Harrier with Shrike

[Finn]

Looks like a GR.3 with a AGM-45:

 

 

Jari

[goose]

1 minute ago, Finn said:

Looks like a GR.3 with a AGM-45:

 

 

Jari

I didn't know they flew with it 

[Vultures1]

Trial fit during the Falklands?  Just guessing

[JohnT]

Its covered in part in the book Harrier Boys.  Chapter 9 by Peter Squire makes mention of reinforcement aircaft in the Falklands War flown by Nick Gilchrist and Ross Boyens "who have done all the trials work leading to the GR3 release clearances for LGB and anti radiation (Shrike) weapons.....".  In context it's a passing comment but that would probably seems to be an answer.  

 

He goes on to mention that Shrike has been dropped in kit form alongside the carrier and constructed by ground crew using the operators manual.  Whether that went further before hostilities ceased he does not say.

[Selwyn]

2 hours ago, Finn said:

Looks like a GR.3 with a AGM-45:

 

 

Jari

Harrier went through an urgent wartime operational clearance of shrike  for the Falklands. The war ended before it could be deployed for use.

 

A similar urgent process was used for Aim 9L  on GR3.  At that  time it took several man hours to swap over the wiring to enable Aim 9L carriage , (and of course to swap it back again to carry bombs),  I assume there was the same issues with shrike.

it was only after the Falklands that a proper clearance with correct switchable wiring was installed for the Sidewinder. As the Shrikes were only "borrowed" from the US  and this missile was never formally in the UK inventory I assume that the formal engineering clearance for shrike was not required and never happened on UK harriers.

 

Selwyn