Special Operations Aviation

Latest in Special Operations Aviation

Each of the U.S. Air Force's Special Operations Command's (AFSOC) new OA-1K Skyraider II light attack aircraft has a somewhat unexpected feature in its cockpit.
Air Force Special Operations Command (AFSOC)

OA-1K Skyraider II Has Off-The-Shelf Rifle Sight Mounted In Its Cockpit

By Joseph Trevithick

Posted on Nov 21, 2025

An OA-1K, like the one seen in the picture at the top of this story, crashed today.
Air Force Special Operations Command (AFSOC)

Air Force’s Crop Duster Converted Into Attack Plane Crash Lands In Field (Updated)

By Tyler Rogoway

Posted on Oct 23, 2025

The U.S. Army's elite 160th Special Operations Aviation Regiment (SOAR), better known as the Night Stalkers, has been exploring ways to ensure it can operate in more heavily defended airspace in the future.
Special Operations Aviation

How The Night Stalkers Are Planning To Survive In Future High-End Fights

By Joseph Trevithick, Howard Altman

Posted on Oct 15, 2025

Leidos has raised the possibility of eventually integrating its Black Arrow, also known as the Small Cruise Missile, in the MQ-9 Reaper drone and the OA-1K Skyraider II light attack aircraft. The roughly 200-pound munition has, so far, been tested from C-130 variants but offers the kinds of capabilities that U.S. Special Operations Command (SOCOM) is increasingly looking at harnessing.
Special Operations Aviation

Tiny Black Arrow Cruise Missile Demonstrates A Whopping 400-Mile Range

By Thomas Newdick, Howard Altman

Updated on Sep 24, 2025

The last MC-12W Liberty turboprop surveillance aircraft under U.S. Air Force Special Operations Command's (AFSOC) umbrella have been retired.
Air Force Special Operations Command (AFSOC)

Last Special Operations MC-12W Surveillance Planes Retired

By Joseph Trevithick

Posted on Sep 15, 2025

A new variant of the AGM-114 Hellfire missile with a warhead that can be set to focus its blast in different directions depending on the target is in the works for the U.S. special operations community.
Special Operations Aviation

AGM-114 Hellfire Missile Getting Articulated Warhead Capable Of Blasting In Different Directions

By Joseph Trevithick

Posted on Aug 6, 2025

U.S. special operations Long Endurance Aircraft (LEA) surveillance drones, which are based on a popular civilian powered glider design, are set to gain the ability to launch smaller uncrewed aerial systems.
Special Operations Aviation

Super Quiet Special Operations Drones Being Modified To Launch Smaller Drones

By Joseph Trevithick

Posted on Jul 11, 2025

Residents of the Tucson, Arizona area were startled earlier this week by a group of helicopters, including at least one Russian-made Mi-17 Hip, making very low nighttime flights as part of what turned out to be a U.S. military exercise.
Special Operations Aviation

Secretive Russian-Made Mi-17 Helicopter Makes Unusual Appearance In Tucson

By Joseph Trevithick

Posted on Jun 20, 2025

As Israel's campaign of strikes on Iran continues, a question emerges about whether some level of additional action may be required on the ground to meet the stated goal of preventing the regime in Tehran from being able to acquire nuclear weapons.
Special Operations Aviation

Loose Nukes In Iran Is A Scenario U.S. Special Operators Have Been Training For

By Joseph Trevithick

Posted on Jun 18, 2025

The U.S. Army has incorporated special operations-specific requirements into the design of its Future Long-Range Assault Aircraft (FLRAA) tiltrotor, which has led to an unspecified increase in gross weight.
160th SOAR "Nightstalkers"

Army’s Future Tiltrotor Gets Heavier So It Can Rapidly Convert Into Special Ops Variant

By Joseph Trevithick

Posted on May 9, 2025

A U.S. Air Force AC-130J Ghostrider flies over the U.S. Central Command area of responsibility, Jan. 31, 2025. Designed for close air support, air interdiction and armed reconnaissance, the AC-130J provides CENTCOM forces an expeditionary, direct-fire platform with 30mm and 105mm cannons. (U.S. Air Force photo by Staff Sgt. Gerald R. Willis)
Air Force Special Operations Command (AFSOC)

Harpoon Anti-Ship Missile-Armed AC-130J Gunships Could Be On The Horizon

By Joseph Trevithick

Posted on May 8, 2025

L3Harris Sky Warden test aircraft for the OA-1K Skyraider II program for the Air Force Special Operations Command.
Air Force Special Operations Command (AFSOC)

OA-1K Skyraider II Walk-Around Tour With Its Test Pilot

By Jamie Hunter, Tyler Rogoway

Posted on May 7, 2025

The Black Arrow, which is intended to carry a range of different payloads and not just a kinetic warhead, arrives at a time when the Pentagon is looking at harnessing the potential of lower-cost weapons that can be readily produced at scale to meet the likely demands of future conflicts.
Air Force Special Operations Command (AFSOC)

AC-130 Gunship-Launched Black Arrow Small Cruise Missile Has A 400-Mile Range

By Thomas Newdick, Howard Altman

Posted on May 6, 2025

A CV-22 Osprey tiltrotor aircraft assigned to the 20th Special Operations Squadron approaches the air-refueling receptacle of an MC-130 Commando II during a night flight at Cannon Air Force Base, New Mexico, Sept. 12, 2024. The Osprey is a tiltrotor aircraft that combines a helicopter's vertical takeoff, hover, and vertical landing qualities with the long-range, fuel efficiency, and speed characteristics of a turboprop aircraft. (U.S. Air Force photo by Airman 1st Class Gracelyn Hess)
Air Force Special Operations Command (AFSOC)

Electronic Warfare Lessons From Ukraine Informing Air Force Special Operations Future

By Howard Altman

Updated on May 5, 2025

The Black Arrow, also known as the Small Cruise Missile, has completed a guided flight test, from an AC-130J Ghostrider gunships, the weapon’s manufacturer Leidos has confirmed. The Black Arrow — which is intended to carry a range of different payloads, and not just a kinetic warhead — arrives at a time when the Pentagon is looking at harnessing the potential of lower-cost weapons that can be readily produced at scale to meet the likely demands of future conflicts.
Air Force Special Operations Command (AFSOC)

AC-130J Ghostrider Gunship Launches Black Arrow Small Cruise Missile In New Video

By Thomas Newdick

Posted on Apr 5, 2025

The first OA-1K light attack aircraft — recently officially named as the Skyraider II — has been delivered to Air Force Special Operations Command (AFSOC). While the command welcomed the militarized derivative of the popular Air Tractor AT-802 crop duster, there remain serious questions about how the Air Force will actually make use of the OA-1K, as the service increasingly prepares for future high-end contingencies.
Air Force Special Operations Command (AFSOC)

First OA-1K Skyraider II Handed Over To Air Force Special Operations Command

By Thomas Newdick

Posted on Apr 3, 2025