A time-scale comparison challenges nostalgia for the Sea Harrier: in 1982, the Second World War was closer than the Falklands War is today. Britain moved toward GR-series Harriers because American investment made that a cheaper short-term path, then removed the Harrier fleet in a shortsighted 2010 decision. The F-35 belongs to a different technological generation. Its stealth, networking, payload, range, and speed make a direct substitution misleading.
Notable Point · 1:13:02-1:15:08
The generational gap between the F-35 and Sea Harrier
The comparison stresses the historical distance from the Falklands War and the F-35's advantages in stealth, networking, payload, range, and speed.