Press Release: Photos and Info Provided by NAS Wildwood Aviation Museum
The Naval Air Station Wildwood Aviation Museum is honored to announce the upcoming arrival of a Marine Corps icon – an AV-8B Harrier II – to its facility at the Cape May Airport in Lower Township.
The aircraft will be part of the museum’s collection and will be on loan from the National Naval Aviation Museum in Pensacola, Florida.
This combat-proven aircraft is scheduled to arrive by truck on the afternoon of Wednesday, June 4, and will be carefully moved into the museum’s historic 92,000 square foot WWII-era Hangar #1 shortly after arrival.
For updates on the move-in process and exhibit information, follow
NAS Wildwood Aviation Museum on social media or visit usnasw.org.
Accepted into service on August 31, 1993, with Marine Attack Squadron VMA-542, the aircraft later served with the renowned VMA-223 “Bulldogs.” During its distinguished career, this Harrier flew 219 Combat Missions and logged 755 Combat Flight Hours In support of Operation Iraqi Freedom and Operation Enduring Freedom.
Its final flight took place on December 1, 2024, out of MCAS Cherry Point. While not the last Harrier operated by the squadron, it remains one of the final actively flown aircraft of its type — a symbol of Marine Corps aviation at its finest.
What makes the AV-8B Harrier II so iconic is its ability to perform vertical and/or short take-offs and landings, allowing it to operate from forward operating bases, aircraft carriers, and austere airstrips close to combat zones, without the need for long runways.
Designed for close air support, the Harrier could rapidly respond to troops in contact, deliver precision strikes, and loiter over battlefields in ways that few other jets could.