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BAe Harrier II

BAe · Fighter / Attack · UK · Cold War (1970–1991)

BAe Harrier II — Fighter / Attack
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The BAE Systems Harrier II is a second-generation V/STOL (vertical/short take-off and landing) ground-attack jet — the British production variant of the joint Anglo-American Harrier II programme that also produced the U.S. Marine Corps' AV-8B. Developed by McDonnell Douglas and British Aerospace from the original Hawker Siddeley Harrier GR.1/3, the Harrier II entered Royal Air Force service in 1989 as the GR5 and remained in front-line use until controversially retired in 2010, eight years ahead of schedule. The aircraft's defining feature — a single Rolls-Royce Pegasus 105 turbofan with four swivelling thrust nozzles — gave it the unique ability to take off from short forward strips and aircraft carriers without catapults, hover, and land vertically.

Compared with the first-generation Harrier the GR5 was effectively a new aeroplane: a larger composite wing with leading-edge root extensions and supercritical aerofoil, raised cockpit with bubble canopy, more underwing pylons, and 67% more payload. Maximum speed was 661 mph (Mach 0.98) and the aircraft could lift 9,200 lb of stores from a short take-off run — roughly the entire empty weight of a contemporary F-16 in ordnance. The Pegasus produced 21,750 lbf of vectored thrust, and V/STOL flight carried a heavy fuel-burn penalty in hover; doctrine therefore favoured short take-off rolling launches with vertical landings, conserving fuel and weapons load.

The Harrier II was developed in close partnership with McDonnell Douglas (later Boeing): airframes for both nations rolled off the same St. Louis production line, with British-built rear fuselages shipped over for U.K. variants and final assembly at Dunsfold, Surrey. The U.K. fleet evolved through GR5, GR7 (night-attack), and GR9 (open-architecture upgrade with precision weapons including AGM-65 Maverick, Brimstone, and Paveway IV), while the U.S. Marine Corps operated the parallel AV-8B, AV-8B Night Attack, and AV-8B+ (with APG-65 radar). Royal Navy Joint Force Harrier — combining RAF GR7s and Sea Harriers under one command — operated from the Invincible-class carriers from 2000 onwards.

The 2010 SDSR (the UK government's once-a-parliament defence review) retired the entire RAF/RN Harrier fleet immediately to fund continued Tornado operations, leaving the Royal Navy without fixed-wing carrier aviation until the F-35B Lightning II reached front-line service from HMS Queen Elizabeth in 2018. The decision was widely criticised inside the services and remains controversial; the surviving 72 RAF GR9 airframes were sold to the U.S. Marine Corps in 2011 for spares, prolonging American AV-8B operations into the 2030s. Italy and Spain continue to operate AV-8B Plus airframes from the Cavour, Garibaldi, and Juan Carlos I light carriers as of 2026, pending phased replacement by the F-35B.

For Kids — a shorter, friendlier version

The Harrier II (also called the AV-8B in U.S. service) is a jet that can take off straight up like a helicopter or take off short from a small ship. It's the successor to the original Harrier (1969). The Harrier II first flew in 1978 and entered service in 1985 — and is still flying today.

The Harrier II is about 47 feet long — longer than a school bus. One big Rolls-Royce Pegasus engine has four rotating exhaust nozzles. The nozzles can point straight back (for forward flight), straight down (for hovering or vertical takeoff), or anywhere in between. With the nozzles down, the airplane lifts straight up like a helicopter.

About 340 Harrier IIs were built between 1978 and 2003 for the U.S. Marines, the UK Royal Air Force, Italy, and Spain. They serve aboard small aircraft carriers and assault ships that don't have long runways. A Harrier II can take off in under 1,000 feet of deck and land vertically — exactly what small ships need.

The UK retired its Harrier IIs in 2010, replaced by F-35Bs. The U.S. Marines still operate about 60 Harrier IIs in 2026; they're being replaced by F-35Bs gradually through 2030.

Italian and Spanish Harrier IIs are also being phased out. The Harrier II will be the last Harrier when the Marines retire it.

Fun Facts

  • The Harrier II can take off straight up like a helicopter, then fly forward like a regular jet.
  • It has 4 rotating exhaust nozzles that point downward for vertical takeoff and backward for normal flight.
  • About 340 Harrier IIs were built between 1978 and 2003.
  • The Harrier II flies from small aircraft carriers and assault ships that don't have long runways.
  • The U.S. Marines still operate about 60 Harrier IIs in 2026.
  • The UK retired its Harrier IIs in 2010 — replaced by F-35B Lightning IIs.
  • The F-35B will be the last Harrier when the Marines retire the Harrier II around 2030.

Kids’ Questions

How is the Harrier II different from the original Harrier?

The original Harrier (1969) was Britain's first jump-jet. McDonnell Douglas and Hawker Siddeley built the Harrier II in the 1970s as a much-improved version. The Harrier II has a bigger wing (made of composite material), better engines, more cargo capacity, and modern computers in the cockpit. It can carry about 9,000 pounds of bombs — twice as much as the original. The Harrier II is the version most people think of when they picture the "jump jet."

Why VTOL aircraft are useful?

VTOL (vertical takeoff and landing) aircraft can take off straight up like helicopters and land vertically too — without needing long runways. This makes them useful for: (1) Small aircraft carriers and assault ships that have only short flight decks, (2) Forward bases close to the battlefield where building long runways isn't practical, (3) Emergency situations where the runway is damaged or unavailable. The trade-off is that VTOL aircraft are heavier and burn more fuel than regular jets. The Harrier and F-35B are the only modern Western VTOL combat jets — though new ideas like Wisk Aero's electric eVTOL drones are exploring civilian VTOL.

Variants

Harrier GR5 / GR5A
Initial RAF day-attack variant (1989). British equivalent of the U.S. Marine Corps AV-8B; 41 GR5 airframes built before transition to GR7 standard.
Harrier GR7 / GR7A
Night-attack variant with FLIR turret, NVG-compatible cockpit, and digital map display. The mainstay of RAF Harrier operations during the Iraq and Afghanistan campaigns; many later upgraded to GR9 standard.
Harrier GR9 / GR9A
Open-architecture avionics upgrade (2006) integrating Brimstone, Paveway IV, AGM-65 Maverick, and Sniper targeting pod. The final RAF Harrier configuration. GR9A retained the more powerful Pegasus 107 of late-build aircraft.
Harrier T10 / T12
Two-seat conversion / training variants based on the GR7/GR9 airframe. Tandem cockpit, full combat fit-out retained.

Notable Operators

Royal Air Force / Royal Navy (Joint Force Harrier)
Operated GR5/7/9 and T10/12 from 1989 to 2010 across IV(AC) Squadron, 1(F) Squadron, 800/801 NAS and 4(R) Squadron at RAF Cottesmore and RAF Wittering. Combat operations over Bosnia, Kosovo, Iraq, and Afghanistan.
United States Marine Corps
AV-8B, AV-8B Night Attack, AV-8B+ — same airframe family. Acquired the surviving RAF GR9 fleet in 2011 for parts to extend AV-8B service to the early 2030s, pending F-35B replacement.
Spanish Navy / Italian Navy
AV-8B Plus operators flying from the Juan Carlos I (Spain) and Cavour / Garibaldi (Italy) light carriers. Both fleets in transition to F-35B as of 2026.

Frequently Asked Questions

How does the Harrier II differ from the original Harrier?

The Harrier II shares the V/STOL concept and Pegasus engine with the first-generation Hawker Siddeley Harrier, but is otherwise an almost-new aircraft. Key changes: a larger composite wing with supercritical aerofoil and leading-edge root extensions for 67% more lift, a raised cockpit with bubble canopy giving 360-degree visibility, six underwing pylons (vs four), more powerful Pegasus 105/107 engines, and a digital cockpit. Empty weight rose by about 2,000 lb but payload-radius performance roughly doubled.

Why was the Harrier II retired so suddenly in 2010?

The 2010 SDSR (the UK government's defence review) chose to retain the Tornado strike fleet over the Harrier as a cost-saving measure, despite the Harrier being newer and more carrier-capable. The decision left the Royal Navy without fixed-wing carrier aviation for eight years until the F-35B reached front-line service in 2018. Senior naval and air force officers publicly opposed the cut; First Sea Lord Admiral Sir Mark Stanhope called it a long-term defence error.

What is the Pegasus vectored-thrust engine?

The Rolls-Royce Pegasus is a single-spool turbofan with four swivelling exhaust nozzles — two routing the bypass air, two routing the hot core exhaust — that rotate through 98 degrees. By directing thrust downwards the aircraft hovers; rotating the nozzles aft accelerates it to forward flight; partial deflection during forward flight ("viffing") gives unique manoeuvre advantages in close combat. The Pegasus 105 in the GR5/7 produces 21,750 lbf; the Pegasus 107 in late GR9s produces 23,800 lbf (Rolls-Royce Defence).

Did the Harrier II ever shoot down an enemy aircraft?

The U.S. Marine Corps' AV-8B variant scored two confirmed kills during the 1991 Gulf War (Iraqi helicopters destroyed by AGM-65 Maverick missiles), but no British Harrier II achieved an air-to-air kill in service. Air defence was a secondary mission; the Sea Harrier FA2 — a separate first-generation derivative — was the Royal Navy's dedicated air-defence variant and scored Falklands War kills before retirement in 2006.

How many Harrier IIs were built?

Approximately 824 airframes were produced across all variants (GR5/7/9, T10/12, AV-8B, TAV-8B, EAV-8B, AV-8B Plus) between 1981 and 2003 at the McDonnell Douglas plant in St. Louis, Missouri. The U.K. share was 143 single-seat and 14 two-seat aircraft; the U.S. Marine Corps received 285 single-seat AV-8Bs plus 28 trainers; Spain and Italy together received around 50 AV-8B Plus.

Could the Harrier II operate from aircraft carriers without catapults?

Yes — that was the entire point of the V/STOL design. Royal Navy Harrier IIs operated from the three Invincible-class light carriers (HMS Invincible, Illustrious, Ark Royal) using a 7-degree ski-jump ramp for short take-off and a vertical landing on return, eliminating the need for steam catapults and arresting gear. U.S. Marine AV-8Bs operate similarly from Wasp- and America-class amphibious assault ships. The same ski-jump-and-vertical-land technique now equips F-35B operations from HMS Queen Elizabeth and HMS Prince of Wales.

What replaced the Harrier II in U.K. service?

The F-35B Lightning II — the short take-off / vertical landing variant of the F-35 — replaced the Harrier in the carrier-strike role. The F-35B reached initial operating clearance with 617 Squadron RAF in 2018 and embarked on HMS Queen Elizabeth for first front-line deployment in 2021. The intermediate eight-year gap (2010–2018) saw the RN operate carriers (Illustrious, Queen Elizabeth) without organic fixed-wing aircraft.

Where can I see a Harrier II today?

Several preserved examples are on public display: the RAF Museum (Hendon and Cosford), the Imperial War Museum Duxford, the Fleet Air Arm Museum at Yeovilton, and the Newark Air Museum hold RAF GR airframes. In the United States the National Naval Aviation Museum (Pensacola) and the National Museum of the Marine Corps (Quantico) hold AV-8B examples. Live-flying examples remain in U.S. Marine, Spanish, and Italian service as of 2026.

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