Shortly after the Night Attack upgrade program for the AV-8B, which resulted in the AV-8B (Night Attack), a further advancement was set out in the AV-8B upgrade program, to be integrated alongside the NA models. This new model, designated the AV-8B "Plus", would work alongside the AV-8B (NA) and be more capable in the air-to-air role. To achieve this, the new AV-8B+ replaced the Hughes AN/ASB-19 FLIR targeting system in the nose with the AN/APG-65 radar, directly taken from older F/A-18 Hornet aircraft which at the time were being upgraded to the new AN/APG-73 radar. This gave the AV-8B+ the capability to fire the AIM-120 AMRAAM missile, significantly bolstering its air-to-air capability and, in turn, its ability to defend other friendly Harriers (especially those of the AV-8B (NA) variety) which it would be flying with. Besides this upgrade, there were a few new avionics and FCS changes, primarily giving it the capability to utilise newer variants of the Sidewinder.

The AV-8B+ was introduced in Update "Seek & Destroy". Just like its Italian brother, the AV-8B+ is a true jack of all trades. The AV-8B+'s only disadvantage lies in its low top speed, being a high-range subsonic aircraft at the battle rating where almost everything it faces is supersonic. However, do not let this deceive you, as the AV-8B+ is capable of dealing back punishment more than it receives, with interest even. Thanks to the smokeless and IRCCM equipped AIM-9M Sidewinder, powerful radar with various modes, the powerful GAU-12 rotary cannon (with EEGS and CCIP) and especially the AIM-120 AMRAAM active radar missile, the AV-8B+ is a very lethal aircraft in any airspace. In addition, when equipped with the capable LITENING II thermal targeting pod, the AV-8B+ also gains the ability to make very lethal use of its arsenal of air-to-ground precision munitions, which can include up to 10 laser-guided bombs or 10 GPS-guided bombs, various types of rockets and bombs, and the AGM-65 Maverick anti-tank guided missile. All in all, the AV-8B+ is a very deadly hoverbug on any battlefield it finds itself in, and is a very easy plane to learn, albeit a hard one to master.