The UK Ministry of Defence (MoD) confirmed the sale of its fleet of BAE Systems Harrier GR.9 ground attack craft to the US Marine Corps (USMC) on 24 November. The early retirement of the UK Harrier force, coupled with this deal, has saved the UK government about GBP1 billion (USD1.55 billion), the MoD said. In a statement the MoD added that it had agreed the transfer of 72 Harrier aircraft, as well as spares and associated support equipment, to the USMC in a deal worth USD180 million. The USD1.5 billion figure quoted by the MoD is the value of the sale plus the savings it says it has made from the early retirement of the aircraft in 2010 - some eight years earlier than originally planned. It is understood that the GR.9 aircraft will help support the USMC's McDonnell Douglas AV-8B fleet as well as allowing the corps to retire some of its
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