Hawker Siddeley / McDonnell Douglas AV-8 Harrier

The Harrier is a single-seat jet attack aircraft famous as the first operational fixed-wing aircraft capable of vertical and short takeoff and landing (V/STOL). Developed in Britain by Hawker Siddeley and powered by a Rolls-Royce Pegasus engine with rotating thrust nozzles, the original Harrier entered service with the Royal Air Force in 1969. Its ability to operate from small ships, clearings, and damaged runways made it uniquely flexible.

The United States Marine Corps adopted the type as the AV-8A and later the much-improved AV-8B Harrier II, jointly developed by McDonnell Douglas and British Aerospace, which featured a larger composite wing, more weapons stations, and improved avionics. Harriers saw combat in the 1982 Falklands War, the Gulf War, and later conflicts, providing close air support and air defense. The aircraft demonstrated the practical value of V/STOL combat aviation for decades.