Overview
- VMA-223 held a public “sundown” ceremony at Marine Corps Air Station Cherry Point on Wednesday that featured a five‑jet formation flight and vertical landing and drew more than 5,000 attendees.
- The ceremony marked the end of U.S. Marine Corps Harrier flight operations as VMA-223 prepares to transfer remaining jets to museums or storage and to deactivate in September 2026.
- The move completes a planned transition that will convert VMA-223 into VMFA-223 to fly the F‑35B in fiscal year 2028 and supports the Marine Corps goal of an all‑fifth‑generation tactical aircraft force.
- The AV‑8B’s short‑takeoff/vertical‑landing (STOVL) ability let Marines operate from short runways and amphibious ships to deliver close air support near ground forces, a capability the F‑35B will inherit with greater range and stealth.
- The Harrier served the Corps for more than four decades in conflicts from Desert Storm to Afghanistan and Iraq, and about 280 U.S. airframes will now be retired as other nations such as Spain keep some Harriers in service through at least 2030.