Reports of the demise of the Marine Corps’ legendary AV-8B Harrier II are greatly exaggerated, as evidenced by a U.S. Southern Command video recently released this week showing Harriers from the amphibious assault ship USS Iwo Jima conducting a live-fire ordnance exercise in the Caribbean.

The Iwo Jima and several other Navy ships are part of a massive U.S. military buildup in the region that could presage operations against targets inside Venezuela. That build-up includes the USS Gerald R. Ford, which carries a more modern air wing. But the clips make clear the Harriers are also on call.

The Harriers’ presence in the build up may have surprised some after numerous Harrier retirements and decommissions throughout 2025. The planes gave the beaches of North Carolina a final buzz in May whe

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