RAF Harrier In The Cold War | RAF Germany Harrier Force |

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The Hawker Siddeley Harrier from the outset was designed to be used without the need for long, stationary runways; a prime target of any enemy in time of war.
With the Harrier GR.1 entering service with 1 (F) Squadron of the Royal Air Force (RAF) in 1969, it brought a new dimension to the application of fixed-wing, fast jet aircraft.
From the early 1970’s the RAF formulated plans to operate the Harrier from dispersed locations, primarily from its bases in West Germany, close to the border of Warsaw Pact countries. Over the following years the RAF Germany Harrier Force perfected the operational effectiveness of the aircraft and would have been well placed had the Cold War gone ‘hot’.
This Documentary, from 1978, is an excellent look at dispersed operations of the legendary Harrier. Showing a deployment of Harrier GR.3’s and support equipment & staff from RAF 4 Squadron, under Wing Commander Tony Chaplain, to temporary airfields during a NATO tactical evaluation exercise (TACEVAL) from their home base at RAF Gutersloh.
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[@deswaterfall3044]

Seeing this has made me nostalgic. I was at Wildenrath 73/76 and the deployments were a great experience. We did it as business as usual I wish the world could get back to living and not made to feel we are in a constant crisis.

[@thelmaviaduct]

Turn the TV off, job jobbed. Project fear is all created. 👍🏿

[@AlfieDoug]

Me too, same years, 20Sqdn (all bitter and twisted).

[@scroggins100]

Tactical Communications Wing, Mobile Catering Unit, Tactical Supply Wing. Spent 7 years all told of my RAF Career providing Comms for these boys and the Helicopters... From Belize to Norway. Good years. Food (if we had MCSU Support was superb thanks boys) TSW did the fuel and bits. We were very good, even if I do say so myself. Thanks for posting.

[@militaryaviationtv]

Brilliant! Thank you for taking the time to comment.

[@bondgirl66007]

I was a mobile/runway controller for the GR5, 7 and T4 at Gut in the late 80s and early 90s. Deployed in the field with them. Worked hard, played harder! Happy happy days! Awesome video. Thanks for sharing. Brought back so many memories! #perarduaadastra ✌️

[@militaryaviationtv]

That's very cool...we're glad you enjoyed it bondgirl66007.

[@abagatelle]

You must have been there same time as me - pilot on 3 Sqn - happy days! (GR5/7 so much better than the GR3). All gone now, so great to see these old videos.

[@bondgirl66007]

@@abagatelle 89-92, my claim to fame was chasing a certain pilot in my land rover, down the side of the runway, after watching him go, hearing him calling for the barrier, and subsequently leaving the jet to get airborne by itself lol.. I got absolutely soaked that day in that thunderstorm, mind you so did the jet 😂 What a day that was. Cheers for that memory Mr Z! Frightened the crap out of me lol

[@abagatelle]

@@bondgirl66007 I was no 3 in that 4-ship, remember it well!

[@bondgirl66007]

@@abagatelle I was first on scene when he landed on the runway, requested permission to enter but tower wouldnt let me. Once the Firecrew arrived then i got on. The heavens opened and i needed to keep him dry till medics arrived so i went back to my landrover and found a dirty old piece of deployment hessian and used that lol. Glad he was ok. Was pretty hurt though. I remember him being number 2 of 2, on a conventional, the lead got airborne. If it was a 4 ship, you as number 3 must have been subsequently grounded.. torrential rain though, never seen anything like it, thunderstorm level 1, i got absolutely drenched. Great camp, great people. Loved it. Would love to go back for a visit one day, but im too far away now living in NZ. :)

[@saschay2k]

I’ve been there in the 80s. The sound of Harriers flying by was very common in my childhood in Gütersloh.

[@militaryaviationtv]

Great days, and the Harrier is very much missed in the skies over the UK....

[@Chilly_Billy]

@@militaryaviationtv, it was a terrific light attack platform with unique off-base capability. Let's hope the F-35B proves to be a worthy successor.

[@angusmcangus7914]

Supersonic? In a 20 -degree dive! I was there at the time as a pilot on 3(F) Squadron so took part in this exercise on one of the other sites.

[@militaryaviationtv]

John Farley always said you could press a Harrier past the supersonic threshold, but you needed to peddle like mad! 😁😁

[@angusmcangus7914]

@@militaryaviationtv it was the intakes. It would accelerate like a dingbat up to about 450 kts then it was like hitting a brick wall due to the profile drag.

[@militaryaviationtv]

The Elephant Ears had their drawbacks for sure...

[@rawnukles]

I wondered about that when the narrator said it was a supersonic jet. I didn't think of going down hill.

[@mikewright7407]

My dad was stationed here at RAF Gütersloh from 1978-81...I was born in Rinteln as a result too! Apparently it was a good night at Hans bar :D

[@militaryaviationtv]

That is awesome Mike...

[@Wonkabar007]

Great upload, I once got lucky and had a flight in a two seater GR3, the pilot tipped the jet on its side so I could get a good view of the Warsteiner beer brewery, then we flew low level up some valleys to drop simulated cluster munitions on a cement works, happy days 😄

[@militaryaviationtv]

Awesome @Wonkabar007! It was probably a T.4 Harrier, but what a great experience for you.

[@OTIB1]

I also went for a flight in a T4. We repeated the Dams Raid. I served at Gut 82 - 85.

[@paulthomas7214]

Need another modern Harrier to be built, great bit of kit.

[@militaryaviationtv]

Why? The Harrier/Sea Harrier were awesome, for their day. The F-35B is the 'modern' Harrier...

[@nickmiller21]

I'll bet that the excercise location near Detmold wasn't too far away from a decent hotel.

[@Dumbboy247]

Another fantastic video. Lovely to see the harriers in this footage! 😁

[@militaryaviationtv]

Glad you enjoyed it!

[@Dumbboy247]

@@militaryaviationtv I would like to see more videos on the harriers. Such a fantastic aircraft, such a shame it's not a common sight here in the UK anymore 😊

[@militaryaviationtv]

Yes it is. We'll see what we can do...😁

[@thelmaviaduct]

Difficult to believe the enemy wouldn't notice the deployment location 😂🤣😂🤣

[@allgood6760]

Awesome!... we have a GR3 Harrier in a museum here in NZ 👍🇳🇿

[@militaryaviationtv]

Excellent! Which museum is that?

[@ratherbegliding]

Ashburton, near Christchurch 👍

[@RhysMorgan69]

great video - thanks for sharing

[@militaryaviationtv]

You are very welcome Rhys.

[@seanjoseph8637]

I was on 3(f) at Gut, 85-89, did 13 field deployments at the sites featured in this, Eberard...long-drops anyone.

[@militaryaviationtv]

So this will have brought back some good memories for you Sean?

[@seanjoseph8637]

@@militaryaviationtv Apart from it being all 4 (AirCraft) Sqn...yes...

[@militaryaviationtv]

You should write a book...

[@liamtimms777]

Did u fly with my geoff Timms

[@seanjoseph8637]

@@liamtimms777 I'm ground-crew, rigger, a mechanic, not a pilot. Name rings a bell, I'll get back to you.

[@tonyhaynes9080]

JEEZ! This rolls back the years. I was on 4 Sqn 78-80. It was fun, but being young, dumb and stupid, I didn't realise how much it took out of the pilots fly those leaping heaps. If I seemed to be an arsehole to any of you, I apologise.

[@peterbruin5154]

Is that protect and survive's Patrick Allen narrating?

[@militaryaviationtv]

As far as we know, yes it is, Peter...

[@jerrydowse5061]

Yes,the unmistakeable Patrick Allen.Unique voice.Great video,Thanks

[@jjsmallpiece9234]

What no hotels?

[@pangliamlosu7477]

Americans lost so much fighting for nothing, you entered the war zone with so much and came empty handed losing everything you went in with..

[@militaryaviationtv]

Have you written this comment on the wrong video?

[@swampeh]

LoL typical RAF Officer mentality on full show. Take your Officers Dress peak cap to an austere in the woods hide location on a combat footing because? Wear it at all times just to make sure everyone knows you're the boss (including the enemy and their snipers). Seen this sort of 'leadership' so many times... 🙄