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McDonnell Douglas TAV-8B Harrier II
Photo: Andrew Thomas from Shrewsbury, UK · Wikimedia Commons · CC BY-SA 2.0
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McDonnellDouglasTAV-8BHarrierII

Ground Attack / CAS Aircraft · United States · 1986
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McDonnellDouglasTAV-8BHarrierII

McDonnell Douglas TAV-8B Harrier II
McDonnell Douglas TAV-8B Harrier II Photo: Andrew Thomas from Shrewsbury, UK · Wikimedia Commons · CC BY-SA 2.0
* Absolute score — assessed within category · no era adjustment
Ground-Attack Lethality
75
Payload
60
Loiter / Endurance
65
Survivability
70
Accuracy
75
Low-Altitude Capability
90
Avionics
70
Reliability
65
Versatility
80
Cost-Effectiveness
70
Origin United States
CategoryGround Attack / CAS Aircraft
EraCold War
In service1986–1992
Operators3 countries
Quantity23
Data Quality87%
72
Ground Attack / CAS Aircraft MASS Rating
15/55
Cold War
34/251
All-Time
Ground Attack / CAS Aircraft · 10 axes scored
Ground-Attack Lethality
75
Payload
60
Loiter / Endurance
65
Survivability
70
Accuracy
75
Low-Altitude Capability
90
Avionics
70
Reliability
65
Versatility
80
Cost-Effectiveness
70
ⓘ Regardless of era, the same scoring system applies to all units in the ground attack / cas aircraft category.
01 / Overview
McDonnell Douglas TAV-8B Harrier II
Production
1986–1992
Quantity
23
Operators
Conflicts
💰 PERFORMANCE / PRICE ASSESSMENT Methodology ↗
GROUND ATTACK / CAS AIRCRAFT · COLD WAR
15
PERFORMANCE/PRICE
75
UNIT COST (2025 USD)
—
72
ground attack / cas aircraft category
ⓘ Performance/Price and MASS score are computed across all units in the ground attack / cas aircraft category, regardless of era.
02 / Specs & Design
◎General5MOD.5
  • First Flight1986
  • Service Entry Year1987
  • Crew2
  • Primary RoleTrainer
  • In ServiceYes
◈Powerplant5MOD.5
▣Performance4MOD.4
  • Top Speed (Mach)0.95 Mach
  • Service Ceiling16,000 m
  • Ferry Range3,600 km
  • Combat Radius556 km
◇Dimensions & Weights7MOD.7
  • Length14.12 m
  • Wingspan9.25 m
  • Height3.55 m
  • Wing Area21.37
  • Empty Weight6,336 kg
  • Loaded Weight10,000 kg
  • Max Takeoff Weight14,061 kg
◆Armament5MOD.5
▤Avionics & Stealth2MOD.2
⬢Production1MOD.1
  • Total Built23
▲Service History2MOD.2
  • Retirement Year2026
  • Operational StatusIn service
03 / History
SERVICE LIFESPANStill in Service
  1. 1945First deployment: Cold War
  2. 1986Production started
  3. 1992Production ended
  4. 2021Sale: Spain (1 units)
40
years in service
6
years in production
23
units produced
3
countries operating
ⓘ The producing country still actively operates it.
04 / Conflicts
MCDONNELL DOUGLAS TAV-8B HARRIER II · CONFLICTS SERVED IN33% win
Total Conflicts
3
Victories
1
Ongoing
0
Losses
0
ⓘ Shown only from conflicts recorded in our database.
05 / Operators
Operator Inventory1country · 2units
2active
McDonnell Douglas TAV-8B Harrier IISALES2records
YearBuyerQuantityAmountPresent Value (2025)
2021Spain1——
—Italy2——
ⓘ "Present Value" is an estimated amount adjusted for inflation.
📖 TERMS ON THIS PAGE4terms
Air-to-air missiles are guided missiles fired from aircraft to engage other aircraft. They are used for self-defense and to gain air superiority.
Air-to-Ground Missiles are guided missiles fired from aircraft to attack ground targets. They enable aircraft to engage and destroy enemy ground positions, vehicles, and installations.
A collection of integrated electronic systems on a military aircraft designed to detect, identify, disrupt, or deceive enemy radar, communications, and guided weapons.
The ability to direct engine thrust in varying directions to control aircraft attitude or trajectory.
These terms are listed automatically because they appear on this page.full encyclopedia →
📚 Sources
📖 ENCYCLOPEDIA Browse the Ground Attack / CAS Aircraft entry →