SOF Week 2026: AFSOC unveils deployable Block II OA-1K Skyraider II

The US Air Force Special Operations Command (AFSOC) unveiled a new variant of its in-service OA-1K Skyraider II special mission aircraft at the SOF Week expo in Tampa this week.

Officially announced on 19 May by the Hurlburt Field-based command, the Block II aircraft features a quick response capability designed to ‘fulfil rapid deployment requirements and further provide expeditionary agility’, AFSOC officials stated.

Speaking at a media roundtable event on 15 May ahead of SOF Week, AFSOC officials described how the Skyraider II is capable of ‘rapid breakdown, disassembly and reassembly’ – a capability which allows it to respond quickly to crises anywhere in the world.

‘In this broken-down state, one or several Skyraider IIs can be loaded onto a larger aircraft and moved during strategic airlift to a new location, overcoming the tyranny of distance. Upon arrival at its destination, crews can quickly configure the aircraft to a flyable operational condition,’ explained Lt GenMike Conley, AFSOC commander.

‘This capability is right in line with our vision of the versatility the OA-1K and its crews will provide to our teammates. The OA-1K offers a unique and modular solution for a wide range of operations, including armed overwatch, at a fraction of the cost of other platforms,’ Conley added.

Similar to the Block I aircraft – AFSOC’s newest platform, which was received by the customer in April 2025 –the Block II is designed formulti-mission profiles ranging from close air support and precision strike through to armed intelligence, surveillance and reconnaissance (ISR).

Conley continued: ‘SOF teams will value the Skyraider II’s ability to operate alongside them in austere environments. Whether you need an OA-1K to find, fix, target or engage directly, it will adapt to the requirements of the mission at hand.’

Since handover of the first ‘missionised’ OA-1K to AFSOC in 2025, formal training has continued to take place out of Will Rogers Air National Guard Base in Oklahoma.

AFSOC is set to receive a total of 62 aircraft from prime contractor L3Harris Technologies, which is partnering with Air Tractor to convert AT-802U Sky Wardens into the OA-1K. AFSOC had originally been scheduled to receive 75 aircraft but numbers were slashed in September 2024 following recommendations in a Government Accountability Office (GAO) report.

AFSOC also confirmed it would focus on engagements with ‘key stakeholders’ over the course of SOF Week, as it considers how to ‘strengthen partnerships across the SOF enterprise to accelerate collective modernisation’.

‘AFSOCwill continue to validate this capability in upcoming operational tests and during regularly scheduled exercises. The flexibility offered to the commanders employing the OA-1K ensures they always have dedicated overwatch while operating in non-permissive environments,’ a spokesperson confirmed.