Hawker-Siddeley Harrier GR.3

This Harrier was first stationed in West Germany during the Cold War to deter invasion by the Soviet Union. In 1982 it was serving with No. 4 Squadron in Gütersloh but was sent to the Falkland Islands to reinforce the British task force.

The GR.3’s ability to take-off and land vertically meant they could operate from short, rough strips of ground rather than airfields. GR.3 aircrews trained to land and hide the aircraft in unusual places, from where they could locate, attack and destroy approaching enemy forces. This tactic was employed in the Falklands Conflict, when GR.3s performed attack sorties from aircraft carriers and basic landing strips on the Islands, often in conditions that would have grounded conventional aircraft.