Hawker Siddeley much larger firms. Out of this decision, came the "order" that all future contracts being offered had to include agreements to merge companies. In 1959, Folland Aircraft was acquired, followed by de Havilland Aircraft Company and Blackburn Aircraft in 1960. In 1963, the names of the constituent companies were dropped, with products being rebranded as ""Hawker Siddeley"" or ""HS"". In this period, the company developed the first operational, and, by far, the most successful VTOL jet aircraft, the Harrier family. This aircraft remained in production into the 1990s and remains in service. In 1948, Hawker Siddeley acquired a factory in
Joint Force Harrier combined the Royal Navy's two Sea Harrier FA2 squadrons with the RAF's four Harrier GR7/7A squadrons under a single command structure within RAF Strike Command. This force was to be deployable from both "Invincible" class aircraft carriers, Royal Air Force stations and deployed air bases. The Royal Navy's contribution to the force was the Sea Harrier previously part of Naval Air Command. . In 2006, No. 3 Squadron RAF converted to the Eurofighter Typhoon. In the same year, the Sea Harrier was retired and 800 Naval Air Squadron re-equipped with former 3 Squadron Harrier GR7 and GR9 aircraft. At the