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Last Updated: Late 2008

A beautiful shot of a Mk.51 [IN 617] in flight. This aircraft is from the second-last batch of seven aircraft delivered in September 1991. Image © BAe Systems via Jon Lake

The Indian Navy's first Sea Harrier [IN601] on delivery through Malta. Circa October 1984. The aircraft was lost in an air accident on 04 May 1988. Image © Gary Vincent

IN601 at Malta. Circa October 1984. Image © Gary Vincent

The first Sea Harrier Mk.51 [IN 601] at the Farnborough Air Show in England in September 1982. Notice the Sea Eagle AShM at extreme right. IN 601 crashed on 04 May 1988. Image © Air Nikon via Airliners.Net

IN608 [Cougar] served in both static & flying display roles at Aero India 2005. The Cougar - along with IN607 [Simba], IN613 [Lion] and IN6XX [Puma] - have been temporarily transferred to INAS 551B Squadron, which serves as a traning unit for SHAR pilots. Image © Simon Watson

Simba looks absolutely flogged and covered in black smut, as it flew in directly - along with Cougar - from an intensive operational deployment from their home base at INS Hansa in Dabolim, Goa. Image © Simon Watson

Image © Kapil Chandni

IN655 is a T Mk.4(I) two-seat trainer variant (acquired from the Royal Navy in 2003) upgraded to the T Mk.60 standard. Image © Vishnu Som

This two-seater T Mk.4 trainer [IN651] night stopped in Malta while on delivery to the Indian Navy. This photo was taken on 27 March 1984. Image © Joseph Tonna

With the light ghost-grey camouflage colour scheme, the markings of the naval roundels have been reduced and the emblem of the white tiger is now an outline in darker gray. Image © B Harry / ACIG.org

The insignia of INAS 552 is clearly seen here next to the insignia of INAS 300. Image © Kapil Chandni

The Sea Harrier will be phased out of IN service by 2012 and will be replaced by more mission capable aircraft such as the MiG-29K and the Naval LCA. Image © Kapil Chandni

This light ghost-grey camouflage represents the new colour scheme for the Sea Harriers. Adopted in October 2004, it is designed to reduce visual identification during air combat. Image © B Harry / ACIG.org

The first two-seater Sea Harrier [IN651] in Indian Navy service, is seen here onboard INS Viraat on 08 Jan 2006. Image © Kapil Chandni

IN623 gets ready to launch off from INS Viraat during the Western Naval Command's Families Day at Sea held on 08 January 2006. Image © Kapil Chandni

Of the first two T Mk.60 trainers [IN651 and IN652] purchased in 1984, the second one was lost in an air accident in 1988. Image © Kapil Chandni

Sea Harrier T Mk.60 [IN651]. Image © Kapil Chandni

IN606 appearing out of the fog on a cold winter's day at Yeovilton. This photo was taken on 15 February 1984. Image © Michael J Freer

BAe SEA HARRIER FRS Mk.51 / T Mk.60

Type: Fleet air defence, strike and recon fighter with ASV role.

Versions in Service: Frs Mk.51 - Single-seat fighter
 ...........................T Mk.60 - Dual-seat trainer

Engine: One Rolls-Royce Pegasus Mk.104/106 vectored-thrust turbofan, rated at 95.6kN (21,500 lbs.) of thrust.

Operational Speed: 640 knots (1186 km/h).

Service Ceiling: 51,200 feet (15,600 meters).

Range: 800 nautical miles (1480 km).

Avionics: Elta EL/M-2032 multimode fire control radar which has replaced the Ferranti Blue Fox non-coherent pulse radar. The latter had four operating modes - search, air-to-air, air-to-surface and bore-sight for close combat.

Weapons: The aircraft has four wing and three under-fuselage stations. The inner wing pylons carry drop tanks of 900 kg each. The two outer wing pylons can carry up to 450 kg each. Two under-fuselage stations are normally occupied by two 30mm gun pods, with 120 rounds per gun. Indian Navy Sea Harriers use the Magic-II missile for WVR (Within Visual Range) combat and the Derby for BVR (Beyond Visual Range) combat. In the anti-ship role, the Sea Harrier can carry two Sea Eagle AShMs.

Maximum External Stores Load: STOL (Short Take-Off & Landing) mode - 3629 kg (8000 lbs).
..........................................VTOL (Vertical Take-Off & Landing) mode - 2268 kg (5000 lbs).

Self Defence: Fitted with a Marconi ARI-18223 radar warning receiver. Some aircraft have been recently been refitted with the Roshni RWR, which is the naval variant of the indigenously-developed Tarang Mk.II RWR.

Aircraft delivered to date: IN601 - Mk.51 (05 Oct 1984) - air accident on 04 May 1988
...................................IN602 - Mk.51 (12 July 1984)
...................................IN603 - Mk.51 (13 Dec 1983)
...................................IN604 - Mk.51 (13 Dec 1983)
...................................IN605 - Mk.51 (13 Dec 1983)
...................................IN606 - Mk.51 (12 July 1984)
...................................IN607 - Mk.51 (24 July 1990)
...................................IN608 - Mk.51 (14 Dec 1989) - air accident on 11 September 2007
...................................IN609 - Mk.51 (10 Apr 1990)
...................................IN610 - Mk.51 (14 Dec 1989)
...................................IN611 - Mk.51 (14 Dec 1989) - air accident on 30 September 1997
...................................IN612 - Mk.51 (10 Apr 1990) - air accident on 09 December 1992
...................................IN613 - Mk.51 (24 July 1990) - air accident on 24 December 2007
...................................IN614 - Mk.51 (24 July 1990)
...................................IN615 - Mk.51 (23 Apr 1991)
...................................IN616 - Mk.51 (17 Sept 1991)
...................................IN617 - Mk.51 (17 Sept 1991)
...................................IN618 - Mk.51 (23 Apr 1991)
...................................IN619 - Mk.51 (23 Apr 1991) - air accident on 09 June 1992
...................................IN620 - Mk.51 (17 Sept 1991) - air accident on 08 February 1996
...................................IN621 - Mk.51 (17 Sept 1991) - beyond economical repair
...................................IN622 - Mk.51 (14 Jan 1992)
...................................IN623 - Mk.51 (07 Apr 1992)
...................................IN651 - T Mk.60 (15 Mar 1984) - air accident on 05 April 2007
...................................IN652 - T Mk.60 (16 Mar 1984) - air accident on 27 June 1988
...................................IN653 - T Mk.60 (10 Apr 1990)
...................................IN654 - T Mk.60 (14 Jan 1992)
...................................IN655 - T Mk.60 (2003) - T Mk.4(I) upgraded to T Mk.60 standard
...................................IN656 - T Mk.60 (2003) - T Mk.4(I) upgraded to T Mk.60 standard

Note: Known Sea Harrier air accidents include sixteen Mk.51 single-seaters and three T Mk.60 trainers. IN621 is beyond economical repair due to a bad landing and lies on static display at Goa Museum. Not all air accidents result in the aircraft being withdrawn from active service. On occasion, depending on the severity of the crash, the aircraft could be repaired and see active service once again. In some cases, the aircraft is stripped of all usable components before being discarded or being put on static display as occurred with IN621. The dates of ten Sea Harrier air accidents have been listed above, while the remaining nine are listed below, due to a lack of reliable information on the corresponding serial number;

• IN6?? - Mk.51: 13 March 1994
• IN6?? - Mk.51: 09 December 1994
• IN6?? - Mk.51: 23 November 1998
• IN6?? - Mk.51: 25 May 2001
• IN6?? - Mk.51: 24 August 2003
• IN6?? - Mk.51: 17 December 2004 - extensive damage, possible write-off.
• IN6?? - Mk.51: 17 May 2005
• IN6?? - Mk.51: 05 December 2005

• IN65? - T Mk.60: 02 August 1994

Comments: The Sea Harriers fly with the INAS 300 and INAS 552 squadrons, the latter being a training unit for rookie pilots. The Sea Harrier Operational Flying Training (SHOFTU) was formed as part of INAS 300 on 16 April 1990. In 1991, SHOFTU was conjoined as a separate flight into the existing INAS 551 squadron, which flies HAL Kiran Mk II aircraft. Subsequently, a separate squadron - INAS 552 - was raised on 07 July 2005 for the purpose of ab-initio training on the Sea Harrier. Fourteen single-seat and four dual seat aircraft currently serve with the two squadrons. The dual-seat trainers include two remaining T Mk.60s from the first batch and two ex-RAF T Mk.4 trainers, modified to the T Mk.60 standard despite airframe differences. The dual-seat trainer has the complete avionics systems of the single-seat fighter, apart from the Ferranti 'Blue Fox' radar. Due to the larger length of both trainer variants, they have to be placed diagonally on the hangar elevator of INS Viraat. At the commissioning ceremony of the INAS 552 squadron, Rear Admiral Shekhar Sinha stated that the Sea Harrier would be phased out by 2012 or at the latest by 2015. In an interesting twist of events, Flight Global reported on 29 November 2007 that the Indian Navy was planning to go ahead with a limited upgrade of its Sea Harriers and is expected to extend the life of the aircraft by 15 years.

This upgrade, codenamed LUSH (Limited Upgrade Sea Harrier), has retrofitted the aircraft with state-of-the-art avionics & weaponry and was performed by Hindustan Aeronautics Limited (HAL) in Bangalore. The Elta EL/M-2032 radar, the Derby BVRAAM,  combat manoeuvring flight recorders and digital cockpit voice recorders were among the equipment that were retrofitted. Defence Minister Pranab Mukherjee stated that the aircraft were upgraded at a cost of Rs 476.69 crore. A formal contract, worth $25 million, was signed with Rafael in February 2005 for the Derby BVRAAM and includes an initial batch of 20 missiles and six training rounds. Under the proposed contract, officials from Rafael will be stationed at the Sea Harrier base in Goa to train Navy personnel on the operation & maintenance of the missiles and will also supply trolleys and racks to load & handle the missiles. Delivery of the missiles were expected to begin 30 months after the signing of the contract and were to be completed within one year thereafter. To date, there have been no confirmed reports from the Indian Navy indicating that deliveries have taken place. As of late 2008, four aircraft have completed the upgrade and the remaining are expected to be done in 2009.

The Indian Navy launched Project Ashok in Kochi, in 1994, which serves a maintenance facility for the Sea Harriers. Earlier Sea Harriers had previously been taken to the U.K. for overhaul after they were acquired in the mid-1980s. Established for Rs.3 billion ($7.14 million), the facility is expected to keep the Sea Harriers operational till they retire. A large proportion of Project Ashok's facilities are generic and capable of servicing other aircraft, such as the MiG-29K. There are nine facilities set up under the project and the major ones at Kochi include landing gear & hydraulics, environmental control systems, structural repairs, power generator, avionics, Pegasus engine test bed and Pegasus engine repair and overhaul. Named after late Captain Ashok Sawhney, a pioneering air engineer, Project Ashok is a fitting tribute to this visionary who built up the Naval Aircraft Yard at Kochi.

An Indian Naval pilot, from the No.300 Squadron, poses for the camera. Note the squadron badge on his right shoulder. Image © Indian NavyIN 606 being wheeled off the deck of INS Vikrant after a brief sortie. The Vikrant has since been decommissioned from Indian Naval service. Image © Pushpinder Singh Chopra via Anandeep PannuSea Harrier Mk.51s, releasing flares, at an air power demonstration - IFR 2001. Image © Tetsuya KakitaniA pair of Mk.51s [IN 606 and IN 603] aboard INS Viraat, being serviced by ship's personnel. Image © Indian Navy

A Sea Harrier Frs Mk.51 [IN 611] is guided for take off aboard INS Viraat. IN 611 crashed on 30 September 1997. Image © Indian Navy via Kapil ChandniA set of images of a Sea Harrier Frs Mk.51 taking off from INS Viraat's ski jump. A Sea King Mk.42 is docked at right. Image © Indian Navy via Kapil ChandniA set of images of a Sea Harrier Frs Mk.51 taking off from INS Viraat's ski jump. A Sea King Mk.42 is docked at right. Image © Indian Navy via Kapil ChandniA four-ship Mk.51 [IN 603, IN 604, IN 606 and IN 602] formation in flight. Image © Indian Navy

An immaculate trio of Mk.51s, in close formation, each carrying the rarely seen 1500-litre finned ferry tanks. Image © BAe Systems via Jon LakeThe White Tigers of No.300 Squadron are always on the prowl and keep vigil against enemy fighter aircraft when on combat air patrol. Image © Vayu Aerospace ReviewIN 605 and IN 6?? with their original 454-litre drop tanks. Image © BAe SystemsA pair of Mk.51s [IN 610 and IN 604] and a T Mk.60 [IN 65?] at Dabolim, Goa. Image © Indian Navy

IN 610 parked on the tarmac at INS Hansa in Dabolim, Goa. Note the squadron insignia painted near the nose. Image © Pushpinder Singh Chopra via Anandeep PannuA Sea Harrier T Mk.60 trainer of the No.300 Squadron. Image © Vayu Aerospace ReviewA Sea Harrier T Mk.60 [IN 651] during conversion training. IN 651 was the first dual-seat Sea Harrier trainer acquired by the Indian Navy. Image © BAe SystemsThis inboard profile of the Frs Mk.51 shows the radar, some of the items added under the cockpit and two rear-fuselage bays occupied by electronics and air-conditioning. The pilot can see rearwards above the inlet on each side in the Sea Harrier. Image Courtesy - British Aerospace

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