Questions regarding British Harriers and MoD plans?

Hi guys. I have been lurking the forum for a couple of years now. About time to post something. 😉

Harrier beeing one of my favorit aircrafts (FRS1 in particular) I would like some clarification on a number of matters about the British (BTW I’m not) MoD plans for the Harriers.

1. Now that the SHAR FA2 is all but done for, what will happen to them? Scrap metal? or will the British keep them like the Americans do in AMARC? Any deserts in England? 😀
2. Did the FA2 develop the same empenage cracks that the FRS1s had, inspite of the new build empanages? How much airframe and engine life is left in them?
3. Of the 50 odd number of FA2s how many are still airworthy? That is not scraped or sitting in a museeum. I know atleast a few are.
4. What is the status of older (GR3) British Harriers? What will happen to the T4N? How many T4s are left at all anyway?

OK so the GR7 is to be upgraged to GR7A, GR9 and GR9A.
5. Will all GR7 be uppgraded? What are the numbers?
6. What are the plans for the ones (if any) that are not uppgraded? Directly to the scrap yard or will they be put up for sale? How does the Brittish regard exporting Harriers to Italy or Thailand for example? Please dont make any coments like “Italy won’t buy them due to the imcompatability issues with the AV-8B+” because thats not what I’m asking. I want to know the political willingness of exporting surplus Harriers.

7. Have the MoD/RAF/RN totaly abandoned the Blue Vixen Harrier II, previously known as GR9 (?). Not to be confused with the current configuration GR9.
8. I mean here we have perfectly servicabel Blue Vixen radars from soon to be decomissioned SHARs. Apperantly the Blue Vixen GR9 configuration was droped on cost grounds. What costs is that realy? They already own the radars. OK so you have to build a new forward fuselage because composit materials are not like aluminum and cant be reinforced in the same way. But how many millions of Euro/Pund/Dollars is that?
9. Can’t the yanks provide the forward fuselage? Or is it another example of the ‘Not Invented Here Syndrome’?
10. Now avionics integration is another matter. That WILL take time and money which the Britts apperently are short on. How about uppgrade the GR9s with the AV-8B+ forward fuselage but not the Blue Vixen? And start avionics integration later on when funding and will is available. Mind you the nose section would/could not be the bulky FA2 nose but the more conical GR5/7/9. Or whatever. This is a less important detail since the reinforced fuselage would be there ready to carry the load of the radar when and if…

11. I realize that the MoD assume that the Join Harrier Force will be adequate for fleet defence untill the F-35 arrives. But how many among you belive that the notion of the Royal Navy relying on ASRAAM equiped GR9’s is good enough? Political situations can change fast. Relying on friendly nations for nearby basing and/or BVR capabel fleet defence fighters might not be a sound idea. No?

I iz konfused bout diz matters. :S
/Zippo