• The AV-8B Harrier II Plus is a multi-mission, short-takeoff vertical landing (STOVL) tactical strike aircraft. Because of its short-to-vertical takeoff and landing characteristics, it possesses basing flexibility that is unmatched by other fixed-wing aircraft. Furthermore, it supports a broad selection of air-to-air and air-to-surface weapon systems and third-generation technologies that address diverse tactical scenarios.

AV-8B Harrier II Specifications

General characteristics

• Crew: 1 pilot
• Length: 46 ft 4 in
• Wingspan: 30 ft 4 in
• Height: 11 ft 8 in
• Empty weight: 13,968 lb
• Loaded weight: 22,950 lb
• Max takeoff weight:
  
  • Rolling: 31,000 lb (14,100 kg)
  • Vertical: 20,755 lb (9,415 kg)
• Powerplant: 1× Rolls-Royce F402-RR-408 (Mk 105) vectored-thrust turbofan, 23,500 lbf

• Performance

• Maximum speed: Mach 0.89 (662 mph,) at sea level
• Range: 1,200 nm (1,400 mi)
• Combat radius: 300 nmi
• Rate of climb: 14,700 ft/min

• Armament
  

• Guns: 1 × 25 mm GAU-12 Equalizer cannon mounted under-fuselage in the left pod with 300 rounds of ammunition in the right pod (American/Spanish/Italian configuration)
• Hardpoints: 6 × under-wing pylon stations holding up to 13,200 lb of payload:
• Rockets:
  
  • 4 × LAU-5003 rocket pods (each with 19 × CRV7 70 mm rockets)
  • Missiles:
  • Air-to-air missiles:
    • 4 × AIM-9 Sidewinder or similar-sized infrared-guided missiles
    • 6 × AIM-120 AMRAAM (mounted on radar equipped AV-8B+ variants)
    • Air-to-surface missiles:
      • 6 × AGM-65 Maverick; or 2 × AGM-84 Harpoon; or 2 × AGM-88 HARM; or
      • Bombs:
        
        • CBU-100 Cluster Bombs (CBUs)
        • Mark 80 series of unguided bombs
        • Paveway series of Laser-guided bombs (LGBs)
        • Mark 77 napalm canisters
        • Others:
          • up to 4 × 300/330/370 US Gallon drop tanks (pylon stations No. 2, 3, 4 & 5 are wet plumbed) for ferry flight/extended range/loitering time

• Avionics
• Raytheon APG-65

• AN/AAQ-28V LITENING targeting pod (mounted on radar equipped AV-8B+ variants)
  • Special note: An upgrade program is currently fitting airframes with wiring and software to employ 1760 bus-based smart weapons, such as Joint Direct Attack Munitions