According to a story in the UK Guardian, the US Department of the Navy is purchasing the entire fleet of 74 UK Harriers removed from service as part of their controversial Strategic Defence and Security Review.
The USMC plans on keeping the Harrier in service through 2025 so this is an excellent opportunity to take advantage of available aircraft. In an interview with Navy Times, Chief of the US Navy Supply Corps, Rear Admiral Mark Heinrich said, “We’re taking advantage of all the money the Brits have spent on them. It’s like we’re buying a car with maybe 15,000 miles on it. These are very good platforms. And we’ve already got trained pilots.”
This is a good use of resources.
