SOCOM awards "Armed Overwatch" contract

[Slater]

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/pr...-ussocom-armed

[FromMyColdDeadHand]

OV-10 or nothing…. But I will entertain the idea of a OV-20….

One engine…

[AKDoug]

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/pr...-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/...re-boss-pilot/ Might be time for her to get a new job.

[mack7.62]

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]

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]

Based on the picture and name ‘sky tractor’ that very much looks like a repurposed crop duster…

[mack7.62]

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]

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]

Isn't this what EP was trying to do with the Thrush 510G a few years back?
https://theintercept.com/2016/04/11/...ate-air-force/

[chuckman]

Isn't this what EP was trying to do with the Thrush 510G a few years back?
https://theintercept.com/2016/04/11/...ate-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.