F-35B vs AV-8B Harrier II
The F-35B is substantially larger & heavier than the Harrier & it can carry much larger weapon loads & carry them much farther as well.
It is very much faster, very much in advance of the Harrier in all weapons & sensor systems & has a very broad range of abilities that the Harrier simply doesn’t possess.
In particular, the F-35B is an actual air-combat fighter of formidable capability.
Furthermore, The F-35B, like the Harrier, is a COTL/STOL/STOVL/VTOL capable aircraft, with weapons. The Harrier is seldom flown COTL (its brakes are very marginal) & the F-35B is seldom flown VTOL, although it has ~ 100% greater combat radius in VTOL than the Harrier.
Lockheed Martin F-35 Lightning II
The Lockheed Martin F-35 Lightning II is a family of single-seat, single-engine, all-weather stealth multirole fighters.
The fifth-generation combat aircraft is designed to perform the ground attack and air superiority missions.
It has three Variants
- F-35A conventional takeoff and landing (CTOL)
- F-35B short take-off and vertical landing
- F-35B vs AV-8B Harrier II Short Takeoff & Vertical Landing(STOVL)
- F-35C carrier-based Catapult Assisted Take-Off But Arrested Recovery (CATOBAR)
Read more: Video of Tense Aerial Battle b/w Harriers & Skyhawks during Falklands War
McDonnell Douglas AV-8B Harrier II
The McDonnell Douglas AV-8B Harrier II is a single-engine ground-attack aircraft
Capable of vertical or short takeoff and landing
Named after a bird of prey, it is primarily employed on light attack or multi-role missions, ranging from close air support of ground troops to armed reconnaissance
In addition, the AV-8B is used by the United States Marine Corps (USMC), the Spanish Navy, and the Italian Navy.
A variant of the AV-8B, the British Aerospace Harrier II, was developed for the British military, while another, the TAV-8B, is a dedicated two-seat trainer.
