SOCOM’s Armed Overwatch Demonstration Could Cultivate Interest In An Air Tractor-Based Sky Warden
In the wide-open, austere landscapes of rural Africa, the OA-1K Skyraider II—commercially known as Sky Warden—already looks like it belongs. Built on Air Tractor’s agricultural AT-802 airframe, the rugged turboprop mirrors the 36 crop-dusters already operating across the continent. That existing support network and familiarity are giving the aircraft a quiet advantage as U.S. Special Operations Command (SOCOM) evaluates candidates to replace its Pilatus PC-12-based Draco fleet for armed ISR missions in remote environments.
Earlier Armed Overwatch demonstration flights at Eglin AFB brought together five contenders, but Sky Warden’s commercial roots and simplicity are its strongest selling points. SOCOM wants aircraft that are deployable, affordable, and sustainable in austere, permissive environments—and Sky Warden’s design was born for exactly that. “With a design like the 802, it’s impossible to get a prop strike,” said L3Harris Aviation Services president Luke Savoie, pointing to its forgiving tailwheel layout and durability. Its six-hour loiter time, 6,000-lb payload, and compatibility with precision weapons give it serious operational punch without the logistical baggage of a jet.
L3Harris is leaning into its “for operators, by operators” approach: many of its development team are former U-28 pilots, intimately familiar with special operations ISR missions. The aircraft integrates proven SOCOM mission systems—MX-20 EO/IR sensors, helmet-mounted cueing, and optional government fire-control packages—on top of a platform designed to thrive on dirt strips with minimal support. Its ability to fly tight ISR orbits, operate up to 25,000 feet, and host multiple strike options makes it a versatile tool for the irregular warfare missions the U.S. still conducts in Africa and beyond.
With nearly 1,000 AT-802 civilian airframes already produced, Sky Warden offers a mature sustainment base and cost advantages that could make it an attractive choice not only for SOCOM but also for partner nations in Africa and South America. While critics once dismissed it as too slow and low for light attack, those very traits—endurance, ruggedness, simplicity—are what make it a natural fit for the austere ISR-strike mission. In short, Sky Warden isn’t trying to be a fighter jet. It’s trying to be the right tool for the job—and in places like Africa, that might be exactly what’s needed.