The recent confirmation of the official retirement date for the AV-8B Harriers of the United States Marine Corps (USMC), scheduled for next June, once again brings to the forefront an issue of major importance for the fixed-wing naval aviation of the Spanish Navy. More specifically, the near-term future of the AV-8B Harriers in service with the Ninth Squadron of the Aircraft Flotilla (FLOAN), and the main embarked combat asset of the strategic projection ship Juan Carlos I (L‑61), which—unless changes occur—is on course to become the last military operator of the iconic vertical/short takeoff and landing (VTOL) combat aircraft.
As previously reported, the Marines’ Aviation Plan for 2026 confirmed the closing of an important chapter in its history, stating that the final Harrier flight and the aircraft’s retirement ceremony will take place in early June.
According to the public document, and following steady progress in the transition to the F-35B within Marine Attack Squadrons (VMA), farewell ceremonies will take place during the first week of June, between the 1st and 5th of the month, which “…will provide an opportunity for active-duty personnel, retirees, contractors, and civilian communities to celebrate the historic contributions of the aircraft and the Marines.”
The confirmation also serves as another reminder of the platform’s global situation, where—besides the Marines—the Italian Navy and the Spanish Navy are the only remaining military operators of the Harrier.
However, in the Italian case, the service has already begun replacing the Harriers of the 1st Embarked Air Group, which previously operated from the aircraft carrier Garibaldi and is currently based at Grottaglie Air Base in Taranto, with the F-35B, which is already operating from the force’s new generation of amphibious assault ships. In this regard, they are expected to remain in service until at least 2030, barring new developments.
For the Spanish Navy, meanwhile, after confirming last year that it would not proceed with the acquisition of F-35B stealth fighters—the only VTOL platform capable of replacing the Harrier—the present situation is surrounded by uncertainty looking toward the coming years.
Aware of this situation, the service is taking steps, first and foremost, to ensure the operational availability of the AV-8B Harrier II Plus fleet of the Ninth Squadron, as anticipated last year by Admiral General Antonio Piñeiro, Chief of Staff of the Navy (AJEMA), who confirmed that various alternatives are being studied, stating: “We will take care of the Harriers with a schedule that contemplates reaching the year 2032.”
For this reason, through 2028 the Spanish Navy, via agreements with the U.S. Navy, maintains an arrangement that guarantees sustainment support for the aircraft. Within the framework of the AJEMA’s statements, the possibility of acquiring additional airframes to be used as a source of spare parts is also being considered.
Beyond the current situation, the upcoming retirement of the Marines’ Harriers once again serves as a reminder for Spain’s Ministry of Defense and the Navy that time is running out, and that appropriate measures must be adopted to define a replacement aligned with FLOAN requirements in order to avoid losing a critical capability.
The first option, without doubt, is to reconsider the acquisition of F-35B fighters and proceed with their purchase, not only to incorporate a new VTOL aircraft but also to provide Spain, for the first time in its history, with a fifth-generation stealth aircraft.
The second option, by contrast, would be to move forward with the acquisition of fixed-wing combat aircraft that—lacking a suitable carrier platform, since Juan Carlos I cannot operate them due to its configuration—would operate from land bases. While not the ideal solution, it would allow the Navy to retain fixed-wing combat aviation.
The third, and most ambitious option—consistent with previously mentioned considerations and echoed in official statements—is that the Spanish Navy includes among its long-term projects the construction of a conventionally powered aircraft carrier, currently under feasibility studies both by the service and by Navantia as the industrial partner responsible for potential project execution.
Nevertheless, there is also a fourth, less favorable but necessary scenario to consider: in the absence of major political decisions, the Spanish Navy could retire its Harriers in the 2030s without an adequate replacement, with their missions shifting to other platforms such as helicopters and patrol and surveillance aircraft with land-attack and anti-surface capabilities.
The only certainty is that time continues to run out, leaving the Navy with ever less room to maneuver in sustaining its embarked fixed-wing aviation—a critical capability for expeditionary operations and for providing support both within national territory and in commitments with European allies and NATO.
Photographs used for illustrative purposes.
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