U.S. Marine Corps Retires AV-8B Harrier II Jump Jet as F-35B Assumes Full Combat Mission.

After spending tens of billions of dollars on development, procurement, and fielding, the U.S. Marine Corps has finally reached the moment that will determine whether one of the Pentagon's most controversial aviation investments was worth the cost. With the retirement of the last AV-8B Harrier II in June 2026 and the Lockheed Martin F-35B Lightning II now fully assuming its role, the long-running debate over the future of U.S. Marine Corps expeditionary aviation can finally be judged on operational results rather than promises.

The retirement of the AV-8B Harrier II marks the end of more than four decades of combat service for the iconic jump jet that became synonymous with U.S. Marine Corps expeditionary warfare. The final AV-8B flight during the Harrier Sundown Ceremony at Marine Corps Air Station Cherry Point closes a chapter that began during the Cold War and opens a new one dominated by fifth-generation stealth fighters, network-centric warfare, and preparations for potential high-intensity conflict in the Indo-Pacific.

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An AV-8B Harrier II of U.S. Marine Corps VMA-223 taxis at MCAS Cherry Point during the June 2026 Harrier Sundown Ceremony. The event marked the retirement of the last operational Harrier squadron and the completion of the U.S. Marine Corps' transition to the F-35 Lightning II. (Picture source: U.S. Department of War/Defense)

For years, critics questioned whether the F-35B's unprecedented acquisition costs, development delays, and technical challenges could ever be justified as a replacement for the Harrier. Supporters within the U.S. Marine Corps argued that preserving the aircraft's short takeoff and vertical landing capability while adding stealth, advanced sensors, electronic warfare systems, and networked combat capabilities would prove essential for future warfare, particularly against peer adversaries such as China. Now that the Harrier is officially retired and the F-35B is fully operational across the U.S. Marine Corps aviation, the replacement decision can be evaluated against the capability it actually delivered.

The decision to replace was never simply about acquiring a newer aircraft. The AV-8B Harrier II occupied a unique position within the U.S. military. Operated exclusively by the U.S. Marine Corps, the aircraft provided short takeoff and vertical landing capabilities that enabled fixed-wing combat operations from amphibious assault ships, damaged runways, and austere expeditionary airfields near frontline forces. Preserving this operational flexibility was considered essential to U.S. Marine Corps expeditionary warfare doctrine.

As the Harrier fleet aged, the U.S. Marine Corps examined several options. One possibility involved extending the service life of the AV-8B through additional upgrades and structural modifications. While potentially less expensive in the short term, such a solution would have left the U.S. Marine Corps dependent on Cold War-era aircraft and increasingly vulnerable to modern air defense systems. Another option was to replace the Harrier with conventional fighter aircraft, such as the Boeing F/A-18E/F Super Hornet. However, these aircraft lacked the ability to operate from amphibious assault ships and short expeditionary airstrips, effectively eliminating them from consideration.

Witness the incredible AV-8B Harrier, a true icon of military aviation, showcasing its unique vertical landing and takeoff capabilities. This combat aircraft, a marvel of engineering, is operated by the us marines. See the fighter jet in action, from cockpit preparations to dynamic flight sequences, culminating in its signature vertical landing.

The F-35B ultimately emerged as the only aircraft capable of preserving the Harrier's expeditionary operating concept while introducing capabilities required for future warfare. The U.S. Marine Corps became the strongest institutional supporter of the short takeoff and vertical landing variant because no alternative could simultaneously maintain amphibious aviation operations and provide the survivability needed against advanced military powers. While acquisition costs remained controversial, U.S. Marine Corps leaders consistently argued that abandoning the F-35B would force the service to sacrifice a unique operational advantage that no other branch of the U.S. military possessed.

Two decades later, with the Harrier now retired and the F-35B fully operational, the comparison can be assessed from an operational rather than theoretical perspective.

At first glance, both aircraft perform the same core mission set. The AV-8B and F-35B can conduct close air support, battlefield interdiction, armed reconnaissance, precision strike operations, and expeditionary deployments from amphibious assault ships and austere forward operating locations. Both aircraft were designed to meet the U.S. Marine Corps requirement for tactical airpower close to ground forces, without relying on conventional aircraft carriers or large fixed air bases.

However, the AV-8B was fundamentally an attack aircraft optimized for delivering ordnance in support of ground troops. Although the AV-8B Harrier II Plus received significant upgrades, including the AN/APG-65 multimode radar and compatibility with precision-guided munitions, its effectiveness remained largely dependent on pilot workload, external targeting information, and limited onboard sensors.

The F-35B performs every mission assigned to the Harrier while dramatically expanding the aircraft's operational role. Rather than functioning solely as a strike aircraft, it serves as a multirole stealth fighter capable of collecting, processing, and distributing battlefield information across air, land, and maritime domains. Its AN/APG-81 Active Electronically Scanned Array radar, Distributed Aperture System, Electro-Optical Targeting System, advanced electronic warfare suite, and secure data links create a fused operational picture unmatched by any aircraft previously operated by the U.S. Marine Corps.

This sensor-fusion capability is one of the most significant differences between the two aircraft. An AV-8B pilot was required to interpret information from multiple independent systems while relying heavily on support from airborne warning aircraft, ground controllers, and intelligence assets. The F-35B automatically integrates information from onboard and external sensors, reducing pilot workload while dramatically increasing situational awareness. The aircraft can then share this information in real time with other aircraft, warships, missile batteries, and ground forces, creating a networked combat architecture that extends far beyond the aircraft itself.

The survivability gap is even more pronounced. The AV-8B was designed during an era when air superiority could often be assumed. While it proved highly effective during operations in Iraq, Afghanistan, Kosovo, and numerous expeditionary deployments, it was not designed to penetrate sophisticated integrated air-defense networks. The aircraft relied on terrain masking, tactical maneuvering, and defensive countermeasures to survive in hostile airspace.

The F-35B was specifically designed for operations against advanced air-defense systems. Its low-observable characteristics reduce radar detection ranges, while its electronic warfare systems enable the identification and suppression of hostile sensors and missile networks. In practical terms, this allows the aircraft to survive and operate in contested environments where legacy aircraft would require extensive support from electronic attack assets, escorts, and suppression-of-enemy-air-defense missions.

The difference is particularly relevant in the event of a potential conflict with China. The People's Liberation Army has invested heavily in anti-access and area-denial capabilities, including advanced surface-to-air missile systems, long-range sensors, integrated command networks, and anti-ship weapons designed to challenge U.S. military operations throughout the Indo-Pacific. While the AV-8B was optimized for expeditionary warfare against less sophisticated opponents, the F-35B was specifically developed to operate in the highly contested environments expected during a future confrontation with a peer adversary.

The contrast is equally evident in air-to-air combat. Although the AV-8B could carry AIM-9 Sidewinder missiles for self-defense, it was never intended to serve as a dedicated fighter aircraft. The F-35B can employ AIM-120 AMRAAM beyond-visual-range missiles, engage enemy aircraft, and conduct offensive counter-air operations while simultaneously carrying out strike missions. This gives U.S. Marine Corps aviation a level of multirole flexibility unavailable to previous Harrier squadrons.

Weapon employment has also evolved significantly. The Harrier could carry a broad range of bombs, rockets, and missiles on external hardpoints, making it an effective close-support aircraft. The F-35B can carry comparable weapons externally when maximum payload is required, but can also transport precision-guided munitions internally while maintaining a low radar signature. This enables the aircraft to strike defended targets while preserving its stealth advantages.

Perhaps the most important difference is that the F-35B contributes to missions that were never part of the Harrier's design. Beyond delivering weapons, the aircraft can conduct intelligence, surveillance, and reconnaissance operations, support electronic warfare missions, identify enemy air-defense networks, and serve as a battlefield information hub linking naval, air, and ground forces. In many operational scenarios, its ability to collect and distribute information may be as valuable as its ability to launch weapons.

The strategic significance of this capability expansion is most evident in the U.S. Marine Corps' Force Design modernization initiative and Expeditionary Advanced Base Operations concept. These initiatives were developed in response to growing concerns about China's military modernization and the possibility of future conflict in the Indo-Pacific. U.S. Marine Corps units are increasingly expected to operate from dispersed island locations, temporary airfields, and amphibious assault ships while remaining connected to joint and allied forces across vast distances.

In such an environment, the F-35B offers capabilities the Harrier could never provide. Acting as both a stealth fighter and a sensor node, the aircraft can help detect hostile warships, identify missile launchers, provide targeting data for long-range precision weapons, and contribute to joint maritime operations. This transforms U.S. Marine Corps aviation from a force primarily focused on supporting ground troops into a key contributor to broader naval and joint campaigns.

The retirement of the AV-8B therefore represents more than the withdrawal of an iconic aircraft. It provides a real-world measure of whether one of the U.S. Marine Corps' most expensive and controversial procurement decisions achieved its intended objective. While debates over cost and program management are likely to continue, operational experience increasingly supports the original rationale behind the replacement effort.

The U.S. Marine Corps has not simply replaced the Harrier. It has preserved the expeditionary aviation model that made the AV-8B unique while adding stealth, advanced sensing, electronic warfare, intelligence-gathering, and network-centric warfare capabilities designed for future conflicts against peer adversaries. In the F-35B versus Harrier debate, the AV-8 B's retirement allows the answer to be judged by capability rather than promises. The result is an aircraft that performs every mission of its predecessor while providing the survivability, connectivity, and combat effectiveness required for warfare in the Indo-Pacific and beyond.

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Written by Alain Servaes – Chief Editor, Army Recognition Group
Alain Servaes is a former infantry non-commissioned officer and the founder of Army Recognition. With over 20 years in defense journalism, he provides expert analysis on military equipment, NATO operations, and the global defense industry.