Sky Warden L3harris - L3Harris has won a contract to supply its Sky Warden AT-802U aircraft for the US Special Operations Command's Armed Overwatch program. (L3Harris)
WASHINGTON – The United States Special Operations Command announced Monday that it has selected the AT-802U Sky Warden, manufactured by L3Harris Technologies and AirTractor, for its armed Overwatch program.
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L3Harris said in a statement on Monday that the indefinite-supply, indefinite-quantity contract is worth up to $3 billion. The project's initial contract award is $170 million.
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Air Tractor is an aircraft manufacturer based in Olney, Texas that typically produces agricultural aircraft such as firefighting aircraft and dusters.
Sky Warden's initial production will take place at Air Tractor's facility in Olney. L3Harris will replace those aircraft in an armed overwatch mission configuration at its modification center in Tulsa, Okla., starting in 2023. L3Harris said the work will also take place at its other sites in Greenville, Rockwall and Waco, Texas, as well as Nashville, Tennessee. .
Air Force Special Operations Command's Armed Overwatch program aims to build a fleet of 75 flexible and fixed-wing aircraft that require a small logistical array to operate.
SOCOM envisions the single-engine Sky Warden as AFSOC's armed overwatch aircraft that can provide close air support, precision strikes, and armed reconnaissance, counterterrorism operations, and reconnaissance missions for irregular warfare.
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AFSOC commander Lt. Gen. Jim Slife said last year that he expects the armed Overwatch aircraft to be sufficient to pressure terrorist groups in places like Africa where airspace is uncontested.
The Air Force established multiple armed Overwatch aircraft, shifting its main focus — and its more complex and expensive-to-operate fighters and bombers — away from fighting terrorist groups and violent extremist organizations in places like the Middle East. .
The L3Harris Sky Warden will be used to put pressure on terrorist groups in places where airspace permits, such as Africa. (L3Harris)
"Armed Overwatch addresses a critical need for U.S. Special Operations Command to conduct a wide range of operations globally in support of national security strategy," SOCOM Commanding General Richard Clarke said in a statement. "This robust and stable base will protect our special operations forces on the ground in permissive environments and in harsh conditions around the world."
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SOCOM said the aircraft would be low-cost, capable of taking off and landing in harsh terrain, long-haul and capable of supporting a variety of modular payloads.
Last year, Slife suggested that AFSOC allow Armed Overwatch to take its aging and expensive U-28A Draco ISR aircraft — a rare aircraft that requires specialized equipment and training — out of the field.
But SOCOM said in a statement to Air Force Times on Monday that the U-28 will still be needed to provide ISR for operations such as search and rescue and humanitarian relief, even after Sky Warden is issued.
Clarke told lawmakers last year that he envisions four operational squadrons of 15 armed overwatch planes, one to deploy at any time, while the other three train, recuperate and stay home. A fifth squadron of 10 to 15 aircraft will be there for training, Clark said.
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L3Harris beat out four competitors -- Leidos, MAG Aerospace, Textron Aviation Defense and Sierra Nevada -- for the Armed Overwatch contract. Those five companies produced prototype aircraft that were primarily evaluated at Eglin Air Force Base in Florida in late 2021 and early 2022.
L3Harris said he is moving quickly to convert his prototype aircraft to production configuration, allowing SOCOM to begin testing later this year.
Under the contract, L3Harris will also provide training systems, mission planning systems, support equipment, spare parts and logistics support.
Sky Warden will reach initial operational capability in fiscal 2026 and full operational capability in 2029, SOCOM said.
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Stephen Losey is an air combat correspondent for Defense News. He previously covered leadership and personnel issues at Air Force Times and the Pentagon, special operations and air warfare at Military.com. He traveled to the Middle East to observe US Air Force operations.
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