On Friday Sept 14th Taliban gunmen attacked Kandahar airfield, Afghanistan. Some 15 - 20 insurgents wearing U.S. Army uniforms breached the perimeter fence and launched an assault firing machine guns and rocket propelled grenades against aircraft parked next to the runway.
Two U.S. Marines were killed and eight of ten AV-8B+ Harriers of Marine Attack Squadron VMA 211were destroyed and 2 badly damaged.
Harrier IIs remaining in the UK (according to www.demobbed.org.uk)
are: GR9 ZG477 displayed at the RAF Museum Cosford; GR9A ZD433 stored
at the FAA Museum Yeovilton; ZD461 displayed at the Imperial War Museum
Duxford; GR7 ZD462 displayed at the Dyson factory in Malmesbury; DB1
ZD318 preserved and GR7A ZD469 gate guard at Wittering; GR5 ZD353, GR7
ZG509, GR9 ZG478 and T10 ZH658 privately owned at Everett Aero,
Sproughton nr Ipswich; GR5 ZD412 privately owned at Charlwood yard,
Gatwick; GR7A ZD408 (wreckage), GR9 ZG512 (wreckage) and T10 ZH654
stored at Cottesmore, GR9 ZD465 at Gosport,T10 ZH655 privately owned
stored at Bentwaters.
All other ‘serviceable’ RAF Harrier IIs are at Davis-Montham AFB or
Cherry Point MCAS, USA. For details visit www.demobbed.org.uk.