The first operational generation of the Harrier V/STOL combat aircraft, fielded by the RAF as the GR.1/GR.3 and by the U.S. Marine Corps as the AV-8A/AV-8C for attack, reconnaissance, and close-support missions.
Development
Hawker Siddeley Harrier / AV-8A was developed by Hawker Siddeley in United Kingdom as a attack aircraft. Its recorded airframe configuration is fixed wing, with the family classified in the archive as core combat-aircraft scope.
Operational History
Operationally, Hawker Siddeley Harrier / AV-8A is represented across attack aircraft, close-air-support aircraft, and armed-reconnaissance aircraft roles. The sourced variant records include service with Royal Air Force and United States Marine Corps. The current structured record does not attach a specific conflict authority to this family; operational context remains limited to sourced service and role data. Role tags attached to the family include battlefield interdiction.
Variants and Lineage
Major variants represented in the structured record include Harrier GR.1, Harrier GR.3, AV-8A Harrier, and AV-8C Harrier. Recorded lineage links identify the family as developed from Hawker P.1127 / Kestrel family.
Variants
| Designation | Type | Role | Recorded operators |
|---|---|---|---|
| AV-8A Harrier | Export | Attack | United States Marine Corps |
| AV-8C Harrier | Upgrade | Attack | United States Marine Corps |
| Harrier GR.1 | Production | Attack | Royal Air Force |
| Harrier GR.3 | Upgrade | Attack | Royal Air Force |
Representative specifications
Configuration-specific profiles are shown separately so values from different variants are not blended into one false “standard” aircraft.
Harrier GR.3 — C022 conservative technical baseline
Powerplant: 1 × Rolls-Royce Pegasus 11 (Mk 103)
Sources and further reading
Structured references supporting this aircraft family, variants, specifications, and narrative sections.
- AV-8C Harrier — Naval History and Heritage Command · Tier 1
- Progress and Purpose: A Developmental History of the U.S. Marine Corps 1900-1970 — United States Marine Corps · Tier 1
- Hawker Siddeley Harrier GR3 — Royal Air Force Museum · Tier 2
- The RAF Harrier Story — Royal Air Force Museum · Tier 2