The U.S. Marine Corps this week bid farewell to one of its most distinctive and groundbreaking aircraft.
At a “Sundown Ceremony” on Wednesday at Marine Corps Air Station Cherry Point in North Carolina, the 2nd Marine Aircraft Wing officially retired the AV-8B Harrier II. Marine Attack Squadron 223 was the last unit still using the aircraft, which will reach the end of its service life in September.
Developed in the 1970s and early ’80s, the AV-8B fully operationalized the then-revolutionary vertical and/or short takeoff and landing (V/STOL) concept pioneered by the British Hawker Siddeley Harrier. It was designed to launch from improvised sites, very short runways, small clearings, roads, and ships.
U.S. military planners at the time believed that, in a major conflict, airfields would be targeted and destroyed first, making V/STOL jets a necessity.
Fitted with a Rolls-Royce Pegasus turbofan engine, the Harrier II uses swiveling nozzles to direct thrust. It can carry air-to-air, air-to-surface, and anti-ship missiles, as well as guided bombs.
The Marine Corps flew the AV-8B for over 40 years. It saw combat in the Gulf War, the Iraq War, the war in Afghanistan, and anti-ISIS operations in Iraq and Libya.
The aircraft fit well with the corps’ expeditionary style of fighting, as it could be positioned at simply-constructed forward operating bases and provide close air support for ground troops.
U.S. Army General Norman Schwarzkopf, commander of coalition forces in the Gulf War, famously named the AV-8B as one of seven weapons that helped decide the outcome of the conflict.
While the type was continuously upgraded into the 21st century, the Marine Corps ultimately decided to phase out the Harrier II due to climbing maintenance costs and increasing emphasis on stealth aircraft. The AV-8B was also known to be demanding on pilots, both for technical reasons and because the training program was unique and highly specified.
“As a platform that has continuously forward deployed across the globe, the Harrier will be remembered for its distinguished combat legacy, legendary vertical/short takeoff and landing capability, and the Marines and sailors that made the community special,” Lieutenant Colonel John Cumbie, commanding officer of Marine Attack Squadron 223, said at the sundown ceremony, according to a CNN report.
The aircraft will be replaced by the F-35B, a V/STOL variant developed for the Marines.
The AV-8B remains in service with the Spanish and Italian navies.