End of an Era: Marine Corps Retires the AV-8B Harrier II
On June 3, 2026, the Marine Corps formally said farewell to one of the most distinctive aircraft ever to wear American military markings. Marines with Marine Attack Squadron 223 held an AV-8B Harrier II “sundown” ceremony at Marine Corps Air Station Cherry Point, North Carolina, bringing more than four decades of Marine Harrier operations to an end.
Known throughout the Corps as the “jump jet,” the Harrier could operate in places that were impossible for most fixed-wing combat aircraft. Its ability to perform short takeoffs and vertical landings allowed it to fly from amphibious assault ships, expeditionary airfields and temporary forward operating bases close to Marines on the ground.
For generations of Marines, the unmistakable roar of the Harrier’s Rolls-Royce Pegasus engine often meant that close-air support was nearby.
The Harrier’s story began in Britain during the Cold War.
Hawker Siddeley started developing a vertical-takeoff combat aircraft in the late 1950s. NATO planners feared that large military airfields would be among the first targets destroyed during a war with the Soviet Union. An aircraft that did not depend on a long, intact runway could be dispersed to smaller bases and concealed operating sites.
The design used a revolutionary approach called vectored thrust. Four rotating exhaust nozzles directed the Pegasus engine’s thrust downward for vertical flight and backward for conventional forward flight. By carefully controlling the nozzles, the pilot could transition between hovering and normal flight.
The Royal Air Force ordered the aircraft in 1965, and it received the name Harrier—after the bird of prey—in 1967.
The Marine Corps immediately recognized the value of the concept. An aircraft capable of operating from amphibious ships and rough forward airfields fit naturally with the Corps’ expeditionary mission.
The Marines began receiving the first-generation AV-8A Harrier in 1971. Marine Attack Squadron 513 became the first operational U.S. squadron equipped with the aircraft. The AV-8A gave the Corps a fixed-wing attack jet that could deploy with Marines without depending entirely on conventional airfields or full-size aircraft carriers.
Creating the AV-8B Harrier II
Although the AV-8A demonstrated the potential of vertical and short-takeoff aviation, the aircraft had limitations in range, payload and handling. During the 1970s, McDonnell Douglas and Hawker Siddeley began working together on a more capable version.
In May 1975, McDonnell Douglas proposed what would become the AV-8B Harrier II. The redesigned aircraft retained the basic Harrier concept but incorporated a larger wing, improved engine inlets, greater fuel capacity and extensive use of lightweight composite materials.
The YAV-8B prototype made its first flight on November 9, 1978.
One of the aircraft’s most important innovations was its large, one-piece carbon-fiber composite wing. The wing was lighter and more aerodynamic than the earlier design, allowing the Harrier II to carry more fuel and weapons. Composite manufacturing methods pioneered during the program later became common throughout the aerospace industry.
Power came from the Rolls-Royce Pegasus turbofan engine. Instead of relying on separate lift engines, the Pegasus directed thrust through four swiveling nozzles positioned along the sides of the fuselage. Reaction-control jets in the nose, tail and wingtips helped the pilot control the aircraft while hovering.
The AV-8B could land vertically, but doing so while carrying a full load of fuel and weapons was demanding. Whenever possible, pilots used short rolling takeoffs and landings, which provided additional lift and allowed the aircraft to carry heavier combat loads.
Built to Support Marines on the Ground
The Harrier II was designed primarily as a light-attack and close-air-support aircraft. It could carry bombs, rockets, missiles, a 25mm cannon system and precision-guided weapons.
Its unusual flight capabilities allowed Marine aviation units to position jets much closer to the battlefield. Harriers could operate from Navy amphibious assault ships—including vessels without catapults or arresting gear—and from hastily prepared expeditionary sites ashore.
That flexibility gave Marine commanders access to fixed-wing airpower without waiting for a traditional airfield to become available. It also allowed Harrier units to move with the Marine Air-Ground Task Force rather than remain tied to distant bases.
The aircraft was never easy to fly. Vertical operations required considerable skill, and the Harrier developed a reputation as an unforgiving machine. Pilots and maintenance Marines spent years improving training, procedures and aircraft systems, eventually making later Harrier operations significantly safer and more effective.
Marine Harriers served in combat across several decades.
During Operation Desert Storm in 1991, AV-8Bs flew from both amphibious ships and land bases in support of coalition forces. They attacked Iraqi positions, artillery, armor and other battlefield targets while providing close-air support to Marines advancing into Kuwait.
Harriers later participated in operations over the Balkans before playing major roles in Afghanistan and Iraq. Following the September 11 attacks, Marine AV-8Bs supported operations in Afghanistan, striking Taliban and al-Qaeda targets while operating from ships and forward locations.
During Operation Iraqi Freedom, Harriers flew close-air-support and strike missions for coalition troops. Their ability to respond quickly from amphibious ships and expeditionary bases made them especially valuable during rapidly changing ground operations.
Marine Harriers also participated in operations against Islamic State forces and other missions in the Middle East. Over their service life, the aircraft performed close-air support, armed reconnaissance, air defense suppression, combat air patrol and escort missions.
The Harrier II Plus
During the 1990s, the United States, Italy and Spain cooperated on another major improvement: the AV-8B Harrier II Plus.
First flown on September 22, 1992, the Harrier II Plus added the AN/APG-65 radar, the same basic radar system used by early versions of the F/A-18 Hornet. The radar gave the aircraft a much stronger ability to locate and engage targets in poor weather and at night.
The upgraded Harrier could employ a wider range of precision-guided weapons and air-to-air missiles. Together with improved cockpit displays, night-vision capability and more powerful versions of the Pegasus engine, the changes transformed the Harrier into a more capable all-weather combat aircraft.
The Marine Corps also operated the two-seat TAV-8B, which was primarily used to train new Harrier pilots.
Production ended in 2003 when the final new AV-8B was delivered to Spain. Altogether, 340 Harrier II-series aircraft were produced, including operational AV-8Bs, two-seat trainers and experimental prototypes.
From the Harrier to the F-35B
The F-35B Lightning II was developed to take over the Harrier’s expeditionary role while providing capabilities the older aircraft could not match.
Like the Harrier, the F-35B can conduct short takeoffs and vertical landings. However, it combines that flexibility with stealth, advanced sensors, electronic warfare systems and the ability to share battlefield information with other aircraft, ships and ground forces.
The F-35B uses a shaft-driven lift fan behind the cockpit, a swiveling rear exhaust nozzle and wing-mounted control ducts during vertical flight. The system provides more controlled vertical performance than the Harrier’s four-nozzle arrangement.
The transition unfolded over many years. Marine squadrons gradually retired their Harriers and reactivated as F-35 units. VMA-231 conducted its final Harrier flight in May 2025 before transitioning to become Marine Fighter Attack Squadron 231. VMA-223 remained the Corps’ final operational Harrier squadron until the June 2026 sundown at Cherry Point.
Although the F-35B represents a massive technological leap, it inherited its basic expeditionary mission from the Harrier: delivering fixed-wing combat power from ships and austere bases close to Marines on the ground.
A Marine Aviation Icon
The Harrier was far more than an unusual aircraft capable of hovering. It changed how the Marine Corps could employ tactical aviation.
It proved that a fixed-wing attack aircraft did not need a conventional runway or a full-size aircraft carrier to influence a battle. It brought jet-powered close-air support aboard amphibious ships and helped establish the operational foundation eventually inherited by the F-35B.
The aircraft’s final Marine Corps ceremony was also a tribute to the thousands of pilots, maintainers, ordnance technicians, crew chiefs and support Marines who kept the demanding jump jet flying for more than 50 years, beginning with the AV-8A and continuing through the final AV-8B Harrier II.
When the last Harrier left Cherry Point, it closed one of the most remarkable chapters in Marine aviation history. Its sound may have disappeared from Marine flight lines, but its influence remains embedded in the way the Corps takes tactical aviation to sea—and brings it ashore wherever Marines are fighting.