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Why the Harrier?
Decreasing the time it takes Marine aviators to put bombs, rounds and rockets on target is critical to the Marine Corps close-air-support mission. According to most reports, in Vietnam it took an average of 27 minutes from the time close air support (CAS) was requested until aircraft arrived on the scene.
To remedy that critical time delay, in the late 1960s the Marine Corps contemplated, acquiring the British-built TTawker Siddeley aircraft known as the Harrier. Because its innovative thrust vectoring system allowed it to take off and land vertically, hover like a helicopter and then transition to almost supersonic flight, often it was referred to as a "jump jet." Having an airplane that could go ashore ahead of or with the landing force(s) and then operate close to the fighting was appealing because it would decrease CAS response time and thus increase the survivability of ground troops.
* "The best part of being in VMA-513 was watching us learn how to fly a V/STOL ivertical/short takeoff and landing] aircraft and develop the tactics and procedures to enable us to get our response time to on-call missions down to 10 minutes."
-Harry "Vulture" Blot
The advantages of having an aircraft that could be serviced, armed and fueled aboard a variety of ships or within close proximity to the front lines were not lost on Marine planners. Launching from and landing on remote or un improved roads, bombed-out runways, landing platforms or even dirt fields allowed the versatile Harrier to perform a myriad of missions. Having V/STOL (vertical, short takeoff and landing) attack aircraft al Ine ready seemed like a new solution to an old problem.
Against a backdrop of intrigue and after much political wrangling and soul-searching, a purchase of 114 AV-8A aircraft was authorized. Marine Attack Squadron (VMA) 513, Second Marine Aircraft Wing was designated as the Marines' first V/STOL squadron. On 16 April 1971, the first aircraft were delivered to VMA-513 at Marine Corps Air Station Beaufort, S.C., and the era of the Harrier began. Today, the AV-8B Harrier II remains a central element of Marine Corps combat strategy.
The Test Pilots
Because the unique and sometimes controversial Harrier promised to revolutionize Marine air-ground doctrine, some very talented pilots needed to...