The United States Marine Corps (USMC) held the official farewell ceremony this week for the AV-8B Harrier II, bringing to an end more than four decades of operations with one of the most iconic aircraft in modern military aviation.
According to The Aviationist, the event took place on Wednesday, June 3, at Cherry Point Air Station in North Carolina, home of Attack Squadron VMA-223, the last operational unit equipped with the aircraft.
The farewell ceremony included a flyover by five aircraft, followed by a traditional water-cannon salute upon landing. Although operations have officially ended, a few examples are expected to continue flying over the coming months before being transferred to museums or military storage facilities.
Known as the “Jump Jet,” the Harrier became famous for its vertical and/or short takeoff and landing (V/STOL) capability, allowing it to operate from amphibious assault ships, improvised runways, and forward operating bases. This flexibility made the aircraft a key element of Marine expeditionary operations since its introduction.
The AV-8B Harrier II entered service in 1985 as an evolution of the AV-8A, featuring improvements in range, payload, avionics, and combat capability. More advanced variants later received the AN/APG-65 radar, expanding their strike and air-defense capabilities.
Throughout its career, the Harrier participated in conflicts such as Operations Desert Shield and Desert Storm, the wars in Iraq and Afghanistan, and numerous missions across the Middle East, the Balkans, and the Caribbean. The aircraft’s final operational deployment returned to the United States in May of this year.
With the retirement of the Harrier, the Marines complete their transition to the fifth-generation F-35B Lightning II, which will inherit the mission of operating from ships and forward bases while maintaining the short takeoff and vertical landing capabilities that made the Harrier a legend in military aviation.
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Photo: U.S. Marine Corps. This content was created with the assistance of AI and reviewed by the editorial team.
