Marines have been flying the Harrier jet for over 30 years — here's why they still keep it around

Flickr/Marines

The AV-8B Harrier has been a mainstay of the United States Marine Corps for over three decades. The same could be said about some other fixed-wing aircraft or helicopters (some of which have been around even longer), but the Harrier has a cachet about it that no others can match.

Part of its clout may stem from the fact that many of the Marine Corps' most legendary squadrons have flown (or still fly) the Harrier.

These squadrons include VMA-214, the famous "Black Sheep Squadron" led by Pappy Boyington, and VMA-211, the "Wake Island Avengers" who made a heroic stand at Wake Island and were tragically not reinforced.

Mass Communication Specialist 2nd Class Jose Jaen/US Navy

The AV-8B Harrier has seen a fair bit of action, notably during Desert Storm, over the Balkans, and in the War on Terror.

But it's not all history for the Harrier — performance counts, too.

With Vertical/Short Take-Off and Landing (V/STOL) capability, the Harrier is much less dependent on usable runways than other jets (plus, hovering just above a landing site looks cool as hell). Upgrades in the 1990s gave the Harrier the APG-65 radar (as used on the F/A-18 Hornet) and the ability to fire the AIM-120 AMRAAM.

U.S. Navy photo by Petty Officer 2nd Class Oscar N. Espinoza

The Harrier first entered service with the United States in 1985. It can achieve a speed of 633 miles per hour and has a maximum range of 900 nautical miles.

The Harrier looks like it will be around for a while, even as the F-35B Lightning II, the V/STOL version of the Joint Strike Fighter, enters service — and for good reason. It's arguably America's second-best close-air support plane, ranking second behind only the legendary A-10.

Learn more about the Harrier in the video below!

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