Raytheon expects an order for "hundreds" of AGM-65G-II Maverick EO-guided missiles to arm RAF Harrier GR.Mk 7s and give the Harriers a man-in-the-loop precision guided weapon capability for the first time. Under a post-Kosovo Urgent Operational Requirement (UOR) the UK MoD has funded the trials and integration of the missiles on the Harrier, and two successful live-fire tests were conducted at by the U.S. Navy at China Lake, California in early June. Two stages of flight trials were conducted by DERA, in the UK, during May and July. Once the integration process has been signed off, Raytheon expects an order before the end of September, with an IOC scheduled before the end of the year.

By Robert Hewson