The last operational unit to fly the type was VMA-223. The ceremony was also linked to the return of a component that had supported the 22nd Marine Expeditionary Unit during a mission in the Caribbean.
The squadron is now entering a period of deactivation and rearmament. Under the new designation VMFA-223, it is expected to return to service in 2028 with Lockheed Martin F-35B Lightning II combat aircraft.
The U.S. Marine Corps had operated short takeoff and vertical landing aircraft from the AV-8 Harrier family since 1971. The first version was the AV-8A, which was withdrawn from service in the 1980s.
In 1985, the Marine Corps began introducing the second-generation AV-8B into operational service. The aircraft were gradually modernized over the following years as technology advanced.
Over decades of service, the AV-8B Harrier II was used in combat during numerous operations around the world. These included the war over Kuwait, operations in the Balkans, Afghanistan and Iraq, as well as missions in the Middle East and the Caribbean.
Following the withdrawal of the AV-8B Harrier II from the U.S. Marine Corps, the aircraft remains in service with the naval aviation forces of Italy and Spain. In Italy, the AV-8B fleet is being replaced by the F-35B Lightning II.
Spain has not yet made a decision on the future of its carrier-based squadron. It is considered likely that Madrid will also decide to purchase the F-35B.
