Skyraider II Is Real, and It’s Gloriously Low-Tech on Purpose

It's the perfect solution when you mothball your A-10 Warthogs, and then remember that you still need close air support.

A U.S. Air Force OA-1K Skyraider II is parked on the flightline at Hurlburt Field, Florida, Jan. 28, 2025. The OA-1K Skyraider II is a new, flexible, cost-effective crewed aircraft adaptable to deliver capabilities in support of defense priorities. (U.S. Air Force photo by Staff Sgt. Natalie Fiorilli) Public domain

The United States Air Force is fielding a new plane with an old soul. It’s got propellers, a tailwheel, and enough firepower to make a Taliban training camp wish it had stayed on Zoom.

Say hello to the OA-1K Skyraider II, a light attack and reconnaissance aircraft that looks like it just time-traveled out of Vietnam, then got a modern makeover from L3Harris and Air Tractor.

Currently undergoing developmental testing at Eglin Air Force Base in Florida, the Skyraider II is being evaluated by the 96th Test Wing in collaboration with US Special Operations Command. This bird is designed to support special operations forces in remote locations, where paved runways and Starbucks lattes are nowhere to be found. Think close air support, armed ISR, and overwatch in places where the only infrastructure is whatever your team can build with a Leatherman and a prayer.

A Heritage of Grit: Why It’s Called “Skyraider”

You don’t slap a name like “Skyraider” on a plane unless you’re trying to summon ghosts.

And in this case, those ghosts are wearing flight suits stained with hydraulic fluid and the smoke of Vietnam jungle fires.

The original A-1 Skyraider was a hulking, prop-driven beast that flew low, slow, and dangerously close to the action. In an era when jet engines were all the rage, the A-1 stubbornly clung to piston power and carried more ordnance than a B-17 bomber. It was the kind of aircraft that didn’t just support ground troops; it practically parked next to them.

Naming the OA-1K “Skyraider II” signals that the Air Force Special Operations Command (AFSOC) is leaning hard into the legacy of ugly, unglamorous close air support.