If ever there was a rare breed analogy for aircraft, Harriers in Europe would come near the top of the list. The Italian Navy may have signed up for the F-35B, but its Harriers are still going strong.
FORCE REPORT // ITALIAN HARRIERS
THE ITALIAN NAVY (Marina Militare) has long played an important role within the country’s military. However, its GRUPAER (Gruppo Supporto Aerei Imbarcati della Marina Militare) is one of the youngest naval squadrons worldwide and the Marina Militare’s sole xed-wing unit. All the more remarkable, then, that it flies the Harrier: arguably among the most complex and demanding fast jets in the world.
Bringing Harriers into Italian Navy service was anything but straightforward. For a start, an Italian law dating back to 1937 that forbade the navy from flying anything except helicopters had to be abolished. The writing was already on the wall — construction of the Giuseppe Garibaldi(CVH 551) in 1981 was a clear sign of xed-wing ambitions. It was introduced as an ‘Incrociatore Portaeromobili’ — an ‘aircraft-carrying cruiser’, but only for anti-submarine warfare (ASW) helicopters. The 6.5° skijump on the foredeck was passed off as a means of protection against sea spray…
Hawker Si…
