AV-8B Harrier II

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The McDonnell Douglas (now Boeing) AV-8B Harrier II is a single-engine ground-attack aircraft that constitutes the second generation of the Harrier Jump Jet family. Capable of vertical or short takeoff and landing (V/STOL), the aircraft was designed in the late 1970s as an Anglo-American development of the British Hawker Siddeley Harrier, the first operational V/STOL aircraft. The aircraft is primarily employed on light attack or multi-role missions, ranging from close air support of ground troops to armed reconnaissance. The AV-8B is used by the United States Marine Corps (USMC), the Spanish Navy, and the Italian Navy.

The Harrier is the only widely-used VTOL (Vertical Take Off And Land) military jet in history. The F-35B will be the second. Their first flights were 41 years apart. The US Marines plan to use Harriers until 2030. They'll eventually be replaced by F-35s.

Unlike most aircraft, Harriers use two types of flight control systems. Conventional control surfaces for wing-lift flight, and bleed air reaction control valves for vectored-thrust flight. The jet uses bleed air through four main nozzles in the fuselage, in addition to two vents in the wingtips, to maneuver during vectored-thrust flight.

Text-Source: Wikipedia