The RAF Harriers were taken out of service in 2010 as part of a gigantic axe-swinging defense review with across-the-board cuts that sliced to the bone -- the N

The RAF Harriers were taken out of service in 2010 as part of a gigantic axe-swinging defense review with across-the-board cuts that sliced to the bone -- the Navy lost its carriers (the new ones won't be fully in service for a while yet), the RAF lost its entire anti-submarine warfare capability (the Nimrod MRa.4 upgrade program was shitcanned at the same time), the entire Tornado F.3 force (even though the Typhoon-II was only just marginally operational) and nearly the Tornado GR4 bombers (they have survived -- for now -- largely due to IS). The army just lost most of its main battle tanks -- they got off lightly! The RAF brass didn't "hate" on the Harriers -- they were just under pressure to take their part of huge defense cuts.