The Royal Navy wanted larger carriers, but government policy assumed land-based F-111s would remove the need. When that aircraft also disappeared, the service still needed fleet air defense and began pursuing aviation from cruiser-sized ships. The Sea Harrier emerged by adapting a ground-attack Harrier with the only radar the navy could obtain and fit. Its limitations therefore reflected the improvised route to the first-generation aircraft, while the later Sea Harrier FA.2 represented a more deliberate attempt to supply the capability the fleet wanted.
Notable Point · 45:31-46:42
From cancelled big carriers to the Sea Harrier
Carrier cancellation and the failed F-111 plan pushed Britain toward cruiser aviation and an improvised fleet-air-defense Sea Harrier.