Under the heading "Our security is going for a song" the Mail on Sunday reports that the US Navy and US Marines are to buy our 74 scrapped Harrier jets. The Admiral says "We're taking advantage of all the money the Brits have spent on them". "It's like buying a car with maybe 15,000 miles on it". When the most powerful nation in the world buys our scrap, I know the wrong decision was made! - and it makes me When is our government going to see sense? 10MY (Sept 09) TD4 HSE Auto in Stornoway Grey (Now Gone)

08 FL2 TD4 SE Manual in Rimini Red (Now Gone)

Ouch, this hurts!

I expect we sold them for a song, too. Almost certainly with every spare in the stores too. Meanwhile we make our pilots and techs redundant. Nothing changes. Rip off Britain, in more ways than one! 10MY (Sept 09) TD4 HSE Auto in Stornoway Grey (Now Gone)

08 FL2 TD4 SE Manual in Rimini Red (Now Gone)

I wouldn't worry too much, after all we will be the "United Kingdom of America" soon anyway  ______________________
2011 Full Fat RR 4.4 TDV8
2012 FL2 SD4 Auto HSE
2013 Kawasaki Versys 650

And they're all " right hand fly"

all 74 sold for £34 million to the U.S Marines

I thought Angela Merkel wanted us to be in the US of Europe! 10MY (Sept 09) TD4 HSE Auto in Stornoway Grey (Now Gone)

08 FL2 TD4 SE Manual in Rimini Red (Now Gone)

There was always a collective groan whenever we were told they were sending Harriers as ground support. Surprised they got any money for them. Andy

As they were all "scrap" anyway, then 34 million sounds okay.
At least it's to the yanks and not some dodgy uncontrolled Country.

The point is, they are clearly not "scrap". The US can see a use and a value in them where our short-sighted leaders cannot. They may be (relatively) old technology but their air power capabilty is unique and has proven to be a valuable (even essential in the Falklands) asset in the past. When we have relatively little in the way of such assets, (and an empty carrier) we are foolish to let them go. 10MY (Sept 09) TD4 HSE Auto in Stornoway Grey (Now Gone)

08 FL2 TD4 SE Manual in Rimini Red (Now Gone)

The Harrier - every time I drove past RAF Wittering on the A1 and saw the "Home of the Harrier" sign and the Harrier by the gate it was one of those things that make you proud to be British  2009 GS Auto Zermatt Silver - Sold June 21 after 10 years of ownership

2016 Subaru Outback SE 2.0 diesel SE Premium Lineartronic Sold 2024 after 8 years and 80k miles . Best Car I ever owned !

2023 Toyota Hilux invincible X 2.8 Auto .

Yes, it was a great plane and is always a crowd pleaser at any event it showed up to.
Clearly the UK government think that the Eurofighter (or whateverthey have now) is better.

As said by dunkley201, what do they use on the aircraft carriers now?

Uk don't have any Aircraft carriers at the moment the last one (The Arkroyal) has just been 'scrapped'
Two new ones being built but wont be ready until 2020 and even then one won't be fitted out cos we cant afford to, just gonna keep it as a spare incase the other one sinks, The Government tried to cancel the order but it would of cost more to cancel (£10bn)

Sounds a right mess to me

Planes for the carriers will probably be the Lockheed Martin F35 Lightning II (F35C variant) as we are already paying as part of the Joint Strike Fighter program.

More criminal was taking the brand new Nimrods out the factory, across the site to an enclosure to be broken up!

Ark Royal hasn't been scrapped, it has been sold. Though they haven't said who has bought it out of the twenty odd bidders. Andy