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Marine Corps Retires AV-8B Harrier II

Shifting U.S. Marine Corps short‑takeoff capability to the F-35B creates a parts shortage for the remaining Harrier operators.

Marine Corps AV-8B Harrier II aircraft are staged in front of a crowd at Marine Corps Air Station Cherry Point, June 3, 2026.
Marine Corps Lt. Col. John B. Cumbie, left, commanding officer of Marine Attack Squadron 223, and Cpl. Myles J. Howard, a fixed-wing aircraft mechanic, stand at attention in front of an AV-8B Harrier II at Marine Corps Air Station Cherry Point, June 3, 2026.
A sailor directs a U.S. Marine Corps AV-8B Harrier from Marine Attack Squadron (VMA) 211 during flight operations aboard the amphibious assault ship USS Peleliu [Courtesy: Tillamook Air Museum]
A U.S. Marine Corps AV-8B Harrier II with Marine Attack Squadron (VMA) 223 taxis down the flightline at Marine Corps Air Station Cherry Point, June 3, 2026.

Overview

  • The Marine Corps completed the Harrier’s final flight on June 3, 2026, with a public “sundown” ceremony at Marine Corps Air Station Cherry Point that marked the end of more than four decades of service.
  • Marine Attack Squadron 223 was the last U.S. unit to operate the AV-8B and will transition to the F-35B under the planned reactivation as VMFA-223 in coming years.
  • The Corps moved the retirement up from earlier plans and is consolidating short‑takeoff/vertical‑landing capability on the F-35B as it fields more than 200 F-35Bs by the end of 2026.
  • Spain has agreed to take five retired U.S. Harriers delivered in pieces to be used for spare parts so Madrid can keep its own fleet flying into the early 2030s, and remaining U.S. airframes are bound for museums or storage.
  • The Harrier’s V/STOL design let Marines operate from ship decks and austere sites close to frontline forces, a capability that shaped expeditionary aviation and now raises questions about how allies will preserve that flexibility without the Harrier.