Marine Harriers are in the Caribbean just ahead of retirement
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Reports of the demise of the Marine Corps’ legendary AV-8B Harrier II are greatly exaggerated, as evidenced by a U.S. Southern Command video released this week showing Harriers from the amphibious assault ship USS Iwo Jima conducting a live-fire ordnance exercise in the Caribbean.
The Iwo Jima and several other Navy ships are part of a massive U.S. military buildup in the region that could presage operations against targets inside Venezuela. That build-up includes the USS Gerald R. Ford, which carries a more modern air wing. But the clips make clear the Harriers are also on call.
The Harriers’ presence in the build up may have surprised some after numerous Harrier retirements and decommissions throughout 2025. The planes gave the beaches of North Carolina a final buzz in May when the last Harrier squadron was shut down at Marine Corps Air Station Cherry Point for the last time. In September, the service shuttered the flight testing program for the Harrier at Naval Air Weapons Station China Lake. And just this week, one of the final Cherry Point Harriers arrived in Denver, Colorado to be put in a museum.
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In short, the age of the Harrier is drawing to an end. But as the videos released this week confirm, even if the AV-8Bs are closer to retirement than Danny Glover in the “Lethal Weapon” movies, they are definitely not too old for this shit.
Older than most its pilots
Harriers first saw combat with British forces in the 1982 invasion of the Falkland Islands, during which the Argentinian pilots nicknamed the plane “La Muerta Negra” or the Black Death. The Marine Corps began flying the U.S version, the AV-8B, in January 1985.
Marine Harriers saw combat in the Persian Gulf War of 1991, the wars in Iraq and Afghanistan, and the U.S.-led campaign against the Islamic State group, or ISIS, according to a Marine Corps spokesperson.
The aircraft are designed for short takeoffs and vertical landings, making them perfect for amphibious assault ships. Even as the Marine Corps transitioned to the more advanced F-35 Joint Lighting II — including the F-35B, another Short Take-Off and Vertical Landing aircraft — the Harrier remains an important part of the Marine Air-Ground Task Force.
<figure class="wp-block-image size-large">
<figcaption class="wp-element-caption">A Marine Corps AV-8B Harrier conducts a live-fire ordnance exercise from the amphibious assault ship USS Iwo Jima while underway in the Caribbean Sea on Oct. 2, 2025. Marine Corps photo by Cpl. Emily Hazelbaker.</figcaption></figure>“They’re simple airplanes; they’re very good at what they do; they’re easy to operate off an amphibious warship,” said a former defense official who has extensive experience operating Harriers. “The logistics support for them is simpler than an F-35. They can’t do as much as an F-35, but what they can do they typically do pretty well.”
Harriers are best at conducting strike missions, and they can take off from amphibious ships that are very close to their targets, the retired official said.
The AV-8B remains a relevant aircraft, but preferably it should be used in a low-threat environment, such as the Caribbean, the official added.
“Venezeula does have air defense systems, but they’re not Russian air defense systems or Iranian air defenses,” the official said. “They’re not as capable, so this is an ideal environment, actually, for a platform like the Harrier to operate. This is one of the places in the world where you can use it effectively, I would think.”
Another reason why the Marines have sent Harriers to the Caribbean is simple: They are available, said Richard Aboulafia, managing director of AeroDynamic Advisory, a consulting firm for the aerospace industry.
“If they don’t have enough F-35Bs to do the job, then, well, it’s up to the last of the Harriers,” Aboulafia told Task & Purpose.
He added that both Harriers and F-35Bs are “miracles of modern aviation” because their ability to take off from short runways and make vertical landings make them highly deployable.
Ultimately, the Harrier’s mission in the Caribbean is expected to mark the capstone to its long career. The Marine Corps’ last Harrier squadron is expected to stand down this fiscal year, which ends on Sept. 30, 2026, said Capt. Jacob Sugg, a Marine Corps spokesman.
“The continued operational effectiveness of the AV-8B, including its final deployment with the 22nd Marine Expeditionary Unit, exemplifies the AV-8B’s ability to offer combatant commanders a flexible option for deterrence and combat operations,” Sugg told Task & Purpose.
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