Sea Harrier rocket trials turn misses into evidence

The rockets land no more than twenty yards over or short and remain in line with the splash point. The squadron treats every miss as a technical problem that can be reconstructed from head-up-display film rather than dismissed as pilot error. Ward pays particular attention to whether exhaust from a ripple launch makes the Sea Harrier pitch as it reaches the tailplane. The film confirms a small nod without showing a clear loss of accuracy. The 51-mil sighting calculation proves accurate, and Ward proposes a full-pod trial for the next day. Cockpit evidence, engineering behavior, and repeated firings turn the weapons exercise into a practical investigation.