Legacy Aircraft Forceful Reminder Of USMC Air Power

The legacy of U.S. Marine Corps aviation will continue to live on at Marine Corps Air Station Yuma, where a recently-retired AV-8B Harrier II arrived and will soon take its place as part of a static display at the base’s front entrance gate.

The aircraft was part of a three-ship flight in June 2025 that made several stops in a nine-day cross-country flight with stops in Aurora, Colorado, and Mesa, Arizona before arriving at Yuma. The flights were led by the AV-8B Harrier Program Office (PMA-257), the U.S. Marine Corps Headquarters of Marine Aircraft Group 14 (MAG 14), and marines from VMA-231 to retire, demilitarize, and preserve the Harriers for public display.

The aircraft arrived in Yuma on June 10, and the demilitarization team arrived on site June 16. The team towed the aircraft into the hangar of Marine Fighter Attack Group (VFMA) 211 and for two days, they completed technical and safety procedures to make the aircraft suitable for display.

The newly-arrived aircraft, designated BuNo (Bureau Number) 165428, will replace one that’s been on display since its arrival some time after it was damaged and repaired during a battle with Taliban insurgents at Camp Bastion in  Afghanistan in September 2012.

The aircraft being replaced was designated BuNo 165588 and was the only one of three aircraft that was repairable after the battle and brought to Yuma for display. Now, BuNo 165588 will be moved to a national display at the Smithsonian’s Udvar-Hazy Center in Chantilly, Virginia.

Pablo “Louie” Sanchez, PMA-257 logistics assistant program manager and museum task force lead said, “Having BuNo 165428 on display at Yuma—while 165588 transitions to the national stage—is a meaningful handoff,” said “Each of these aircraft represents a unique chapter in U.S. Marine Corps history. Together, they tell a story of dedication, operational excellence, and sacrifice.”

FMI:  www.navair.navy.mil/