AV-8B Harrier II hovering over Lake Washington at the Sea Fair 2011, Seattle, WA.
The McDonnell Douglas (now Boeing) AV-8B Harrier II is a family of second-generation vertical/short takeoff and landing (V/STOL) ground-attack aircraft. An Anglo-American development of the UK's Hawker Siddeley Harrier, the AV-8B is the final descendant of the Hawker Siddeley P.1127. The Harrier II is primarily used for light attack or multi-role tasks, and is typically operated from small aircraft carriers, large amphibious assault ships and simple forward operating bases.
The AV-8B is used by the United States Marine Corps (USMC), while the Harrier GR5/GR7/GR9 versions were used by the Royal Air Force and Royal Navy. Spain and Italy also use the aircraft, with the latter able to assemble them locally. A dedicated two-seat trainer version is the TAV-8B. The Harrier family models are referred to commonly as the "Harrier Jump Jet".
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