Pleny of VTOL aircraft.. including jets prior to the Harrier.. including American ones... Ryan X-13 Vertijet anyone...Bell X-14....
And the Yak-38 was the result of numerous Soviet research types including the Freehand...
BUT and its the one that really pisses the US off.. the Harrier was the first to enter operational service, to prove it worked as an aircraft, to prove it was a worthwhile weapons system, to demonstrate the value of vector thrust in combat etc etc... all of which had been sidelined by the US view that is was 'never' going to work....
Since then the Harrier has been adopted by McD (now Boeing) for the Marines (AV-8B et al) and has served as the fundamental concept for the JSF programme...so kudos to the UK for doing it first and kudos to the US for realising the 'real' potential of the type and making it a primary all arms weapons platform...far beyond the original intent.. even if the F-35 uses a UK invented and developed powerplant....
