Air Force Special Operations Command: Ready to Go Skyraiding!
The U.S. Special Operations Command’s (USSOCOM) first missionized aircraft was based on an Air Tractor AT-802, a craft primarily employed for crop dusting.
The United States Air Force Special Operations Command, one of the ten major Air Force commands and the Air Force’s component of U.S. Special Operations Command (USSOCOM), announced that it received its “first missionized aircraft.”
It isn’t an advanced stealth and speedy fighter, and it wasn’t a cutting-edge design from Boeing, Lockheed Martin, or Northrop Grumman. Instead, L3Harris Technologies, a company known to provide “end-to-end technology solutions,” delivered the first OA-1K Skyraider II, an aircraft based on the Air Tractor AT-802, which was primarily employed for crop dusting.
The initial Skyraider II was delivered in a Hurlburt Field, Florida ceremony on April 3. In attendance was Lt. Col. Bill Buice, United States Air Force (Retired), a former Douglas A-1 Skyraider pilot, the aircraft from which the Skyraider II is named.
Buice flew the A-1 Skyraider from June 1967 to July 1968 during the Vietnam War. He was shot down during a mission but survived, thanks to the “rugged and versatile nature of the A-1 Skyraider,” the Air Force explained.
As additional Skyraider IIs are produced, they will be deployed to Will Rogers Air National Guard Base, Oklahoma, in the coming months. The base was named home of the formal training unit.
The OA-1K: From Crop Dusting to Skyraiding
The Air Tractor was selected to support USSOCOM’s Armed Overwatch program based on its modularity. It provides a flexible airframe that can be adapted to a variety of missions, including close air support (CAS), precision strikes, and even armed intelligence, surveillance, and reconnaissance (ISR). Each OA-1K can carry up to a 6,000-pound (2,721-kg) payload and loiter for up to 200 nautical miles.
“Skyraider II represents not just a new platform but a modular solution to our national security needs,” said Lt. Gen. Michael Conley, AFSOC commander.
“It will redefine how we approach joint campaigning, crisis response, and the evolving landscape of modern warfare.”
The Skyraider II also requires less maintenance and has a far lower per-flying hour cost than other aircraft. It can also operate from remote airfields, even in rugged locations.
“The Skyraider II reflects L3Harris’ commitment to delivering cost-effective, adaptable solutions that meet the evolving needs of the warfighter,” said Jon Rambeau, president of Integrated Mission Systems at L3Harris.
“By leveraging our team’s innovation and expertise, we provide special operations personnel with a versatile, mission-ready capability that supports operational requirements today and into the future.”
The Air Tractor AT-802 first entered service in 1990 and is currently the largest single-engine ag aircraft. Variants include an aerial firefighting model and a crop duster. The U.S. Air Force has already employed an armed model, the AT-802U Sky Warden, in a light counter-insurgency role.
“Air Tractor is thrilled to be a part of this program,” said Jim Hirsch, president of Air Tractor, Inc.
“We stand ready to meet the future needs and to ensure this airframe aligns with the expectations of U.S. Air Force Special Operations Command.”
The Air Tractor was selected over the Textron AT-6E Wolverine, which was based on the T-6 Texan trainer; the MC-208 Guardian, a military variant of the Cessna Caravan; and the MC-145B Wily Coyote, a version of the PZL M28 produced by Sierra Nevada. L3Harris will produce seventy-five Skyraider IIs at its Tulsa, Oklahoma facility after Air Tractor completes basic assembly in Olney, Texas.
USSOCOM is on track for the aircraft’s initial operational capacity (IOC) next year and full operational capacity (FOC) for the OA-1K Skyraider II by the end of 2029.
Air Data News reported in August 2022 that the program’s total cost has been capped at $3 billion.
About the Author: Peter Suciu
Peter Suciu is a Michigan-based writer. He has contributed to more than four dozen magazines, newspapers, and websites with over 3,200 published pieces over a twenty-year career in journalism. He regularly writes about military hardware, firearms history, cybersecurity, politics, and international affairs. Peter is also a Contributing Writer for Forbes and Clearance Jobs. You can follow him on Twitter: @PeterSuciu. You can email the author: [email protected].
Image: Wikimedia Commons/ Staff Sgt. Natalie Fiorilli.