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Basically, there were some reliability and power improvements to the Pegasus engine, but the centerpiece of the change was in an improved flight-control system, to improve controllability in the hover and translation to/from forward flight modes*. This was carried out from 1981 to 1984.

According to http://www.museumofflight.org/Collection/Aircraft.asp?RecordKey=F0B7D627-B4D2-43E7-8697-6A5A9E6C6A77

"Of the 102 AV-8As (and 8 TAV-8As) bought by the Marine Corps, 47 were converted to the AV-8C configuration. The AV-8C program was to upgrade the twenty-year old AV-8A models until such time as the new Harrier IIs entered service. Upgrades included a more powerful engine, more sophisticated electronic equipment, and aerodynamic improvements."


According to Greg Goebel at http://www.vectorsite.net/avav8_2.html#m3

"The changes included:

An airframe overhaul to add 4,000 hours life to the aircraft.

The addition of belly lift improvement devices, designed for the AV-8B, to increase warload.

An updated electronics countermeasures (ECM) suite, including a US-built Litton AN/ALR-45F RWR and an AN/ALE-40 chaff-flare dispenser.

Improved secure radios.

An "on board oxygen generator system (OBOGS)" that allowed the aircraft to generate oxygen for the pilot on its own, eliminating the need to stock oxygen bottles.

Strip-style formation-keeping lights.

The side-mounted camera fitted in the AV-8A was deleted."


*These two sites do not mention this, but I was in the USMC aviation community from 1981-1989, and this was specifically mentioned by those involved in the Harrier community as one of the most urgent parts of the upgrade.



And no, Seasick... no Harrier has ever been replaced with Bugs (F/A-18s)!!

All of the AV-8A/Cs were replaced with AV-8Bs, as were most of the active-duty A-4Ms the USMC was still operating (the change-over was completed in 1990).

No USMCR squadron has operated any Harrier model... the reserve light-attack squadrons also operated A-4Ms until 1994, when the last ones were replaced by F/A-18As (themselves bumped from active-duty squadrons by F/A-18Cs).