{"id":60233,"date":"2025-07-15T23:09:12","date_gmt":"2025-07-15T21:09:12","guid":{"rendered":"https:\/\/www.outono.net\/elentir\/?p=60233"},"modified":"2025-07-22T23:01:05","modified_gmt":"2025-07-22T21:01:05","slug":"spanish-harrier-iis-will-not-go-to-riat-2025-a-big-airshow-where-they-are-highly-applauded","status":"publish","type":"post","link":"https:\/\/www.outono.net\/elentir\/2025\/07\/15\/spanish-harrier-iis-will-not-go-to-riat-2025-a-big-airshow-where-they-are-highly-applauded\/","title":{"rendered":"Spanish Harrier IIs will not go to RIAT 2025, a big airshow where they are highly applauded"},"content":{"rendered":"<p>This week, from July 18-20, another edition of the Royal International Air Tattoo (RIAT) takes place at RAF Fairford, England.<!--more--><\/p>\n<p><rel><a href=\"https:\/\/www.outono.net\/elentir\/2024\/10\/23\/a-british-airshow-singles-out-spanish-harrier-ii-as-a-firm-crowd-favourite\/\">A British airshow singles out Spanish Harrier II as \u201ca firm crowd favourite\u201d<\/a><\/rel><br \/>\n<rel><a href=\"https:\/\/www.outono.net\/elentir\/2024\/07\/23\/a-spanish-harrier-ii-wins-a-rafcte-trophy-in-england-and-flies-with-a-small-giraffe\/\">A Spanish Harrier II wins a RAFCTE trophy in England and flies with a small giraffe<\/a><\/rel><\/p>\n<p>In recent years, <strong>RIAT attendees have shown particular admiration for the Spanish Navy's Harrier II fighters<\/strong>, which have been putting on some of the most acclaimed displays at the event, which is the largest air show in the world.<\/p>\n<div class=\"foto_piedefoto\"><a href=\"https:\/\/live.staticflickr.com\/65535\/53876927445_fb8590b5f3_b.jpg\" rel=\"noopener\" target=\"_blank\"><img decoding=\"async\" src=\"https:\/\/live.staticflickr.com\/65535\/53876927445_fb8590b5f3_c.jpg\" style=\"width:100%; height:auto; border:0px;\" \/><\/a><\/div>\n<div class=\"piedefoto\">Spanish Navy Harrier II on display at RIAT 2024 (Photo: <a href=\"https:\/\/x.com\/Armada_esp\/status\/1815729420327366739\" rel=\"noopener\" target=\"_blank\">Armada Espa\u00f1ola<\/a>).<\/div>\n<p><a href=\"https:\/\/www.outono.net\/elentir\/2024\/07\/23\/a-spanish-harrier-ii-wins-a-rafcte-trophy-in-england-and-flies-with-a-small-giraffe\/\">In 2024, a Spanish Harrier II won the RAFCTE award at that festival<\/a>, an award received by Lieutenant Commander Andr\u00e9s Medina Gonz\u00e1lez del T\u00e1nago, pilot of the VA.1B-38, for <em>\"<strong>an evocative display of a classic aircraft type<\/strong>, unique for its time and bringing noise, presence and nostalgia to its subline performance\"<\/em><\/p>\n<p><iframe loading=\"lazy\" title=\"Harrier | RIAT24\" width=\"665\" height=\"374\" src=\"https:\/\/www.youtube.com\/embed\/RDf-7SI30pQ?feature=oembed\" frameborder=\"0\" allow=\"accelerometer; autoplay; clipboard-write; encrypted-media; gyroscope; picture-in-picture; web-share\" referrerpolicy=\"strict-origin-when-cross-origin\" allowfullscreen><\/iframe><\/p>\n<p>That same year, <a href=\"https:\/\/www.outono.net\/elentir\/2024\/10\/23\/a-british-airshow-singles-out-spanish-harrier-ii-as-a-firm-crowd-favourite\/\">the RIAT highlighted the Spanish Harrier II as the \"firm crowd favourite\"<\/a>. This was noted on October 22, on its YouTube channel, when <strong>the festival organizers published this video of one of the displays of these Spanish Navy fighters<\/strong>, which has 13 Harrier II Plus aircraft: 12 EAV-8B+ single-seat aircraft and 1 TAV-8B two-seat aircraft.<\/p>\n<div class=\"foto_piedefoto\"><a href=\"https:\/\/live.staticflickr.com\/65535\/53868202682_62703682b7_o.jpg\" rel=\"noopener\" target=\"_blank\"><img decoding=\"async\" src=\"https:\/\/live.staticflickr.com\/65535\/53868202682_09be47336c_c.jpg\" style=\"width:100%; height:auto; border:0px;\" \/><\/a><\/div>\n<div class=\"piedefoto\">The Spanish Harrier II VA.1B-38, piloted by Lieutenant Commander Andr\u00e9s Medina Gonz\u00e1lez del T\u00e1nago, won the RAFCTE award at RIAT 2024 (Photo: <a href=\"https:\/\/x.com\/airtattoo\/status\/1814304628286054880\" rel=\"noopener\" target=\"_blank\">Royal International Air Tattoo<\/a>).<\/div>\n<p>However, <strong>the Spanish Harrier IIs will not be attending RIAT 2025<\/strong>. This is a huge blow to the many enthusiasts of this aircraft in the United Kingdom, whose Armed Forces retired their Harrier IIs from service years ago. It's worth remembering that <strong>this aircraft model is now only operational in the Spanish Navy, the Italian Navy, and the US Marines<\/strong>.<\/p>\n<div class=\"foto_piedefoto\"><a href=\"https:\/\/live.staticflickr.com\/65535\/53116187731_ce36cb8031_o.jpg\" rel=\"noopener\" target=\"_blank\"><img decoding=\"async\" src=\"https:\/\/live.staticflickr.com\/65535\/53116187731_6c9dea001e_b.jpg\" style=\"width:100%; height:auto; border:0px;\" \/><\/a><\/div>\n<div class=\"piedefoto\">The Spanish Harrier II VA.1B-6 with the specially decorated wing that it brought to RIAT 2023 (Image: <a href=\"https:\/\/www.youtube.com\/watch?v=Vo0FMYcDnQ8\" rel=\"noopener\" target=\"_blank\">Epicaviation47<\/a>).<\/div>\n<p>None of those three military forces will be bringing their Harrier IIs to this year's festival. <strong>The only ones planned were the Spanish Harrier IIs<\/strong>, but this Tuesday, in an update published on its official website, <a href=\"https:\/\/www.airtattoo.com\/the-airshow\/aircraft-and-pilots\/aircraft-updates\/\" rel=\"noopener\" target=\"_blank\">today the RIAT has communicated the following<\/a>: <em>\"<strong>The Spanish Harriers have cancelled, due to airframe unavailability.<\/strong>\"<\/em><\/p>\n<div class=\"foto_piedefoto\"><a href=\"https:\/\/live.staticflickr.com\/65535\/53050261079_10f322f213_b.jpg\" rel=\"noopener\" target=\"_blank\"><img decoding=\"async\" src=\"https:\/\/live.staticflickr.com\/65535\/53050261079_10f322f213_c.jpg\" style=\"width:100%; height:auto; border:0px;\" \/><\/a><\/div>\n<div class=\"piedefoto\">At RIAT 2023, the Spanish Harrier II VA.1B-6 flew alongside a British F-35B, the ZM154 (Photo: <a href=\"https:\/\/x.com\/BAESystemsAir\/status\/1680465094486925313\" rel=\"noopener\" target=\"_blank\">BAE Systems Air<\/a>).<\/div>\n<p>The same update then adds another Spanish cancellation: <em>\"<strong>The Spanish Air Force CASA 235 VIGMA has cancelled, due to airframe unavailability.<\/strong>\"<\/em> The Spanish Air Force currently has eight CN-235 VIGMAs, a maritime surveillance and search and rescue variant of this Spanish-made tactical transport aircraft. They are operated by Squadrons 801 (Son San Juan, Mallorca), 802 (Gando, Gran Canaria) and 803 (Cuatro Vientos, Madrid).<\/p>\n<div class=\"foto_piedefoto\"><a href=\"https:\/\/live.staticflickr.com\/65535\/50490000786_3b6f5f8e72_b.jpg\" rel=\"noopener\" target=\"_blank\"><img decoding=\"async\" src=\"https:\/\/live.staticflickr.com\/65535\/50490000786_3b6f5f8e72_c.jpg\" style=\"width:100%; height:auto; border:0px;\" \/><\/a><\/div>\n<div class=\"piedefoto\">A CASA CN-235 VIGMA of the Air Force, the D.4-06 (37-06) (Photo: Ej\u00e9rcito del Aire).<\/div>\n<p>However, <a href=\"https:\/\/www.airtattoo.com\/the-airshow\/aircraft-and-pilots\/confirmed-aircraft\/\" rel=\"noopener\" target=\"_blank\">the RIAT website indicates that there will be Spanish participation in this edition<\/a>, specifically two Eurofighter Typhoons from the 14th Wing (one of which will do a flight display), a CASA C-295M transport aircraft from the 35th Wing and a Sikorsky S-76C helicopter from the 49th Wing.<\/p>\n<div class=\"foto_piedefoto\"><a href=\"https:\/\/live.staticflickr.com\/65535\/53173193011_1ede3a77a9_o.jpg\" rel=\"noopener\" target=\"_blank\"><img decoding=\"async\" src=\"https:\/\/live.staticflickr.com\/65535\/53173193011_00e4ae95ca_c.jpg\" style=\"width:100%; height:auto; border:0px;\" \/><\/a><\/div>\n<div class=\"piedefoto\">A Spanish Eurofighter from the 142 Squadron of Wing 14, the C.16-73 (14-31), with a commemorative drift of the NATO Tiger Meet 2018 (Photo: <a href=\"https:\/\/www.flickr.com\/photos\/ejercitoaire\/45996044381\/\" rel=\"noopener\" target=\"_blank\">Ej\u00e9rcito del Aire<\/a>).<\/div>\n<p>Regarding the absence of the Spanish Harrier IIs at RIAT 2025, <a href=\"https:\/\/x.com\/SalvadorMaf\/status\/1945209423225344436\" rel=\"noopener\" target=\"_blank\">Salvador Maf\u00e9, a prestigious defense analyst, stated today<\/a> at 9:50 p.m. CET: <em>\"I have just been told by reliable sources that <strong>the Harriers are not going to RIAT due to lack of availability, but rather due to the very poor logistical support from the organization<\/strong>. The Ninth Squadron has six AV-8B+ operational plus the two-seater.\"<\/em> If this is confirmed, hopefully these deficiencies will be corrected and next year the Harrier IIs will be able to once again amaze the international public that gathers at RIAT.<\/p>\n<p>---<\/p>\n<p><small>Main photo: <a href=\"https:\/\/x.com\/Armada_esp\/status\/1815729420327366739\" rel=\"noopener\" target=\"_blank\">Armada Espa\u00f1ola<\/a>.<\/small><\/p>\n","protected":false},"excerpt":{"rendered":"<p>This week, from July 18-20, another edition of the Royal International Air Tattoo (RIAT) takes place at RAF Fairford, England.<\/p>\n","protected":false},"author":1,"featured_media":0,"comment_status":"open","ping_status":"closed","sticky":false,"template":"","format":"standard","meta":{"inline_featured_image":false,"footnotes":"","_links_to":"","_links_to_target":""},"categories":[19534,11545],"tags":[2245,18531,3936,9072,11875,10669,9071],"class_list":["post-60233","post","type-post","status-publish","format-standard","hentry","category-defense-portada-eng","category-navy","tag-9-escuadrilla","tag-aircraft-fleet-of-the-spanish-navy-floan","tag-casa-cn-235","tag-raf-fairford","tag-spanish-air-force","tag-spanish-navy","tag-the-royal-international-air-tattoo"],"_links":{"self":[{"href":"https:\/\/www.outono.net\/elentir\/wp-json\/wp\/v2\/posts\/60233"}],"collection":[{"href":"https:\/\/www.outono.net\/elentir\/wp-json\/wp\/v2\/posts"}],"about":[{"href":"https:\/\/www.outono.net\/elentir\/wp-json\/wp\/v2\/types\/post"}],"author":[{"embeddable":true,"href":"https:\/\/www.outono.net\/elentir\/wp-json\/wp\/v2\/users\/1"}],"replies":[{"embeddable":true,"href":"https:\/\/www.outono.net\/elentir\/wp-json\/wp\/v2\/comments?post=60233"}],"version-history":[{"count":0,"href":"https:\/\/www.outono.net\/elentir\/wp-json\/wp\/v2\/posts\/60233\/revisions"}],"wp:attachment":[{"href":"https:\/\/www.outono.net\/elentir\/wp-json\/wp\/v2\/media?parent=60233"}],"wp:term":[{"taxonomy":"category","embeddable":true,"href":"https:\/\/www.outono.net\/elentir\/wp-json\/wp\/v2\/categories?post=60233"},{"taxonomy":"post_tag","embeddable":true,"href":"https:\/\/www.outono.net\/elentir\/wp-json\/wp\/v2\/tags?post=60233"}],"curies":[{"name":"wp","href":"https:\/\/api.w.org\/{rel}","templated":true}]}}