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.

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 42% 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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