The capability is intended to help AFSOC move one or several Skyraider II aircraft over long distances by strategic airlift. Once delivered to a new location, crews can quickly return the aircraft to a flyable operational configuration.
“This capability is right in line with our vision of the versatility the OA-1K and its crews will provide to our teammates,” said Lt. Gen. Mike Conley, AFSOC commander. “The OA-1K offers a unique and modular solution for a wide range of operations, including armed overwatch, at a fraction of a cost of other platforms.”
The OA-1K was designed to adapt to multiple mission requirements. These include close air support, precision strike and armed intelligence, surveillance and reconnaissance.
“SOF teams will value the Skyraider II’s ability to operate alongside them in austere environments,” Conley said. “Whether you need an OA-1K to find, fix, target, or engage directly, it will adapt to the requirements of the mission at hand.”
AFSOC is displaying an OA-1K static aircraft at this year’s SOF Week conference. The annual event brings together the international special operations forces community, industry partners and leaders from U.S. Special Operations Command.
During the conference, AFSOC leaders are engaging with stakeholders expected to use the Skyraider II in the future. The command said these discussions are also intended to strengthen strategic partnerships across the special operations enterprise and support collective modernization.
The first missionized OA-1K was delivered to AFSOC on April 3, 2025. Formal training has since been based at Will Rogers Air National Guard Base in Oklahoma, where operators are refining the aircraft’s specialized capabilities, including rapid deployment.
“Rapid disassembly and reassembly means, in a matter of hours, the aircraft can be loaded into mobility aircraft like a C-5 or C-17 for worldwide deployment,” said Lt. Col. Robert Wilson, AFSOC’s Armed Overwatch requirements branch chief.
“With the OA-1K, ‘any place, any time, anywhere’ is not just a motto, but an actual capability,” Wilson added.
AFSOC said it will continue validating the rapid deployment capability during upcoming operational tests and scheduled exercises. The command said the aircraft’s flexibility is intended to give commanders dedicated overwatch while operating in non-permissive environments.
