AV-8 Harrier II+ Leather Patch — The Jump Jet That Gave the Marine Corps Vertical Attack Power for Four Decades
It lands like a helicopter, fights like a fighter, and changed everything about how Marines project airpower from the sea.
The McDonnell Douglas (later Boeing) AV-8B Harrier II is the Marine Corps' iconic vertical/short takeoff and landing (V/STOL) attack aircraft, a single-seat, single-engine jet that has defined expeditionary Marine aviation since entering service in 1985. Derived from the British Hawker Siddeley Harrier and developed in partnership with British Aerospace, the AV-8B brought a revolutionary capability to the Marine Air-Ground Task Force: the ability to operate from short, unprepared airstrips, forward operating bases, and the flight decks of amphibious assault ships without the need for catapults or arresting wires. The Harrier II+ variant added the APG-65 multi-mode radar, giving the aircraft beyond-visual-range air-to-air capability with the AIM-120 AMRAAM missile in addition to its primary ground attack mission with precision-guided munitions, Maverick missiles, and laser-guided bombs. The AV-8B saw extensive combat in Operations Desert Storm, Deny Flight, Deliberate Force, Southern Watch, Enduring Freedom, Iraqi Freedom, Odyssey Dawn, and Inherent Resolve, flying from amphibious ships and forward bases in the Persian Gulf, the Mediterranean, the Red Sea, and landlocked Afghanistan. Marine Attack Squadrons including VMA-231, VMA-214, VMA-223, VMA-311, VMA-513, and VMA-542 flew the Harrier in combat, and the aircraft's ability to operate from austere locations close to the fight made it a favorite of ground commanders who needed responsive close air support. As the Marine Corps transitions its Harrier squadrons to the F-35B Lightning II, the AV-8B is approaching the end of its remarkable service life — but its legacy as the jet that proved V/STOL could work in combat will endure. This leather patch celebrates the Harrier and the Marines who flew and maintained it.
Perfect For: AV-8B Harrier II pilots and maintainers, Marine attack squadron veterans, V/STOL aviation enthusiasts, and anyone who respects the jump jet that gave the Marine Corps a capability no other service could match.
