52 Years Later: Why The US Marines Is Reactivating Its Oldest Flying F-35 Squadron

The oldest flying squadron in the US Marine Corps is preparing to enter a new era of 5th-generation air warfare after its official reactivation on October 9 this year. Previously, Marine Fighter Attack Squadron 231, VMFA-231, conducted its final flight as Marine Attack Squadron 231, VMA-231, in May 2025. The Squadron officially sunset its McDonnell Douglas AV-8B Harrier II last year and was formally deactivated in September. Known as the 'Ace of Spades,' the North Carolina-based unit marked its transition to the Lockheed Martin F-35 Lightning II during a formal ceremony at Marine Corps Air Station Cherry Point. Although the flying 'devil dogs' have received a new airframe and expanded mission set, their home base and core doctrine will remain constant even as the aviators and ground crew transition from a rugged jump jet to a cutting-edge stealth fighter. Founded on February 8, 1919, VMFA-231 is the oldest continuously active flying squadron. Over more than a century, it transitioned from canvas biplanes in the early days to F4F Wildcats at Guadalcanal, and flew the Harrier for over 50 years. It is now the service's 10th operational F-35B squadron out of a planned force of 12. VMFA-231 achieved 'Safe for Flight' certification in August. After reactivation, it is now a combat-ready unit in the active fleet once again. The Harrier Fleet Ran Out Of Time A Year Early Credit: US Marines In parallel with VMFA-231's transition, the Marine Corps officially accelerated the sundown of the AV-8B Harrier II.The final flight by a USMC pilot was performed on June 3, a full year ahead of its original 2027 target. By retiring the remaining Harriers early, the Marine Corps instantly freed up massive amounts of budget, maintenance personnel, and hangar space at Cherry Point, accelerating its overall fifth-generation fighter fleet overhaul. Speeding up this process also helped overcome the primary bottleneck in standing up F-35B squadrons: not just building the jets, but retraining the people. Ending the Harrier program early allowed hundreds of highly experienced mechanics, maintainers, and technicians from squadrons like VMA-231 and VMA-223 to enter the F-35 pipeline, accelerating Safe for Flight certifications for multiple units. Moving VMFA-231 ahead of schedule keeps the service strictly aligned with its force design blueprint. In an interesting plot twist, the fate of those retired Harriers creates a deeply ironic geopolitical twist involving one of America's allies across the Atlantic: the Spanish Navy. Because parts were no longer being manufactured for its Fleet of expeditionary Harriers, Spain immediately stepped in to acquire five newly retired USMC Harriers solely to harvest them for spare parts. Jump Jets And The Evolution Of Air Warfare In The 21st Century Credit: US Marines Spain recently walked away from acquiring the F-35B stealth jet. Instead, Spain Rejected The F-35 For A $7 Billion Eurofighter Deal & Left Its Navy Scavenging Retired US Marine Harriers, signing a massive $7 billion Eurofighter Typhoon contract and extending its reliance on domestic aerospace partnerships. To prevent the Juan Carlos I from being downgraded to a basic helicopter carrier, Spain committed to keeping its old Harriers flying until at least 2032. While the Eurofighter is excellent for land-based air force missions, it can't take off from Spain's flagship amphibious assault ship, the Juan Carlos I. Because that carrier uses a short-takeoff/vertical-landing (STOVL) ski-jump deck, the F-35B is the only modern production fighter capable of replacing its fleet. Looking toward European suppliers, Spain is pivoting to build a true conventional, catapult-launched (CATOBAR) aircraft carrier capability, relying heavily on French industrial cooperation and European multirole aerospace programs. This track closely mirrors the plan the US Marines are pursuing for future total force reorganization as the final F-35 squadrons near combat capability. Both forces are explicitly acknowledging that the geographic flexibility of a short-takeoff/vertical-landing fleet comes with severe operational limitations in a high-end conflict, forcing a rebalance toward heavy, long-range carrier aviation. What The F-35 Adds To A Harrier Squadron Credit: US Marines When analyzing the technological leap from the legacy AV-8B Harrier II to the fifth-generation F-35B and F-35C, the improvements extend far beyond a lower radar cross-section. Speed alone shows that the AV-8B Harrier was severely limited as a strictly subsonic attack aircraft. If it pushes past Mach 0.9 in a dive, it encounters severe buffeting and aerodynamic instability. Both the F-35B and F-35C are supersonic platforms capable of dashing at Mach 1.6 with full internal weapon loads. In terms of weapon-systems integration, the Harrier's obsolete, antiquated avionics cannot compare with the new Joint Strike Fighter. In the F-35 family, advanced flight computers handle flight mechanics entirely. The aircraft fuses data from its Active Electronically Scanned Array radar, Distributed Aperture System, and Electro-Optical Targeting System into a single, cohesive picture projected onto the pilot's helmet visor. Specifications AV-8B F-35B F-35C Maximum Payload 9,200 pounds (4,173 kg) 15,000 pounds (6,804 kg) 18,000 pounds (8,165 kg) Combat Radius 300 nautical miles (556 km) 450 nautical miles (833 km) 600 nautical miles (1,111 km) Top Speed 673 miles per hour (Mach 0.88) 1,200 miles per hour (Mach 1.6) 1,200 miles per hour (Mach 1.6) The Harrier's combat radius is tightly constrained, requiring frequent aerial refueling or proximity to a front-line amphibious ship. By omitting vertical-lift machinery entirely, the carrier-optimized F-35C packs a massive internal fuel tank that delivers more than double the unrefueled strike range of the aircraft it replaces. The combination of stealth and long range is especially valuable as the Marine Corps executes a force realignment under the 'pivot to the Pacific' across the entire US Armed Forces, where the 'tyranny of distance' is a major factor in all air operations. Additionally, stealth is necessary because China's advanced anti-aircraft systems and stealth fighters pose the primary threat to Marine Corps lightning carriers and Raider forces stationed ashore across the first and second island chains. Readiness Is The Real Test Of The Conversion Credit: US Marines VMFA-231 isn't the only squadron returning to Cherry Point. VMFA-251 became the first East Coast Marine F-35C squadron in 2024, according to The Aviationist. VMFA-115 was deactivated at MCAS Beaufort, South Carolina, in 2023 when its Hornets retired, then flew its first F-35C on July 31 and expects to return to operational service later this year. Meanwhile, the Congressional Budget Office has looked at how often these jets are actually ready to fly. According to Army Recognition's summary of that historical assessment, F-35B availability fell from roughly 65% for new aircraft to 43% by their sixth year in service. AV-8Bs slid from roughly 59% to 43% between their eighth and 20th years in service. The comparison is not perfectly even, since the age ranges differ. A squadron planning ship deployments needs enough aircraft ready on the day, not on average over many years. The Gulf War gives a concrete benchmark. Harriers operating close to the front kept their readiness rate above 90% with turnarounds measured in minutes during the ground offensive. The F-35B needs far more support and infrastructure to achieve a similar result. Yet, even with every tool available, software deficiencies are just as likely to keep F-35s grounded as broken parts. Under the 2025 Marine Corps Aviation Plan, every operational F-35 squadron is expected to get 12 aircraft from 2030, compared to the present strength of ten each. Under the aviation plan, the total number of F-35B purchases was cut from 353 to 280 jets, while the USMC raised the F-35C order to 140 from 67. This will in turn support 12 F-35B squadrons and eight F-35C squadrons. A Record That Runs From Biplane Dogfights To Stealth Air Supremacy Credit: US Marines Army Recognition traces the squadron to Miami, Florida, where it was established on February 8, 1919, as 1st Division, Squadron D. On July 16, 1927, 10 personnel under Major Ross E. Rowell joined the Battle of Ocotal in Nicaragua, carrying out an early dive-bombing attack with five de Havilland DH-4B biplanes. By then it had been renamed Marine Observation Squadron One, a title that sounds odd for a modern jet unit. The Pacific War brought the hardest test. The squadron moved to Hawaii in January 1941, helped defend Midway, and reached Guadalcanal on August 30, 1942, flying SBD Dauntless dive bombers with the Cactus Air Force. By October 3, 11 of its 12 original aircraft had been destroyed or made unserviceable. It returned to combat in the Marshall Islands in February 1944 and switched to F4U Corsair fighters that October. Peace brought paperwork rather than parades. The squadron was deactivated in March 1946, returned to the Marine Corps Reserve in September 1948, and was deactivated again on August 31, 1962, according to Army Recognition. It returned to active service on May 15, 1973, flying the Hawker Siddeley AV-8A Harrier, the jump jet that would define the next 52 years. The Harrier gave the Marine Corps a flexible, responsive tool tailored to their expeditionary ethos. The Harrier years began quietly. In October 1976, the squadron deployed aboard USS Franklin D. Roosevelt with Carrier Air Wing 19, visiting Spain, Italy, Egypt, and Kenya, and it returned to Cherry Point in April 1977. In the mid-1980s, it was converted to the AV-8B Harrier II, which added a larger composite wing and better avionics. The jet proved so successful as a close air support vehicle for the Marine Air-Ground Task Force that the service was reluctant to retire it, even in favor of the F-35.