| AV-8B Harrier II | |
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| An AV-8B+ Harrier II Plus on the assault ship USS Nassau | |
| Role | V/STOL ground-attack aircraft |
| Manufacturer | McDonnell Douglas / British Aerospace Boeing / BAE Systems |
| First flight | 9 November 1978 (YAV-8B) |
| Introduction | 12 January 1985 (AV-8B) |
| Status | Active |
| Primary users | United States Marine Corps Spanish Navy Italian Navy |
| Produced | AV-8B/B+: 1981-2003[1] |
| Unit cost | US$30-35 million in 1997 (AV-8B+)[2] |
| Developed from | Hawker Siddeley Harrier BAE Sea Harrier |
| Variants | BAE Harrier II |
The McDonnell Douglas (now Boeing) AV-8B Harrier II is a family of second-generation vertical/short takeoff and landing or V/STOL ground-attack aircraft of the late 20th century. It is an Anglo-American development of the Hawker Siddeley Harrier and Sea Harrier. It is primarily used for light attack or multi-role tasks, typically operated from small aircraft carriers and large amphibious assault ships.
Although the AV-8B Harrier II shares the designation with the earlier AV-8A/C Harrier, the AV-8B was extensively redesigned from the previous-generation Harrier GR.1A/AV-8A/C by McDonnell Douglas. British Aerospace joined the improved Harrier project in the early 1980s, and it has been managed by Boeing/BAE Systems since the 1990s.
The AV-8B is used by the United States Marine Corps. The British Harrier GR7/GR9 versions are used by the Royal Air Force and Royal Navy. Versions are also used by NATO countries: Spain, and Italy. The Harrier models are commonly referred to as the "Harrier Jump Jet".
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Bristol tested an improved version of Pegasus engine, named Pegasus 15 during the early 1970s. The engine was more powerful and had a larger diameter. The larger diameter meant it could not readily fit in the Harrier. During this time a joint US/UK team completed a document defining an Advanced Harrier with the Pegasus 15 engine in December 1973. The Advanced Harrier was intended to replace original UK and US Harriers and US A-4s. It would also be operated by the Royal Navy from command ships. The Advanced Harrier was unofficially named "AV-16" with the purpose to double the AV-8's payload/range capability. The UK pulled out of the project in early 1975 due to decreased defense funding. The US was unwilling to fund development by itself and ended the project later that year.[3]
The Harrier II is notable as an example of US-UK cooperation and of Cold War defense achievements. Of note is the U.S aid funding early development of the Hawker P.1127 under the Mutual Weapons Development Program (MWDP), and the salvaging of what was left of the AV-16 Advanced Harrier Program by McDonnell Douglas, making the second-generation family possible.
McDonnell Douglas had restarted its own program which was nearing production status when British Aerospace (BAe) rejoined the program in the 1980s. They then jointly produced the aircraft. By the 1990s McDonnell Douglas merged with Boeing, and BAe was merged into BAE Systems who went on to manage the family into the early 21st century.
The AV-8B had its direct origins in a joint British-U.S. project (Hawker-Siddeley and McDonnell Douglas) for a much-improved Harrier aircraft, the AV-16. However cost over-runs in engine development on the part of Rolls-Royce and in the aircraft development caused the British to pull out of the program.
Interest remained in the U.S., so a less ambitious, though still expensive project was undertaken by McDonnell on their own catered to U.S. needs. Using knowledge gleaned from AV-16 development, though dropping some items such as further Pegasus development, the development work continued leading to the AV-8B for the U.S. Marine Corps. The aircraft was centered on the Marines' need for a light ground attack aircraft and focused on payload and range, instead of speed. In the early 1980s, the British rejoined the program and developed their own second generation Harrier from the U.S. design.
The first two YAV-8B prototypes were converted from existing AV-8A airframes.
Aircraft were built by McDonnell Douglas and British Aerospace (later BAE Systems), the latter at their Kingston and Dunsfold facilities in Surrey, in the UK. Between 1969 and 2003, 824 Harrier variants were delivered. While manufacture of new Harriers concluded in 1997, the last remanufactured aircraft (Harrier II Plus configuration) was delivered in December 2003 which ended the Harrier production line.[4]
The AV-8B Harrier II is a subsonic attack aircraft.[5] It features a single Rolls-Royce Pegasus turbofan engine with two intakes and four vectorable nozzles. It has two landing gear on the fuselage and two outrigger landing gear on the wings. The AV-8B is equipped with six wing and three fuselage hardpoints for carrying a 25 mm GAU-12 cannon, other weapons and external fuel tanks.[6]
The first AV-8B Harrier IIs produced were commonly known as the "Day Attack" variant, and are no longer in service. Most were upgraded to Night Attack Harrier or Harrier II Plus standards, with the remainder being withdrawn from service.
The AV-8B cockpit was also used for the early trialling of Direct Voice Input (DVI) using a system developed by Smiths Aerospace.[7] The main attack avionics system is the Hughes nose-mounted AN/ASB-19.[8]
Fielded in 1991, the Night Attack Harrier incorporated a Navigation Forward Looking Infrared camera (NAVFLIR). The cockpit was also upgraded, including compatibility with night vision goggles. Concurrent with the new version of the aircraft was introduced a more powerful Rolls Royce Pegasus II engine. It was originally intended to be designated AV-8D.[9]
The Harrier II Plus is very similar to the Night Attack variant, with the addition of an APG-65 radar in an extended nose, making it capable of operating advanced beyond-visual-range missiles such as the AIM-120 AMRAAM.[10] The radars were removed from early F/A-18 Hornets, which had been upgraded with the related APG-73. The Harrier II Plus is in service with the USMC, Spanish Navy, and Italian Navy.
The AV-8B Harrier II is used by the military forces of three nations. The United States Marine Corps has operated the AV-8B and TAV-8B since 1985. The Spanish Naval air wing (Arma Aerea De La Armada) operates the AV-8B and AV-8B+, as well as a leased TAV-8B. The Italian Navy air wing (Aviazione di Marina Militare) also uses the AV-8B+ and TAV-8B. See BAE Harrier II for British Royal Air Force and Royal Navy usage.
See BAE Harrier II for the UK military version.
Data from Norden,[12] Aerospaceweb[13]
General characteristics
Performance
Armament
Avionics
The Harrier's unique characteristics have led to it being featured in a number of films and video games.
Related development
Comparable aircraft
Related lists
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   | AV-8B Harrier II - Aerospaceweb.org | Aircraft Museum - AV-8B Harrier II |
| | AV-8B Plus product page on Boeing.com - Boeing: Integrated Defense Systems - AV-8B Harrier II Plus |
| | AV-8B Harrier II history page on Navy.mil - AV-8B Harrier II |
| | UK MoD Release lauds No. 1 Squadron & No. 3 Squadron's role in Afghanistan - Ministry of Defence | Error | Page not found (Error 404) |
| | "Voice-recognition technology: Waiting to exhale" by CHARLOTTE ADAMS, Published December 14, 1997 - Voice-recognition technology: Waiting to exhale -- Federal Computer Week |
| | VMA-214 official page - Official Website for Marine Attack Squadron 214 |
| | VMA-513 official page - Official Website for Marine Attack Squadron 513 |
| | VMA-211 official page - Official Website for Marine Attack Squadron 211 |
| | VMA-311 official page - Official Website for Marine Attack Squadron 311 |
| | VMA-542 official page - Official Website for VMA-542 |
| | VMA-231 official page - Official Website for VMA-231 |
| | VMA-223 official page - Official Website for Official Website for VMA-223 |
| | VMAT-203 official page - Official Website for VMAT 203 |
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