The Mud Devils of VX-31 concluded the AV-8B Harrier’s service with a sunset flight at China Lake.
The Mud Devils of the U.S. Navy’s Air Check and Analysis Squadron (VX) 31 concluded the AV-8B Harrier’s service with a sunset flight at Naval Air Weapons Station China Lake, California, on Sept. 23, 2025. The ultimate flight, now confirmed by the service, was welcomed again on the bottom by the normal water salute,
The tip of VX-31’s work on the AV-8B Harrier II follows the gradual transition of the U.S. Marine Corps from the legacy platform to the brand new F-35B Lightning II. The fifth technology jet will take the helm for the companies STOVL (Quick Take Off Vertical Touchdown) capabilities, bringing alongside new mission units and new capabilities.
Sunset Ceremony
The ultimate flight was adopted by a sunset ceremony in VX-31’s hangar. Veterans, Sailors, Marines, authorities civilians, trade companions and relations gathered there for the event to say goodbye to a platform that served the fleet for greater than 4 a long time.
U.S. Marine Corps Lt. Col. Timothy “Little Buddy” Burchett, VX-31 commanding officer, described the Harrier as one of the crucial difficult and rewarding plane to fly. “It’s essentially the most enjoyable airplane I’ve ever flown,” stated Burchett. “There aren’t any computer systems. It’s cables, pulleys and talent that preserve that factor within the air.”
Burchett praised the China Lake take a look at group for protecting this system protected and mission succesful to the end. “We didn’t coast into the end line. It was a triumphant end for the group partnership,” he stated.
“That jet proper there flew its very first flight off the manufacturing line 33 years in the past,” stated Jim “Jimbo” Coppersmith, VX-31 technical director, who flew the plane for the ultimate time.
“In the present day we accomplished AV-8B flight operations. We shut it down full mission succesful, and it flew flawlessly. It’s a testomony to what we’ve carried out to this plane as a group,” added Coppersmith, echoing Burchett’s phrases.
Additional highlighting the significance of the Harrier II within the USMC, Coppersmith stated “It’s essentially the most profitable assault plane in Marine Corps historical past. Little doubt about it.”
Coppersmith additionally highlighted the squadron’s function in strengthening the plane’s fight effectiveness and security file via a long time of testing at China Lake. “We misplaced many nice Marines alongside the way in which,” he stated. “These remedies and people materials fixes, the procedures we wrote, the engineering modifications we made, saved lives and limbs.”
Harrier’s Last Operations
Because the Fleet Marine Pressure progressively dismisses the Harrier, the variety of items to which it was assigned shrunk with just one unit remaining. Actually, Marine Assault Squadron (VMA) 223, also referred to as the “Bulldogs,” is the final Harrier squadron within the Marine Corps.
The unit, based mostly at MCAS Cherry Level, North Carolina, is ready to proceed working the platform via September 2026, in response to the service. VMA-223 has additionally obtained the ultimate two pilots graduated from the AV-8B Harrier II Fleet Alternative Detachment (FRD) in early 2024.
“The importance of the final alternative pilot coaching flight within the Harrier group is that it’s the starting of the top for us as a group.” stated Capt. Joshua Corbett, one of many two pilots, after the commencement flight. The flight was a low-altitude shut air assist coaching sortie that allowed the pilots to obtain the 7509 Army Occupational Specialty (MOS), which is reserved for AV-8B Harrier II certified pilots.
“The Harrier, greater than many plane than I’ve come throughout, elicits an emotional response,” added Corbett. “For members of the general public, members of the aviation group, members of the Marine group, and particularly members of the Harrier pilot group, it’s bittersweet. All good issues have to return to an finish, and it’s our flip quickly, however not but.”
Till then ultimate retirement, the Harrier will proceed to name MCAS Cherry Level house and execute deployed operations as a part of Marine Expeditionary Items, says the USMC. This manner, Cherry Level would be the first location that obtained the AV-8B – with the primary manufacturing plane arriving there in January 1984 – and the final to dismiss it.
