On this day 24 November 2010
Published: 24 Nov 2011
A Harrier GR9 made its last ever flight from a Royal Navy aircraft carrier, HMS Ark Royal on 24 November 2010. On 19 October 2010, the government had announced the results of its Strategic Defence and Security Review in which the Harrier Force was to be scrapped and HMS Ark Royal decommissioned.
The Harrier fleet's farewell occurred on 15 December 2010 with fly pasts over numerous military bases. In November 2011, the Ministry of Defence sold the remaining 72 Harrier-IIs (63 GR.7/9/9As plus 9 T.12/12As), along with available spare parts, to the United States Marine Corps for £116 million (US$180 million); the aircraft are to be used as a source of components for the Americans' AV-8B Harrier II fleet.