First Mission-Ready Skyraider II Arrives at Air Force Special Operations Command

Air & Space Forces Magazine ^ | April 3, 2025 | David Roza

[Macho MAGA Man]

Air Force Special Operations Command marked a new chapter with its latest aircraft April 3 when the first Skyraider II fully modified for military use arrived at Hurlburt Field, Fla.

A modified crop duster, the OA-1K will provide airborne eyes, ears, and precision fires to support ground troops in permissive airspace, just as its namesake, the A-1 Skyraider, did in the Korean and Vietnam Wars.

AFSOC commander Lt. Gen. Michael Conley said at the welcoming ceremony that the aircraft’s small maintenance footprint and ease of swapping out sensors, weapons, and communications equipment will play a key role in future conflicts.

“Skyraider II represents not just a new platform, but a modular solution to our national security needs,” he said, according to a press release. “It will redefine how we approach joint campaigning, crisis response and the evolving landscape of modern warfare.”

[dljordan]

“It’s a Pawnee. A crop duster ag plane.”

Air Tractor?

[Taxman]

“What ain’t we got?”

“We ain’t got nape!”

[sit-rep]

nvm I found it... the title pic on the website I see the intake directly under the nose cone...

[blackdog]

A turboprop engine is a jet engine facing backwards. Really.

[lurk]

You can’t fly a ground attack aircraft into airspace where they have a good chance of nailing you from above and below. Even the A-10 needs air cover and limited ground fire to survive.

[sit-rep]

fully aware!! My daughter worked on E-2C Hawkeyes on the Reagan for 3 1/2 years out of Yokosuka...

Like I say, I didnt see the air intake on Candors pic so that threw me off...

[pfflier]

I wonder if the heat signature of that engine is sufficient to get a lock by a MANPAD, unlike a jet.

I suspect the propwash would disperse the heat signature rapidly from anything but a rear aspect shot.

[ProtectOurFreedom]

The Air Tractor AT-802 is anything but Mickey Mouse. It's a well-proven, rugged airframe with low operating costs, easy maintenance and ability to stage from short, rough strips. It's used extensively for crop dusting and fighting forest fires.

We see them flying over our house on Hayden Lake in Idaho during fire season. We've also watched them scooping water on the Pend Oreille River in North Idaho. You'll typically see from two to four following each other scooping water and dropping water or fire retardant. They are used extensively all over the world for fire fighting.

In the Western USA, they are operated by Aero Spray (Minnesota/Western U.S.), Dauntless Air (Idaho/Western U.S.), Conair Aerial Firefighting (U.S./Canada), United Aero Group (Montana/Western U.S.), and the U.S. Forest Service (Western U.S.) for fighting forest fires.

As of the latest available data, over 1,000 Air Tractor AT-802 aircraft have been produced. This milestone was celebrated in January 2023 when Air Tractor, Inc. marked the delivery of the 1,000th AT-802, a model that includes various configurations like the AT-802A and AT-802U. The AT-802 series, which kicked off with its first flight in October 1990, has seen steady production since 1993, driven by demand in agriculture, firefighting, and military roles. By 2019, serial number 802A-800 was delivered, and in 2020, 802A-900 went to Australia, showing a clip of about 100 units every few years in that stretch. Given the pace (roughly 30-50 units annually in recent years) and ongoing contracts, the total’s likely pushing 1,100-1,200 by now

Like the A-10 Warthog, the AT-802 isn't the prettiest plane, but "Form Follows Function" is the cardinal rule here. (I personally love the looks).

Watch it In Action

[jeffersondem]

“It's a crop duster on steroids.”

I don't understand putting hundreds of combat proven A-10s in the junkyard and adopting a crop duster to fly low and slow.

Air Force brass say MANPADs can pop-up anywhere and take down an A-10. Well, what will they do to a crop-duster?

The A-10s are paid for. They are in service. They have been upgraded to use stand-off missiles and bombs.

This doesn't make good sense.

[xkaydet65]

I remember that. It was in the first weeks of Rolling Thunder.

[pierrem15]

Didn’t think of the propwash. Good point.

[Macho MAGA Man]

I agree 👍

[sit-rep]

ok... sorry! seriously lol... they just seem to be a little lite in the ass for armament!

Candors pic is very perspective friendly and when I first seen it thought how bad ass it would be hearing that rumble like in the old Pratt & Whitneys or Rolls!!

[NFHale]

The Spad, version II…!!!!

The A1-E Skyraider was one bad ass bird.

Lots of ordnance on the hard points, long loiter time, and rugged as Hell…

[ProtectOurFreedom]

“lite in the ass for armament”

That’s why it is spec’d for “permissive airspace” with little threats to it.

[Spktyr]

These things are insanely cheap for a modern aerial platform and are intended for roles where the A-10 is overkill. This thing is extremely difficult to lock onto with most MANPADS and if a drone hits it, it’s cheap and easy to replace.

This is intended for a brushfire war or border defense, to free up the A-10s (or successor) for frontline service. Remember, the A-10 was originally supposed to be supplemented by lesser aircraft for less hot areas like the OV-10. All the A-10’s supporting aircraft are long gone and out of service now.

Something else to consider - this thing is off-the-shelf available. We can’t build new A-10s.

[DesertRhino]

They can baffle it and try to mitigate it. But I would expect a MANPAD could lock on. Those two exhaust stacks on that PT-6 turboprop are sticking right out the side and those get cherry hot.

[DesertRhino]

I used to work with a retired Warthog pilot. He would -really- get lit off when someone said he wasn’t a true fighter pilot.

[Spktyr]

The very similar A-29 Super Tucano has an existing combat record in Afghanistan and elsewhere (it’s a bit larger aircraft) - real world experience has shown that the prop diffuses the exhaust quite a lot and modern MANPADS that work off IR have significant problems guiding on them.

[glorgau]

Key phrase is “permissive airspace”.