Sky Warden, AT-802U. L3 Harris photo.Tricked out Air Tractor 802U aircraft are going to be purchased by the US military after being outfitted with surveillance equipment and the capability of carrying weapons.
U.S. Special Operations Command has awarded a $3 billion contract to L3Harris Technologies to build up to 75 Sky Wardens. They expect to begin delivery in fiscal year 2026 with full operating capability in 2029.
The basic aircraft, AT 802U, will be built by Air Tractor at their Olney, Texas aircraft manufacturing facility. L3Harris Technologies will add the additional equipment beginning in 2023 at their Tulsa, Oklahoma modification center.
L3Harris said the Sky Warden will provide close air support, precision strike, armed intelligence, surveillance and reconnaissance (ISR), strike coordination, and forward air controller requirements for use in austere and permissive environments.
Air Force Magazine wrote that commander of Air Force Special Operations Command Lt. Gen. James C. “Jim” Slife testified before Congress in April that the Armed Overwatch program was designed to reduce the need for so-called “air stacks” of specialized, single-role aircraft to fly together over objective areas. In particular, the aircraft will likely be used to counter terrorist threats, often in coordination with troops on the ground.
Air Tractor AT-802U photographed at the 2009 Paris Air Show.Air Tractor is known for producing single engine agricultural spraying and firefighting aircraft. But the 802U has been around for at least 13 years after making a big splash at the 2009 Paris Air Show outfitted with bombs, rockets, and .50 caliber Gatling guns. (Wildfire Today, June 18, 2009)
There was a report in 2014 that the United States was considering modifying either the AT 802U or a Thrush to be sent to Yemen to battle terrorists. They were to be equipped with laser-guided missiles and high-tech electronic intelligence equipment, as well as armor to protect the crew.
Thanks and a tip of the hat go out to Morgan and Gerald.
15 Comments
Of all the cool, high speed AC you could fly in the military, you would have to be in the bottom 5% of your class to end up on one of these. A slow, unarmored, easy target crop duster probably doesn’t fair well in a war zone. 🤣
“You screw up just this much and you’ll be flying a souped up crop duster into enemy air defenses!”
I will agree with “Dusty Crophoer’s comments. When stationed at Shaw AFB, all the O2 pilots I knew were F4 pilots that “screwed up in Vietnam “. I am pleased for the American workers in Texas and Oklahoma .
Dusty, for sure. But it reminds me a bit of FAC pilots in Vietnam flying Cessnas . A fabulous read is The Ravens by Christopher Robins. A great story of bravery and amazing flying by a bunch of renegade young airforce pilots flying their bird dogs in Vietnam.
The 802 has been in use as a COIN (counterinsurgency) aircraft in a combat arena for some time now, successfully, and has seen considerable use in a shooting environment in Central and South America while treating narcotic agriculture.
Planes 3: Dusty’s final mission.
Seriously though, you guys aren’t giving this thing enough credit. First of all, it’s being fielded with the primary mission of supporting Special Operations in areas where the chances of encountering dedicated anti-aircraft weapon systems is low. They stated that there is a ballistic “bathtub” to protect the pilot and powertrain from ground based small arms fire, similar to what’s in the A-10. The airframe is designed to survive operations off of dirt airstrips in rural areas, all while having a decent payload capacity, and versatile load options. They are stable while loaded and at the lower end of the flight envelope, both in terms of speed and altitude. They are economical and durable, having low cost and aircrew survivability being a top priority in private industry. No, it’s not as sexy as an F-35, but a pickup isn’t as sexy as a sports car. I bet most of you guys drive trucks, not Porsches.
Didn’t we “leave” some of these birds at Bagram AFB when we pulled out ?
No.
The A 29 Super Tacanos “left behind” were Afganistan government aircraft. NOT US aircraft.
US owned aircraft intentional abandoned and disabled were/was US State Department BV 107’s air taxicab which were refurbished retired USMC CH 46’s.
It would have cost more than those BV 107’s were worth to fly them out.
These BV 107’s are where uninformed people think Chinooks were left behind.
I would say that is a rwak stretch to say those were afghan aircraft. Given to the afghans via us tax dollars via fms etc
Why this proposal when we have our amazing and proven A-10? Have seen the A-10 in action and the responce/impact on the recieving end of it was devastating beyond measure. Suggest upgrading our already proven A-10 with an aggressively advanced and effectively sized offencive/defensive lazer and tracking system such that there will be no stopping it. If this is so maybe our enemies will just leave and save lives, etc. once they have experienced it…….?
Unknown but I can tell you this, if we did, they ain’t flying. Without incessant maintenance and copious spare parts those things (most AC) have a shelf life of about 3 months. I would love to see some talentless Taliban trying to fly one of the rotors we left over there! 🤣 Kaboom!
The new bird dog with some fire power!
The Air Tractor 802U Sky Warden is “replacing” three A-29 Super Tucanos and two Beechcraft T-6 Wolverines of the USAF specifical ops group in Florida.
A lucky allied country will receive those five birds.
It wasn’t all that long ago that the USAF special ops was supposed to get a few more A-29’s.
$40 Million apiece? And there I was thinking that someone was finally using their noggin. L3 Harris will be taking the lion’s share of that. Considering a AT-802 is in the realm of 2M.
How bout just refurbishing some a1e skyraiders ?
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