AV-8B Harrier II

AV-8B Harrier II
Name	AV-8B Harrier II
Caption	AV-8B Harrier II of the United States Marine Corps during Operation Iraqi Freedom
Type	Jet-powered attack aircraft with vertical/short takeoff and landing capability
Manufacturer	McDonnell Douglas / British Aerospace
First flight	1978
Introduced	1985
Status	In service (limited)
Primary user	United States Marine Corps
Other users	Royal Air Force, Spanish Navy
Produced	1978–2003
Number built	~716

AV-8B Harrier II The AV-8B Harrier II is a single-engine, subsonic, close air support and attack aircraft featuring vertical/short takeoff and landing (V/STOL) capabilities developed through a transatlantic collaboration between McDonnell Douglas and British Aerospace. Building on the legacy of the original Hawker Siddeley Harrier and earlier P.1127 work, the AV-8B entered service with the United States Marine Corps and allied forces, participating in major operations such as Operation Desert Storm, Operation Enduring Freedom, and Operation Iraqi Freedom. The type is noted for its vectored-thrust Pegasus turbofan, sturdy airframe modifications, and multi-role avionics suite drawn from developments in 1970s–1990s aerospace programs tied to Northrop Grumman and Rolls-Royce technologies.

Development

Development began as a response to requirements from the United States Marine Corps and Royal Air Force after limitations observed with the first-generation Harrier during deployments such as the Falklands War. Cooperative work between Hawker Siddeley successors and McDonnell Douglas produced an enlarged airframe integrating the Rolls-Royce Pegasus family, enhanced wing design, and structural reinforcement influenced by studies from Royal Experimental Aircraft Establishment and NASA V/STOL research. Funding, industrial arrangements, and export controls involved negotiations with the United Kingdom Ministry of Defence and the United States Department of Defense, while competition with programs like the F-16 Fighting Falcon and partnerships with Kawasaki Heavy Industries and Westland Helicopters shaped subcontracting. Prototype testing at Dunsfold Aerodrome and Edwards Air Force Base validated vectored-thrust controls, leading to incremental upgrades and avionics modernization driven by lessons from Operation El Dorado Canyon and Cold War contingency planning.

Design and features

The AV-8B employs the Rolls-Royce Pegasus turbofan with four swiveling exhaust nozzles enabling vertical and short takeoff/landing, a feature pioneered by the P.1127 and operationalized on earlier Harrier marks. Structural changes include an extended composite wing influenced by research at the Royal Aircraft Establishment, increased internal fuel capacity, and strengthened landing gear adapted for expeditionary basing aboard ships such as USS Wasp (LHD-1) and HMS Ark Royal (R07). The cockpit integrates a head-up display and multi-function displays derived from avionics programs linked to Texas Instruments and BAE Systems, permitting delivery of precision-guided munitions including the AGM-65 Maverick, GBU-12 Paveway II, and anti-ship ordnance like the Harpoon in coordination with targeting pods developed with Northrop Grumman and Raytheon. Defensive systems incorporate electronic countermeasures supplied by BAE Systems partners and ballistic protection informed by analyses from Naval Air Systems Command.

Operational history

The AV-8B entered service with the United States Marine Corps in the mid-1980s and quickly saw combat employment during Operation Desert Shield and Operation Desert Storm, providing close air support, reconnaissance, and interdiction from expeditionary bases and amphibious ships. Subsequent deployments included sustained operations over Afghanistan during Operation Enduring Freedom and Iraq during Operation Iraqi Freedom, often operating alongside assets such as the AH-1 Cobra, F/A-18 Hornet, and rotary-wing elements from Marine Medium Helicopter Squadron 261. International deployments by the Royal Air Force and Spanish Navy demonstrated interoperability with carriers like HMS Invincible (R05) and Juan Carlos I (L61), while maintenance, sustainment, and avionics upgrades responded to combat attrition, lessons from incidents like the Falklands War, and technological advances stemming from projects at DynCorp and Rolls-Royce Military Air Systems.

Variants

Major production and upgrade variants followed evolving mission requirements and avionics modernization programs. Incremental models incorporated radar, improved cockpit displays, and strengthened airframes influenced by collaborative design studies between McDonnell Douglas and British Aerospace. Special mission conversions adapted the airframe for reconnaissance pods and electronic warfare suites in programs coordinated with Lockheed Martin and General Dynamics, while navalized modifications enabled operations from amphibious assault ships and small carriers such as those operated by the Italian Navy and Spanish Navy.

Operators and deployment

Principal operator was the United States Marine Corps, with expeditionary squadrons deployed from Marine Corps Air Station Cherry Point and Marine Corps Air Station Yuma to forward bases and amphibious ships like USS Essex (LHD-2). Allied users included the Royal Air Force and the Spanish Navy Aeronáutica operating from air stations such as RAF Wittering and Naval Air Station Rota. Deployments aligned with coalition operations coordinated by organizations including NATO and the United Nations during sanctions and peacekeeping enforcement sorties in the 1990s and 2000s.

Accidents and incidents

Losses and accidents involved combat losses during Operation Desert Storm and peacetime mishaps during shipboard operations and training sorties, investigated by bodies such as the Naval Safety Center and Air Accidents Investigation Branch. Causes cited in official inquiries ranged from engine failure related to Pegasus maintenance issues first studied at Bristol Siddeley facilities to pilot spatial disorientation incidents analyzed in reports by Marine Corps Systems Command and Royal Air Force safety branches. High-profile collisions and deck-landing mishaps prompted procedural reviews by the Center for Naval Analyses and spurred upgrades to training at establishments like Naval Air Station Patuxent River and RAF Lossiemouth.

Category:United States military aircraft Category:British military aircraft