The P1226 was the final throw of the dice by the BAe kingston design office.  The P1226, as some of the previous projects, aimed to get more maneuverability out of the sluggish Harrier with a very unconventional wing planform.  Forward swept main wings, and canards in addition to the rear horizontal stabiliser gave a significant improvement in pitch control.  Modern materials would have been used to with stand the g-forces, and the plane was finished off modified air intakes to reduce radar cross section.  These modifications gave a very different look to the GR9 fuselage, and was a suitable bowing out design for the closure of the Kingston design office, and the abandonment of the Harrier architecture.