United States AV-8B/+ Fleet Update

The US Marine Corps officially retired the AV-8B Harrier II on June 3, 2026, during a sundown ceremony at Marine Corps Air Station Cherry Point, North Carolina. Five aircraft of Marine Attack Squadron 223 "Bulldogs", the last operational Harrier squadron in the world, performed a final formation flight before shutting down their Pegasus engines in front of more than 5,000 attendees. Introduced in 1985, the AV-8B flew combat missions in every major US engagement from Operation Desert Storm to its final deployment aboard USS Iwo Jima. Remaining airframes will be ferried to museums and long-term storage as the F-35B Lightning II fully assumes the mission.