The US Marine Corps retired its last AV-8B Harrier II on 3 June 2026 at Marine Corps Air Station Cherry Point, ending the type’s operational run with VMA-223, the service’s final Harrier squadron. The withdrawal closes more than four decades of USMC Harrier operations and shifts the vertical-lift combat mission fully toward the F-35B.
The retirement had been scheduled across ceremonies running from 1 to 5 June, with the final flight centered on 3 June. The Marine Corps’ 2026 aviation plan, published in February, had already set the summer 2026 exit for the last AV-8B aircraft and identified VMA-223 as the final unit.
Spain remains one of the last AV-8B operators and is extending the life of its Harrier force through spare-parts support and national industrial sustainment. Recent reporting indicates Madrid has taken five aircraft for parts, underscoring the growing logistics challenge as US support disappears and the fleet approaches planned service life extensions into the early 2030s.