US Special Operations Command chooses L3Harris’ Sky Warden for Armed Overwatch effort
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US Special Operations Command chooses L3Harris’ Sky Warden for Armed Overwatch effort
Pretty it isn't, it looks like the crop sprayer has won 
https://news.yahoo.com/us-special-op...234924553.html
WASHINGTON — U.S. Special Operations Command on Monday announced it has selected the AT-802U Sky Warden, made by L3Harris Technologies and Air Tractor, for its Armed Overwatch program.
The indefinite delivery, indefinite quantity contract will be worth up to $3 billion, L3Harris said in a release Monday. The initial program contract award is for $170 million.
Air Tractor is an aircraft manufacturer from Olney, Texas, that typically makes firefighting aircraft and agricultural planes such as crop dusters.
Initial production of the Sky Warden will take place at Air Tractor’s facility in Olney. L3Harris will then modify those planes into the Armed Overwatch mission configuration at its Tulsa, Oklahoma modification center, beginning in 2023. L3Harris said work will also take place at its other sites in Greenville, Rockwall and Waco, Texas and Nashville, Tennessee.
Air Force Special Operations Command’s Armed Overwatch program aims to build a fleet of up to 75 flexible, fixed-wing aircraft suitable for deployment to austere locations, with little logistical tail needed to keep them operating.
SOCOM is planning for the single-engine Sky Warden, as AFSOC’s Armed Overwatch plane, to be able to provide close air support, precision strike and armed intelligence, surveillance and reconnaissance missions for counterterrorism operations and irregular warfare.
AFSOC commander Lt. Gen. Jim Slife said last year he hopes Armed Overwatch aircraft will be suited to pressure extremist groups in places like Africa, in which the airspace is essentially uncontested.
The Air Force moved to establish a series of Armed Overwatch planes as it shifted its primary focus — and some of its more complex and expensive-to-operate fighters and bombers — away from combating terrorist groups and violent extremist organizations in places like the Middle East.
The indefinite delivery, indefinite quantity contract will be worth up to $3 billion, L3Harris said in a release Monday. The initial program contract award is for $170 million.
Air Tractor is an aircraft manufacturer from Olney, Texas, that typically makes firefighting aircraft and agricultural planes such as crop dusters.
Initial production of the Sky Warden will take place at Air Tractor’s facility in Olney. L3Harris will then modify those planes into the Armed Overwatch mission configuration at its Tulsa, Oklahoma modification center, beginning in 2023. L3Harris said work will also take place at its other sites in Greenville, Rockwall and Waco, Texas and Nashville, Tennessee.
Air Force Special Operations Command’s Armed Overwatch program aims to build a fleet of up to 75 flexible, fixed-wing aircraft suitable for deployment to austere locations, with little logistical tail needed to keep them operating.
SOCOM is planning for the single-engine Sky Warden, as AFSOC’s Armed Overwatch plane, to be able to provide close air support, precision strike and armed intelligence, surveillance and reconnaissance missions for counterterrorism operations and irregular warfare.
AFSOC commander Lt. Gen. Jim Slife said last year he hopes Armed Overwatch aircraft will be suited to pressure extremist groups in places like Africa, in which the airspace is essentially uncontested.
The Air Force moved to establish a series of Armed Overwatch planes as it shifted its primary focus — and some of its more complex and expensive-to-operate fighters and bombers — away from combating terrorist groups and violent extremist organizations in places like the Middle East.
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I like. Not everything has to be Mach 2/Stealth/$500m per unit. A bit of economy and diverse capability is a good thing.
With the current success of shoulder launched sam’s in Ukraine, and their ease of both operation and acquisition, this looks like making some US folk extremely vulnerable!
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Agreed … deployment areas would be a factor. But that’s all part of Threat Assessment, innit! Night NVG capability?
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All sorts of Baslers and Bird Dogs and even Pilatus UV-20A are used already.
Initially I was thinking the same thing, but I suppose the operational scenario is for a covert special mission and the use of man pads could end up being counter-productive for the enemy. I’m not a special operator though. Hard to imagine that Spec Ops Command didn’t consider the possibilities.
A bunch of antiaircraft cannon rounds are sitting in Heaven talking.
2cm Flak 38: I hit a Spitfire!
(Approving murmuring)
CRAM 35mm: I stopped a mortar round!
(Surprised murmuring)
14.5x114: I hit an A10!
(Impressed murmuring)
Dshk 12.7x108: I hit a um, er, never mind.
2cm Flak 38: I hit a Spitfire!
(Approving murmuring)
CRAM 35mm: I stopped a mortar round!
(Surprised murmuring)
14.5x114: I hit an A10!
(Impressed murmuring)
Dshk 12.7x108: I hit a um, er, never mind.
This aircrafts native habitat is 2 feet (could be 2 inches) above any ground, grass, tress, or below tree top height. You might be able to hear it, but the tree cover will stop you seeing it. If you can't see it, you can't shoot at it.
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… or quietly at FL100 with small LGB? Presumably capable of being fitted/carried?
uxb99, I'm pretty sure Apache is a taildragger, Blackhawk too. Even the Chinook usually arrives tail first. OK, none of them arrived that recently..
Paris Air Show 2017
I wandered over to the L-3 chalet and spoke to one of the sales directors who is a former Spectre driver about their At-802 on display and got some swag as well, here are my photos.
Go back in time to Vietnam era and the Jungle Jims out of Hulbert / Eglin were experimenting with light attack aircraft according to my copy of Wayne Mutza excellent book
cheers
Go back in time to Vietnam era and the Jungle Jims out of Hulbert / Eglin were experimenting with light attack aircraft according to my copy of Wayne Mutza excellent book
cheers
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The look of it reminds me in part of the IL2 Sturmovik
The fun + games begin when it has to pop-up to engage anything.
And they also come with floats used for fire bombing.
Oklahoma ANG
Will Rogers ANG base will receive the Sky Warden establishing Formal Training Unit, next year replacing the MC-12W Liberty:
https://www.af.mil/News/Article-Disp...h-new-at-802u/
cheers
https://www.af.mil/News/Article-Disp...h-new-at-802u/
cheers
