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USMC To Hold ‘Sundown’ Ceremony For AV-8B Harrier II This Week

adminJune 1, 20263 Mins read1

USMC To Hold ‘Sundown’ Ceremony For AV-8B Harrier II This Week

The United States Marine Corps is marking the end of an era at Marine Corps Air Station Cherry Point, N.C., with the 2nd Marine Aircraft Wing and Marine Attack Squadron 223 (CVW-223) hosting the official AV-8B Harrier II “Sundown Ceremony” on the flightline on Wednesday.

“The ‘sundown’ of the AV-8B Harrier II, an iconic aircraft that has supported joint and Marine Corps operations for over 40 years, also represents the dawn of a new era; it paves the way for 2nd MAW’s full transition to the F-35B and C Lightning II,” the USMCUSMC announced in a post on X last week.

The USMC has been preparing for the AV-8B Harrier II’s upcoming retirement for several years.

In 2025, one of the oldest fighter squadrons concluded flight operations with its McDonnell Douglas AV-8B.

Marine Attack Squadron 231 (VMA-231), the “Ace of Spades,” which was established as the 1st Division, Squadron 1, in February 1919, had operated the AV-8B since September 1985 and became the first unit to operate the Harrier II in combat during 1991’s Operation Desert Storm. It went on to take part in Operations Allied Force, Odyssey Dawn, Inherent Resolve, and Prosperity Guardian.

During its combat service history, the Harrier II was typically armed with a wide range of weapon systems, including the air-to-air AMRAAM and Sparrow missiles, air-to-surface AGM-65 Maverick missiles, anti-ship Harpoon and Sea Eagle missiles, a 25mm cannon, and various bombs and rockets.

As of this year, VMA-223, the “Bulldogs,” remains the final operator of the AV-8B. Established during World War II as Marine Fighting Squadron 223 (VMF-223), it has flown the Harrier II since October 1987.

The U.S. Navy Rejected The Harrier II

What is notable about the AV-8B Harrier II is that the U.S. Navy officially declined to participate in the program, citing the aircraft’s limited range and payload capacity compared to conventional fighters. Instead, the U.S. Navy focused on the F/A-18 Hornet, but the U.S. Marine Corps still saw what the Harrier II offered.

The Harrier II was developed to take off and land vertically and use very short airstrips, features that meant the USMC wasn’t reliant on established airbases. As a “jump jet,” it could deploy from almost anywhere and seamlessly integrate air power with infantry.

During the 1991 Gulf War, AV-8Bs operated from bases just 35 nautical miles from the Kuwait border, enabling faster turnaround times for Close Air Support missions.

A U.S. Marine Corps AV-8B Harrier II with Marine Attack Squadron (VMA) 223, Marine Aircraft Group 14, 2nd Marine Aircraft Wing, takes off at Marine Corps Air Station Cherry Point, North Carolina, May 19, 2026

(U.S. Marine Corps photo by Lance Cpl. Bryan Giraldo)

Total production of the Harrier II for the United States Marine Corps reached 280 aircraft, with approximately 340 manufactured, including for foreign sales, before production finally ended in 2003.

However, even as the USMC officially retires the aircraft this year, the AV-8B will remain in service with NATO member Spain, at least for a few more years.

Last year, Madrid abruptly announced it would no longer proceed with its planned acquisition of the Lockheed Martin F-35B. As a result, the Spanish Navy announced that its fleet of Harrier jets won’t be retired until at least 2030, as seven of its 10 Harrier IIs are currently deployed aboard the flagship multi-purpose aircraft carrier-landing helicopter dock Juan Carlos I.

Transition From AV-8B To The F-35 Lightning II

The iconic “jump jet” has been in service with the USMC for more than four decades, but the service has steadily been transitioning to the fifth-generation F-35 Lightning II.

The USMC already operates two versions of the stealth aircraft.

These include the F-35B, the short takeoff and vertical landing variant of the Joint Strike Fighter, which will fill a role similar to that of the Harrier II, including operating from the United States Navy’s amphibious assault ships and remote airbases without traditional runways. The STOVL capability allows the aircraft to take off and land on short, damaged runways, dirt strips, and small island-hopping outposts.

In addition, the USMC will operate the carrier-based F-35C alongside the U.S. Navy, with embarked air wings aboard some of the Nimitz-class and Gerald R. Ford-class nuclear-powered supercarriers.

The AV-8B Harrier II isn’t the only aircraft being phased out of service with the USMC. The Corps is also in the process of retiring its legacy F/A-18 Hornet fleet, with all remaining operational squadrons slated for complete deactivation by 2030. MCAS Beaufort, South Carolina, will end F/A-18 Hornet operations by August 1, 2028; MCAS Miramar, California, will follow a year later on August 1, 2029; and Naval Air Station Joint Reserve Base Fort Worth, Texas, will cease Hornet ops by August 1, 2030. Several overseas-based units have already replaced F/A-18 Hornet units with F-35 squadrons.

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