U.S. Air Force Accepts First OA-1K Skyraider II Aircraft
The U.S. Air Force Special Operations Command (AFSOC) accepted the first OA-1K Skyraider II aircraft on April 3, 2025.
Developed by L3 Harris, the OA-1K is a military variant based on the AT-802 crop duster platform.
With an armored structure, diverse avionics and multiple weapon and sensor loadouts, the Skyraider II will be used for close air support, precision strike or armed intelligence, surveillance and reconnaissance missions.
“Skyraider II represents not just a new platform, but a modular solution to our national security needs,” said Lt. Gen. Michael Conley, AFSOC commander. “It will redefine how we approach joint campaigning, crisis response and the evolving landscape of modern warfare.”
By opting for a simpler aircraft, AFSOC expects to have much lower maintenance and cost per flight hour than other conventional or special operations aircraft.
The delivery ceremony was attended by retired Lt. Col. Bill Buice, who was a pilot of the Douglas A-1 Skyraider, a single-engine radial-engine aircraft that was used in Korea and Vietnam and from which the Skyraider II derives its name.
Buice, who is 98, flew the A-1 Skyraider from June 1967 to July 1968. Joining him at the ceremony was Phillip Edward Jennings, who rescued Buice when he was shot down in Vietnam.
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