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Fighter aircraft

United Kingdom Legacy

BAE Systems

Harrier GR9

Final and most advanced Royal Air Force variant of the second-generation Harrier jump jet, upgraded with new avionics, a wider weapons envelope and a digital cockpit before the type was retired from UK service in 2010 as part of defense cuts.

In service since 2006 · 1 operator countries

Compiled from public sources ·primary reference ↗ ·last verified 2026-07-02

1,065

km/h

3,300

km range

13,100

m ceiling

4,170

kg payload

Procurement snapshot

Availability & export

UK export-licensed

Subject to UK SPIRE licensing (ECJU); generally available to allied states.

Channel: Government-to-government or direct

Fielded & proven

Limited · 1 operator

In service since 2006. Status: legacy · ~62 built.

Lifecycle cost (est.)

No public unit price to model from.

Interoperability

AIM-9 Sidewinder

Derived guidance from public data, export regime by country of origin, lifecycle from the GAO ~30% acquisition rule. Verify eligibility, pricing and offsets with the manufacturer and your acquisition authority.

Compatible munitions & weapons

Publicly reported weapons the Harrier GR9 can carry. Linked items have a full spec page.

Full specifications

Performance

Speed, range, altitude and engagement capability.

Max speed Maximum level speed. For aircraft this is at optimal altitude; for ground vehicles, top road speed. Higher means faster response and better kinematic performance.: 1,065 km/h

Bottom 6% of fighters
Max speed (Mach) Maximum speed as a multiple of the speed of sound. Mach 2+ is typical for air-superiority fighters.: 0.87 Mach

Bottom 3% of fighters
Range Maximum distance: ferry range for aircraft, operational range for vehicles, maximum engagement distance for missiles. Higher means more standoff or persistence.: 3,300 km

Stronger than 56% of fighters
Combat radius Distance an aircraft can fly, complete its mission and return without refueling. Roughly a third of ferry range.: 830 km

Stronger than 41% of fighters
Service ceiling Maximum operating altitude. Higher gives energy advantage and sensor horizon.: 13,100 m

Bottom 5% of fighters

Firepower

Armament, payload and guidance.

Main armament Primary weapon: main gun, cannon or missile type.: 25 mm ADEN cannon pod
Hardpoints External stations for weapons and pods. More means bigger and more flexible loadouts.: 9

Stronger than 47% of fighters
Weapons payload Maximum ordnance weight the platform can carry. Higher means more strike capacity per sortie.: 4,170 kg

Stronger than 19% of fighters

Physical

Dimensions, weight and crew.

Length Overall length including gun/probe where applicable.: 14.36 m
Wingspan Wingtip-to-wingtip span.: 9.25 m
Height Overall height. Lower profile is harder to spot and hit for ground vehicles.: 3.55 m
Empty weight Weight without fuel, ammunition or crew.: 6,740 kg
Combat weight Fully loaded weight. Lighter eases transport and bridging limits; heavier often means more armor.: 14,100 kg
Crew Personnel required to operate. Fewer reduces exposure; autoloaders trade a loader for mechanical complexity.: 1

Propulsion

Engine, power and fuel.

Engine Powerplant model and type.: Rolls-Royce Pegasus 105 vectored-thrust turbofan
Engines Number of engines. Twin-engine gives redundancy at higher cost.: 1
Thrust Total engine thrust (with afterburner where applicable).: 106 kN

Stronger than 56% of fighters
Propulsion type Turbofan, turboshaft, diesel, gas turbine, solid-fuel rocket, ramjet…: Turbofan (V/STOL)

Sensors & avionics

Radar, sensor suite and datalinks.

Sensors IRST, EO/IR turrets, laser designators, sniper pods, thermal sights.: digital moving map, night-vision compatible cockpit

Program

Cost, production scale and operators.

Units built Total production run. Higher means proven manufacturing, mature logistics and spares availability.: 62

Stronger than 24% of fighters
Operator countries Number of countries operating the system. More operators means broader support ecosystem.: 1

Stronger than 23% of fighters

Specifications compiled from public BAE Systems and reference sources ↗. Published defense figures are approximations, treat comparisons as directional. Last verified 2026-07-02.

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