OV-10 Bronco makes the list...

[chuckman]

SOCOM going to have demo flights of the armed overwatch ISR aircraft, the newest iteration of the Bronco made the list. One of my fave AC, I fondly recall watching the old OV-10s buzz around Jacksonville and Camp Lejeune when I was growing up.

https://www.defenceweb.co.za/aerospa...verwatch-demo/

[utahjeepr]

This looks like a vastly different aircraft than the old broncos. Similar twin boom tail, but the new one is a single engine pusher out of South Africa.

The light attack/overwatch aircraft concept seems good though. Lower cost and theoretical increased availability of close air support to provide more support to ground troops sounds awesome. I believe the objective overall is to provide a large fleet of options in the CAS role made up of armed UAVs and attack aircraft, both rotary and fixed wing.

[FromMyColdDeadHand]

That’s like Billy Eyelash changing her name to Marilyn Monroe.... it’s like Ford calling the four door EV a ‘Mustang’. Don’t bull shit me....

Going to make that deploying paratroopers out the back a little messy...

More excited about an amphibious C-130 that was recently reported.

Two engines, two engines..... what is so frickn hard about that.

I’d rather be an air soft door gunner of Trent Palmer’s Kitfox than that thing.

[agr1279]

There is a whole lot of fail there.

Dan

[caporider]

I just don't get why everyone is trying to reinvent the OV-10, but worse...

Just buy the OV-10X and go to town:

[chuckman]

Unfortunately I don't think anything will ever bring back the original OV-10 I loved so much.

I like the AT-6 out of all of them, followed by the Bronco II. I do not dig the cropduster. Two of those planes we have in inventory, the Guardian and the Wily Coyote, but they are used for special people doing special missions in special places where STOL lift is a big need.

[Diamondback]

I just don't get why everyone is trying to reinvent the OV-10, but worse...

Just buy the OV-10X and go to town:

This. Bonus, we have a ton of Boneyard Broncos that could probably be remanufactured up to X-ray spec which would let the defense dollars get more value for the taxpayer's money. Ofc, it'll never happen because that means less money for the cronyists and Obunghole-Biteme's foreign paymasters...

Personally, I've advocated Broncos for the Border Patrol with light armament and QRF squads in the back to respond to armed incursions. Combine that with surplus Phrogs, Chinooks or CH-53's as airmobile combined Command Posts/aid stations... airmobile BP backing up upgraded sensors and barriers allows coverage of the same area with less manpower, or the same manpower to have a greater response "reach."

[Grand58742]

I just don't get why everyone is trying to reinvent the OV-10, but worse...

Just buy the OV-10X and go to town:

You want to know why I'd say to skip over the OV-10X?

One word, Boeing.

It'll cost 8 times as much as projected and be 10 years before it gets to the fleet because of delays.

[ABNAK]

This looks like a vastly different aircraft than the old broncos. Similar twin boom tail, but the new one is a single engine pusher out of South Africa.

The light attack/overwatch aircraft concept seems good though. Lower cost and theoretical increased availability of close air support to provide more support to ground troops sounds awesome. I believe the objective overall is to provide a large fleet of options in the CAS role made up of armed UAVs and attack aircraft, both rotary and fixed wing.

I would lean that way simply for the loiter capabilities. Think about having an aerial "sniping" platform using Hellfires with pinpoint accuracy that can hang around for a l-o-n-g time (as compared to manned, larger aircraft). Enemy PKM position pinning down one of your maneuver platoons? Drone saunters over and pops them with a Hellfire.....problem solved. We know it works in a desert environment, only question would be how well would it work in a heavily wooded or jungle situation.

[Diamondback]

I would lean that way simply for the loiter capabilities. Think about having an aerial "sniping" platform using Hellfires with pinpoint accuracy that can hang around for a l-o-n-g time (as compared to manned, larger aircraft). Enemy PKM position pinning down one of your maneuver platoons? Drone saunters over and pops them with a Hellfire.....problem solved. We know it works in a desert environment, only question would be how well would it work in a heavily wooded or jungle situation.

Heck, APKWS II 2.75" rockets would work there--they basically turn the old Hydra-70 into a mini-Hellfire, and it can even be adapted with a non-explosive payload for "sniper" work. Unfortunately, what can be done overseas can also be done here... I had advocated that combination of technologies for urban counterinsurgency ten years ago, but didn't fully think through the implications on the homefront if Feral Gov decided to turn its weapons on us.