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OA-1K
U.S. Special Operations Command (SOCOM) has further reduced its planned fleet of L3Harris OA-1K Skyraider IIs amid a new shift of its resources.
The Pentagon’s fiscal 2027 budget request says SOCOM has reduced the fleet size from 62 to 53 aircraft, having previously cut the fleet from 75. The budget requests $59 million to buy two of the fixed-wing, single-engine counter-insurgency aircraft, with four planned in 2028 and two in 2029 to complete procurement.
The overall fleet size has been a moving target for SOCOM and L3Harris has argued for at least a return to the 75 total if not more. The RAND Corp. recently finalized a report outlining the need for OA-1K, though the organization says the study cannot be released because it includes real-world taskings for SOCOM.
The OA-1K came out of SOCOM’s Armed Overwatch program, with the expectation that it take on roles previously served by the MC-12 Liberty and Javaman fleet, along with the coming retirement of the U-28 Draco. The U-28 is expected to be divested by the end of fiscal 2026, budget justification documents say.
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