Armed Overwatch L3harris - L3Harris has won a contract to supply the AT-802U Sky Warden for the US Special Operations Command's Armed Overwatch program. (L3Harris)
WASHINGTON — The US Special Operations Command announced Monday that it has selected the AT-802U Sky Warden, manufactured by L3Harris Technologies and Air Tractor, for its Armed Overwatch program.
Armed Overwatch L3harris
The indefinite supply contract will be worth up to $3 billion, L3Harris said in an announcement on Monday. The program's first contract award is $170 million.
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Tractor Air is an Olney, Texas-based aircraft manufacturer that specializes in agricultural aircraft such as firefighting aircraft and harvesters.
Initial production of the Sky Warden will take place at the Air Tractor plant in Olney. L3Harris will then convert these aircraft to the Armed Overwatch mission configuration at its maintenance facility in Tulsa, Oklahoma beginning in 2023. According to L3Harris, work will also be done at other sites in Greenville, Rockwall and Waco, Texas, and Nashville, Tennessee.
The Air Force Special Operations Command's Armed Overwatch program aims to develop up to 75 flexible, fixed-wing aircraft ready for use in harsh environments, with the smallest tail to keep them operational.
SOCOM envisions the single-engine Sky Warden as AFSOC's Armed Overwatch aircraft capable of providing close air support, precision strike, and armed reconnaissance, surveillance, and reconnaissance operations for counterterrorism and unconventional warfare.
L3harris And Air Tractor Sky Warden Team Selected For Ussocom Armed Overwatch Contract
AFSOC commander Lt. Gen. Jim Slife said last year that he hoped the Armed Overwatch aircraft would match pressure from extremist groups in places like Africa where the airspace is not contested.
The Air Force has attempted to develop a series of armored Overwatch aircraft as it moves its focus away from combating terrorist groups and violent organizations in places like the Middle East, with some sophisticated and cost-effective combat weapons and explosives. .
The L3Harris Sky Warden is used to suppress terrorist groups in places like Africa where the airspace is very accessible. (L3Harris)
"Armed Overwatch addresses the critical need for U.S. Special Operations Command to conduct large-scale operations around the world in support of its national security strategy," said SOCOM's commanding general. Richard Clarke said in the release. "This rugged, stable platform will operate in confined and extreme environments around the world to protect our special forces on the ground."
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According to SOCOM, the aircraft will be affordable, able to take off and land in difficult terrain, fly for long durations and support multi-module payloads.
Last year, Slife proposed that Armed Overwatch allow AFSOC to receive the U-28A Draco ISR, an aircraft that requires special equipment and training to maintain the unique U-28A off-field.
However, SOCOM said in a statement to Air Force Times on Monday that even after Sky Warden is deployed, the U-28 is still needed to provide ISR for missions such as search and rescue and humanitarian assistance.
Clark told lawmakers last year that he envisions four operational squadrons of 15 armored Overwatch aircraft, one of which would be deployed at any time, while the other three would be trained, reconditioned and kept at home. Clark also said a fifth group of 10-15 aircraft would be there for training.
Socom Selects Air Tractor For Armed Overwatch
L3Harris beat out four other competitors - Leidos, MAG Aerospace, Textron Aviation Defense and Sierra Nevada - for the Armed Overwatch contract. Those five factories produced the test aircraft, mostly at Eglin Air Force Base in Florida, in late 2021 and early 2022.
L3Harris said he will move quickly to turn the prototype aircraft into a production system and allow SOCOM to begin testing later this year.
Under the contract, L3Harris will provide training programs, mission planning systems, support equipment, spare parts and logistics support.
Sky Warden is expected to have initial operational capability in fiscal year 2026 and full operational capability in 2029, SOCOM said.
Air Tractor L3harris At 802u Sky Warden
Stephen Losey is an air warfare correspondent for Defense News. He previously covered leadership and personnel issues for Air Force Times, as well as the Pentagon, special operations and air warfare for Military.com. He traveled to the Middle East to cover US Air Force missions.
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Why Socom Chose The At 802u Sky Warden
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The US Air Force wants to contribute to the industry's "new" ABMSU technology. The Air Force is particularly interested in commercial equipment that has strong anti-jamming capabilities and can increase data rates and reduce latency. A team with the AT-802U Sky Warden won the US Special Operations Command's Armed Overwatch program.
The Pentagon announced on August 1, 2022 that the L3Harris and Air Tractor and AT-802U Sky Warden team won the US Special Operations Command's (USSOCOM) Armed Overwatch program.
According to the L3Harris report, the program includes the delivery of up to 75 fixed-wing aircraft, with an initial contract award of $170 million.
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A range of modern multi-role aircraft fulfill SOCOM's need for a stable, stable single-engine, operable and affordable aircraft system. It provides advanced air control requirements for close air support, precision strike, armed reconnaissance, surveillance and reconnaissance (ISR), strike coordination, and use in austere and hostile environments. The aircraft is used in unconventional warfare operations.
"A critical part of our Trusted Disruptor strategy is to listen carefully to the needs of enemy commanders and respond more rapidly to evolving threats," said Christopher E. Kubasak, Chairman and Chief Executive Officer of L3Harris. "We want to provide U.S. special operators with game-changing, modular solutions for their critical missions, and Sky Warden delivers."
L3Harris expects to quickly transition last summer's Armed Overwatch demonstrator into production and provide a test system for customer equipment in about six months. Production of the new, completely redesigned, armed Overwatch aircraft will begin in 2023 at L3Harris' Tulsa, Okla. modification center. Six new aircraft will be delivered under the initial production model of Lot 1.
"Sky Warden brings powerful and affordable air support, precision strike, weaponized ISR and direct command and control capabilities to battlefield special forces," said Sean Stuckley, L3Harris President of Joint Mission Systems. "We are now ready to begin operations on this state-of-the-art, multi-functional SOCOM weaponized surveillance system."
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Sky Warden's product-ready system is tailored to meet the needs of the US mission with a variety of mission requirements.
"The Sky Warden design reflects our commitment to protecting the American homeland, and the AT-802U will be equipped with everything we've learned over the past 46 years of aircraft manufacturing," said Jim Hirsch, President of Air Tractor, Inc. . "The L3Harris team is a great partner, and our manufacturing and engineering staff is ready to quickly deliver this world-class product to our nation's special forces."
The Sky Warden is based on the rugged and capable AT-802 air tractor, with the largest payload capacity of any single-engine turboprop aircraft. It hosts the world-class L3Harris family of communications, sensors and airborne ISR solutions. The platform is backed by the company's extensive ISR operational experience.
The multi-mission platform provides agility and flexibility to identify, monitor and respond to threats. It combines mass ISR and armored aircraft capabilities into one powerful package. It can also take off and land at undeveloped airports – allowing the aircraft to be co-located and coordinated with special mission operators.
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The name Sky Warden brings to mind two main categories of multi-role special combat platforms. It combines the deep history of the Vietnam era with the modern U-28, which uses the call sign "Warden" during combat with the A-1E Sky Raider. The Sky Warden combines its heritage with stack breaking capabilities to provide a single aircraft capable of multiple mission roles.
Dario Leone Dario Leone is an aviation, defense and military researcher. He is the founder and editor of Aviation Geek Club, one of the most widely read military aviation blogs in the world. His writings have appeared in the National Interest and other media outlets. He reported from Europe and flew Super Puma and Cougar helicopters with the Swiss Air Force.
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