The United States Air Force Special Operations Command (AFSOC) has unveiled the designation of its new OA-1K attack aircraft during the Special Air Warfare Symposium, held from February 25 to 27 in Fort Walton Beach, Florida. From now on, the new aircraft will be known as the Skyraider II, aiming to provide added value to U.S. special operations forces deployed worldwide.
The OA-1K is a new platform under AFSOC that will support special operations forces, as well as the Joint Force, through close air support, precision strike, and intelligence, surveillance, and reconnaissance capabilities. According to available information, AFSOC intends to acquire 75 Skyraider II aircraft, with plans to introduce the first unit in the coming months.
The decision to acquire this aircraft emerged in 2022 following the withdrawal of troops from Afghanistan and the end of the Global War on Terrorism (GWOT), which marked a shift in the paradigm and objectives of Special Operations. Some experts point out that the specific roles and missions planned for the Skyraider II remain unclear. However, U.S. Air Force Brigadier General Craig Prather, AFSOC’s Director of Plans, Programs, and Strategic Requirements, highlighted the OA-1K’s potential to “take on missions” along “the southwestern border” with Mexico.
Since the entry into service of the first A-1K version in 1946 up until the 1980s—when the A-1J became the final variant—the aircraft has stood out for providing support capabilities to U.S. Special Operations. During its use in the Korean War and the Vietnam War, the Skyraider delivered firepower and additional capabilities for special operations forces combat missions, according to a report. Other variants of this aircraft have included roles such as airborne early warning, electronic countermeasures, and even anti-submarine warfare.
The OA-1K, a turboprop-powered aircraft, is a militarized variant of the popular Air Tractor AT-802. It features a tailwheel landing gear design similar to the much larger, piston-powered Skyraider. Given this, the Skyraider II is set to become the first tactical combat aircraft with this design in the U.S. military inventory in decades, allowing it to perform short takeoffs and landings and operate from unprepared airstrips or austere environments.
Finally, this new version includes two stations capable of carrying up to 2,700 kg of munitions, as well as other weaponry such as missiles and precision-guided bombs. Developed by L3Harris, the company states that the aircraft can fly up to 320 kilometers and remain airborne for up to six hours while carrying a significant weapons load. It also features “a robust suite of radios and data links that provide multiple means for line-of-sight (LOS) and beyond-line-of-sight (BLOS) communications,” according to the company.
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