§ Lord Astor of Heverasked Her Majesty's Government:
What air defence capability at sea is provided by the Harrier GR7/9; and [HL1793]
Whether the Harrier GR7/9 has an all-weather night air defence capability; and [HL1794]
What beyond visual range air-to-air capability is provided by the Harrier GR7/9. [HL1795]
198WA
§ The Parliamentary Under-Secretary of State, Ministry of Defence (Lord Bach)The Harrier GR7/9's principal roles are ground attack and reconnaissance, not air defence. The short range infra-red guided AIM 9L sidewinder missiles it carries are for self-defence. This capability can be employed at night, but relies on the pilot being able to acquire a target aircraft, for instance using forward-looking infra-red or night vision goggles. There is no current intention to equip the GR7/9 with a beyond visual range air-to-air capability.