Juan Carlos I is Spain's flagship amphibious assault ship and the crown jewel of its navy. Although the vessel entered service in 2010 and is expected to remain operational until at least the late 2030s, the ship appears set to lose its fighter jet operational capability by the early 2030s. This is because the AV-8 Harrier II is currently the only operational V/STOL combat aircraft in service, and Spain has not placed orders for F-35B replacements to fill the gap.