The United States teamed up with with the United Kingdom to produce an updated new generation of Harriers that included British Aerospace (BAe) as a major subcontactor in manufacturing in the latest techonological endeavor for a military aircraft in the 1980s. The Harrier was the first jet to utilize the vertical short take-off / landing (V/STOL) providing them with hovering effect making it logistically easier on an aircraft carrier. The Harrier II was continually improved upon with a major improvement from the GR7 to the Harrier GR9, adding avionics, communication systems and weapons capabilities to the already impressive jet serving a majority of its time in continuous operations in Afghanistan for the RAF before being replaced in 2009 and then completely being retired in 2011.