The U.S. military is gearing up for the forthcoming retirement of another iconic aircraft type, with the last pilots now having graduated onto the AV-8B Harrier II attack jet. As we have explained in the past, the U.S. Marine Corps is pressing ahead with plans to remove the short takeoff and vertical landing (STOVL) aircraft from its inventory before the end of 2026, with this latest development a highly symbolic one within this process.
In a media release yesterday, the 2nd Marine Aircraft Wing (MAW) announced the graduation of the final two pilots to convert to the AV-8B. Last Friday, Capt. Joshua Corbett and Capt. Sven Jorgensen received the 7509 Military Occupational Specialty (MOS). The four-digit MOS code denotes the primary occupational field and specialty of all Marines: In this case, it is reserved for pilots qualified to fly the Harrier.
The two pilots converted onto the AV-8B with the Fleet Replacement Detachment (FRD), a training unit within Marine Aircraft Group (MAG) 14, part of the 2nd MAW, at Marine Corps Air Station Cherry Point, North Carolina.
According to the 2022 Marine Aviation Plan, the most recent such document to be publicly released, the service had a requirement for 16 new AV-8B pilots in each of FY 20 and FY 21, 10 each in FY 22 and FY 23, and four for FY 24, after which there is no listed requirement.
The capstone training flight for Capt. Corbett and Jorgensen was a low-level close air support training sortie, reflecting the role in which the AV-8B has specialized for the Marine Corps since it was first introduced by the service four decades ago. The first example arrived at Cherry Point in January 1984. The Marines began flying the less capable, first-generation AV-8A Harrier in 1971.
Since the AV-8B’s introduction, they have seen combat service in Operation Desert Storm, Operation Allied Force over the former Yugoslavia, Operation Enduring Freedom over Afghanistan, and Operation Iraqi Freedom over Afghanistan, as well as more recent operations. The type remained in the action today, helping patrol the Red Sea in the face of Houthi drones and missiles, operating from the U.S. Navy ‘big-deck’ amphibious assault ships.
Before long, however, the Marine Corps will call time on the AV-8B’s impressive career.
“The significance of the last replacement pilot training flight in the Harrier community is that it is the beginning of the end for us as a community,” Corbett explained. “The Harrier, more than many aircraft that I have come across, elicits an emotional response. For members of the public, members of the aviation community, members of the Marine community, and especially members of the Harrier pilot community, it’s bittersweet. All good things have to come to an end, and it’s our turn soon, but not yet.”
As of the 2022 Marine Aviation Plan, the service had 62 Harrier IIs as Primary Mission Assigned Aircraft, or PMAA. Of the 62 PMAA aircraft, 56 were single-seat AV-8Bs — with an average age at that time of 23 years — and six were two-seat TAV-8B trainers. The single-seaters were all ‘radar birds’ equipped with the AN/APG-65 radar that was ported over second-hand from F/A-18A/B Hornets and which confers a significant air-to-air capability.
Back in 2022, the Marine Corps still had four active operational AV-8B squadrons but has since lost Marine Attack Squadron VMA-542 at Cherry Point and VMA-214 at Marine Corps Air Station Yuma, Arizona. In the process, the AV-8B inventory will have been reduced accordingly and we have reached out to the Marine Corps for a current total.
Once VMA-231 also gives up its Harriers, the last operational Marine Corps AV-8B unit will be VMA-223, the “Bulldogs,” also based at Cherry Point. It plans to continue flying the Harrier until September 2026, including deployed operations as part of Marine Expeditionary Units.
Lt. Col. Nathaniel Smith, the commanding officer of VMA-223, stated:
“I am incredibly proud of the legacy of the AV-8B, both within Marine Aviation and here in eastern North Carolina. Our platform is part of the fabric of eastern North Carolina, as countless Marines, sailors, and civilians have contributed to our success for decades. It is exciting to see our last two students graduate from the FRD and hit the fleet. Our team of pilots, maintainers, and supporting staff have done outstanding work in supporting both the FRD and VMA missions here at VMA-223, and I look forward to us continuing to support 2nd MAW and the MAGTF at home and overseas.”
The Harrier’s replacement with the Marine Corps is the stealthy F-35B, which is rapidly taking its place, including on deployed operations as part of Marine Expeditionary Units. You can read more about the changes the F-35B is bringing to Marines Corps tactical aviation here and here.
Alongside the Marine Corps, the AV-8B is today still flown by Italy and Spain. Italy is also introducing the F-35B to replace its older ‘jump jets,’ while Spain will have to follow suit, if it’s to continue operating jets from its aircraft carrier in the long term.
The prospects for any operator coming forward to take on some of the retired U.S. Harrier IIs seems questionable, although the aircraft have been progressively upgraded and will continue to receive enhancements up until they are finally pulled from service.
It’s a long shot, but Ukraine’s desperate search for new combat aircraft equipment could see that country linked with a potential transfer. Although the AV-8B’s unique handling attributes and training requirements may not make it an ideal candidate. On the other hand, as The War Zone has explored in the past, the AV-8B would be eminently well suited to Taiwan’s needs, and, in some ways, the same case could be made for Ukraine. Runway independence and the ability to employ AIM-120 AMRAAMs are key advantages. With an off-the-shelf radar upgrade, they could even be more potent in this regard and could sortie out of areas no traditional fixed-wing fighter could, opening up big tactical possibilities. Turkey has also shown interest in surplus U.S. Harriers in the past, but may have changed with the country’s heavy investment in uncrewed technologies.
The Marine Corps AV-8B will be bowing out of service almost concurrent with another attack jet that was developed back in the Cold War period before establishing a fearsome reputation over the years. Like the U.S. Air Force A-10C Thunderbolt II, the AV-8B will complete a final turn on the air display circuit this year. Its final appearance is scheduled for May 11 and 12 at the Cherry Point Air Show.
Thereafter, the Marine Corps will be sure to continue to get the best use they can out of their aging AV-8Bs, wherever they might be deployed.
But with the last two U.S. pilots having converted to the Harrier II, the countdown to the retirement of this unique combat aircraft from Marine Corps service is now very much on.
Update: The FY25 budget documents provide additional information on the more recent status of the Marine Corps Harrier II fleet, providing fleet figures for June 2023. As of that point, the active inventory comprised 47 radar-equipped AV-8Bs (of which 10 were new-production aircraft and 37 remanufactured), plus six two-seat TAV-8Bs. Another 20 AV-8Bs were listed as being stored in the boneyard as of March 2024, according to the 309th Aerospace Maintenance and Regeneration Group (AMARG), though their condition was not specified.
Contact the author: thomas@thewarzone.com