When U.S. Special Operations Command and the Air Force first developed requirements for its Armed Overwatch program, planners envisioned a rugged, lightweight, low-cost combat scout aircraft capable of supporting counterinsurgency missions. Now that they've acquired OA-1K Skyraider II, however, the command and its prime contractor are looking to up-arm their modified Air ...
OA-1K
U.S. Special Operations Command is once again slowing its purchases of the new OA-1K Skyraider II multipurpose counterinsurgency plane, as the Pentagon pivots its budget to prepare for a high-end conflict following two decades of wars in the Middle East.
About a month away from its arrival, the Air Force named an upcoming light attack and observation aircraft after an iconic Cold War-era close air support platform.
Air Force Special Operations Command will find ways to use the OA-1K Armed Overwatch plane in great power competition, commander Lt. Gen. Michael E. Conley said this week, amid questions about the fleet’s size and utility in a changing strategic environment.
Budget documents indicate U.S. Special Operations Command is cutting back on its plans for Armed Overwatch, the rugged, lightweight, fixed-wing aircraft to support counterterrorism efforts in permissive airspace. According to SOCOM’s 2025 budget request released earlier this month, the combatant command is trimming its planned ...