FLEET AIR ARM

The Fleet Air Arm numbers just over 6,000 personnel and operates about 200 aircraft. Operating fixed wing Harrier aircraft and Merlin, Sea King and Lynx helicopters from ships at sea and two main Naval Air Stations at Yeovilton and Culdrose, the Fleet Air Arm provides the Royal Navy with the aviation support required to conduct maritime operations.
 

Current Naval Aircraft Inventory

Role

Number

Type

Squadron

Air Defence/Attack

Harrier GR 7/7A

800 Sqn RAF Cottesmore

8

9

2

36

12

Note 1: The total for 815 Sqn includes 6 aircraft with Sqn HQ. The remaining aircraft are mostly dispersed in flights of 1 or 2 aircraft amongst the ships of the Fleet.

8

6

9

5

37

8

12

Joint Force Harrier

The Joint Force Harrier (JFH) was established on 1 April 2000 and brought together the Sea Harrier FA.2 squadrons, previously under Naval Air Command, with the RAF's Harrier GR 7/7A squadrons in a new command within RAF Strike Command. However, less than two years later, it was announced that the Sea Harrier FA.2 was to be retired early from the JFH under a development that will see the JFH standardise on the RAF's Harrier GR 9/9A. Announcing the move in 2002, UK MoD officials said the type rationalisation was in preparation for the introduction of the Future Joint Combat Aircraft and the Future Aircraft Carrier in 2012.

The MoD explained that the optimum development of the JFH is to support only one Harrier type to its end of service life, the 'more capable GR 9'. The Sea Harrier FA.2 was therefore withdrawn from service between 2004 and March 2006.

The JFH received its first upgraded Harrier GR 9 from BAE Systems' Warton facility in November 2005. Under the terms of a £500 million programme the avionics of some 60 x Harrier GR 7/7A will be upgraded to GR 9 standard and 11 x Harrier T 10 will be upgraded to T 12 standard.

From 1 April 2006 the JFH will consist of 4 x squadrons as follows:

All four squadrons should have 12 pilots and eventually all will operate the Harrier GR 9/9A and T 12.

Joint Helicopter Command

As from 1 October 1999 the Commando Helicopter Force joined with the support and battlefield helicopters of the Army Air Corps and the Royal Air Force in a new Joint Helicopter Command (JHC). The JHC is a single authority under Commander-in-Chief Land. The Fleet Air Arm contribution consisted of all the aircraft (plus about 1,000 personnel) of 845, 846, 847 and 848 Naval Air Squadrons plus 9 further aircraft from an attrition reserve.

New Carrier-borne Fixed Wing Aircraft.

Enhanced operational flexibility, an earlier in-service date and greater industrial benefits for UK industry have emerged as the key factors leading to the UK's selection of the short-take off/vertical landing (STOVL) variant of Lockheed Martin's F-35 Joint Strike Fighter (JSF) to fulfil its Future Joint Combat Aircraft (FJCA) requirement.

The procurement of 150 of the Joint Combat Aircraft is currently estimated to cost about £10 billion. The Minister for Defence Procurement said in September 2002 that the STOVL variant of JSF would fully meet the UK's military needs and build on the RAF's and RN's "unique and valuable knowledge of STOVL aircraft, acquired during nearly four decades of operations of Harrier on land and sea." The initial cost of construction of the two new carriers is expected to be between £3 billion and £4 billion.

In January 2006 the UK MoD stated that “It remains our plan to operate the F-35B (Short Take-Off Vertical Landing variant) Joint Strike Fighter aircraft from the future carrier. We also retain the option to deploy Harrier GR9 initially. However, the design has the flexibility to be adapted to operate conventional take-off and landing aircraft if we decide to do so in the future.”