum load of 10 minutes gives you an incredible thrust to weight ratio and can be enough for short battles, however it is not enough to last longer battles without refuelling.

When facing enemy aircraft which are mostly above your BR (i.e. top tier jets) you need to be much more cautious when taking the climbing approach. Against top tier jets the Harrier's climb rate is less impressive, and being at high altitude leaves you vulnerable to attack from long range [[Air-to-air_missiles#Semi-Active_Radar_Homing_.28SARH.29_missiles|semi-active radar homing air-to-air missile]], an issue exacerbated by the Harrier GR.1's lack of a radar warning receiver. In such battles it is better to stay low and fast, picking off top tier jets with fast approaches from the side, or by forcing an overshoot (thrust vectoring helps with this).
[[File:Harrier SRAAM Kill.mp4|thumb|400px|right|Getting a side-attack kill with an SRAAM. When launched in this way the SRAAMs are extremely hard to dodge.]]
The primary air-to-air weapon of the Harrier GR.1 are its four incredibly powerful [[SRAAM]] missiles. The SRAAMs are missiles of extremes, outside of 1.0-1.2 km they are near useless, however once you get to within 1.2 km of your target they transform into one of the hardest missiles in the game to dodge. The thrust vectoring nature of SRAAMs make them extremely manoeuvrable and hard to dodge, but mean the missiles cannot manoeuvre at all after the motor burns out, significantly limiting their range. To get the most out of SRAAMs you need to play to their advantages, the SRAAMs' poor range means that firing them from directly behind a target while chasing them is not the best idea unless you are very close, have a speed advantage, or the target is manoeuvring. Instead, the optimal way to use SRAAMs is to approach perpendicular to the target and attempt to obtain a lock from as far out as possible. With a lock obtained you should close on the target from the side; as you approach the 1.2 km mark you should turn into the target and "lead" the missile like you would your guns. Fire the missile within 1 km of the target and there is little they will be able to do about it; the SRAAM's extreme manoeuvrability allows them to follow the target through most evasive manoeuvres. A video of this method can be seen to the right. A key weakness of the SRAAMs (other than their limited range) is that they are highly susceptible to flares. You should either pick targets not equipped with flares, or if a target is equipped with flares try to attack when they are distracted or approach from an angle where you will hopefully not be noticed until it is too late.

While the addition of SRAAMs makes the Harrier GR.1 a potent fighter, it was designed as a ground attack aircraft, and it is very capable at filling this role in-game. The Harrier GR.1 has a good selection of bombs or rockets, coupled with a [[Ballistic Computer|ballistic computer]] providing CCIP this makes the Harrier a powerful ground attacker in both air and ground battles. In air battles the two ADEN cannons are very effective at killing ground targets up to medium tanks and light pillboxes (a task made easier with the ballistic computer), and have a plentiful ammo supply. The ability to reliably kill ground targets is useful for both opportunistic attacks for extra RP and for winning matches (if it comes to it).

The defining feature of the Harrier GR.1 is of course its [[VTOL]] (Vertical Take Off and Landing) capability; while this might at first seem like a "party trick" with limited utility there are situations where it can be surprisingly useful. Obviously VTOL allows for short/vertical takeoffs, and while conventional takeoffs are usually the better option (you typically get up to speed quicker) there are occasions where such capability is desirable (e.g. getting out of the way of players strafing the airfield). A more useful feature of VTOL on takeoff is that it allows the Harrier to take-off from aircraft carriers. Taking off from carriers allows you approach the battle from a different angle, sometimes this an be tactically useful depending on how you want to play the match. Where carriers particularly come in useful is if you need to rearm, but suspect the enemy is waiting for you at your main airfield. Some maps allow you to chose from multiple aircraft carriers to spawn on. These will be one of the [[wt:en/news/6925-development-new-ai-aircraft-carriers-en|three modern carriers]]; there is little to choose from between USS Forrestal and HMS Ark Royal (the Forrestal is a bit larger), however Baku is a little more interesting. If you go with USS Forrestal and HMS Ark Royal you get a speed boost on conventional takeoff (simulating a catapult launch); on Baku you get no such boost, requiring you to use your VTOL capability, but the Baku does have significantly better anti-air protection than the other carriers. Regardless of which aircraft carrier you land on the Harrier has no tail hook or drogue chute, so you will need to make use of your VTOL capability when landing.

Where the Harrier's VTOL capability makes the aircraft unique is in the ability to vector the exhaust nozzles to any angle you want during forward flight, at any speed. Vectoring the nozzles will typically lead to very rapid speed loss and therefore should only be done in certain situations. The most basic use of thrust vectoring is for forcing an overshoot, with the air brake deployed and nozzles fully vectored (so pointing slightly in reverse) the Harrier will slow down quite a bit faster than other aircraft; you can use this to make the aircraft on your tail overshoot then hit them with an SRAAM as they fly past. This technique should only be used as a last resort in one-on-one battles though, as you will lose all of your energy and leave you vulnerable to any other enemy aircraft in the area. A more advanced use is to vector the nozzles during turns to enhance turning performance; while deflecting the nozzles will make you lose speed quicker and thus hurt sustained turning performance it can sometimes give you the little bit extra instantaneous turning performance you need to get guns on target, or dodge an enemy attack. You will need to practice and find for yourself the correct balance between turning performance and speed loss in different situations. A more obscure situation in which thrust vectoring can help is when pulling out of a dive, if you have left it too late then pointing the nozzles downwards can sometimes give you enough lift to avoid hitting the ground.

In Ground RB, usually planes have to fly back to their airfield to rearm/repair. In the Harrier, the VTOL capability can be used to land on helicopter pads which are closer to the battlefield, saving precious time, but with the downside of exposing the aircraft to hostile CAS and helicopters.

=== Pros and cons ===

'''Pros:'''

* Exceptional thrust to weight ratio; high altitude climb is achieved with ease
* Extremely good acceleration
* Thrust vectoring VTOL aircraft: in Ground RB, it can rearm on helicopter pads and nozzles can be deflected in-flight for improved maneuvering
* Four [[SRAAM]] missiles; Useful in dogfighting
* Has a Ballistic Computer for all types of armament available
* Has a [[HUD#410SUM1|Head-Up Display]] in the cockpit which provides flight information and weapon aiming functionality
* Able to spawn from aircraft carriers and land/take off from anywhere.

'''Cons:'''

* Limited WEP duration of ~90 seconds because of rapid engine overheating
* Although deflecting nozzles in flight can help with maneuverability, doing so bleeds a lot of speed
* Weaker engine than other later [[Harrier (Family)|Harriers]]; engine performance declines as the altitude increases
* Countering the [[SRAAM]] is extremely easy with flares due to missile's wide inner FoV and by outrunning their ~1.5 km effective range.
* Harrier's top speed massively limits usage of SRAAM missiles as Harrier can't get close enough to majority of its enemies from behind to launch its missiles
* Sneak attack with SRAAM is extremely hard as it requires getting too close to enemies without alerting them.
* Has no radar nor RWR; the player won't easily notice incoming planes and missiles
* No countermeasures; evading IR and SARH missiles requires skills and anticipation

== History ==

The Harrier GR.1 was the first operational version of the Harrier Jump Jet, an iconic family of vertical / short takeoff & landing (V/STOL) fighters developed by the UK in the 1960s. Developed from the P.1127, a prototype aircraft demonstrating vertical takeoff & landing capabilities, the Harrier was the first V/STOL aircraft to enter service in the world. The GR.1 was the initial production version of the Harrier, totalling sixty aircraft: the aircraft was highly successful, and heavily-modified variants of the Harrier remain in service today.

=== Initial development ===
Following the end of the Korean War, several nations began investigating the possibility of jets capable of vertical takeoff & landing. Jet aircraft required long concrete runways to take off, which was considered a major weakness; at the time, most airfields and runways would've been destroyed early during a conflict, rendering most combat jets useless as they would not be able to take off. The VTOL jet fighter was thought of as the solution to these problems, as the aircraft could take off vertically from fields, roads, or even from the rooftops of buildings; because the aircraft could take off vertically, they would be combat-ready even if the country's airfields were destroyed by initial strikes.

In 1957, the Bristol Engine Company began developing a new directed-fan engine based on their existing Olympus and Orpheus engines. The new engine, soon to be named Pegasus, featured two "cold" jets that expelled non-combusted air from the jet engine compressor, and two "hot" jets that expelled combusted air from the combustion chamber. At the same time, the Hawker design firm was developing the P.1121, a advanced jet fighter to replace the Hawker Hunter; following the cancellation of the P.1121, Hawker began development of a new jet using the Pegasus engine, designated P.1127.

The aircraft was designed to use a single Pegasus engine with four nozzles, each nozzle being capable of swivelling between vertical and forward positions. As well, the Hawker firm began developing a new reaction control system for the aircraft, as traditional control surfaces would have no airflow (and thus, no control) during hover. Much of this development was done with the assistance of the United States, due to the low military spending of the UK during the time. Finally, in 1959, the Hawker firm authorized full funding for the P.1127 program; soon after, the British government ordered the production of two flight-ready prototypes.
[[File:Hawker Siddeley XV-6A Kestrel USAF.jpg|thumb|One of the nine Hawker Kestral FGA.1s with USAF markings.]]
In July of 1931, the first P.1127 prototype, designated XP831, was rolled out for engine testing; after various ground tests, the aircraft first hovered on November 19th, 1960. The first three P.1127 aircraft all crashed, including XP831 which crashed at the 1963 Farnborough Airshow; the pilot survived. At this point, the aircraft had proven itself to the point where Britain, the United States and Germany agreed to a collaboration on the P.1127 project. The three countries collectively funded the first nine pre-production P.1127s, now designated Kestrel FGA. 1.

=== Development and production ===
In 1961, while the P.1127 performed flight testing, NATO issued a new requirement for a supersonic VTOL fighter. As the P.1127 was subsonic, Hawker pursued the design of two new aircraft, the P.1150 and P.1154. The P.1150 was essentially a supersonic version of the P.1127 while the P.1154 was a heavily-modified design capable of Mach 2.0 at altitude. The P.1154 was declared the winner of the NATO competition, causing France (with its Mirage IIIV) to back out of the procurement project. As a result, in 1965, the P.1154 was cancelled.

At that point, the RAF began to study a simple derivative of the P.1127 as a production strike aircraft, and in late 1965, orders were placed for six pre-production P.1127 airframes. The first P.1127 (RAF) would fly on August 31st, 1966; orders were placed for 60 aircraft, soon to be designated Harrier GR.1. The aircraft were named after a small bird of prey: the Harrier name had initially been planned for the cancelled P.1154. The Harrier GR.1 first flew in December of 1967 and soon entered service with the RAF.

=== Operational history ===
Three Harrier squadrons would be operational by 1970: the No. 1 squadron at RAF Wittering and two squadrons at RAF Wildenrath, in West Germany. The Harrier was used primarily as a close air support aircraft and remained stationed in West Germany for long periods of time, as a deterrent to a potential Soviet invasion. The Harrier GR.1 would also be used to test the SRAAM, an innovative air-to-air missile utilizing thrust-vector control for manoeuvring. The missile failed to reach production but became the basis for the later ASRAAM, which is used on British fighter aircraft today. While the GR.1 would not see combat service abroad, [[Harrier GR.3|GR.3 Harriers]] were used during the Falklands war, along with the Sea Harrier.

The Harrier was also marketed extensively for export. The Spanish Navy and Thai navy both operated first-generation Harriers while Argentina, Australia, China and Switzerland had considered the purchase of Harriers for their respective air forces. Additionally, the Indian navy would procure the Sea Harrier, a derivative of the Harrier, for their aircraft carriers. In total, 61 Harrier GR.1s were produced along with 17 GR.1As, which were GR.1 airframes with uprated engines. 62 of these Harrier GR.1s and GR.1As would be converted to the GR.3 standard later in their operational life.

=== [[wt:en/news/6918-development-jump-jets-arrive-in-war-thunder-meet-the-harrier-en|Devblog]] ===
In the late 1950's, the Bristol company was conducting work on developing an engine featuring innovative thrust vectoring technology. Hawker, impressed with the new engine, began closely working with Bristol to develop an aircraft which could successfully harness the full potential of the Pegasus thrust vectoring engine. The basic idea was to design an aircraft with V/STOL capabilities. From that point, the project became known as the P.1127.

In the early 1960's, a growing interest for V/STOL strike aircraft could be observed among most NATO member states. This resulted in an agreement between the US, Great Britain and West Germany in 1961 to order nine modified versions of the P.1127 - the first versions of which were test flown in the previous year - as evaluators. At the same time, the British evaluation aircraft received the designation Kestrel FGA.1.

Despite suffering setbacks with the P.1154 - a supersonic version of the aircraft developed by Hawker in parallel - evaluations of the Kestrel continued as planned during the early 1960's and concluded in November of 1965. After the P.1154 was ultimately cancelled, the RAF, pleased with the evaluation results of the Kestrel, put up a requirement to modify the Kestrel and placed an order for six pre-production aircraft, designated P.1127 (RAF). Following its maiden flight in August of 1966, the RAF extended the purchase order to 60 production aircraft, now receiving the official designation Harrier GR.1.

The Harrier GR.1 undertook its maiden flight in December 1967 and officially entered service with the RAF in April of 1969. Being involved early on with the aircraft's development, the US also expressed interest in procuring the Harrier. This ultimately resulted in a partnership agreement between Hawker Siddeley and McDonnell Douglas in the late 1960's for a large delivery of Harriers to the USMC in the early 1970's. In US service, the aircraft would receive the designation 'AV-8 Harrier'.

The Harrier was initially deployed with British forces in West Germany in the early 1970's. However, the Harrier saw the peak of its service career during the Falkland War in 1982, flying both ground attack as well as combat air patrol missions (modification Sea Harrier FRS.1) with great success, thus earning itself a high reputation.

Apart from British and American service, variants of the Harrier were also operated by Spain, Thailand and India. In total, around 270 Harriers were produced across all variants with the last being decommissioned from active service in the early 2000's. The original Harrier was subsequently succeeded by a further developed variant - the Harrier II - but more importantly, it had successfully proven the viability of V/STOL aircraft, thus generating a sustained interest in such designs which can still be seen today.

== Media ==


;Skins

* [https://live.warthunder.com/feed/camouflages/?vehicle=harrier_gr1 Skins and camouflages for the {{PAGENAME}} from live.warthunder.com.]

;Images
<gallery mode="packed" heights="200">
File:Harrier GR.1 WTWallpaper 001.jpg|
File:Harrier GR.1 WTWallpaper 002.jpg|
File:Harrier GR.1 WTWallpaper 003.jpg|
File:Harrier GR.1 WTWallpaper 004.jpg|
File:Harrier GR.1 WTWallpaper 005.jpg|
File:Harrier GR.1 WTWallpaper 006.jpg|
</gallery>
<gallery mode="packed" heights="250">
File:Harrier GR.1A XV755.png|A Harrier GR.1A (XV755) pulling away from the burning wreck of an enemy after firing an SRAAM at close range.Note the port side missile cover missing, indicating a fired missile
File:Harriers XV755 & XZ145.png|2 Harrier GR.1s of No.1 Sqn RAF (marketplace camo) & 899 Naval Air Squadron (user skin) are seen flying in formation during a battle
</gallery>

;Videos
{{Youtube-gallery|-Z0ihOEb1tw|'''The Shooting Range #230''' - ''Metal Beasts'' section at 00:28 discusses the {{PAGENAME}}.}}

== See also ==


*[[Yak-38]]
*[[Yak-38M]]
*[[Jaguar GR.1]]

== External links ==


* [[wt:en/news/6918-development-jump-jets-arrive-in-war-thunder-meet-the-harrier-en|[Devblog] Jump Jets arrive in War Thunder: Meet the Harrier]]
* [https://forum.warthunder.com/index.php?/topic/504155-harrier-gr1/ Official data sheet - more details about the performance]

{{AirManufacturer Hawker}}
{{Britain jet aircraft}}
{{Britain premium aircraft}}

Harrier GR.1

2024-01-04T00:25:40Z

U75993721: /* Pros and cons */

{{About
| about = premium British strike aircraft '''{{PAGENAME}}'''
| usage = other versions
| link = Harrier (Family)
}}
{{Specs-Card
|code=harrier_gr1
|images={{Specs-Card-Image|GarageImage_{{PAGENAME}}.jpg}}
}}

== Description ==

The '''{{Specs|name}}''' was developed from the Hawker-Siddeley P.1127 and the Hawker-Siddeley Kestrel FGA.1 prototype aircraft that demonstrated the feasibility of using vectored thrust to achieve V/STOL capability. Recognizing the potential of this technology to operate from unprepared sites and evade enemy air defenses, the Royal Air Force (RAF) adopted it for their use. In 1969, the {{Specs|name}} was officially introduced into service. It was primarily designed for ground-attack and reconnaissance missions, capitalizing on its unique ability to take off and land in a variety of environments. This flexibility made it a valuable asset in the RAF's arsenal. Beyond its primary roles, the {{Specs|name}} was also tested with Short Range Air-to-Air Missiles (SRAAMs), a British project that spanned from 1968 to 1980. These infrared homing missiles were capable of executing high-G turns, making them ideal for close-range dogfights. It paved the way for future advancements in aircraft design and missile technology, setting the stage for the next generation of combat aircraft and air-to-air missiles.

The {{Specs|name}} was introduced in [[Update "New Power"]]. Like all members of the [[Harrier (Family)|Harrier family]], the Harrier GR.1 is a [[VTOL]] aircraft with thrust vectoring nozzles, which allow it to take off and land vertically. The Harrier GR.1 can be equipped with a variety of ordnance, including SRAAMs, bombs, and rockets. It excels at low-altitude combat, where it can use its VTOL capabilities to surprise enemies and evade attacks. However, it also has low top speed and agility, making it easy prey for faster and more manoeuvrable enemies. Additionally, it lacks any kind of countermeasures, such as chaff or flares, leaving it vulnerable to enemy missile attacks. On the bright side, the aircraft can use its SRAAMs to intercept incoming missiles head-on. It is a challenging but rewarding aircraft to master, offering a unique gameplay experience and a versatile loadout.

== General info ==
=== Flight performance ===
{{Specs-Avia-Flight}}

The Harrier GR.1 has an impressive climb rate, though it is put down by Soviet jets that it may face, like the [[MiG-19PT]], [[Su-7B]], and [[Su-7BKL]]. The Harrier's climb rate also suffers the more armament it carries; even just 4 [[SRAAM]]s drops the climb rate from 80 m/s to 68.2 m/s. Equipping 4 x 1,000 lb bombs cuts the climb rate by more than half. Because the Pegasus engine loses thrust at higher altitudes, the climb rate decreases with it.

The Pegasus engine has amazing low-altitude acceleration, but continues to suffer more at higher altitudes. In the early game, the [[Harrier (Family)]] planes will usually be seen pulling ahead of planes with afterburner (From the airfield, air spawns start the planes with a higher top speed at a higher start speed), but the subsonic status makes the planes with a higher speed catch up after a bit.

The turn rate of the GR.1 is mediocre compared to other planes it may face, especially planes from the [[F-86 (Family)]] and the previously mentioned Soviet planes. The rate of turn suffers the higher it climbs, as with the climb rate. Takeoff flaps, with their very high limit, can be utilized to turn sharper, as well as using the [[VTOL]] function correctly.

'''''Controls tend to lock up at altitudes over 7,000 m (23,000 feet), because of the massive lost of thrust in the Pegasus engine.'''''

{| class="wikitable" style="text-align:center" width="70%"
! rowspan="2" | Characteristics
! colspan="2" | Max Speed (km/h at 0 m - sea level)
! rowspan="2" | Max altitude (metres)
! colspan="2" | Turn time (seconds)
! colspan="2" | Rate of climb (metres/second)
! rowspan="2" | Take-off run (metres)
|-
! AB !! RB !! AB !! RB !! AB !! RB
|-
! Stock
| 1,124 || 1,118 || rowspan="2" | {{Specs|ceiling}} || 32.5 || 33.9 || 63.0 || 61.5 || rowspan="2" | 550
|-
! Upgraded
| 1,143 || 1,133 || 31.5 || 32.0 || 98.5 || 80.0
|-
|}

==== Details ====
{| class="wikitable" style="text-align:center" width="50%"
|-
! colspan="6" | Features
|-
! Combat flaps !! Take-off flaps !! Landing flaps !! Air brakes !! Arrestor gear !! Drogue chute
|-
| X || ✓ || ✓ || ✓ || X || X 
|-
|}

{| class="wikitable" style="text-align:center" width="50%"
|-
! colspan="7" | Limits
|-
! rowspan="2" | Wings (km/h)
! rowspan="2" | Gear (km/h)
! colspan="3" | Flaps (km/h)
! colspan="2" | Max Static G
|-
! Combat !! Take-off !! Landing !! + !! -
|-
| {{Specs|destruction|body}} || {{Specs|destruction|gear}} || N/A || 829 || 556 || ~14 || ~6
|-
|}

{| class="wikitable" style="text-align:center"
|-
! colspan="4" | Optimal velocities (km/h)
|-
! Ailerons !! Rudder !! Elevators !! Radiator
|-
| < 648 || < 950 || < 790 || N/A
|-
|}

==== Engine performance ====
{| class="wikitable" style="text-align:center"
|-
! colspan="3" | Engine
! colspan="5" | Aircraft mass
|-
! colspan="2" | Engine name || Number
! colspan="2" | {{Annotation|Basic Mass|Mass of the aircraft with pilot, engine oil, and full water tank; but no fuel or weapons load}} || colspan="3" | Wing loading (full fuel)
|-
| colspan="2" | Rolls-Royce Pegasus Mk.101 || 1
| colspan="2" | 5,868 kg || colspan="3" | 439 kg/m2
|-
! colspan="3" | Engine characteristics
! colspan="4" | Mass with fuel (no weapons load) || rowspan="2" | Max Takeoff Weight
|-
! Weight (each) || colspan="2" | Type
! 10m fuel || 20m fuel || 30m fuel || 34m fuel
|-
| 1,640 kg || colspan="2" | Vectored-thrust low-bypass turbofan
| 6,542 kg || 7,216 kg || 7,890 kg || 8,160 kg || 12,679 kg
|-
! colspan="3" | {{Annotation|Maximum engine thrust @ 0 m (RB / SB)|The maximum thrust produced by each engine, while mounted in the aircraft. NOTE: Thrust varies significantly depending on speed & altitude.}}
! colspan="5" | Thrust to weight ratio @ 0 m (WEP)
|-
! Condition || 100% || WEP
! 10m fuel || 20m fuel || 30m fuel || 34m fuel || MTOW
|-
| ''Stationary'' || 8,708 kgf || 9,240 kgf
| 1.41 || 1.28 || 1.17 || 1.13 || 0.73
|-
| ''Optimal'' || 8,708 kgf (0 km/h) || 9,240 kgf (0 km/h)
| 1.41 || 1.28 || 1.17 || 1.13 || 0.73
|-
|}
{{Notice|The Pegasus engine loses a significant amount of thrust as your speed increases}}

=== Survivability and armour ===
{{Specs-Avia-Armour}}


The Harrier GR.1 has no armour. The engine and all fuel tanks are packed in a tight cluster in the centre of the fuselage. However, a Harrier with critical damage, even losing both wings, can often still make it back to the airfield. This has to be done at VTOL speeds, meaning under 300 km/h, making you a big target.

=== Modifications and economy ===
{{Specs-Economy}}

== Armaments ==
{{Specs-Avia-Armaments}}
{| class="wikitable" style="text-align:center"
|-
! colspan="4" | [[Ballistic Computer]]
|-
! CCIP (Guns) !! CCIP (Rockets) !! CCIP (Bombs) !! CCRP (Bombs)
|-
| {{Tick}} || {{Tick}} || {{Tick}} || {{Tick}}
|-
|}
=== Offensive armament ===
{{Specs-Avia-Offensive}}

{{main|ADEN Mk.4 (30 mm)}}

The '''''{{PAGENAME}}''''' is armed with:

* 2 x 30 mm ADEN Mk.4 cannons, belly-mounted (130 rpg = 260 total)

=== Suspended armament ===
{{Specs-Avia-Suspended}}


The '''''{{PAGENAME}}''''' can be outfitted with the following ordnance:

{| class="wikitable" style="text-align:center" width="100%"
|-
! !! width="9%" | 1 !! width="9%" | 2 !! width="9%" | 3 !! width="9%" | 4 !! width="9%" | 5
| rowspan="7" width="25%" | <div class="ttx-image">[[File:Hardpoints_Harrier_GR.3.png]]</div>
|-
! [[H.E. M.C. Mk.II (500 lb)|500 lb H.E. M.C. Mk.II]] bombs
| 1 || 1, 2 || 1 || 1, 2 || 1
|-
! [[H.E. M.C. Mk.13 (1,000 lb)|1,000 lb H.E. M.C. Mk.13]] bombs
| || 1, 2 || 1 || 1, 2 ||
|-
! [[H.E. M.C. Mk.13 No.117 (1,000 lb)|1,000 lb H.E. M.C. Mk.13 No.117]] bombs
| || 1, 2 || 1 || 1, 2 ||
|-
! [[Mk 77 mod 4 incendiary]] bombs
| 1 || 1 || 1 || 1 || 1
|-
! [[SNEB type 23]] rockets
| 18 || 36 || || 36 || 18
|-
! [[SRAAM]] missiles
| 2 || || || || 2
|-
|}

{{Navigation-Start|Default weapon presets}}
{{Navigation-First-Simple-Line}}

* Without load
* 4 x SRAAM missiles
* 108 x SNEB type 23 rockets
* 5 x 500 lb H.E. M.C. Mk.II bombs (2,500 lb total)
* 4 x 500 lb H.E. M.C. Mk.II bombs (2,000 lb total)
* 3 x 1,000 lb H.E. M.C. Mk.13 bombs (3,000 lb total)
* 3 x 1,000 lb H.E. M.C. Mk.13 No.117 bombs (3,000 lb total)
* 4 x 1,000 lb H.E. M.C. Mk.13 bombs (4,000 lb total)
* 4 x 1,000 lb H.E. M.C. Mk.13 No.117 bombs (4,000 lb total)
* 5 x Mk 77 mod 4 incendiary bombs
{{Navigation-End}}

== Usage in battles ==


Despite having a weaker engine than other members of the [[Harrier (Family)|Harrier family]], the Harrier GR.1 still possesses exceptional acceleration and rate of climb. Coupled with a decent selection of load-outs (including the extremely powerful [[SRAAM]] missiles), and VTOL capability; this makes the Harrier GR.1 a very potent aircraft for both air-to-air combat and ground attack.

Generally a good way to start the game in the Harrier GR.1, when you are are facing aircraft around your BR or lower, is to takeoff and use your incredible acceleration and climb rate to get up and above the enemy aircraft. Climb slightly to the side of the battle and once you have sufficient altitude begin to swoop down on enemy aircraft below you, dispensing of them with your SRAAMs, or ADEN cannons. When climbing it is best to keep the throttle at only 90-95%, and to not use WEP; even at 90% throttle the mighty Pegasus engine is still capable of giving the Harrier a very impressive climb rate. This is advisable as the Harrier only has about 90 seconds of total WEP time, and there are better uses for it than climbing; in addition the Pegasus engine is not designed to be run a full power for extended periods of time and will overheat if left on 100% throttle for too long. As the battle goes on you can drop down to lower altitude to engage your enemies; you should generally avoid turn fighting, instead opting to make high speed attacks from the side of enemies. How much fuel you take is up to you: the minimum load of 10 minutes gives you an incredible thrust to weight ratio and can be enough for short battles, however it is not enough to last longer battles without refuelling.

When facing enemy aircraft which are mostly above your BR (i.e. top tier jets) you need to be much more cautious when taking the climbing approach. Against top tier jets the Harrier's climb rate is less impressive, and being at high altitude leaves you vulnerable to attack from long range [[Air-to-air_missiles#Semi-Active_Radar_Homing_.28SARH.29_missiles|semi-active radar homing air-to-air missile]], an issue exacerbated by the Harrier GR.1's lack of a radar warning receiver. In such battles it is better to stay low and fast, picking off top tier jets with fast approaches from the side, or by forcing an overshoot (thrust vectoring helps with this).
[[File:Harrier SRAAM Kill.mp4|thumb|400px|right|Getting a side-attack kill with an SRAAM. When launched in this way the SRAAMs are extremely hard to dodge.]]
The primary air-to-air weapon of the Harrier GR.1 are its four incredibly powerful [[SRAAM]] missiles. The SRAAMs are missiles of extremes, outside of 1.0-1.2 km they are near useless, however once you get to within 1.2 km of your target they transform into one of the hardest missiles in the game to dodge. The thrust vectoring nature of SRAAMs make them extremely manoeuvrable and hard to dodge, but mean the missiles cannot manoeuvre at all after the motor burns out, significantly limiting their range. To get the most out of SRAAMs you need to play to their advantages, the SRAAMs' poor range means that firing them from directly behind a target while chasing them is not the best idea unless you are very close, have a speed advantage, or the target is manoeuvring. Instead, the optimal way to use SRAAMs is to approach perpendicular to the target and attempt to obtain a lock from as far out as possible. With a lock obtained you should close on the target from the side; as you approach the 1.2 km mark you should turn into the target and "lead" the missile like you would your guns. Fire the missile within 1 km of the target and there is little they will be able to do about it; the SRAAM's extreme manoeuvrability allows them to follow the target through most evasive manoeuvres. A video of this method can be seen to the right. A key weakness of the SRAAMs (other than their limited range) is that they are highly susceptible to flares. You should either pick targets not equipped with flares, or if a target is equipped with flares try to attack when they are distracted or approach from an angle where you will hopefully not be noticed until it is too late.

While the addition of SRAAMs makes the Harrier GR.1 a potent fighter, it was designed as a ground attack aircraft, and it is very capable at filling this role in-game. The Harrier GR.1 has a good selection of bombs or rockets, coupled with a [[Ballistic Computer|ballistic computer]] providing CCIP this makes the Harrier a powerful ground attacker in both air and ground battles. In air battles the two ADEN cannons are very effective at killing ground targets up to medium tanks and light pillboxes (a task made easier with the ballistic computer), and have a plentiful ammo supply. The ability to reliably kill ground targets is useful for both opportunistic attacks for extra RP and for winning matches (if it comes to it).

The defining feature of the Harrier GR.1 is of course its [[VTOL]] (Vertical Take Off and Landing) capability; while this might at first seem like a "party trick" with limited utility there are situations where it can be surprisingly useful. Obviously VTOL allows for short/vertical takeoffs, and while conventional takeoffs are usually the better option (you typically get up to speed quicker) there are occasions where such capability is desirable (e.g. getting out of the way of players strafing the airfield). A more useful feature of VTOL on takeoff is that it allows the Harrier to take-off from aircraft carriers. Taking off from carriers allows you approach the battle from a different angle, sometimes this an be tactically useful depending on how you want to play the match. Where carriers particularly come in useful is if you need to rearm, but suspect the enemy is waiting for you at your main airfield. Some maps allow you to chose from multiple aircraft carriers to spawn on. These will be one of the [[wt:en/news/6925-development-new-ai-aircraft-carriers-en|three modern carriers]]; there is little to choose from between USS Forrestal and HMS Ark Royal (the Forrestal is a bit larger), however Baku is a little more interesting. If you go with USS Forrestal and HMS Ark Royal you get a speed boost on conventional takeoff (simulating a catapult launch); on Baku you get no such boost, requiring you to use your VTOL capability, but the Baku does have significantly better anti-air protection than the other carriers. Regardless of which aircraft carrier you land on the Harrier has no tail hook or drogue chute, so you will need to make use of your VTOL capability when landing.

Where the Harrier's VTOL capability makes the aircraft unique is in the ability to vector the exhaust nozzles to any angle you want during forward flight, at any speed. Vectoring the nozzles will typically lead to very rapid speed loss and therefore should only be done in certain situations. The most basic use of thrust vectoring is for forcing an overshoot, with the air brake deployed and nozzles fully vectored (so pointing slightly in reverse) the Harrier will slow down quite a bit faster than other aircraft; you can use this to make the aircraft on your tail overshoot then hit them with an SRAAM as they fly past. This technique should only be used as a last resort in one-on-one battles though, as you will lose all of your energy and leave you vulnerable to any other enemy aircraft in the area. A more advanced use is to vector the nozzles during turns to enhance turning performance; while deflecting the nozzles will make you lose speed quicker and thus hurt sustained turning performance it can sometimes give you the little bit extra instantaneous turning performance you need to get guns on target, or dodge an enemy attack. You will need to practice and find for yourself the correct balance between turning performance and speed loss in different situations. A more obscure situation in which thrust vectoring can help is when pulling out of a dive, if you have left it too late then pointing the nozzles downwards can sometimes give you enough lift to avoid hitting the ground.

In Ground RB, usually planes have to fly back to their airfield to rearm/repair. In the Harrier, the VTOL capability can be used to land on helicopter pads which are closer to the battlefield, saving precious time, but with the downside of exposing the aircraft to hostile CAS and helicopters.

=== Pros and cons ===

'''Pros:'''

* Exceptional thrust to weight ratio; high altitude climb is achieved with ease
* Extremely good acceleration
* Thrust vectoring VTOL aircraft: in Ground RB, it can rearm on helicopter pads and nozzles can be deflected in-flight for improved maneuvering
* Four [[SRAAM]] missiles; Useful in dogfighting
* Has a Ballistic Computer for all types of armament available
* Has a [[HUD#410SUM1|Head-Up Display]] in the cockpit which provides flight information and weapon aiming functionality
* Able to spawn from aircraft carriers and land/take off from anywhere.

'''Cons:'''

* Limited WEP duration of ~90 seconds because of rapid engine overheating
* Although deflecting nozzles in flight can help with maneuverability, doing so bleeds a lot of speed
* Weaker engine than other later [[Harrier (Family)|Harriers]]; engine performance declines as the altitude increases
* Countering the [[SRAAM]] is possible with flares and by outrunning their ~1.5 km effective range.
* Harrier's top speed massively limits usage of SRAAM missiles as Harrier can't get close enough to majority of its enemies from behind to launch its missiles
* Sneak attack with SRAAM is extremely hard as it requires getting too close to enemies. Alerted enemies may deploy flare that easily defeat SRAAM due to missile's wide inner FoV
* Has no radar nor RWR; the player won't easily notice incoming planes and missiles
* No countermeasures; evading IR and SARH missiles requires skills and anticipation

== History ==

The Harrier GR.1 was the first operational version of the Harrier Jump Jet, an iconic family of vertical / short takeoff & landing (V/STOL) fighters developed by the UK in the 1960s. Developed from the P.1127, a prototype aircraft demonstrating vertical takeoff & landing capabilities, the Harrier was the first V/STOL aircraft to enter service in the world. The GR.1 was the initial production version of the Harrier, totalling sixty aircraft: the aircraft was highly successful, and heavily-modified variants of the Harrier remain in service today.

=== Initial development ===
Following the end of the Korean War, several nations began investigating the possibility of jets capable of vertical takeoff & landing. Jet aircraft required long concrete runways to take off, which was considered a major weakness; at the time, most airfields and runways would've been destroyed early during a conflict, rendering most combat jets useless as they would not be able to take off. The VTOL jet fighter was thought of as the solution to these problems, as the aircraft could take off vertically from fields, roads, or even from the rooftops of buildings; because the aircraft could take off vertically, they would be combat-ready even if the country's airfields were destroyed by initial strikes.

In 1957, the Bristol Engine Company began developing a new directed-fan engine based on their existing Olympus and Orpheus engines. The new engine, soon to be named Pegasus, featured two "cold" jets that expelled non-combusted air from the jet engine compressor, and two "hot" jets that expelled combusted air from the combustion chamber. At the same time, the Hawker design firm was developing the P.1121, a advanced jet fighter to replace the Hawker Hunter; following the cancellation of the P.1121, Hawker began development of a new jet using the Pegasus engine, designated P.1127.

The aircraft was designed to use a single Pegasus engine with four nozzles, each nozzle being capable of swivelling between vertical and forward positions. As well, the Hawker firm began developing a new reaction control system for the aircraft, as traditional control surfaces would have no airflow (and thus, no control) during hover. Much of this development was done with the assistance of the United States, due to the low military spending of the UK during the time. Finally, in 1959, the Hawker firm authorized full funding for the P.1127 program; soon after, the British government ordered the production of two flight-ready prototypes.
[[File:Hawker Siddeley XV-6A Kestrel USAF.jpg|thumb|One of the nine Hawker Kestral FGA.1s with USAF markings.]]
In July of 1931, the first P.1127 prototype, designated XP831, was rolled out for engine testing; after various ground tests, the aircraft first hovered on November 19th, 1960. The first three P.1127 aircraft all crashed, including XP831 which crashed at the 1963 Farnborough Airshow; the pilot survived. At this point, the aircraft had proven itself to the point where Britain, the United States and Germany agreed to a collaboration on the P.1127 project. The three countries collectively funded the first nine pre-production P.1127s, now designated Kestrel FGA. 1.

=== Development and production ===
In 1961, while the P.1127 performed flight testing, NATO issued a new requirement for a supersonic VTOL fighter. As the P.1127 was subsonic, Hawker pursued the design of two new aircraft, the P.1150 and P.1154. The P.1150 was essentially a supersonic version of the P.1127 while the P.1154 was a heavily-modified design capable of Mach 2.0 at altitude. The P.1154 was declared the winner of the NATO competition, causing France (with its Mirage IIIV) to back out of the procurement project. As a result, in 1965, the P.1154 was cancelled.

At that point, the RAF began to study a simple derivative of the P.1127 as a production strike aircraft, and in late 1965, orders were placed for six pre-production P.1127 airframes. The first P.1127 (RAF) would fly on August 31st, 1966; orders were placed for 60 aircraft, soon to be designated Harrier GR.1. The aircraft were named after a small bird of prey: the Harrier name had initially been planned for the cancelled P.1154. The Harrier GR.1 first flew in December of 1967 and soon entered service with the RAF.

=== Operational history ===
Three Harrier squadrons would be operational by 1970: the No. 1 squadron at RAF Wittering and two squadrons at RAF Wildenrath, in West Germany. The Harrier was used primarily as a close air support aircraft and remained stationed in West Germany for long periods of time, as a deterrent to a potential Soviet invasion. The Harrier GR.1 would also be used to test the SRAAM, an innovative air-to-air missile utilizing thrust-vector control for manoeuvring. The missile failed to reach production but became the basis for the later ASRAAM, which is used on British fighter aircraft today. While the GR.1 would not see combat service abroad, [[Harrier GR.3|GR.3 Harriers]] were used during the Falklands war, along with the Sea Harrier.

The Harrier was also marketed extensively for export. The Spanish Navy and Thai navy both operated first-generation Harriers while Argentina, Australia, China and Switzerland had considered the purchase of Harriers for their respective air forces. Additionally, the Indian navy would procure the Sea Harrier, a derivative of the Harrier, for their aircraft carriers. In total, 61 Harrier GR.1s were produced along with 17 GR.1As, which were GR.1 airframes with uprated engines. 62 of these Harrier GR.1s and GR.1As would be converted to the GR.3 standard later in their operational life.

=== [[wt:en/news/6918-development-jump-jets-arrive-in-war-thunder-meet-the-harrier-en|Devblog]] ===
In the late 1950's, the Bristol company was conducting work on developing an engine featuring innovative thrust vectoring technology. Hawker, impressed with the new engine, began closely working with Bristol to develop an aircraft which could successfully harness the full potential of the Pegasus thrust vectoring engine. The basic idea was to design an aircraft with V/STOL capabilities. From that point, the project became known as the P.1127.

In the early 1960's, a growing interest for V/STOL strike aircraft could be observed among most NATO member states. This resulted in an agreement between the US, Great Britain and West Germany in 1961 to order nine modified versions of the P.1127 - the first versions of which were test flown in the previous year - as evaluators. At the same time, the British evaluation aircraft received the designation Kestrel FGA.1.

Despite suffering setbacks with the P.1154 - a supersonic version of the aircraft developed by Hawker in parallel - evaluations of the Kestrel continued as planned during the early 1960's and concluded in November of 1965. After the P.1154 was ultimately cancelled, the RAF, pleased with the evaluation results of the Kestrel, put up a requirement to modify the Kestrel and placed an order for six pre-production aircraft, designated P.1127 (RAF). Following its maiden flight in August of 1966, the RAF extended the purchase order to 60 production aircraft, now receiving the official designation Harrier GR.1.

The Harrier GR.1 undertook its maiden flight in December 1967 and officially entered service with the RAF in April of 1969. Being involved early on with the aircraft's development, the US also expressed interest in procuring the Harrier. This ultimately resulted in a partnership agreement between Hawker Siddeley and McDonnell Douglas in the late 1960's for a large delivery of Harriers to the USMC in the early 1970's. In US service, the aircraft would receive the designation 'AV-8 Harrier'.

The Harrier was initially deployed with British forces in West Germany in the early 1970's. However, the Harrier saw the peak of its service career during the Falkland War in 1982, flying both ground attack as well as combat air patrol missions (modification Sea Harrier FRS.1) with great success, thus earning itself a high reputation.

Apart from British and American service, variants of the Harrier were also operated by Spain, Thailand and India. In total, around 270 Harriers were produced across all variants with the last being decommissioned from active service in the early 2000's. The original Harrier was subsequently succeeded by a further developed variant - the Harrier II - but more importantly, it had successfully proven the viability of V/STOL aircraft, thus generating a sustained interest in such designs which can still be seen today.

== Media ==


;Skins

* [https://live.warthunder.com/feed/camouflages/?vehicle=harrier_gr1 Skins and camouflages for the {{PAGENAME}} from live.warthunder.com.]

;Images
<gallery mode="packed" heights="200">
File:Harrier GR.1 WTWallpaper 001.jpg|
File:Harrier GR.1 WTWallpaper 002.jpg|
File:Harrier GR.1 WTWallpaper 003.jpg|
File:Harrier GR.1 WTWallpaper 004.jpg|
File:Harrier GR.1 WTWallpaper 005.jpg|
File:Harrier GR.1 WTWallpaper 006.jpg|
</gallery>
<gallery mode="packed" heights="250">
File:Harrier GR.1A XV755.png|A Harrier GR.1A (XV755) pulling away from the burning wreck of an enemy after firing an SRAAM at close range.Note the port side missile cover missing, indicating a fired missile
File:Harriers XV755 & XZ145.png|2 Harrier GR.1s of No.1 Sqn RAF (marketplace camo) & 899 Naval Air Squadron (user skin) are seen flying in formation during a battle
</gallery>

;Videos
{{Youtube-gallery|-Z0ihOEb1tw|'''The Shooting Range #230''' - ''Metal Beasts'' section at 00:28 discusses the {{PAGENAME}}.}}

== See also ==


*[[Yak-38]]
*[[Yak-38M]]
*[[Jaguar GR.1]]

== External links ==


* [[wt:en/news/6918-development-jump-jets-arrive-in-war-thunder-meet-the-harrier-en|[Devblog] Jump Jets arrive in War Thunder: Meet the Harrier]]
* [https://forum.warthunder.com/index.php?/topic/504155-harrier-gr1/ Official data sheet - more details about the performance]

{{AirManufacturer Hawker}}
{{Britain jet aircraft}}
{{Britain premium aircraft}}

Harrier GR.1

2024-01-04T00:13:05Z

U75993721: /* Pros and cons */

{{About
| about = premium British strike aircraft '''{{PAGENAME}}'''
| usage = other versions
| link = Harrier (Family)
}}
{{Specs-Card
|code=harrier_gr1
|images={{Specs-Card-Image|GarageImage_{{PAGENAME}}.jpg}}
}}

== Description ==

The '''{{Specs|name}}''' was developed from the Hawker-Siddeley P.1127 and the Hawker-Siddeley Kestrel FGA.1 prototype aircraft that demonstrated the feasibility of using vectored thrust to achieve V/STOL capability. Recognizing the potential of this technology to operate from unprepared sites and evade enemy air defenses, the Royal Air Force (RAF) adopted it for their use. In 1969, the {{Specs|name}} was officially introduced into service. It was primarily designed for ground-attack and reconnaissance missions, capitalizing on its unique ability to take off and land in a variety of environments. This flexibility made it a valuable asset in the RAF's arsenal. Beyond its primary roles, the {{Specs|name}} was also tested with Short Range Air-to-Air Missiles (SRAAMs), a British project that spanned from 1968 to 1980. These infrared homing missiles were capable of executing high-G turns, making them ideal for close-range dogfights. It paved the way for future advancements in aircraft design and missile technology, setting the stage for the next generation of combat aircraft and air-to-air missiles.

The {{Specs|name}} was introduced in [[Update "New Power"]]. Like all members of the [[Harrier (Family)|Harrier family]], the Harrier GR.1 is a [[VTOL]] aircraft with thrust vectoring nozzles, which allow it to take off and land vertically. The Harrier GR.1 can be equipped with a variety of ordnance, including SRAAMs, bombs, and rockets. It excels at low-altitude combat, where it can use its VTOL capabilities to surprise enemies and evade attacks. However, it also has low top speed and agility, making it easy prey for faster and more manoeuvrable enemies. Additionally, it lacks any kind of countermeasures, such as chaff or flares, leaving it vulnerable to enemy missile attacks. On the bright side, the aircraft can use its SRAAMs to intercept incoming missiles head-on. It is a challenging but rewarding aircraft to master, offering a unique gameplay experience and a versatile loadout.

== General info ==
=== Flight performance ===
{{Specs-Avia-Flight}}

The Harrier GR.1 has an impressive climb rate, though it is put down by Soviet jets that it may face, like the [[MiG-19PT]], [[Su-7B]], and [[Su-7BKL]]. The Harrier's climb rate also suffers the more armament it carries; even just 4 [[SRAAM]]s drops the climb rate from 80 m/s to 68.2 m/s. Equipping 4 x 1,000 lb bombs cuts the climb rate by more than half. Because the Pegasus engine loses thrust at higher altitudes, the climb rate decreases with it.

The Pegasus engine has amazing low-altitude acceleration, but continues to suffer more at higher altitudes. In the early game, the [[Harrier (Family)]] planes will usually be seen pulling ahead of planes with afterburner (From the airfield, air spawns start the planes with a higher top speed at a higher start speed), but the subsonic status makes the planes with a higher speed catch up after a bit.

The turn rate of the GR.1 is mediocre compared to other planes it may face, especially planes from the [[F-86 (Family)]] and the previously mentioned Soviet planes. The rate of turn suffers the higher it climbs, as with the climb rate. Takeoff flaps, with their very high limit, can be utilized to turn sharper, as well as using the [[VTOL]] function correctly.

'''''Controls tend to lock up at altitudes over 7,000 m (23,000 feet), because of the massive lost of thrust in the Pegasus engine.'''''

{| class="wikitable" style="text-align:center" width="70%"
! rowspan="2" | Characteristics
! colspan="2" | Max Speed (km/h at 0 m - sea level)
! rowspan="2" | Max altitude (metres)
! colspan="2" | Turn time (seconds)
! colspan="2" | Rate of climb (metres/second)
! rowspan="2" | Take-off run (metres)
|-
! AB !! RB !! AB !! RB !! AB !! RB
|-
! Stock
| 1,124 || 1,118 || rowspan="2" | {{Specs|ceiling}} || 32.5 || 33.9 || 63.0 || 61.5 || rowspan="2" | 550
|-
! Upgraded
| 1,143 || 1,133 || 31.5 || 32.0 || 98.5 || 80.0
|-
|}

==== Details ====
{| class="wikitable" style="text-align:center" width="50%"
|-
! colspan="6" | Features
|-
! Combat flaps !! Take-off flaps !! Landing flaps !! Air brakes !! Arrestor gear !! Drogue chute
|-
| X || ✓ || ✓ || ✓ || X || X 
|-
|}

{| class="wikitable" style="text-align:center" width="50%"
|-
! colspan="7" | Limits
|-
! rowspan="2" | Wings (km/h)
! rowspan="2" | Gear (km/h)
! colspan="3" | Flaps (km/h)
! colspan="2" | Max Static G
|-
! Combat !! Take-off !! Landing !! + !! -
|-
| {{Specs|destruction|body}} || {{Specs|destruction|gear}} || N/A || 829 || 556 || ~14 || ~6
|-
|}

{| class="wikitable" style="text-align:center"
|-
! colspan="4" | Optimal velocities (km/h)
|-
! Ailerons !! Rudder !! Elevators !! Radiator
|-
| < 648 || < 950 || < 790 || N/A
|-
|}

==== Engine performance ====
{| class="wikitable" style="text-align:center"
|-
! colspan="3" | Engine
! colspan="5" | Aircraft mass
|-
! colspan="2" | Engine name || Number
! colspan="2" | {{Annotation|Basic Mass|Mass of the aircraft with pilot, engine oil, and full water tank; but no fuel or weapons load}} || colspan="3" | Wing loading (full fuel)
|-
| colspan="2" | Rolls-Royce Pegasus Mk.101 || 1
| colspan="2" | 5,868 kg || colspan="3" | 439 kg/m2
|-
! colspan="3" | Engine characteristics
! colspan="4" | Mass with fuel (no weapons load) || rowspan="2" | Max Takeoff Weight
|-
! Weight (each) || colspan="2" | Type
! 10m fuel || 20m fuel || 30m fuel || 34m fuel
|-
| 1,640 kg || colspan="2" | Vectored-thrust low-bypass turbofan
| 6,542 kg || 7,216 kg || 7,890 kg || 8,160 kg || 12,679 kg
|-
! colspan="3" | {{Annotation|Maximum engine thrust @ 0 m (RB / SB)|The maximum thrust produced by each engine, while mounted in the aircraft. NOTE: Thrust varies significantly depending on speed & altitude.}}
! colspan="5" | Thrust to weight ratio @ 0 m (WEP)
|-
! Condition || 100% || WEP
! 10m fuel || 20m fuel || 30m fuel || 34m fuel || MTOW
|-
| ''Stationary'' || 8,708 kgf || 9,240 kgf
| 1.41 || 1.28 || 1.17 || 1.13 || 0.73
|-
| ''Optimal'' || 8,708 kgf (0 km/h) || 9,240 kgf (0 km/h)
| 1.41 || 1.28 || 1.17 || 1.13 || 0.73
|-
|}
{{Notice|The Pegasus engine loses a significant amount of thrust as your speed increases}}

=== Survivability and armour ===
{{Specs-Avia-Armour}}


The Harrier GR.1 has no armour. The engine and all fuel tanks are packed in a tight cluster in the centre of the fuselage. However, a Harrier with critical damage, even losing both wings, can often still make it back to the airfield. This has to be done at VTOL speeds, meaning under 300 km/h, making you a big target.

=== Modifications and economy ===
{{Specs-Economy}}

== Armaments ==
{{Specs-Avia-Armaments}}
{| class="wikitable" style="text-align:center"
|-
! colspan="4" | [[Ballistic Computer]]
|-
! CCIP (Guns) !! CCIP (Rockets) !! CCIP (Bombs) !! CCRP (Bombs)
|-
| {{Tick}} || {{Tick}} || {{Tick}} || {{Tick}}
|-
|}
=== Offensive armament ===
{{Specs-Avia-Offensive}}

{{main|ADEN Mk.4 (30 mm)}}

The '''''{{PAGENAME}}''''' is armed with:

* 2 x 30 mm ADEN Mk.4 cannons, belly-mounted (130 rpg = 260 total)

=== Suspended armament ===
{{Specs-Avia-Suspended}}


The '''''{{PAGENAME}}''''' can be outfitted with the following ordnance:

{| class="wikitable" style="text-align:center" width="100%"
|-
! !! width="9%" | 1 !! width="9%" | 2 !! width="9%" | 3 !! width="9%" | 4 !! width="9%" | 5
| rowspan="7" width="25%" | <div class="ttx-image">[[File:Hardpoints_Harrier_GR.3.png]]</div>
|-
! [[H.E. M.C. Mk.II (500 lb)|500 lb H.E. M.C. Mk.II]] bombs
| 1 || 1, 2 || 1 || 1, 2 || 1
|-
! [[H.E. M.C. Mk.13 (1,000 lb)|1,000 lb H.E. M.C. Mk.13]] bombs
| || 1, 2 || 1 || 1, 2 ||
|-
! [[H.E. M.C. Mk.13 No.117 (1,000 lb)|1,000 lb H.E. M.C. Mk.13 No.117]] bombs
| || 1, 2 || 1 || 1, 2 ||
|-
! [[Mk 77 mod 4 incendiary]] bombs
| 1 || 1 || 1 || 1 || 1
|-
! [[SNEB type 23]] rockets
| 18 || 36 || || 36 || 18
|-
! [[SRAAM]] missiles
| 2 || || || || 2
|-
|}

{{Navigation-Start|Default weapon presets}}
{{Navigation-First-Simple-Line}}

* Without load
* 4 x SRAAM missiles
* 108 x SNEB type 23 rockets
* 5 x 500 lb H.E. M.C. Mk.II bombs (2,500 lb total)
* 4 x 500 lb H.E. M.C. Mk.II bombs (2,000 lb total)
* 3 x 1,000 lb H.E. M.C. Mk.13 bombs (3,000 lb total)
* 3 x 1,000 lb H.E. M.C. Mk.13 No.117 bombs (3,000 lb total)
* 4 x 1,000 lb H.E. M.C. Mk.13 bombs (4,000 lb total)
* 4 x 1,000 lb H.E. M.C. Mk.13 No.117 bombs (4,000 lb total)
* 5 x Mk 77 mod 4 incendiary bombs
{{Navigation-End}}

== Usage in battles ==


Despite having a weaker engine than other members of the [[Harrier (Family)|Harrier family]], the Harrier GR.1 still possesses exceptional acceleration and rate of climb. Coupled with a decent selection of load-outs (including the extremely powerful [[SRAAM]] missiles), and VTOL capability; this makes the Harrier GR.1 a very potent aircraft for both air-to-air combat and ground attack.

Generally a good way to start the game in the Harrier GR.1, when you are are facing aircraft around your BR or lower, is to takeoff and use your incredible acceleration and climb rate to get up and above the enemy aircraft. Climb slightly to the side of the battle and once you have sufficient altitude begin to swoop down on enemy aircraft below you, dispensing of them with your SRAAMs, or ADEN cannons. When climbing it is best to keep the throttle at only 90-95%, and to not use WEP; even at 90% throttle the mighty Pegasus engine is still capable of giving the Harrier a very impressive climb rate. This is advisable as the Harrier only has about 90 seconds of total WEP time, and there are better uses for it than climbing; in addition the Pegasus engine is not designed to be run a full power for extended periods of time and will overheat if left on 100% throttle for too long. As the battle goes on you can drop down to lower altitude to engage your enemies; you should generally avoid turn fighting, instead opting to make high speed attacks from the side of enemies. How much fuel you take is up to you: the minimum load of 10 minutes gives you an incredible thrust to weight ratio and can be enough for short battles, however it is not enough to last longer battles without refuelling.

When facing enemy aircraft which are mostly above your BR (i.e. top tier jets) you need to be much more cautious when taking the climbing approach. Against top tier jets the Harrier's climb rate is less impressive, and being at high altitude leaves you vulnerable to attack from long range [[Air-to-air_missiles#Semi-Active_Radar_Homing_.28SARH.29_missiles|semi-active radar homing air-to-air missile]], an issue exacerbated by the Harrier GR.1's lack of a radar warning receiver. In such battles it is better to stay low and fast, picking off top tier jets with fast approaches from the side, or by forcing an overshoot (thrust vectoring helps with this).
[[File:Harrier SRAAM Kill.mp4|thumb|400px|right|Getting a side-attack kill with an SRAAM. When launched in this way the SRAAMs are extremely hard to dodge.]]
The primary air-to-air weapon of the Harrier GR.1 are its four incredibly powerful [[SRAAM]] missiles. The SRAAMs are missiles of extremes, outside of 1.0-1.2 km they are near useless, however once you get to within 1.2 km of your target they transform into one of the hardest missiles in the game to dodge. The thrust vectoring nature of SRAAMs make them extremely manoeuvrable and hard to dodge, but mean the missiles cannot manoeuvre at all after the motor burns out, significantly limiting their range. To get the most out of SRAAMs you need to play to their advantages, the SRAAMs' poor range means that firing them from directly behind a target while chasing them is not the best idea unless you are very close, have a speed advantage, or the target is manoeuvring. Instead, the optimal way to use SRAAMs is to approach perpendicular to the target and attempt to obtain a lock from as far out as possible. With a lock obtained you should close on the target from the side; as you approach the 1.2 km mark you should turn into the target and "lead" the missile like you would your guns. Fire the missile within 1 km of the target and there is little they will be able to do about it; the SRAAM's extreme manoeuvrability allows them to follow the target through most evasive manoeuvres. A video of this method can be seen to the right. A key weakness of the SRAAMs (other than their limited range) is that they are highly susceptible to flares. You should either pick targets not equipped with flares, or if a target is equipped with flares try to attack when they are distracted or approach from an angle where you will hopefully not be noticed until it is too late.

While the addition of SRAAMs makes the Harrier GR.1 a potent fighter, it was designed as a ground attack aircraft, and it is very capable at filling this role in-game. The Harrier GR.1 has a good selection of bombs or rockets, coupled with a [[Ballistic Computer|ballistic computer]] providing CCIP this makes the Harrier a powerful ground attacker in both air and ground battles. In air battles the two ADEN cannons are very effective at killing ground targets up to medium tanks and light pillboxes (a task made easier with the ballistic computer), and have a plentiful ammo supply. The ability to reliably kill ground targets is useful for both opportunistic attacks for extra RP and for winning matches (if it comes to it).

The defining feature of the Harrier GR.1 is of course its [[VTOL]] (Vertical Take Off and Landing) capability; while this might at first seem like a "party trick" with limited utility there are situations where it can be surprisingly useful. Obviously VTOL allows for short/vertical takeoffs, and while conventional takeoffs are usually the better option (you typically get up to speed quicker) there are occasions where such capability is desirable (e.g. getting out of the way of players strafing the airfield). A more useful feature of VTOL on takeoff is that it allows the Harrier to take-off from aircraft carriers. Taking off from carriers allows you approach the battle from a different angle, sometimes this an be tactically useful depending on how you want to play the match. Where carriers particularly come in useful is if you need to rearm, but suspect the enemy is waiting for you at your main airfield. Some maps allow you to chose from multiple aircraft carriers to spawn on. These will be one of the [[wt:en/news/6925-development-new-ai-aircraft-carriers-en|three modern carriers]]; there is little to choose from between USS Forrestal and HMS Ark Royal (the Forrestal is a bit larger), however Baku is a little more interesting. If you go with USS Forrestal and HMS Ark Royal you get a speed boost on conventional takeoff (simulating a catapult launch); on Baku you get no such boost, requiring you to use your VTOL capability, but the Baku does have significantly better anti-air protection than the other carriers. Regardless of which aircraft carrier you land on the Harrier has no tail hook or drogue chute, so you will need to make use of your VTOL capability when landing.

Where the Harrier's VTOL capability makes the aircraft unique is in the ability to vector the exhaust nozzles to any angle you want during forward flight, at any speed. Vectoring the nozzles will typically lead to very rapid speed loss and therefore should only be done in certain situations. The most basic use of thrust vectoring is for forcing an overshoot, with the air brake deployed and nozzles fully vectored (so pointing slightly in reverse) the Harrier will slow down quite a bit faster than other aircraft; you can use this to make the aircraft on your tail overshoot then hit them with an SRAAM as they fly past. This technique should only be used as a last resort in one-on-one battles though, as you will lose all of your energy and leave you vulnerable to any other enemy aircraft in the area. A more advanced use is to vector the nozzles during turns to enhance turning performance; while deflecting the nozzles will make you lose speed quicker and thus hurt sustained turning performance it can sometimes give you the little bit extra instantaneous turning performance you need to get guns on target, or dodge an enemy attack. You will need to practice and find for yourself the correct balance between turning performance and speed loss in different situations. A more obscure situation in which thrust vectoring can help is when pulling out of a dive, if you have left it too late then pointing the nozzles downwards can sometimes give you enough lift to avoid hitting the ground.

In Ground RB, usually planes have to fly back to their airfield to rearm/repair. In the Harrier, the VTOL capability can be used to land on helicopter pads which are closer to the battlefield, saving precious time, but with the downside of exposing the aircraft to hostile CAS and helicopters.

=== Pros and cons ===

'''Pros:'''

* Exceptional thrust to weight ratio; high altitude climb is achieved with ease
* Extremely good acceleration
* Thrust vectoring VTOL aircraft: in Ground RB, it can rearm on helicopter pads and nozzles can be deflected in-flight for improved maneuvering
* Four [[SRAAM]] missiles; Useful in dogfighting
* Has a Ballistic Computer for all types of armament available
* Has a [[HUD#410SUM1|Head-Up Display]] in the cockpit which provides flight information and weapon aiming functionality
* Able to spawn from aircraft carriers and land/take off from anywhere.

'''Cons:'''

* Limited WEP duration of ~90 seconds because of rapid engine overheating
* Although deflecting nozzles in flight can help with maneuverability, doing so bleeds a lot of speed
* Weaker engine than other later [[Harrier (Family)|Harriers]]; engine performance declines as the altitude increases
* Countering the [[SRAAM]] is possible with flares and by outrunning their ~1.5 km effective range.
* Harrier's top speed massively limits usage of SRAAM missiles most of times as Harrier can't get close enough to majority of its enemies from behind to launch its missiles
* Has no radar nor RWR; the player won't easily notice incoming planes and missiles
* No countermeasures; evading IR and SARH missiles requires skills and anticipation

== History ==

The Harrier GR.1 was the first operational version of the Harrier Jump Jet, an iconic family of vertical / short takeoff & landing (V/STOL) fighters developed by the UK in the 1960s. Developed from the P.1127, a prototype aircraft demonstrating vertical takeoff & landing capabilities, the Harrier was the first V/STOL aircraft to enter service in the world. The GR.1 was the initial production version of the Harrier, totalling sixty aircraft: the aircraft was highly successful, and heavily-modified variants of the Harrier remain in service today.

=== Initial development ===
Following the end of the Korean War, several nations began investigating the possibility of jets capable of vertical takeoff & landing. Jet aircraft required long concrete runways to take off, which was considered a major weakness; at the time, most airfields and runways would've been destroyed early during a conflict, rendering most combat jets useless as they would not be able to take off. The VTOL jet fighter was thought of as the solution to these problems, as the aircraft could take off vertically from fields, roads, or even from the rooftops of buildings; because the aircraft could take off vertically, they would be combat-ready even if the country's airfields were destroyed by initial strikes.

In 1957, the Bristol Engine Company began developing a new directed-fan engine based on their existing Olympus and Orpheus engines. The new engine, soon to be named Pegasus, featured two "cold" jets that expelled non-combusted air from the jet engine compressor, and two "hot" jets that expelled combusted air from the combustion chamber. At the same time, the Hawker design firm was developing the P.1121, a advanced jet fighter to replace the Hawker Hunter; following the cancellation of the P.1121, Hawker began development of a new jet using the Pegasus engine, designated P.1127.

The aircraft was designed to use a single Pegasus engine with four nozzles, each nozzle being capable of swivelling between vertical and forward positions. As well, the Hawker firm began developing a new reaction control system for the aircraft, as traditional control surfaces would have no airflow (and thus, no control) during hover. Much of this development was done with the assistance of the United States, due to the low military spending of the UK during the time. Finally, in 1959, the Hawker firm authorized full funding for the P.1127 program; soon after, the British government ordered the production of two flight-ready prototypes.
[[File:Hawker Siddeley XV-6A Kestrel USAF.jpg|thumb|One of the nine Hawker Kestral FGA.1s with USAF markings.]]
In July of 1931, the first P.1127 prototype, designated XP831, was rolled out for engine testing; after various ground tests, the aircraft first hovered on November 19th, 1960. The first three P.1127 aircraft all crashed, including XP831 which crashed at the 1963 Farnborough Airshow; the pilot survived. At this point, the aircraft had proven itself to the point where Britain, the United States and Germany agreed to a collaboration on the P.1127 project. The three countries collectively funded the first nine pre-production P.1127s, now designated Kestrel FGA. 1.

=== Development and production ===
In 1961, while the P.1127 performed flight testing, NATO issued a new requirement for a supersonic VTOL fighter. As the P.1127 was subsonic, Hawker pursued the design of two new aircraft, the P.1150 and P.1154. The P.1150 was essentially a supersonic version of the P.1127 while the P.1154 was a heavily-modified design capable of Mach 2.0 at altitude. The P.1154 was declared the winner of the NATO competition, causing France (with its Mirage IIIV) to back out of the procurement project. As a result, in 1965, the P.1154 was cancelled.

At that point, the RAF began to study a simple derivative of the P.1127 as a production strike aircraft, and in late 1965, orders were placed for six pre-production P.1127 airframes. The first P.1127 (RAF) would fly on August 31st, 1966; orders were placed for 60 aircraft, soon to be designated Harrier GR.1. The aircraft were named after a small bird of prey: the Harrier name had initially been planned for the cancelled P.1154. The Harrier GR.1 first flew in December of 1967 and soon entered service with the RAF.

=== Operational history ===
Three Harrier squadrons would be operational by 1970: the No. 1 squadron at RAF Wittering and two squadrons at RAF Wildenrath, in West Germany. The Harrier was used primarily as a close air support aircraft and remained stationed in West Germany for long periods of time, as a deterrent to a potential Soviet invasion. The Harrier GR.1 would also be used to test the SRAAM, an innovative air-to-air missile utilizing thrust-vector control for manoeuvring. The missile failed to reach production but became the basis for the later ASRAAM, which is used on British fighter aircraft today. While the GR.1 would not see combat service abroad, [[Harrier GR.3|GR.3 Harriers]] were used during the Falklands war, along with the Sea Harrier.

The Harrier was also marketed extensively for export. The Spanish Navy and Thai navy both operated first-generation Harriers while Argentina, Australia, China and Switzerland had considered the purchase of Harriers for their respective air forces. Additionally, the Indian navy would procure the Sea Harrier, a derivative of the Harrier, for their aircraft carriers. In total, 61 Harrier GR.1s were produced along with 17 GR.1As, which were GR.1 airframes with uprated engines. 62 of these Harrier GR.1s and GR.1As would be converted to the GR.3 standard later in their operational life.

=== [[wt:en/news/6918-development-jump-jets-arrive-in-war-thunder-meet-the-harrier-en|Devblog]] ===
In the late 1950's, the Bristol company was conducting work on developing an engine featuring innovative thrust vectoring technology. Hawker, impressed with the new engine, began closely working with Bristol to develop an aircraft which could successfully harness the full potential of the Pegasus thrust vectoring engine. The basic idea was to design an aircraft with V/STOL capabilities. From that point, the project became known as the P.1127.

In the early 1960's, a growing interest for V/STOL strike aircraft could be observed among most NATO member states. This resulted in an agreement between the US, Great Britain and West Germany in 1961 to order nine modified versions of the P.1127 - the first versions of which were test flown in the previous year - as evaluators. At the same time, the British evaluation aircraft received the designation Kestrel FGA.1.

Despite suffering setbacks with the P.1154 - a supersonic version of the aircraft developed by Hawker in parallel - evaluations of the Kestrel continued as planned during the early 1960's and concluded in November of 1965. After the P.1154 was ultimately cancelled, the RAF, pleased with the evaluation results of the Kestrel, put up a requirement to modify the Kestrel and placed an order for six pre-production aircraft, designated P.1127 (RAF). Following its maiden flight in August of 1966, the RAF extended the purchase order to 60 production aircraft, now receiving the official designation Harrier GR.1.

The Harrier GR.1 undertook its maiden flight in December 1967 and officially entered service with the RAF in April of 1969. Being involved early on with the aircraft's development, the US also expressed interest in procuring the Harrier. This ultimately resulted in a partnership agreement between Hawker Siddeley and McDonnell Douglas in the late 1960's for a large delivery of Harriers to the USMC in the early 1970's. In US service, the aircraft would receive the designation 'AV-8 Harrier'.

The Harrier was initially deployed with British forces in West Germany in the early 1970's. However, the Harrier saw the peak of its service career during the Falkland War in 1982, flying both ground attack as well as combat air patrol missions (modification Sea Harrier FRS.1) with great success, thus earning itself a high reputation.

Apart from British and American service, variants of the Harrier were also operated by Spain, Thailand and India. In total, around 270 Harriers were produced across all variants with the last being decommissioned from active service in the early 2000's. The original Harrier was subsequently succeeded by a further developed variant - the Harrier II - but more importantly, it had successfully proven the viability of V/STOL aircraft, thus generating a sustained interest in such designs which can still be seen today.

== Media ==


;Skins

* [https://live.warthunder.com/feed/camouflages/?vehicle=harrier_gr1 Skins and camouflages for the {{PAGENAME}} from live.warthunder.com.]

;Images
<gallery mode="packed" heights="200">
File:Harrier GR.1 WTWallpaper 001.jpg|
File:Harrier GR.1 WTWallpaper 002.jpg|
File:Harrier GR.1 WTWallpaper 003.jpg|
File:Harrier GR.1 WTWallpaper 004.jpg|
File:Harrier GR.1 WTWallpaper 005.jpg|
File:Harrier GR.1 WTWallpaper 006.jpg|
</gallery>
<gallery mode="packed" heights="250">
File:Harrier GR.1A XV755.png|A Harrier GR.1A (XV755) pulling away from the burning wreck of an enemy after firing an SRAAM at close range.Note the port side missile cover missing, indicating a fired missile
File:Harriers XV755 & XZ145.png|2 Harrier GR.1s of No.1 Sqn RAF (marketplace camo) & 899 Naval Air Squadron (user skin) are seen flying in formation during a battle
</gallery>

;Videos
{{Youtube-gallery|-Z0ihOEb1tw|'''The Shooting Range #230''' - ''Metal Beasts'' section at 00:28 discusses the {{PAGENAME}}.}}

== See also ==


*[[Yak-38]]
*[[Yak-38M]]
*[[Jaguar GR.1]]

== External links ==


* [[wt:en/news/6918-development-jump-jets-arrive-in-war-thunder-meet-the-harrier-en|[Devblog] Jump Jets arrive in War Thunder: Meet the Harrier]]
* [https://forum.warthunder.com/index.php?/topic/504155-harrier-gr1/ Official data sheet - more details about the performance]

{{AirManufacturer Hawker}}
{{Britain jet aircraft}}
{{Britain premium aircraft}}

SRAAM

2024-01-01T04:00:27Z

U75993721: /* Comparison with analogues */

[[File:SRAAM Fired.jpg|thumb|x250px|SRAAM fired from a [[Hunter F.6]]]]

== Description ==

[[File:WeaponImage SRAAM.png|thumb|left|420px|The SRAAM missile with fins folded and deployed (scale is approximate)]]
{{Break}}
The '''SRAAM''', or '''Short Range Air-to-Air Missile''' is a British [[Air-to-air_missiles#Infrared_homing_.28heat-seeking.29_missiles|Infrared homing air-to-air missile]], it was introduced in [[Update 1.89 "Imperial Navy"]]. As the name suggests the SRAAM has a short range compared to other missiles, however this is made up for by it being very manoeuvrable and hard to avoid.

=== Vehicles equipped with this weapon ===


* {{Specs-Link|hunter_f6}}
* {{Specs-Link|harrier_gr1}}

== General info ==

{| class="wikitable" style="text-align:center"
! colspan="2" | Missile characteristics
|-
| '''Mass''' || 70 kg
|-
| '''Guidance''' || IR
|-
| '''Aspect''' || Rear-Aspect
|-
| '''Lock range in rear-aspect''' || 4 km
|-
| '''Launch range''' || 2 km
|-
| '''Maximum speed''' || 2.4 M
|-
| '''Maximum overload''' || 20 G
|-
| '''Missile guidance time''' || 3.7 secs
|-
| '''Explosive mass''' || 4 kg TNTeq
|-
|}

The SRAAM is a highly manoeuvrable infrared homing air-to-air missile. The missile's use of thrust vectoring, and an IR seeker with very wide gimbal limits, means that it can track targets incredibly well compared to other air-to-air missiles. The missile has an uncaged seeker with a very wide gimbal limits, which makes maintaining locks on targets prior to launch much easier. The uncaged seeker also means that once the missile has been locked you can turn the plane and "lead" the missiles, as if you would an aircraft's guns, making them much more likely to hit.

Thrust vectoring also allows the missiles to start manoeuvring immediately after launch, unlike more traditional missiles which need to gain speed before their fins become fully effective; making the SRAAM much better suited for short range combat.

The SRAAMs are carried in launch tubes, mounted in pairs under the wings.

=== Effective damage ===

The SRAAM has a relatively small warhead consisting of 4 kg of TNT with a 5 m proximity fuse. Most of the time this is adequate to outright destroy an enemy aircraft, however depending on the location of the missile when it explodes it is possible the target will only receive a varying amount of damage. While it is not uncommon for the enemy aircraft to eventually crash due to the damage they receive, some can make it back to the airfield or even continue fighting.

=== Comparison with analogues ===

The main standout feature of the SRAAM, which sets it apart from all other infrared homing missiles (carried by fixed-wing aircraft at least) is its astonishingly good manoeuvrability. Though the SRAAM can only pull a maximum overload of 20 G, it is capable of out-manoeuvring more traditionally manoeuvrable missiles such as the [[AIM-9L]] and [[R-60]], owing to its thrust vectoring system. The SRAAM powers up its IR seeker taking 1 second, and can keep its seeker active for 20 seconds.

The drawback of the SRAAM, however, is its short range, it is largely ineffective at ranges greater than 1 km; by comparison, other missiles such as the [[AIM-9E]] can hit targets from well over 2 km in a good situation. The SRAAM also has lower explosive mass than other missiles, at 4 kg of TNT. By comparison, the AIM-9B/E has 7.62 kg, the AIM-9D has 4.69 kg, the [[R-13M]] has 5.5 kg, and the [[R-3S]] has 8.8 kg.

== Usage in battles ==

The SRAAM is one of the most forgiving air-to-air missiles in the game because of their superb manoeuvrability; however, there are still things you need. to learn and practice in order to use them to their full potential. The first thing you need to learn when using the SRAAMs is their range; as a general rule, to start with you should not fire the missiles when you are more than 1 km from the target. SRAAMs have a very short range and generally firing them from further away will result in the missile exploding before it reaches the target. If you have a significant speed advantage over your target you can push the firing range up to around 1.2 km, but ultimately you have to learn to tell from experience when you can fire from in excess of 1 km.

Just because you shouldn't fire the missile from outside 1 km does not mean that you shouldn’t try to lock on to targets from outside 1 km. The SRAAM can lock on to targets up to 4 km away; you should be trying to obtain a lock once you are within about 2.5 km of your target; it is also possible to lock on to aircraft when approaching them from almost 90 degrees (directly to their side), under ideal conditions. Once the seeker is active, it will stay active for 20 seconds, giving you plenty of time to close the distance. Once you have a lock the seeker will be able to maintain the lock so long as the target is still somewhere within the outer ring on your screen. Once you have closed the distance to within 1 km if the target is turning (or you are approaching from an angle) then you will want to "lead" the missile, in the same manner, you would lead your guns if you were using them to attack. This will make the missiles much more like to hit, as they will not have to try to do a sharp turn immediately after leaving the tube.

If an enemy gets on your tail then activate the missile seeker and force an overshoot, as they pass you attempt to get a lock on and fire the missile as soon as possible; this will often result in a kill.

=== Counter tactics ===
The old adage "prevention is better than cure" is certainly true when trying to dodge SRAAMs. Once an SRAAM is on its way to you it is going to be very hard to avoid (baring a mistake on the part of the person who fired it), therefore it is always best to take preventative action when facing aircraft armed with SRAAMs. As is always a good practice, the first step to countering SRAAMs is to maintain good situational awareness, if the first time you are aware of an SRAAM is when you get the missile warning at the top of your screen (AB & RB), you are usually as good as dead. To avoid an SRAAM most of the work you do will have to take place before the missile is launched.

To start with you need to keep an eye out for enemy aircraft that can hold the SRAAM; you need to identify any of them lining up for an attack run as soon as possible and take action accordingly. The main drawback of the SRAAM is its short-range, missiles fired much outside of 1 km have a significantly reduced chance of hitting their target, and by the time you get to more than 1.2 km hitting a target is exceedingly rare (unless the attacker has a significant speed advantage over you). With this in mind, your best tactic is to keep your distance from the enemy aircraft, if you are in a supersonic aircraft this should be relatively easy, however for other subsonic aircraft this can be difficult. If simply outrunning your attacker is not possible then your options are limited, but still there.

Like all heat-seeking missiles, the SRAAM will lock onto the sun if its IR seeker passes to close to it. If you see an SRAAM-armed aircraft on your tail then flying towards the sun (not necessarily directly at it but within 10 or so degrees of it) will prevent the enemy obtaining a lock on you; obviously this is often not possible in-game, but can certainly buy you time in some situations.

Another key thing to note is that despite its incredible manoeuvrability the SRAAM is not an all-aspect missile, so can only keep track of you from behind.

* Hunter pilots will often fly in from angles up to 90+ degrees from the side of you and turn into you until they achieve a lock (the SRAAM can lock on to a target from quite extreme angles); once a lock is achieved they will turn hard into you to "lead" the missile before firing it. If you see a Hunter moving in for this manoeuvre your best hope is to turn hard in the same direction they are. The effects of this are twofold, you will direct your engine exhaust (your main source of infrared light) away from the missile reducing its chance of tracking you, and will rapidly close the distance between you and your attacker, often creating a turn too tight for even the SRAAM to pull.
* Harrier GR.1 pilots follow a similar playbook as the Hunters in their attack angles with SRAAM. However, due to their VTOL configuration, the Harrier GR.1 can more easily cause jets on their six o'clock to overshoot during their pursuit. If overshooting the Harrier, quickly make distance and follow evasive manouvres like when dealing a Hunter as the Harrier can quickly orient itself to fire a SRAAM into a fleeing plane's engine exhaust.

If the missile is already on its way to you, and you are not already doing something about it, then you are usually going to end up back in the hangar within the next few seconds; however there are some last-ditch attempts you can try (although don't expect them to work every time, or even most the time). If the missile was fired from around 1 km away then by turning one way, then hard the other once the SRAAM begins to turn you can sometimes throw it off or keep it flying long enough that it exceeds its maximum flight time (3.7 seconds) and explodes. If however the missile was fired from a closer range you will have to just try to dodge it and hope for the best. Usually, the best way to dodge the SRAAM is to pull into a sort of barrel roll, or otherwise carry out a manoeuvre, which involves rolling the aircraft; SRAAMs generally find it much harder to follow you through these manoeuvres than through a simple turn.

If you overshoot a target, carrying SRAAMs then pull hard up immediately; if you carry on straight, or go below the target you are just asking to get an SRAAM fired at you. Likewise, if you pull away to the side then your opponent will find it much easier to turn after you and get a lock than if you pull into the vertical.

=== Pros and cons ===

'''Pros:'''

* Incredibly good manoeuvrability make it extremely hard for enemy aircraft to dodge
* High overload limit (20G)
* One of the best tracking missiles in the game, rarely loses its target (compared to other missiles
* Has an uncaged seeker with an extremely wide field of view, allowing you to "lead" the missiles very well
* IR seeker powers up quickly and can stay active for a long time
* Faster than some other missiles

'''Cons:'''

* Very short range, missiles fired outside of 1 km are unlikely to hit unless you have a notable speed advantage over your opponent
* Relatively small explosive mass means hits are not always fatal (at least immediately)
* Flares can easily fool the SRAAM due to its high FOV
* Likely to lose control if fired at low speed due to thrust vectoring

== History ==

Following the widespread use of early air-to-air missiles in the Vietnam War, it became apparent that such weapon systems had major limitations. They would frequently lose targets due to their IR seekers having a narrow field of view, or the missile not being manoeuvrable enough to keep on the tail of the target. In 1968, a team of engineers working at Hawker Siddeley Dynamics (the missiles division of Hawker Siddeley) began work on a new short-range air-to-air missile to address these shortcomings; the company funded the project as a private venture under the name "Taildog". The missile was to have an IR seeker with a wide field of view, capable of keeping track of targets under all conditions and would have to be extremely manoeuvrable.

The Taildog missile would be 2 m long and make use of thrust vectoring to give it excellent manoeuvrability. In 1970, the Ministry of Defence (MoD) decided that a new air-to-air missile with better manoeuvrability than the other missiles that were in service at the time was required. Hawker Siddeley Dynamics adapted their Taildog missile design to meet the new requirements and after evaluation, they were awarded the contract in 1972. Work on the programme continued under the name of Short Range Air-to-Air Missile or SRAAM. The SRAAM would be bigger than the Taildog (2.75 m long instead of 2 m) and feature a better thrust vectoring system. Due to budget cuts, the government cancelled the SRAAM program in 1974, instead choosing to pursue the Skyflash missile (a British upgrade to the United States AIM-7 Sparrow missile). The SRAAM program continued however until 1978 as a technology demonstrated.

In 1977, Hawker Siddeley Dynamics merged with the missiles division of British Aircraft Corporation (BAC) to form BAe Dynamics (other companies, including the rest of Hawker Siddeley, merged to form the remainder of British Aerospace (BAe). Starting in 1980 BAe Dynamics used research from the SRAAM programme to help with the development of the Advanced Short Range Air-to-Air Missile (ASRAAM), which is still in use to this day.

The SRAAM was 2.75 m long and weighed 70 kg. In-flight the missile was carried in a launch tube to protect it until it was fired; once fired the missile had a series of small fins which unfolded to air stability (although they were fixed in place once deployed so did not help control the missile). In the life of the programme eight missiles were fired, some of which from Hawker hunter F.6 XG210. There was an incident during testing where immediately after launch the missile turned sharply after launch and almost collided with the Hunter that fired it.

The SRAAM has also been seen on the Trainer 2 seat version of the [[Harrier GR.1]], they were only mounted for exhibition purposes.

== Media ==


;Videos
{{Youtube-gallery|kxWhI8VTd14|'''How to use the SRAAMS in Warthunder''' - ''hachersk_Anon'' ([https://forum.warthunder.com/index.php?/topic/454482-wiki-war-thunder-wiki-short-guides-competition/ Short Guides] Competition Winner)|3Zgt3Ep2ADM|'''The Shooting Range #150''' - ''Pages of History'' section at 05:06 discusses the SRAAM.}}

== See also ==


* [[AIM-9L]] a missile with the joint highest overload in the game (20 G)
* [[AIM-9D]] / [[AIM-9E]] other fixed-wing aircraft-mounted missiles with an uncaged seeker

== External links ==


* [[wt:en/news/6206-development-hunter-f-6-winged-comfort-en|[Devblog] Hunter F.6: Winged Comfort]] (has a section on SRAAM)
* [[wikipedia:SRAAM|[Wikipedia] SRAAM]]

{{Missiles}}

[[Category:Suspended armaments]]

SRAAM

2024-01-01T03:55:43Z

U75993721: /* Comparison with analogues */

[[File:SRAAM Fired.jpg|thumb|x250px|SRAAM fired from a [[Hunter F.6]]]]

== Description ==

[[File:WeaponImage SRAAM.png|thumb|left|420px|The SRAAM missile with fins folded and deployed (scale is approximate)]]
{{Break}}
The '''SRAAM''', or '''Short Range Air-to-Air Missile''' is a British [[Air-to-air_missiles#Infrared_homing_.28heat-seeking.29_missiles|Infrared homing air-to-air missile]], it was introduced in [[Update 1.89 "Imperial Navy"]]. As the name suggests the SRAAM has a short range compared to other missiles, however this is made up for by it being very manoeuvrable and hard to avoid.

=== Vehicles equipped with this weapon ===


* {{Specs-Link|hunter_f6}}
* {{Specs-Link|harrier_gr1}}

== General info ==

{| class="wikitable" style="text-align:center"
! colspan="2" | Missile characteristics
|-
| '''Mass''' || 70 kg
|-
| '''Guidance''' || IR
|-
| '''Aspect''' || Rear-Aspect
|-
| '''Lock range in rear-aspect''' || 4 km
|-
| '''Launch range''' || 2 km
|-
| '''Maximum speed''' || 2.4 M
|-
| '''Maximum overload''' || 20 G
|-
| '''Missile guidance time''' || 3.7 secs
|-
| '''Explosive mass''' || 4 kg TNTeq
|-
|}

The SRAAM is a highly manoeuvrable infrared homing air-to-air missile. The missile's use of thrust vectoring, and an IR seeker with very wide gimbal limits, means that it can track targets incredibly well compared to other air-to-air missiles. The missile has an uncaged seeker with a very wide gimbal limits, which makes maintaining locks on targets prior to launch much easier. The uncaged seeker also means that once the missile has been locked you can turn the plane and "lead" the missiles, as if you would an aircraft's guns, making them much more likely to hit.

Thrust vectoring also allows the missiles to start manoeuvring immediately after launch, unlike more traditional missiles which need to gain speed before their fins become fully effective; making the SRAAM much better suited for short range combat.

The SRAAMs are carried in launch tubes, mounted in pairs under the wings.

=== Effective damage ===

The SRAAM has a relatively small warhead consisting of 4 kg of TNT with a 5 m proximity fuse. Most of the time this is adequate to outright destroy an enemy aircraft, however depending on the location of the missile when it explodes it is possible the target will only receive a varying amount of damage. While it is not uncommon for the enemy aircraft to eventually crash due to the damage they receive, some can make it back to the airfield or even continue fighting.

=== Comparison with analogues ===

The main standout feature of the SRAAM, which sets it apart from all other infrared homing missiles (carried by fixed-wing aircraft at least) is its astonishingly good manoeuvrability. Though the SRAAM can only pull a maximum overload of 20 G, it is capable of out-manoeuvring more traditionally manoeuvrable missiles such as the [[AIM-9L]] and [[R-60]], owing to its thrust vectoring system. The SRAAM powers up its IR seeker taking 1 second, and can keep its seeker active for 20 seconds.

The drawback of the SRAAM, however, is its short range, it is largely ineffective at ranges greater than 1 km; by comparison, other missiles such as the [[AIM-9E]] can hit targets from well over 2 km in a good situation. The SRAAM also has lower explosive mass than other missiles, at 4 kg of TNT. By comparison, the AIM-9B has 7.62 kg, the AIM-9D has 4.69 kg, the AIM-9E has 7.62 kg, the [[R-13M]] has 5.5 kg, and the [[R-3S]] has 8.8 kg.

== Usage in battles ==

The SRAAM is one of the most forgiving air-to-air missiles in the game because of their superb manoeuvrability; however, there are still things you need. to learn and practice in order to use them to their full potential. The first thing you need to learn when using the SRAAMs is their range; as a general rule, to start with you should not fire the missiles when you are more than 1 km from the target. SRAAMs have a very short range and generally firing them from further away will result in the missile exploding before it reaches the target. If you have a significant speed advantage over your target you can push the firing range up to around 1.2 km, but ultimately you have to learn to tell from experience when you can fire from in excess of 1 km.

Just because you shouldn't fire the missile from outside 1 km does not mean that you shouldn’t try to lock on to targets from outside 1 km. The SRAAM can lock on to targets up to 4 km away; you should be trying to obtain a lock once you are within about 2.5 km of your target; it is also possible to lock on to aircraft when approaching them from almost 90 degrees (directly to their side), under ideal conditions. Once the seeker is active, it will stay active for 20 seconds, giving you plenty of time to close the distance. Once you have a lock the seeker will be able to maintain the lock so long as the target is still somewhere within the outer ring on your screen. Once you have closed the distance to within 1 km if the target is turning (or you are approaching from an angle) then you will want to "lead" the missile, in the same manner, you would lead your guns if you were using them to attack. This will make the missiles much more like to hit, as they will not have to try to do a sharp turn immediately after leaving the tube.

If an enemy gets on your tail then activate the missile seeker and force an overshoot, as they pass you attempt to get a lock on and fire the missile as soon as possible; this will often result in a kill.

=== Counter tactics ===
The old adage "prevention is better than cure" is certainly true when trying to dodge SRAAMs. Once an SRAAM is on its way to you it is going to be very hard to avoid (baring a mistake on the part of the person who fired it), therefore it is always best to take preventative action when facing aircraft armed with SRAAMs. As is always a good practice, the first step to countering SRAAMs is to maintain good situational awareness, if the first time you are aware of an SRAAM is when you get the missile warning at the top of your screen (AB & RB), you are usually as good as dead. To avoid an SRAAM most of the work you do will have to take place before the missile is launched.

To start with you need to keep an eye out for enemy aircraft that can hold the SRAAM; you need to identify any of them lining up for an attack run as soon as possible and take action accordingly. The main drawback of the SRAAM is its short-range, missiles fired much outside of 1 km have a significantly reduced chance of hitting their target, and by the time you get to more than 1.2 km hitting a target is exceedingly rare (unless the attacker has a significant speed advantage over you). With this in mind, your best tactic is to keep your distance from the enemy aircraft, if you are in a supersonic aircraft this should be relatively easy, however for other subsonic aircraft this can be difficult. If simply outrunning your attacker is not possible then your options are limited, but still there.

Like all heat-seeking missiles, the SRAAM will lock onto the sun if its IR seeker passes to close to it. If you see an SRAAM-armed aircraft on your tail then flying towards the sun (not necessarily directly at it but within 10 or so degrees of it) will prevent the enemy obtaining a lock on you; obviously this is often not possible in-game, but can certainly buy you time in some situations.

Another key thing to note is that despite its incredible manoeuvrability the SRAAM is not an all-aspect missile, so can only keep track of you from behind.

* Hunter pilots will often fly in from angles up to 90+ degrees from the side of you and turn into you until they achieve a lock (the SRAAM can lock on to a target from quite extreme angles); once a lock is achieved they will turn hard into you to "lead" the missile before firing it. If you see a Hunter moving in for this manoeuvre your best hope is to turn hard in the same direction they are. The effects of this are twofold, you will direct your engine exhaust (your main source of infrared light) away from the missile reducing its chance of tracking you, and will rapidly close the distance between you and your attacker, often creating a turn too tight for even the SRAAM to pull.
* Harrier GR.1 pilots follow a similar playbook as the Hunters in their attack angles with SRAAM. However, due to their VTOL configuration, the Harrier GR.1 can more easily cause jets on their six o'clock to overshoot during their pursuit. If overshooting the Harrier, quickly make distance and follow evasive manouvres like when dealing a Hunter as the Harrier can quickly orient itself to fire a SRAAM into a fleeing plane's engine exhaust.

If the missile is already on its way to you, and you are not already doing something about it, then you are usually going to end up back in the hangar within the next few seconds; however there are some last-ditch attempts you can try (although don't expect them to work every time, or even most the time). If the missile was fired from around 1 km away then by turning one way, then hard the other once the SRAAM begins to turn you can sometimes throw it off or keep it flying long enough that it exceeds its maximum flight time (3.7 seconds) and explodes. If however the missile was fired from a closer range you will have to just try to dodge it and hope for the best. Usually, the best way to dodge the SRAAM is to pull into a sort of barrel roll, or otherwise carry out a manoeuvre, which involves rolling the aircraft; SRAAMs generally find it much harder to follow you through these manoeuvres than through a simple turn.

If you overshoot a target, carrying SRAAMs then pull hard up immediately; if you carry on straight, or go below the target you are just asking to get an SRAAM fired at you. Likewise, if you pull away to the side then your opponent will find it much easier to turn after you and get a lock than if you pull into the vertical.

=== Pros and cons ===

'''Pros:'''

* Incredibly good manoeuvrability make it extremely hard for enemy aircraft to dodge
* High overload limit (20G)
* One of the best tracking missiles in the game, rarely loses its target (compared to other missiles
* Has an uncaged seeker with an extremely wide field of view, allowing you to "lead" the missiles very well
* IR seeker powers up quickly and can stay active for a long time
* Faster than some other missiles

'''Cons:'''

* Very short range, missiles fired outside of 1 km are unlikely to hit unless you have a notable speed advantage over your opponent
* Relatively small explosive mass means hits are not always fatal (at least immediately)
* Flares can easily fool the SRAAM due to its high FOV
* Likely to lose control if fired at low speed due to thrust vectoring

== History ==

Following the widespread use of early air-to-air missiles in the Vietnam War, it became apparent that such weapon systems had major limitations. They would frequently lose targets due to their IR seekers having a narrow field of view, or the missile not being manoeuvrable enough to keep on the tail of the target. In 1968, a team of engineers working at Hawker Siddeley Dynamics (the missiles division of Hawker Siddeley) began work on a new short-range air-to-air missile to address these shortcomings; the company funded the project as a private venture under the name "Taildog". The missile was to have an IR seeker with a wide field of view, capable of keeping track of targets under all conditions and would have to be extremely manoeuvrable.

The Taildog missile would be 2 m long and make use of thrust vectoring to give it excellent manoeuvrability. In 1970, the Ministry of Defence (MoD) decided that a new air-to-air missile with better manoeuvrability than the other missiles that were in service at the time was required. Hawker Siddeley Dynamics adapted their Taildog missile design to meet the new requirements and after evaluation, they were awarded the contract in 1972. Work on the programme continued under the name of Short Range Air-to-Air Missile or SRAAM. The SRAAM would be bigger than the Taildog (2.75 m long instead of 2 m) and feature a better thrust vectoring system. Due to budget cuts, the government cancelled the SRAAM program in 1974, instead choosing to pursue the Skyflash missile (a British upgrade to the United States AIM-7 Sparrow missile). The SRAAM program continued however until 1978 as a technology demonstrated.

In 1977, Hawker Siddeley Dynamics merged with the missiles division of British Aircraft Corporation (BAC) to form BAe Dynamics (other companies, including the rest of Hawker Siddeley, merged to form the remainder of British Aerospace (BAe). Starting in 1980 BAe Dynamics used research from the SRAAM programme to help with the development of the Advanced Short Range Air-to-Air Missile (ASRAAM), which is still in use to this day.

The SRAAM was 2.75 m long and weighed 70 kg. In-flight the missile was carried in a launch tube to protect it until it was fired; once fired the missile had a series of small fins which unfolded to air stability (although they were fixed in place once deployed so did not help control the missile). In the life of the programme eight missiles were fired, some of which from Hawker hunter F.6 XG210. There was an incident during testing where immediately after launch the missile turned sharply after launch and almost collided with the Hunter that fired it.

The SRAAM has also been seen on the Trainer 2 seat version of the [[Harrier GR.1]], they were only mounted for exhibition purposes.

== Media ==


;Videos
{{Youtube-gallery|kxWhI8VTd14|'''How to use the SRAAMS in Warthunder''' - ''hachersk_Anon'' ([https://forum.warthunder.com/index.php?/topic/454482-wiki-war-thunder-wiki-short-guides-competition/ Short Guides] Competition Winner)|3Zgt3Ep2ADM|'''The Shooting Range #150''' - ''Pages of History'' section at 05:06 discusses the SRAAM.}}

== See also ==


* [[AIM-9L]] a missile with the joint highest overload in the game (20 G)
* [[AIM-9D]] / [[AIM-9E]] other fixed-wing aircraft-mounted missiles with an uncaged seeker

== External links ==


* [[wt:en/news/6206-development-hunter-f-6-winged-comfort-en|[Devblog] Hunter F.6: Winged Comfort]] (has a section on SRAAM)
* [[wikipedia:SRAAM|[Wikipedia] SRAAM]]

{{Missiles}}

[[Category:Suspended armaments]]

Harrier GR.1

2020-12-21T21:48:38Z

U75993721: /* Pros and cons */

{{Specs-Card|code=harrier_gr1}}
{{About
| about = British jet fighter '''{{PAGENAME}}'''
| usage = other versions
| link = Harrier (Family)
}}

== Description ==

[[File:GarageImage_{{PAGENAME}}.jpg|420px|thumb|left]]
{{Break}}
The '''{{Specs|name}}''' is a premium rank {{Specs|rank}} British jet fighter {{Battle-rating}}. It was introduced in [[Update "New Power"]]. Like all members of the [[Harrier (Family)|Harrier family]], the Harrier GR.1 is a [[VTOL]] aircraft with thrust vectoring nozzles, which allow it to take off and land vertically.

== General info ==
=== Flight performance ===

The Harrier GR.1 has an impressive climb rate, though it is put down by Soviet jets that it may face, like the [[MiG-19PT]], [[Su-7B]], and [[Su-7BKL]]. The Harrier's climb rate also suffers the more armament it carries; even just 4 [[SRAAM]]s drops the climb rate from 80 m/s to 68.2 m/s. Equipping 4 x 1,000 lb [[G.P. Mk.I (1,000 lb)|G.P. Mk.I]] bombs cuts the climb rate by more than half. Because the Pegasus engine loses thrust at higher altitudes, the climb rate decreases with it.

The Pegasus engine has amazing low-altitude acceleration, but continues to suffer more at higher altitudes. In the early game, the [[Harrier (Family)]] planes will usually be seen pulling ahead of planes with afterburner (From the airfield, air spawns start the planes with a higher top speed at a higher start speed), but the subsonic status makes the planes with a higher speed catch up after a bit.

The turn rate of the GR.1 is mediocre compared to other planes it may face, especially planes from the [[F-86 (Family)]] and the previously mentioned Soviet planes. The rate of turn suffers the higher it climbs, as with the climb rate. Takeoff flaps, with their very high limit, can be utilized to turn sharper, as well as using the [[VTOL]] function correctly.

'''''Controls tend to lock up at altitudes over 7,000 m (23,000 feet), because of the massive lost of thrust in the Pegasus engine.'''''

{| class="wikitable" style="text-align:center" width="70%"
! rowspan="2" | Characteristics
! colspan="2" | Max Speed (km/h at 0 m - sea level)
! rowspan="2" | Max altitude (metres)
! colspan="2" | Turn time (seconds)
! colspan="2" | Rate of climb (metres/second)
! rowspan="2" | Take-off run (metres)
|-
! AB !! RB !! AB !! RB !! AB !! RB
|-
! Stock
| 1,124 || 1,118 || rowspan="2" | {{Specs|ceiling}} || 32.5 || 33.9 || 63.0 || 61.5 || rowspan="2" | 550
|-
! Upgraded
| 1,143 || 1,133 || 31.5 || 32.0 || 98.5 || 80.0
|-
|}

==== Details ====
{| class="wikitable" style="text-align:center" width="50%"
|-
! colspan="6" | Features
|-
! Combat flaps !! Take-off flaps !! Landing flaps !! Air brakes !! Arrestor gear !! Drogue chute
|-
| X || ✓ || ✓ || ✓ || X || X 
|-
|}

{| class="wikitable" style="text-align:center" width="50%"
|-
! colspan="7" | Limits
|-
! rowspan="2" | Wings (km/h)
! rowspan="2" | Gear (km/h)
! colspan="3" | Flaps (km/h)
! colspan="2" | Max Static G
|-
! Combat !! Take-off !! Landing !! + !! -
|-
| {{Specs|destruction|body}} || {{Specs|destruction|gear}} || N/A || 833 || 556 || ~14 || ~6
|-
|}

{| class="wikitable" style="text-align:center"
|-
! colspan="4" | Optimal velocities (km/h)
|-
! Ailerons !! Rudder !! Elevators !! Radiator
|-
| < 648 || < 950 || < 790 || N/A
|-
|}

==== Engine performance ====
{| class="wikitable" style="text-align:center"
|-
! colspan="3" | Engine
! colspan="5" | Aircraft mass
|-
! colspan="2" | Engine name || Number
! colspan="2" | {{Annotation|Basic Mass|Mass of the aircraft with pilot, engine oil, and full water tank; but no fuel or weapons load}} || colspan="3" | Wing loading (full fuel)
|-
| colspan="2" | Rolls-Royce Pegasus Mk.101 || 1
| colspan="2" | 5,868 kg || colspan="3" | 439 kg/m2
|-
! colspan="3" | Engine characteristics
! colspan="4" | Mass with fuel (no weapons load) || rowspan="2" | Max Takeoff Weight
|-
! Weight (each) || colspan="2" | Type
! 10m fuel || 20m fuel || 30m fuel || 34m fuel
|-
| 1,640 kg || colspan="2" | Vectored-thrust low-bypass turbofan
| 6,542 kg || 7,216 kg || 7,890 kg || 8,160 kg || 12,679 kg
|-
! colspan="3" | {{Annotation|Maximum engine thrust @ 0 m (RB / SB)|The maximum thrust produced by each engine, while mounted in the aircraft. NOTE: Thrust varies significantly depending on speed & altitude.}}
! colspan="5" | Thrust to weight ratio @ 0 m (WEP)
|-
! Condition || 100% || WEP
! 10m fuel || 20m fuel || 30m fuel || 34m fuel || MTOW
|-
| ''Stationary'' || 8,708 kgf || 9,240 kgf
| 1.41 || 1.28 || 1.17 || 1.13 || 0.73
|-
| ''Optimal'' || 8,708 kgf (0 km/h) || 9,240 kgf (0 km/h)
| 1.41 || 1.28 || 1.17 || 1.13 || 0.73
|-
|}
{{Notice|The Pegasus engine loses a significant amount of thrust as your speed increases}}

=== Survivability and armour ===


The Harrier GR.1 has no armour. The engine and all fuel tanks are packed in a tight cluster in the centre of the fuselage. However, a Harrier with critical damage, even losing both wings, can often still make it back to the airfield. This has to be done at VTOL speeds, meaning under 300 km/h, making you a big target.

== Armaments ==
=== Offensive armament ===

{{main|ADEN Mk.4 (30 mm)}}

The '''''{{PAGENAME}}''''' is armed with:

* 2 x 30 mm ADEN Mk.4 cannons, belly-mounted (200 rpg = 400 total)

=== Suspended armament ===

{{main|H.E. M.C. Mk.II (500 lb)|G.P. Mk.I (1,000 lb)|SRAAM|SNEB type 23}}

The '''''{{PAGENAME}}''''' can be outfitted with the following ordnance:

* Without load
* 5 x 500 lb H.E. M.C. Mk.II bombs (2,500 lb total)
* 4 x 500 lb H.E. M.C. Mk.II bombs (2,000 lb total)
* 3 x 1,000 lb G.P. Mk.I bombs (3,000 lb total)
* 4 x 1,000 lb G.P. Mk.I bombs (4,000 lb total)
* 108 x SNEB type 23 rockets
* 4 x SRAAM missiles
* 4 x SRAAM missiles + 3 x 500 lb H.E. M.C. Mk.II bombs (1,500 lb total)
* 4 x SRAAM missiles + 3 x 1,000 lb G.P. Mk.I bombs (3,000 lb total)
* 4 x SRAAM missiles + 72 x SNEB type 23 rockets

== Usage in battles ==


Despite having a weaker engine than other members of the [[Harrier (Family)|Harrier family]], the Harrier GR.1 still possesses exceptional acceleration and rate of climb. Coupled with a decent selection of load-outs (including the extremely powerful [[SRAAM]] missiles), and VTOL capability; this makes the Harrier GR.1 a very potent aircraft for both air-to-air combat and ground attack.

Generally a good way to start the game in the Harrier GR.1, when you are are facing aircraft around your BR or lower, is to takeoff and use your incredible accelerate and climb rate to get up and above the enemy aircraft. Climb slightly to the side of the battle and once you have sufficient altitude begin to swoop down on enemy aircraft below you, dispensing of them with your SRAAMs, or ADEN cannons. When climbing it is best to keep the throttle at only 90-95%, and to not use WEP; even at 90% throttle the mighty Pegasus engine is still capable of giving the Harrier a very impressive climb rate. This is advisable as the Harrier only has about 90 seconds of total WEP time, and there are better uses for it than climbing; in addition the Pegasus engine is not designed to be run a full power for extended periods of time and will overheat if left on 100% throttle for too long. As the battle goes on you can drop down to lower altitude to engage your enemies; you should generally avoid turn fighting, instead opting to make high speed attacks from the side of enemies. How much fuel you take is up to you: the minimum load of 10 minutes gives you an incredible thrust to weight ratio and can be enough for short battles, however it is not enough to last longer battles without refuelling.

When facing enemy aircraft which are mostly above your BR (i.e. top tier jets) you need to be much more cautious when taking the climbing approach. Against top tier jets the Harrier's climb rate is less impressive, and being at high altitude leaves you vulnerable to attack from long range [[Air-to-air_missiles#Semi-Active_Radar_Homing_.28SARH.29_missiles|semi-active radar homing air-to-air missile]], an issue exacerbated by the Harrier GR.1's lack of a radar warning receiver. In such battles it is better to stay low and fast, picking off top tier jets with fast approaches from the side, or by forcing an overshoot (thrust vectoring helps with this).
[[File:Harrier SRAAM Kill.mp4|thumb|400px|right|Getting a side-attack kill with an SRAAM. When launched in this way the SRAAMs are extremely hard to dodge.]]
The primary air-to-air weapon of the Harrier GR.1 are its four incredibly powerful [[SRAAM]] missiles. The SRAAMs are missiles of extremes, outside of 1.0 - 1.2 km they are near useless, however once you get to within 1.2 km of your target they transform into one of the hardest missiles in the game to dodge. The thrust vectoring nature of SRAAMs make them extremely manoeuvrable and hard to dodge, but mean the missiles cannot manoeuvre at all after the motor burns out, significantly limiting their range. To get the most out of SRAAMs you need to play to their advantages, the SRAAMs' poor range means that firing them from directly behind a target while chasing them is not the best idea unless you are very close, have a speed advantage, or the target is manoeuvring. Instead, the optimal way to use SRAAMs is to approach perpendicular to the target and attempt to obtain a lock from as far out as possible. With a lock obtained you should close on the target from the side; as you approach the 1.2 km mark you should turn into the target and "lead" the missile like you would your guns. Fire the missile within 1 km of the target and there is little they will be able to do about it; the SRAAM's extreme manoeuvrability allows them to follow the target through most evasive manoeuvres. A video of this method can be seen to the right. A key weakness of the SRAAMs (other than their limited range) is that they are highly susceptible to flares. You should either pick targets not equipped with flares, or if a target is equipped with flares try to attack when they are distracted or approach from an angle where you will hopefully not be noticed until it is too late.

While the addition of SRAAMs makes the Harrier GR.1 a potent fighter, it was designed as a ground attack aircraft, and it is very capable at filling this role in-game. The Harrier GR.1 has a good selection of bombs or rockets, coupled with a [[Ballistic Computer|ballistic computer]] providing CCIP this makes the Harrier a powerful ground attacker in both air and ground battles. In air battles the two ADEN cannons are very effective at killing ground targets up to medium tanks and light pillboxes (a task made easier with the ballistic computer), and have a plentiful ammo supply. The ability to reliably kill ground targets is useful for both opportunistic attacks for extra RP and for winning matches (if it comes to it).

The defining feature of the Harrier GR.1 is of course its [[VTOL]] (Vertical Take Off and Landing) capability; while this might at first seem like a "party trick" with limited utility there are situations where it can be surprisingly useful. Obviously VTOL allows for short/vertical takeoffs, and while conventional takeoffs are usually the better option (you typically get up to speed quicker) there are occasions where such capability is desirable (e.g. getting out of the way of players strafing the airfield). A more useful feature of VTOL on takeoff is that it allows the Harrier to take-off from aircraft carriers. Taking off from carriers allows you approach the battle from a different angle, sometimes this an be tactically useful depending on how you want to play the match. Where carriers particularly come in useful is if you need to rearm, but suspect the enemy is waiting for you at your main airfield. Some maps allow you to chose from multiple aircraft carriers to spawn on. These will be one of the [[wt:en/news/6925-development-new-ai-aircraft-carriers-en|three modern carriers]]; there is little to choose from between USS Forrestal and HMS Ark Royal (the Forrestal is a bit larger), however Baku is a little more interesting. If you go with USS Forrestal and HMS Ark Royal you get a speed boost on conventional takeoff (simulating a catapult launch); on Baku you get no such boost, requiring you to use your VTOL capability, but the Baku does have significantly better anti-air protection than the other carriers. Regardless of which aircraft carrier you land on the Harrier has no tail hook or drogue chute, so you will need to make use of your VTOL capability when landing.

Where the Harrier's VTOL capability makes the aircraft unique is in the ability to vector the exhaust nozzles to any angle you want during forward flight, at any speed. Vectoring the nozzles will typically lead to very rapid speed loss and therefore should only be done in certain situations. The most basic use of thrust vectoring is for forcing an overshoot, with the air brake deployed and nozzles fully vectored (so pointing slightly in reverse) the Harrier will slow down quite a bit faster than other aircraft; you can use this to make the aircraft on your tail overshoot then hit them with an SRAAM as they fly past. This technique should only be used as a last resort in one-on-one battles though, as you will lose all of your energy and leave you vulnerable to any other enemy aircraft in the area. A more advanced use is to vector the nozzles during turns to enhance turning performance; while deflecting the nozzles will make you lose speed quicker and thus hurt sustained turning performance it can sometimes give you the little bit extra instantaneous turning performance you need to get guns on target, or dodge an enemy attack. You will need to practice and find for yourself the correct balance between turning performance and speed loss in different situations. A more obscure situation in which thrust vectoring can help is when pulling out of a dive, if you have left it too late then pointing the nozzles downwards can sometimes give you enough lift to avoid hitting the ground.

In Ground RB, usually planes have to fly back to their airfield to rearm/repair. In the Harrier, the VTOL capability can be used to land on helicopter pads which are closer to the battlefield, saving precious time, but exposing the aircraft to hostile CAS and helicopters.

=== Modules ===
{| class="wikitable"
! Tier
! colspan="2" | Flight performance
! Survivability
! colspan="2" | Weaponry
|-
| I
| Fuselage repair
| Compressor
|
| Offensive 30 mm
| 2 500 LB GP
|-
| II
| New boosters
|
| Airframe
|
| 1000 LB GP
|-
| III
| Wings repair
| Engine
|
| New 30 mm cannons
| Matra SNEB
|-
| IV
| G-suit
|
| Cover
|
| SRAAM
|-
! colspan="6" | This is a premium vehicle: all modifications are unlocked on purchase
|-
|}

=== Pros and cons ===


'''Pros:'''

* Exceptional thrust to weight ratio
* Extremely good acceleration
* Is a thrust vectoring VTOL aircraft
** Can take off/land vertically
** Nozzles can be deflected in flight to help with manoeuvring
** In Ground RB, it can land on helicopter pads to get back into the battle faster
* Extremely powerful [[SRAAM]] missiles
* Has a [[Ballistic Computer]]

'''Cons:'''

* Limited WEP duration of ~90 seconds
* Engine overheats if left at high throttle setting for too long
* Although deflecting nozzles in flight can help with manoeuvrability doing so bleeds a lot of speed
* Weaker engine than other [[Harrier (Family)|Harriers]]
* High repair cost for a premium
* Slightly lower SL reward multiplier comparing to similar premium vehicles of same rank

== History ==

=== [[wt:en/news/6918-development-jump-jets-arrive-in-war-thunder-meet-the-harrier-en|Devblog]] ===
In the late 1950's, the Bristol company was conducting work on developing an engine featuring innovative thrust vectoring technology. Hawker, impressed with the new engine, began closely working with Bristol to develop an aircraft which could successfully harness the full potential of the Pegasus thrust vectoring engine. The basic idea was to design an aircraft with V/STOL capabilities. From that point, the project became known as the P.1127.

In the early 1960's, a growing interest for V/STOL strike aircraft could be observed among most NATO member states. This resulted in an agreement between the US, Great Britain and West Germany in 1961 to order nine modified versions of the P.1127 - the first versions of which were test flown in the previous year - as evaluators. At the same time, the British evaluation aircraft received the designation Kestrel FGA.1.

Despite suffering setbacks with the P.1154 - a supersonic version of the aircraft developed by Hawker in parallel - evaluations of the Kestrel continued as planned during the early 1960's and concluded in November of 1965. After the P.1154 was ultimately cancelled, the RAF, pleased with the evaluation results of the Kestrel, put up a requirement to modify the Kestrel and placed an order for six pre-production aircraft, designated P.1127 (RAF). Following its maiden flight in August of 1966, the RAF extended the purchase order to 60 production aircraft, now receiving the official designation Harrier GR.1.

The Harrier GR.1 undertook its maiden flight in December 1967 and officially entered service with the RAF in April of 1969. Being involved early on with the aircraft's development, the US also expressed interest in procuring the Harrier. This ultimately resulted in a partnership agreement between Hawker Siddeley and McDonnell Douglas in the late 1960's for a large delivery of Harriers to the USMC in the early 1970's. In US service, the aircraft would receive the designation 'AV-8 Harrier'.

The Harrier was initially deployed with British forces in West Germany in the early 1970's. However, the Harrier saw the peak of its service career during the Falkland War in 1982, flying both ground attack as well as combat air patrol missions (modification Sea Harrier FRS.1) with great success, thus earning itself a high reputation.

Apart from British and American service, variants of the Harrier were also operated by Spain, Thailand and India. In total, around 270 Harriers were produced across all variants with the last being decommissioned from active service in the early 2000's. The original Harrier was subsequently succeeded by a further developed variant - the Harrier II - but more importantly, it had successfully proven the viability of V/STOL aircraft, thus generating a sustained interest in such designs which can still be seen today.

== Media ==


;Skins

* [https://live.warthunder.com/feed/camouflages/?vehicleCountry=britain&vehicleType=aircraft&vehicleClass=fighter&vehicle=harrier_gr1 Skins and camouflages for the {{PAGENAME}} from live.warthunder.com.]

;Images
<gallery mode="packed" heights="200">
File:Harrier GR.1 WTWallpaper 001.jpg|
File:Harrier GR.1 WTWallpaper 002.jpg|
File:Harrier GR.1 WTWallpaper 003.jpg|
File:Harrier GR.1 WTWallpaper 004.jpg|
File:Harrier GR.1 WTWallpaper 005.jpg|
File:Harrier GR.1 WTWallpaper 006.jpg|
</gallery>
<gallery mode="packed" heights="250">
File:Harrier GR.1A XV755.png|A Harrier GR.1A (XV755) pulling away from the burning wreck of an enemy after firing an SRAAM at close range.Note the port side missile cover missing, indicating a fired missile
File:Harriers XV755 & XZ145.png|2 Harrier GR.1s of No.1 Sqn RAF (marketplace camo) & 899 Naval Air Squadron (user skin) are seen flying in formation during a battle
</gallery>

;Videos
{{Youtube-gallery|-Z0ihOEb1tw|'''The Shooting Range #230''' - ''Metal Beasts'' section at 00:28 discusses the {{PAGENAME}}.}}

== See also ==


*[[Harrier GR.3]]
*[[AV-8A]]
*[[AV-8C]]
*[[Yak-38]]
*[[Yak-38M]]
*[[Jaguar GR.1]]

== External links ==


* [[wt:en/news/6918-development-jump-jets-arrive-in-war-thunder-meet-the-harrier-en|[Devblog] Jump Jets arrive in War Thunder: Meet the Harrier]]

{{AirManufacturer Hawker}}
{{Britain jet aircraft}}
{{Britain premium aircraft}}

T-2

2019-10-04T12:09:49Z

U75993721: T-2 is no longer fastest in game

{{Specs-Card|code=t2}}

== Description ==

[[File:GarageImage_{{PAGENAME}}.jpg|420px|thumb|left]]
{{break}}
The '''{{Specs|name}}''' is a rank {{Specs|rank}} Japanese jet fighter {{Battle-rating}}. It was introduced in [[Update 1.87 "Locked On"]].

== General info ==
=== Flight Performance ===


This jet, as of Update 1.87, is one of the fastest jets in the game. The manoeuvrability isn't a strength. The acceleration is comparable to the [[MiG-19PT|MiG-19]], it is excellent but may not be the best at very low speeds. It has two AIM-9E for dogfights and some rocket and bomb loads. The 20mm Gatling cannon does take a learning curve to get use to because of a short .25 second spool time. This jet comes with radar assisted aiming.

{| class="wikitable" style="text-align:center"
|-
! colspan="8" | Characteristics
|-
! colspan="8" | ''Stock''
|-
! colspan="2" | Max Speed (km/h at 10,975 m)
! rowspan="2" | Max altitude (meters)
! colspan="2" | Turn time (seconds)
! colspan="2" | Rate of climb (meters/second)
! rowspan="2" | Take-off run (meters)
|-
! AB
! RB
! AB
! RB
! AB
! RB
|-
| 1,675 || 1,657 || {{Specs|ceiling}} || 36.6 || 38.1 || 103.6 || 93.5 || 900
|-
! colspan="8" | ''Upgraded''
|-
! colspan="2" | Max Speed (km/h at 10,975 m)
! rowspan="2" | Max altitude (meters)
! colspan="2" | Turn time (seconds)
! colspan="2" | Rate of climb (meters/second)
! rowspan="2" | Take-off run (meters)
|-
! AB
! RB
! AB
! RB
! AB
! RB
|-
| ??? || ??? || {{Specs|ceiling}} || ??.? || ??.? || ??.? || ??.? || 900
|-
|}

==== Details ====
{| class="wikitable" style="text-align:center"
|-
! colspan="5" | Features
|-
! Combat flaps
! Take-off flaps
! Landing flaps
! Air brakes
! Arrestor gear
|-
| ✓ || ✓ || ✓ || ✓ || ✓ 
|-
|}

{| class="wikitable" style="text-align:center"
|-
! colspan="5" | Limits
|-
! rowspan="2" | Wing-break speed (km/h)
! rowspan="2" | Gear limit (km/h)
! rowspan="2" | Combat flaps (km/h)
! colspan="2" | Max Static G
|-
! +
! -
|-
| {{Specs|destruction|constructions}} || {{Specs|destruction|chassis}} || 700 || ~10 || ~4
|-
|}

{| class="wikitable" style="text-align:center"
|-
! colspan="4" | Optimal velocities
|-
! Ailerons (km/h)
! Rudder (km/h)
! Elevators (km/h)
! Radiator (km/h)
|-
| < 540 || < 580 || < 590 || > 300
|-
|}

{| class="wikitable" style="text-align:center"
|-
! colspan="3" | Compressor (RB/SB)
|-
! colspan="3" | Setting 1
|-
! Optimal altitude
! 100% Engine power
! WEP Engine power
|-
| 0 m || 1,990 kgf || 3,015
|-
|}

=== Survivability and armour ===
''Examine the survivability of the aircraft. Note how vulnerable the structure is and how secure the pilot is, whether the fuel tanks are armoured, etc. Describe the armour, if there is any, and also mention the vulnerability of other critical aircraft systems.''

== Armaments ==
=== Offensive armament ===

{{main|JM61A1 (20 mm)}}

The '''''{{PAGENAME}}''''' is armed with:

* 1 x 20 mm JM61A1 cannon, chin-mounted (750 rpg)

=== Suspended armament ===

{{main|LDGP Mk 82 (500 lb)|JM117 cone 45 (750 lb)|AIM-9E|AIM-9B|FFAR Mighty Mouse}}

The '''''{{PAGENAME}}''''' can be outfitted with the following ordnance:

* Without load
* 7 x 500 lb LDGP Mk 82 bombs (3,500 lb total)
* 5 x 750 lb JM117 cone 45 bombs (3,750 lb total)
* 76 x FFAR Mighty Mouse rockets
* 2 x AIM-9B missiles
* 7 x 500 lb LDGP Mk 82 bombs + 2 x AIM-9B missiles (3,500 lb total)
* 5 x 750 lb JM117 cone 45 bombs + 2 x AIM-9B missiles (3,750 lb total)
* 2 x AIM-9B missiles + 76 x FFAR Mighty Mouse rockets
* 2 x AIM-9E missiles
* 7 x 500 lb LDGP Mk 82 bombs + 2 x AIM-9E missiles (3,500 lb total)
* 5 x 750 lb JM117 cone 45 bombs + 2 x AIM-9E missiles (3,750 lb total)
* 2 x AIM-9E missiles + 76 x FFAR Mighty Mouse rockets

== Usage in battles ==
''Describe the tactics of playing in an aircraft, the features of using vehicles in a team and advice on tactics. Refrain from creating a "guide" - do not impose a single point of view, but instead, give the reader food for thought. Examine the most dangerous enemies and give recommendations on fighting them. If necessary, note the specifics of the game in different modes (AB, RB, SB).''


=== Modules ===
{| class="wikitable"
! colspan="1" | Tier
! colspan="2" | Flight performance
! colspan="1" | Survivability
! colspan="3" | Weaponry
|-
| I
| Fuselage repair
| Compressor
|
| Offensive 20 mm
| M82
|
|-
| II
| New boosters
|
| Airframe
|
|
| JLAU-3/A
|-
| III
| Wings repair
| Engine
|
| New 20 mm cannons
| JM117
| AIM-9B
|-
| IV
| G-suit
|
| Cover
|
|
| AIM-9E
|-
|}

===Radars===
{{main|AN/APS-21|AN/APG-26}}
The Mitsubishi T-2 is equipped with an [[AN/APS-21]] search radar, as well as an [[AN/APG-26]] target tracking radar. Both radars are located in the nose of the aircraft.
{| class="wikitable" style="text-align:center"
! colspan="4" | [[AN/APS-21]] - Target Detection Radar
|-
! {{Annotation|Maximum Detection Range|The maximum possible range at which a target can be detected}}
! {{Annotation|Guaranteed Detection Range|The range, below which, detection of a target is practically guaranteed}}
! {{Annotation|Max Azimuth Scan Angle|How far to each side the radar can scan (widest search mode)}}
! {{Annotation|Max Elevation Scan Angle|How far up and down the radar can scan (widest search mode)}}
|-
| 45,000 m || 28,000 m || ±85° || ±16°
|-
! colspan="4" | [[AN/APG-26]] - Target Tracking Radar
|-
! {{Annotation|Maximum Tracking Range|The maximum range at which a target can be tracked}}
! {{Annotation|Minimum Tracking Range|The range below which targets cannot be tracked by the radar}}
! {{Annotation|Azimuth Tracking Angle|How far to each side the radar can track a target}}
! {{Annotation|Elevation Tracking Angle|How far up and down the radar can track a target}}
|-
| 4,000 m || 150 m || ±60° || ±60°
|-
|}

=== Pros and cons ===


'''Pros:'''

* Has a radar and radar gun sight, allowing you to better plan your "boom"s and get your rounds on target more reliably.
* Extremely fast
* Devastating armament
* High climb rate
* 2 pilots (Not vulnerable to pilot snipes)
* High acceleration
* Manoeuvrable enough to get onto the target with relative ease.
* Has a tail hook for landing on carriers
* Has a braking chute, making landings on short airstrips or carriers possible
* Strong ordinance options
* Can equip 2 AIM-9B/AIM-9E missiles

'''Cons:'''

* Burns through fuel at an astronomical rate in AB
* JM61A1 electric powered cannon takes getting used to because of 0.25 second spool time to get the barrel spinning before firing commences
* Poor energy retention
* Extremely poor low speed manoeuvrablity, and the low speed of the plane mean lower than 500km/h
* Requires good trigger discipline and aim as the gun burns through ammunition
* Cannon tends to "spark"

== History ==
''Describe the history of the creation and combat usage of the aircraft in more detail than in the introduction. If the historical reference turns out to be too long, take it to a separate article, taking a link to the article about the vehicle and adding a block "/ History" (example: <nowiki>https://wiki.warthunder.com/(Vehicle-name)/History</nowiki>) and add a link to it here using the <code>main</code> template. Be sure to reference text and sources by using <code><nowiki><ref></ref></nowiki></code>, as well as adding them at the end of the article with <code><nowiki><references /></nowiki></code>. This section may also include the vehicle's dev blog entry (if applicable) and the in-game encyclopedia description (under <code><nowiki>=== Encyclopedia Info ===</nowiki></code>, also if applicable).''

== Media ==
''Excellent additions to the article would be video guides, screenshots from the game, and photos.''

== See also ==
''Links to the articles on the War Thunder Wiki that you think will be useful for the reader, for example:''

* ''reference to the series of the aircraft;''
* ''links to approximate analogues of other nations and research trees.''

== External links ==
''Paste links to sources and external resources, such as:''

* ''topic on the official game forum;''
* ''encyclopedia page on the aircraft;''
* ''other literature.''

{{Japan jet aircraft}}

Leopard 2K

2019-10-02T18:57:52Z

U75993721: /* Pros and cons */

{{Specs-Card|code=germ_leopard_2k}}
{{About
| about = German medium tank '''{{PAGENAME}}'''
| usage = other uses
| link = Leopard (Family)
}}

== Description ==

The '''{{Specs|name}}''' is a rank {{Specs|rank}} German medium tank {{Battle-rating}}. It was introduced in [[Update 1.77 "Advancing Storm"]].

== General info ==
=== Survivability and armour ===

The Leopard 2K is one of the most thinly armoured MBT in the German tree, having only 50 mm of actual thickness and 144 mm of effective thickness upper frontal plate and actual 59 mm with an effective thickness of 118 mm for its lower frontal plate. Thin armour would tend to cause concern for the tanker, however, much of this is negated due to the angles in the armour. For survivability, it is almost comparable to the T-64s but without blowing up, playing this tank is a 50/50.

=== Mobility ===

The Mobility of the Leopard 2K is astonishing, making it one of the most agile MBTs in its BR, reaching the speed of 70km/h on road.

== Armaments ==
=== Main armament ===

{{main|Rheinmetall L44 (120 mm)}}

The Leopard 2Ks gun is a 120 mm Rheinmetall L44 It can be found on the later models of the tank, such as the Leopard 2A4, and Leopard 2A5. But this does not mean it gets all of the later rounds, the rounds that the Leopard 2K gets is a DM12 and DM13 just like the Leopard A1A1 L/44. Being fitted with a 120 mm Rheinmetall gun it is effective at all ranges, capable of Penetrating tanks 1,000 m away

==== Ammunition ====
{| class="wikitable sortable"
! colspan="8" |Penetration statistics
|-
! rowspan="2" |Ammunition
! rowspan="2" |Type of warhead
! colspan="6" |'''Penetration''' '''''in mm''''' '''@ 0° Angle of Attack'''
|-
!10m
!100m
!500m
!1000m
!1500m
!2000m
|-
|DM12
|HEATFS
|650
|650
|650
|650
|650
|650
|-
|DM13
|APFSDS
|393
|390
|384
|376
|367
|359
|}

=== Additional armament ===

{{main|Rh202 (20 mm)}}

The tank has a 20 mm anti-aircraft gun which can be used to knock out Gun Barrels, Light Tanks, Helicopters and Planes. The belts are alternating AP-IT/HEF-IT, with 47 mm of penetration at 90 degrees at 0 m. The 20 mm has quite good elevation, and rotates independently from the turret, able to surprise light tanks attempting to flank following turret ring immobilization. m.

=== Machine guns ===
{{main|MG 3A1 (7.62 mm)}}
''Offensive and anti-aircraft machine guns not only allow you to fight some aircraft but also are effective against lightly armoured vehicles. Evaluate machine guns and give recommendations on its use.''

== Usage in battles ==

As mentioned earlier, the Leopard 2K is very agile, well equipped and thinly armoured. Overall the tank fits well into both flanker and sniper roles. The mobility of the tank can take you to places where the enemy will not expect a tank to be in such a short period of time. It is not a good idea to lead the advance or brawl because of the lack of armour on this vehicle, and it's best to instead let the well-armoured tanks take the lead. This tank is just an M18, but has a good gun and is even faster if you utilize its speed, doing so will allow for potential domination of the matches

=== Pros and cons ===


'''Pros:'''

* 120mm gun with effective rounds
* APFSDS is a tier 1 modification - high-velocity rounds allow for long-range shots with ease
* Sloped armour has a tendency to bounce shots, somewhat making up for the lack of actual thickness
* 20mm cannon very effective against light armour and aircraft
* Excellent mobility - one of the most mobile tanks on the battlefield

'''Cons:'''

* Thin armour, ineffective if angles and cover not utilized
* Relatively large profile, the 20 mm Rh 202 gun often sticks out behind cover, making you an easy target for Russian HE-Frag-FS shells
* Slow reload time relative to tanks with smaller guns or autoloaders
* Stock round is HEAT-FS, and struggles against allied vehicles, especially ones outfitted with ERA blocks (such as the T-64BV it often faces)
* Its Thermal has been replaced by infrared in a patch, less effective in night battles

== History ==

In the 1960s, Germany and the United States were jointly-developing the MBT-70, and Germany was contractually prevented from developing any new MBTs independently until the joint project with the US was completed.

But development problems plagued the MBT-70 project, and it appeared that the vehicle would not be finished within an acceptable time frame—so Germany found a way to bypass contractual limitations for the MBT-70 development.

Instead of ordering the development of a new tank, the German government issued an order to the Porsche company to research ways to improve the Leopard I tank already in service with the German army. This enabled Germany to research a more advanced fighting vehicle without breaching the contract signed with the US.

Porsche’s first study of the Leopard I revealed a lot of room for improvement, and second study focusing on upgrading the Leopard I to match the MBT-70’s firepower was launched almost immediately. This eventually resulted in the construction of two prototype vehicles—one in 1969 and one in 1970—nicknamed Keiler (tusker).

In the early 1970s, Germany was able to back out of the MBT-70 project due to spiraling development costs. Instead, they continued work on the development of the Keiler, which was renamed to Leopard 2.

The Leopard 2 project was expected to yield two versions: the Leopard 2K armed with a cannon, and the Leopard 2FK armed with a gun/launcher similar to the MBT-70. In 1971, ten prototypes were ordered, and seven more orders followed shortly thereafter.

To get the most out of their prototypes, German engineers equipped each one with different components to determine what worked best. Some Leopard 2 versions were equipped with a 105mm smoothbore cannon, whereas others were fitted with 120mm smoothbore cannons. Some prototypes received a hydraulic suspension while others didn’t, and there was even a version equipped with the 20mm anti-air mount on the turret (similar to the one found on the Kpz-70).

Sixteen out of seventeen Leopard 2 prototypes were built and tested, yielding many refinements to the Leopard 2 design. Subsequent models further increased the Leopard 2’s capabilities, with each variant making it more powerful—and ultimately into the Leopard 2 known today.

''- From [https://warthunder.com/en/news/5309-development-leopard-2k-a-legend-in-the-making-en Devblog]''

== Media ==
''An excellent addition to the article will be video guides, as well as screenshots from the game and photos.''

== See also ==
''Links to the articles on the War Thunder Wiki that you think will be useful for the reader, for example:''

* ''reference to the series of the vehicles;''
* ''links to approximate analogues of other nations and research trees.''

== External links ==


* [https://warthunder.com/en/news/5309-development-leopard-2k-a-legend-in-the-making-en [Devblog<nowiki>]</nowiki> Leopard 2K: A Legend In The Making]

{{Germany medium tanks}}