AFSOC receives first missionised L3Harris OA-1K Skyraider II
A US Air Force OA-1K Skyraider II at Hurlburt Field, Florida, in January 2025. AFSOC has now taken formal delivery of its first OA-1K. (AFSOC)
US Air Force Special Operations Command (AFSOC) took delivery of its first L3Harris OA-1K Skyraider II at Hurlburt Field in Okaloosa County, Florida, on 3 April, according to an announcement by the service.
Future OA-1Ks are to be sent to Will Rogers Air National Guard Base in Oklahoma City, Oklahoma, where the type's formal training unit is located, with additional aircraft headed to Davis-Monthan Air Force Base in Tucson, Arizona, to equip the 492nd Power Projection Wing. It is unclear whether this first example will be based in Oklahoma or be retained for testing at Hurlburt Field.
The Air Tractor AT-802, from which the OA-1K is adapted, is primarily used for crop dusting, and is designed for relatively low and slow flight. L3Harris receives AT-802s and adds an electro-optic/infrared camera, weapons hardpoints, and communications systems.
The OA-1K can carry up to 6,000 lb (2,721 kg) of payload and can loiter for six hours at 200 n miles (370 km), according to L3Harris.
“The Skyraider II requires a much smaller maintenance package and costs less per flying hour than other conventional or other special operations aircraft,” AFSOC said. AFSOC operates a diverse fleet of aircraft, including many adapted from civilian models; the OA-1K is to be among the smallest.
Go beyond the headlines - with direct links to interconnected entities
Get full access to validated equipment, military capabilities, and market insights.
