OVERVIEW: The AV-8B Harrier II+ belongs to the second generation of the Harrier family, a single-engine, subsonic, V/STOL multirole combat aircraft developed for the U.S. Marine Corps to perform day/night, all-weather strike, close air support, and sea control missions. The 2006 configuration maintained the radar and night-attack integration for forward-deployed expeditionary operations.

DETAILS: It is powered by the Rolls-Royce F402-RR-408 Pegasus vectored-thrust turbofan engine, with a maximum speed near Mach 0.9, and features 7 external hardpoints for weapons and fuel tanks. The 2006 aircraft configuration retained the AN/APG-65 multimode radar, AN/AAR-51 FLIR, digital moving map, NVG-compatible cockpit, and RWR for threat warning. It could be equipped with AIM-9L Sidewinder and AGM-65 Maverick missiles, and was compatible with the AN/ALQ-164 DECM pod for electronic defense. The radar allowed for maritime strike and BVR air defense while maintaining compatibility with precision ground attack systems.

The Harrier II+ combined the earlier Night Attack suite with radar capability, improving operational flexibility in degraded environments. There were no major structural changes in the 2006 airframes, but this version remained fully compatible with digital targeting pods, updated mission software, and standardized cockpit improvements introduced in previous years.

TYPE: V/STOL multirole strike aircraft

FUNCTION: This configuration was used heavily for expeditionary close air support and precision strike missions in Iraq and Afghanistan. Its ability to operate from amphibious assault ships and forward-deployed austere airstrips made it critical for U.S. Marine Corps operations in environments with limited airfield infrastructure.

NOTE:
IOC: 1993 (AV-8B Harrier II+ US)
Operators: United States
Conflict used in: Iraq (2003–2009), Afghanistan (2001–2009)

SOURCE:
U.S. Navy Naval Air Systems Command: https://www.navair.navy.mil ; U.S. Marine Corps Fact Files ; Jane’s All the World’s Aircraft ; Federation of American Scientists (FAS): https://fas.org ; Wikipedia: https://en.wikipedia.org/wiki/McDonnell_Douglas_AV-8B_Harrier_II