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View Full Version : SOCOM awards "Armed Overwatch" contract


Slater
08-01-22, 17:13
Can't say that I've heard of this particular aircraft:

"MELBOURNE, Fla. — U.S. Special Operations Command (USSOCOM) has selected L3Harris Technologies (NYSE:LHX) and Air Tractor, Inc.’s AT-802U Sky Warden™ system for its Armed Overwatch program. Award of the Indefinite Quantity, Indefinite Delivery contract includes a cost ceiling of $3 billion. The program includes delivery of up to 75 manned, fixed wing aircraft, with an initial program contract award of $170 million."

https://www.l3harris.com/newsroom/press-release/2022/08/l3harris-and-air-tractor-sky-warden-team-selected-ussocom-armed
FromMyColdDeadHand
08-01-22, 17:24
OV-10 or nothing…. But I will entertain the idea of a OV-20….

One engine…
AKDoug
08-01-22, 17:59
Can't say that I've heard of this particular aircraft:

"MELBOURNE, Fla. — U.S. Special Operations Command (USSOCOM) has selected L3Harris Technologies (NYSE:LHX) and Air Tractor, Inc.’s AT-802U Sky Warden™ system for its Armed Overwatch program. Award of the Indefinite Quantity, Indefinite Delivery contract includes a cost ceiling of $3 billion. The program includes delivery of up to 75 manned, fixed wing aircraft, with an initial program contract award of $170 million."

https://www.l3harris.com/newsroom/press-release/2022/08/l3harris-and-air-tractor-sky-warden-team-selected-ussocom-armed

Air Tractor gets a lot of mileage out of the airframe. One of my son's friends is the youngest and first female FireBoss pilot. https://fireaviation.com/2022/07/21/26-year-old-is-the-youngest-and-first-ever-female-fire-boss-pilot/ Might be time for her to get a new job.
mack7.62
08-01-22, 18:32
A tail dragging crop duster ain't sexy but ought to make a good mud fighter. Question is who is going to fly it, Key West agreement banned Army armed fixed wing.
FromMyColdDeadHand
08-01-22, 21:48
And $3B may be enough for the AF to care and add and afterburner, nuclear capability, and stealth to it…. And a smaller engine.
TMS951
08-02-22, 05:58
Based on the picture and name ‘sky tractor’ that very much looks like a repurposed crop duster…
mack7.62
08-02-22, 07:10
It is a repurposed crop duster with a L3 surveillance/targeting pod and hard points for weapons, it was in the light attack competition along with the Super Tucano and AT-6 but I never though it had a chance of being selected because it was so ugly compared to them. Not a lot of fighter jocks going to be trying to get it as their first assignment, main role will be flying circles doing ISR, sad to say I see more of a domestic role spying on us deplorables.
chuckman
08-02-22, 11:19
A tail dragging crop duster ain't sexy but ought to make a good mud fighter. Question is who is going to fly it, Key West agreement banned Army armed fixed wing.

AFSOC is lead agency, so I guess the AF.

They'll get the pilots from the same place they get the candidates for the other AFSOC-centric AC. Not everyone want to be a fighter pilot.
Allen
08-02-22, 14:59
Isn't this what EP was trying to do with the Thrush 510G a few years back?
https://theintercept.com/2016/04/11/blackwater-founder-erik-prince-drive-to-build-private-air-force/
chuckman
08-02-22, 15:47
Isn't this what EP was trying to do with the Thrush 510G a few years back?
https://theintercept.com/2016/04/11/blackwater-founder-erik-prince-drive-to-build-private-air-force/

Not really. SOCOM needed a low speed, maintainable aircraft that could loiter for a long time and provide ISR and rapid CAS. I guess it's kind of what he wanted, but they really need to be organic to SOCOM not a contracted service.
Rayrevolver
08-02-22, 19:19
Wonder what the cost proposition between these ag birds and arming a U-28 looks like?

Watching the old Agcats work was fun. I imagine these newer birds will zip around low level and deliver some hate to the bad guys out there.
Slater
08-02-22, 20:01
Hope they have adequate countermeasures (chaff, flare, etc.). These would seem to be sitting ducks for MANPADS or indeed medium caliber AAA.