How L3Harris created US special operators’ new plane to hunt and strike terrorists

We needed a brand new plane for the FAC role we mastered in Vietnam at a much cheaper price? And I thought those big expensive drones did this, at least, so I was constantly told by the know-betters when Big Green was busy disbanding its SR assets everywhere but the Tier 1 community. I’m sure we got a bargain on it. -NCS

via Defense News

U.S. Special Operations Command’s new Armed Overwatch aircraft will be able to carry multiple weapons configurations and modular sensors that can be quickly swapped out as well as be disassembled for deployment within hours.

The AT-802U Sky Warden, made by L3Harris Technologies and aircraft manufacturer Air Tractor, is SOCOM’s pick for a rugged plane that can carry out intelligence, surveillance and reconnaissance, close air support, and strike missions against terrorist groups in austere locations such as parts of Africa.

In an interview with Defense News on Tuesday, Luke Savoie, president of L3Harris Technologies’ ISR sector, said the company’s use of model-based engineering and modular open systems allowed it to design a low-cost aircraft tailored to deliver what special operators need in the field.

SOCOM wants Armed Overwatch planes so it can continue to pressure extremist groups, such as Somalia’s al-Shabab, in areas with largely uncontested airspace, while the Air Force shifts its primary focus and more elaborate fighters and bombers toward potential high-end threats in Europe and Asia.

Armed Overwatch planes could also take over at least some of the missions carried out by the U-28 Draco ISR aircraft, which is aging and expensive to maintain.

L3Harris’ indefinite delivery, indefinite quantity contract to deliver as many as 75 Sky Wardens will be worth up to $3 billion, with an initial contract award for $170 million.

The trust factor

L3Harris began work on what would eventually become the Sky Warden in March 2020, shortly after SOCOM released its Armed Overwatch solicitation. Savoie said the company started with “no preconceived notions.”

Rather than beginning with a list of must-haves for the airplane, as traditional requirements-based engineering might dictate, Savoie said L3Harris’s designers used model-based systems engineering to consider why a Sky Warden pilot might need certain capabilities and the best way to fill those needs.

 

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About the Author: NC Scout

NC Scout is the nom de guerre of a former Infantry Scout and Sergeant in one of the Army’s best Reconnaissance Units. He has combat tours in both Iraq and Afghanistan. He teaches a series of courses focusing on small unit skills rarely if ever taught anywhere else in the prepping and survival field, including his RTO Course which focuses on small unit communications. In his free time he is an avid hunter, bushcrafter, writer, long range shooter, prepper, amateur radio operator and Libertarian activist. He can be contacted at [email protected] or via his blog at brushbeater.wordpress.com .

9 Comments

  1. Rick August 4, 2022 at 11:50

    According to Sean McFate in his book, “The New Rules of War”, we should only be funding Special Operations soldiers and make major cuts to the traditional military weapon systems. The days of major military operations between nation states are over. We are now fighting proxy wars and have been for over 40 years. His advice is to expand Special Operations significantly, both in funding and numbers of operators, and reduce the other services. We will be fighting mercenary armies like the kingdoms of old.

    • Paul August 5, 2022 at 09:02

      “The days of major military operations between nation states are over.” The other side gets a vote on that. Scrap your traditional military and see if peer level adversaries don’t see that as an opportunity. Seems like too slick and rosy an outlook. Sounds like something pitched by a defense contractor with something to sell.

    • NC Scout August 5, 2022 at 10:30

      McFate is 100% wrong. And he’s stuck thinking in a war that’s two decades old which we did not win. He’s already been proven wrong in Ukraine.

      What needs to happen is NOT more special people doing conventional tasks, its greater autonomy at the conventional level.

      • wwes August 5, 2022 at 10:51

        A similar thing needs to happen in workplace too- we need to be developing young people’s critical thinking, leadership, and decision making skills and teach them to work and be productive without someone standing over their shoulder directing and/or controlling every move. I hear a lot of employers saying that one of their big problems is hiring young folks who are capable of working autonomously and taking the initiative to do a job without being micromanaged.

        The schools aren’t going to make an effort to do this with young people though, because strong independent thinkers and leaders are harder to control. Is that why there is so little autonomy in the conventional military, or is it different reasoning?

  2. Ghostmann August 4, 2022 at 11:52

    From 2004, the War Nerd spoke of something similar to this article posted.

    http://www.exile.ru/articles/detail.php?ARTICLE_ID=7490&IBLOCK_ID=35

    Here is a bonus article, from 2009 about how the carriers might end up getting taken out.

    https://exiledonline.com/the-war-nerd-this-is-how-the-carriers-will-die/all/1/

  3. X-Beast419 August 4, 2022 at 12:04

    The damn thing looks like a crop duster!

    • American Yeoman August 4, 2022 at 13:58

      Thats because it essentially IS! It’s made by Air Tractor, a major crop duster aircraft company!

      https://airtractor.com/

      • NC Scout August 4, 2022 at 14:10

        A hideously overpriced crop duster. But yep, that’s what it is.

  4. C71M August 4, 2022 at 12:25

    Unless my caffeine is too low, that is $40 million per copy.

    There are enough airframe/engine combinations currently in operation or mothballed (OV-10 or turbo prop GA birds) that could be modified for the stated mission without such an stunning, inflated cost.

    But we know the utmost objective is to pad pockets and fleece taxpayers. Ahh…, MIC… of course.

    In 1969, Tanzania ordered 5 kit planes ( MFI-9B)from Sweden. The kit planes were supposedly for flight training. “Creative engineering “, resulted in two rocket pods of six 7.6cm rockets each, 12 rockets/per reassembled kit plane, 5 aircraft. Pilots traveled slow and tree top altitude. Took out Multiple MIG-17 and Russian jet bombers at multitude of Nigerian airports.

    Cost was $51,600.00. That was for all five aircraft. Sweet!

    Lesson: Amazing what determination, ingenuity and gonads can accomplish when necessary!

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