Hawker Siddeley TAV-8A Harrier

The Hawker Siddeley TAV‑8A Harrier was the first operational V/STOL fighter to enter service with an air force. Developed from the British Harrier, it was built under license for the United States Marine Corps and entered service in 1971. Its history traces to the early 1960s when Hawker Siddeley proved thrust‑vectoring flight with the Pegasus turbofan. The swivelling nozzles allowed vertical lift, hover, and transition to forward flight, eliminating the need for runways and expanding flexibility.

Key features include a lightweight aluminum airframe, a single Rolls‑Royce Pegasus Mk 103 engine producing about 23,800 lbf of thrust, and a four‑axis control system that integrates pitch, roll, yaw and nozzle angle. The cockpit provides a heads‑up display and can carry AGM‑65 Maverick missiles and a 30 mm GAU‑A cannon.

During the 1980s and early 1990s the TAV‑8A saw extensive carrier and expeditionary deployment, proving its reliability in harsh desert conditions and providing close air support in the Gulf War.

The TAV‑8A demonstrated the operational viability of V/STOL combat aircraft, influencing later designs such as the AV‑8B and the F‑35B. Its ability to operate from amphibious ships and austere forward bases reshaped Marine Corps aviation doctrine and cemented Hawker Siddeley's reputation as an aerospace innovator.