Why compare the Yak-38 with Sea Harrier 2?

Sea Harrier 2's quoted maximum speed of 735 mph was 85 mph faster than the Yak-38. It also had a useful radar, an empty weight of 6,370 kg, and a maximum short-takeoff weight of 11,900 kg. Its 8,000-pound weapons load was a little under twice the Forger's. The British aircraft benefited from a longer development history and several generations of naval-aviation experience. Its design culture also tolerated failure more readily, while Soviet designers had strong incentives to promise cautiously and avoid public failure. NATO competition put a different pressure on designers to promise and deliver strong performance. These conditions help explain why a basic threshold of viability mattered so much for the Soviet aircraft.