L3Harris begins delivering Skyraider II aircraft to USSOCOM, explores international sales
NewsMay 07, 2025
TAMPA, Florida. L3Harris Technologies recently began delivering its OA-1K Skyraider II armed reconnaissance aircraft to U.S. Special Operations Command (USSOCOM), with the first operational aircraft delivered to Air Force Special Operations Command at Hurlburt Field last month, company officials told reporters at a Tampa airfield where a Sky Warden aircraft was displayed for SOF Week 2025.
Jon Rambeau, president of the Integrated Mission Systems segment for L3Harris, told reporters that the company is also actively exploring international sales opportunities for the platform. He declined to identify the countries, but said a few were in serious conversations about the aircraft.
The Skyraider II is the culmination of a program to provide special operations forces with a dedicated armed overwatch capability. Though originally contracted for 75 aircraft in a $3 billion deal, the program reportedly was reduced to 62 aircraft last year following a Government Accountability Office review.
Formerly known as the AT-802U Sky Warden, the aircraft was renamed "Skyraider II" in February to honor the legacy of the Cold War-era A-1 Skyraider, another taildragger attack aircraft used extensively by special operations forces in Southeast Asia. The single-engine turboprop features an armored cockpit, self-sealing fuel tanks, and ten hardpoints capable of carrying various weapons systems. According to company specifications, it has a maximum range of over 1,300 nautical miles and a patrol speed of approximately 180 knots.
The aircraft can operate from unimproved airstrips in austere locations, and can be deployed rapidly, the company says. The entire aircraft can be disassembled to fit inside a C-17 cargo aircraft.
The aircraft is built in two stages, with Air Tractor constructing the airframe in Olney, Texas, before L3Harris adds mission systems and weapons integration at their facility in Tulsa, Oklahoma.
L3Harris won the Armed Overwatch competition in August 2022, beating out several competitors for the contract. The first two training aircraft were delivered to Hurlburt Field in June 2024, with the first fully mission-capable aircraft following last month.
