OVERVIEW: The Sea Harrier FA.2 belongs to the second generation of the Harrier family, a subsonic, single-engine, V/STOL (Vertical and/or Short Take-Off and Landin), air superiority and fleet defense fighter used by the Royal Navy. Introduced in 1995, it is an upgraded Sea Harrier variant with a powerful radar and enhanced missile capabilities.

DETAILS: Entering service in 1995, the FA.2 was developed from the Sea Harrier FRS.1 under a major Mid-Life Update to improve combat effectiveness. It is powered by the Rolls‑Royce Pegasus Mk 106 turbofan (~21,500 lbf of thrust). The FA.2 airframe retains a single-seat configuration and V/STOL performance but includes naval corrosion-resistant materials and strengthened landing gear. Avionics feature the advanced Ferranti Blue Vixen pulse-Doppler radar—capable of look-down/shoot-down detection—which supports radar-guided weaponry. It can carry the AIM‑120 AMRAAM beyond-visual-range missile and AIM‑9M/L Sidewinder short-range missile, as well as Sea Eagle anti-ship missiles and ALARM anti-radiation missiles. Defensive systems include electronic countermeasures and RWR, enhancing survivability in contested airspaces.

The “FA” designation indicates Fighter/Attack multirole capability. The FA.2 retained Sea Harrier’s agility and V/STOL flexibility while adding long-range radar-guided interception capability and expanded missile load. Structural and systems modifications served frontline naval defense in carrier operations.

TYPE: V/STOL fleet air defense and multirole fighter

FUNCTION: The FA.2 was primarily employed as a fleet air defense fighter and ground-attack platform. It operated from Royal Navy carriers (e.g., HMS Invincible) during conflicts such as Bosnia and Kosovo, providing high-threat interception and maritime strike capability.

NOTE:
IOC: 1995 (FA.2)
IOC of related variants: Sea Harrier FRS.1 – 1979
Operators: United Kingdom (Royal Navy)
Manufacturer: British Aerospace (United Kingdom)
Conflict used in: Bosnia (1994–1995), Kosovo (1999)

SOURCE:
AirForce‑Technology – Sea Harrier FA2: https://www.airforce-technology.com/projects/sea-harrier-fa2/ ; Wikipedia – British Aerospace Sea Harrier: https://en.wikipedia.org/wiki/British_Aerospace_Sea_Harrier ; cmano‑db.com Sea Harrier FA.2: https://cmano-db.com/aircraft/257/