The U.S. Marine Corps demonstrated AV-8B Harrier II for the final time on May 11 and 12, 2024, before switching to F-35B jets.
The U.S. Marine Corps Air Station Cherry Point in North Carolina recently hosted a significant event. Marine Attack Squadron (VMA) 231 Ace of Spades, the final squadron to operate the AV-8 B Harrier II aircraft, invited the public to visit and witness their farewell demonstration.
VMA-231 was the final operational unit to utilise the AV-8B II-plus, the latest iteration of the Harrier family. The AV-8B II-plus was initially manufactured by BAE in the United Kingdom and was first introduced in 1969.
The AV-8B variant was manufactured by McDonnell Douglas, making its inaugural flight in 1981 and being deployed into active duty four years thereafter.
According to the Marine Corps Aviation Plan, VMA-231 will begin a new phase next year by moving to the F-35B Lightning II. The squadron's objective is to attain a state of safe flight readiness with its six Short Take-off and Vertical Landing (STOVL) planes by the third quarter of Fiscal Year 2026, which will represent a noteworthy milestone in the transition process.
The objective is for VMA-231 to possess a combined fleet of 16 F-35B stealth aircraft within 24 months of achieving initial operational capability.
U.S. Marine Corps Retires AV-8B
