Warplanes: Harrier Jump Jet Fades Away
Ezoic
July 2, 2026: Last month, the American Marine Corps retired its 55-year-old AV-8B Harrier II Jump Jets, whose four rotating jet engine nozzles allowed it to hover and take off or land vertically. That allowed the jets to operate from places without runways or from the decks of Navy ships, staying closer to combat operations compared to fighter jets that required air bases or airports with full runways.
On the ground, the Marines who maintained the Harriers noted that the aircraft was troublesome and difficult to maintain. The Harrier has an extremely bad safety record in part because of persistent engine problems.
The 11.4 ton Harrier entered service in 1985. It was 14.3 meters long with a nine-meter wingspan. Max speed was 1,176 kilometers an hour. Combat range varied according to mission, and the most common one was 670 kilometers. Max ferry range was 5,600 kilometers. Normal endurance was 90 minutes, but that could be expanded to seven hours with aerial refueling. Weapons included two 30mm autocannon pods under the fuselage and 2.23 tons of bombs and missiles carried under the wings. Italy and Spain also acquired Harriers, building some of them locally under license.
https://www.strategypage.com/htmw/htairfo/articles/2026070253713.aspx#gsc.tab=0
