SOCOM awards OTAs for five armed overwatch prototypes

The Defense Department has chosen five companies to prototype new attack aircraft as part of its armed overwatch program.

U.S. Special Operations Command announced the other transaction agreements May 14, which totaled $19.2 million and provided funding for five aircraft prototypes: Textron's AT-6E Wolverine, MAG Aerospace's MC-208 Guardian, L3Harris Technologies' AT-802U Sky Warden, Sierra Nevada Corp.'s MC-145B Wily Coyote and Leidos' Bronco II.

The forthcoming demonstrations, slated to take place at Eglin Air Force Base, FL, through March 2022, are part of SOCOM's effort to replace the U-28 Draco with a non-developmental system. The command expects to buy 75 aircraft to perform intelligence, surveillance and reconnaissance, close air support and precision strike missions.

Lt. Gen. James Slife, head of Air Force Special Operations Command, said in February he thinks SOCOM could be prepared to make a procurement decision in fiscal year 2022. Slife characterized the current off-the-shelf offerings as "relatively low risk."