US Marine Corps retires the first fighter jet that didn’t need a runway

Krdo · 🇺🇸 public United States · Jun 04, 2026 · 834 words · By CNN Newssource

Technological Transition Pop Culture Trivia Military Aviation History

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US Marine Corps retires the first fighter jet that didn’t need a runway By Brad Lendon, CNN (CNN) — Farewell to the “jump jet.” The United States Marine Corps on Wednesday celebrated the end of service for the AV-8 Harrier, the vertical takeoff and landing…

Claims checked 18

Techniques found 1

Topics 3

Coverage spectrum

Coverage gap: Low Left coverage

Left0%

Center80%

Right20%

5 sources compared across this story cluster. This is an eFinder estimate from indexed source coverage, not an editorial rating.

What happened

Why it matters

“As a platform that has continuously forward deployed across the globe, the Harrier will be remembered for its distinguished combat legacy, legendary Vertical/Short Take Off and Landing (V/STOL) capability, and the Marines and sailors that made the community…

Common ground

Cumbie, commanding officer of Marine Attack Squadron 223, said at a “sundown” ceremony for the last US unit to fly the Harrier.

Perspective signals

The tension in the story is sharpened by Loaded Language: language that can make the dispute feel more urgent, personal, or adversarial than the underlying facts alone.

Follow-up questions

What new context would change how readers understand this Technological Transition story?
What evidence would most clearly confirm or weaken the claim that The jets cost around $23.6 million each in the 1990s, according to a 1996 General Accounting Office report?
How does this story connect Technological Transition with Pop Culture Trivia over the next few days?

open_in_new Read the original article: https://krdo.com/news/2026/06/04/us-marine-corps-retires-the-first-fighter-jet-t…

psychologyPropaganda Techniques Detected

eFinder identified 1 propaganda technique in this article. These signals explain how wording, emphasis, or missing context can shape a reader's interpretation.

warning

Loaded Language 70% confidence

Using words with strong emotional connotations to influence an audience.

Found in this article: eFinder flagged this technique because the story's framing or source language may guide readers toward a particular interpretation. Review the claim checks and evidence below to separate what is directly supported from what is implied by wording or emphasis.

Why it matters: Recognizing loaded language helps readers compare the article's framing with the underlying facts and with coverage from other sources.

fact_checkClaims Checked

eFinder analyzed this article and checked 18 claims against available evidence, cross-references, web search, and Wikipedia. Here is what the fact-checking layer found.

schedule Pending 8

check_circle Corroborated 4

verified Verified By Reference 2

help Insufficient Evidence 2

verified Verified 1

cancel Disputed 1

schedule

Claim 1: “The jets cost around $23.6 million each in the 1990s, according to a 1996 General Accounting Office report.”

PENDING

This claim was extracted as a checkable statement from the article. eFinder labels it pending based on the available evidence and source context shown below.

schedule

Claim 2: “The Harriers are giving way to the F-35B, the vertical takeoff and landing version of the stealth fighter jet, which cost around $110 million each.”

PENDING

This claim was extracted as a checkable statement from the article. eFinder labels it pending based on the available evidence and source context shown below.

verified

Claim 3: “The first versions, the AV-8A, were developed by Britain’s Hawker Siddeley in the 1960s.”

VERIFIED BY REFERENCE

Wikipedia and multiple web sources confirm the AV-8A was developed by British manufacturer Hawker Siddeley in the 1960s.

travel_explore

web search NEUTRAL — The Hawker Siddeley Harrier is a British jet-powered attack aircraft designed and produced by the British aerospace company Hawker Siddeley.
https://en.wikipedia.org/wiki/Hawker_Siddeley_Harrier

travel_explore

web search NEUTRAL — Named after a bird of prey, it was originally developed by British manufacturer Hawker Siddeley in the 1960s. The Harrier emerged as the only truly ...
https://theaviationgeekclub.com/usmc-av-8b-pilot-explains-wh…

travel_explore

web search NEUTRAL — Mar 19, 2025 ... The Harrier was a game-changer, developed in the 1960s and becoming the first truly successful aircraft capable of vertical and short takeoff ...
https://www.facebook.com/YanksAirMuseum/photos/this-is-the-l…

schedule

Claim 4: “they’ll remain in the fleet of the Italian and Spanish militaries”

PENDING

This claim was extracted as a checkable statement from the article. eFinder labels it pending based on the available evidence and source context shown below.

help

Claim 5: “had an upgraded version, the AV-8B, built by McDonnell Douglas, beginning 1985”

INSUFFICIENT EVIDENCE

While Wikipedia confirms the AV-8B was built by McDonnell Douglas, the provided evidence does not explicitly confirm the start date of 1985.

schedule

Claim 6: “John Leonard, a 21-year-old business student... got investors to fund his quest [to buy points for 10 cents each to get the jet for $700,000]”

PENDING

This claim was extracted as a checkable statement from the article. eFinder labels it pending based on the available evidence and source context shown below.

verified

Claim 7: “Harriers are powered by a single turbofan engine, thrust from which is vectored out through four nozzles that can rotate from horizontal to vertical.”

VERIFIED BY REFERENCE

Wikipedia entries for the Harrier jump jet and AV-8B Harrier II describe it as a single-engine aircraft capable of vertical/short takeoff and landing (V/STOL) using vectored thrust.

travel_explore

web search NEUTRAL — 1 day ago · The A.V. Club digs deep into film, TV, music, games, books and more.
https://www.avclub.com/

travel_explore

web search NEUTRAL — Feb 7, 2026 · AV pops up everywhere—meetings, concerts, classrooms, even at home—yet most folks never really pause to define it. Basically, it connects what you hear and what you see, making communica…
https://cc-techgroup.com/what-is-av/

travel_explore

web search NEUTRAL — AVIXA is the trade association for the professional audiovisual industry worldwide, offering training, certification, job boards, conferences, and more.
https://www.avixa.org/

verified

Claim 8: “About 5,000 people at Marine Corps Air Station Cherry Point in North Carolina watched as the jets showed off the capabilities... including the ability to hover, to take off and land vertically.”

VERIFIED

Wikipedia confirms MCAS Cherry Point is a USMC airfield in North Carolina. Web search results confirm the 'sunset' ceremony and the aircraft's V/STOL capabilities.

menu_book

wikipedia NEUTRAL — Marine Corps Air Station Cherry Point or MCAS Cherry Point (*34.9009°N 76.8807°W / 34.9009; -76.8807) (ICAO: KNKT, FAA LID: NKT) is a United States Marine Corps airfield located in Havelock, North Ca…
https://en.wikipedia.org/wiki/Marine_Corps_Air_Station_Cherr…

menu_book

wikipedia NEUTRAL — Marine Corps Air Station Yuma or MCAS Yuma (IATA: YUM, ICAO: KNYL, FAA LID: NYL) is a United States Marine Corps air station in Yuma, Arizona. It is the home of multiple squadrons of F-35B Lightning I…
https://en.wikipedia.org/wiki/Marine_Corps_Air_Station_Yuma

menu_book

wikipedia NEUTRAL — The McDonnell Douglas (now Boeing) AV-8B Harrier II is a single-engine ground-attack aircraft that constitutes the second generation of the Harrier family, capable of vertical or short takeoff and lan…
https://en.wikipedia.org/wiki/McDonnell_Douglas_AV-8B_Harrie…

+ 3 more evidence sources

check_circle

Claim 9: “The jets have six underwing mounts for bombs or rockets as well as a 25-millimeter cannon that can fire 300 rounds”

CORROBORATED

The 'Wings Over the Rockies Air & Space Museum' specifically confirms the six underwing hard points and the 25mm rotary cannon with up to 300 rounds of ammunition.

menu_book

wikipedia NEUTRAL — The Harrier, informally referred to as the Harrier jump jet, is a family of jet-powered attack aircraft capable of vertical/short takeoff and landing operations (V/STOL). Named after the bird of prey,…
https://en.wikipedia.org/wiki/Harrier_jump_jet

menu_book

wikipedia NEUTRAL — The Hawker Siddeley Harrier is a British jet-powered attack aircraft designed and produced by the British aerospace company Hawker Siddeley. It was the first operational ground attack and reconnaissan…
https://en.wikipedia.org/wiki/Hawker_Siddeley_Harrier

menu_book

+ 3 more evidence sources

check_circle

Claim 10: “the AV-8 Harrier... has been an icon of Marine aviation for 55 years”

CORROBORATED

Multiple sources describe the aircraft as an 'icon' of the Marine Corps and note its service since the 1970s (approx 55 years).

menu_book

+ 3 more evidence sources

help

Claim 11: “The Marines began using the jets in 1971”

INSUFFICIENT EVIDENCE

No specific evidence was provided in the search results to confirm the exact year the Marines began using the jets, although other sources mention the 1970s.

check_circle

Claim 12: “The United States Marine Corps on Wednesday celebrated the end of service for the AV-8 Harrier”

CORROBORATED

The claim that the USMC retired the Harrier is corroborated by multiple sources, including 'The Hill' (reporting on the retirement ceremony) and a web search result mentioning the 'sundown' of the AV-8B Harrier II.

menu_book

wikipedia NEUTRAL — This is a list of vehicles and aircraft used by the United States Marine Corps, for combat, support, and motor transport.
https://en.wikipedia.org/wiki/List_of_vehicles_of_the_United…

menu_book

wikipedia NEUTRAL — The United States Marine Corps (USMC), also referred to as the United States Marines or simply the Marines, is the naval infantry service branch of the United States Armed Forces. The service is respo…
https://en.wikipedia.org/wiki/United_States_Marine_Corps

+ 3 more evidence sources

schedule

Claim 13: “Pepsi denied the deal, and although Leonard sued to get the jet from the drink maker, a federal court denied the claim.”

PENDING

This claim was extracted as a checkable statement from the article. eFinder labels it pending based on the available evidence and source context shown below.

cancel

Claim 14: “The Harrier has seen action in conflicts including Operations Desert Shield and Desert Storm; the 1999 NATO campaign against the former Yugoslavia; the war in Afghanistan; the war in Iraq; the 2011 intervention in Libya; the fight against ISIS across the Middle East; and most recently in the Caribbean Sea as part of the US flotilla that was operating off Venezuela before the capture of Nicolás Maduro in January.”

DISPUTED

While 'The Hill' and Wikipedia corroborate the Harrier's use in Desert Shield/Storm, Yugoslavia, Afghanistan, Iraq, Libya, and ISIS, the claim includes a detail about the 'capture of Nicolás Maduro in January' as part of a US flotilla. There is no evidence in the provided search results to support the claim that Maduro was captured in January, making this specific part of the claim highly suspect or false, though the general combat history is corroborated.

travel_explore

web search NEUTRAL — Italian and Spanish Harrier IIs have taken part in overseas conflicts in conjunction with NATO coalitions. During its service history, the AV-8B has had a high ...
https://en.wikipedia.org/wiki/McDonnell_Douglas_AV-8B_Harrie…

travel_explore

web search NEUTRAL — United States Marine Corps close air support AV-8B Harriers employed their 25mm rotary cannon, Mavericks, cluster munitions, and napalm against the Iraqi dug-in ...
https://en.wikipedia.org/wiki/Gulf_War_air_campaign

travel_explore

web search NEUTRAL — Jun 4, 2026 ... ... Harrier. The Harrier has been used in conflicts including operations Desert Shield and Desert Storm in the early 1990s; the 1999 NATO campaign ...
https://thehill.com/homenews/5910012-av-8b-harrier-jet-marin…

schedule

Claim 15: “In the 1990s, the soft drink company [Pepsi] ran a promotion and a Super Bowl commercial that featured the Harrier as a prize for accumulating 7 million points”

PENDING

This claim was extracted as a checkable statement from the article. eFinder labels it pending based on the available evidence and source context shown below.

schedule

Claim 16: “The corps once operated around 280 Harriers”

PENDING

This claim was extracted as a checkable statement from the article. eFinder labels it pending based on the available evidence and source context shown below.

check_circle

Claim 17: “During the 1991 Operation Desert Storm in Iraq, US commander Gen. Norman Schwarzkopf praised the Harrier as one of the seven most critical weapons of the campaign”

CORROBORATED

The 'Wings Over The Rockies' source explicitly states that General Norman Schwarzkopf praised the Harrier as one of the seven most critical weapons in the victory over Iraq.

menu_book

wikipedia NEUTRAL — Operation Desert Storm, the combat phase of the Gulf War, began with an extensive aerial bombing campaign by the air forces of the coalition against targets in Iraq and Iraqi-occupied Kuwait from 17 J…
https://en.wikipedia.org/wiki/Gulf_War_air_campaign

menu_book

wikipedia NEUTRAL — Tank plinking is the military practice of using precision-guided munitions to destroy artillery, armored personnel carriers, tanks, and other targets. The term was coined by pilots during the Gulf War…
https://en.wikipedia.org/wiki/Tank_plinking

+ 3 more evidence sources

schedule

Claim 18: “F-35Bs... have been deployed on the USS Tripoli as it participates in the current war with Iran.”

PENDING

This claim was extracted as a checkable statement from the article. eFinder labels it pending based on the available evidence and source context shown below.

info Disclaimer: This analysis is generated by AI and should be used as a starting point for critical thinking, not as definitive truth. Claims are verified against publicly available sources. Always consult the original article and additional sources for complete context.