Last week the Government Accounting Office released “Special Operations Forces: Summary of Armed Overwatch Reports” which summarizes a series of previous reports on USSOCOM’s offer to acquire and field the OA-1K aircraft which they have selected for the Armed Overwatch role. This summary includes data from a restricted report entitled “Special Operations Forces: DOD Should Reassess Its Need to Acquire Armed Overwatch Aircraft, GAO-24-106993C, September 4” which is based on a classified study.
The initial plan was to field 75 of the AT-802U Sky Warden aircraft to conduct Close Air Support, precision strike; and Intelligence, Surveillance, and Reconnaissance missions. The aircraft were to be operated by Air Force Special Operations Command and organized into five squadrons, four operational and one for training.
But based on a GAO report from last December, DoD directed SOCOM to justify their planned number of 75 aircraft and they have since dropped the number to 62, almost a full squadron’s worth of capability, but have claimed it is due to budgetary realities and not Congressional direction. To be sure, USSOCOM is a very expensive aviation force, but they haven’t had a dedicated ground attack capability, aside from AC130 gunships, since the Vietnam war.
Congress is still shrill about the program, under some sort of impression that we aren’t going to conduct anymore low intensity conflicts in the future. DoD has the same notion, relegating anything short of major theater war to just “countering violent extremist organizations.” This remains short sighted and requires systems intended for Large l-Scale Combat Operations (aka war) to be expended against threats which they are way overmatched against.
From the summary report:
RELEVANT GAO WORK
GAO issued two reports on the Armed Overwatch program and identified issues to support decision-makers in Congress and the Department of Defense.
Analysis of needs. GAO found in December 2023 that SOCOM did not complete analyses of its operational needs to justify its purchase of 75 Armed Overwatch aircraft. SOCOM reduced that amount to 62 aircraft in March 2024, but as of September 2024 had not completed these analyses.
Plans for divested aircraft. SOCOM plans to divest two ISR platforms. Subsequently, some personnel and resources from the platforms will be used to support Armed Overwatch. However, GAO found that SOCOM has not taken steps to plan for, or add, critical ISR capabilities provided by soon-to-be divested aircraft. Also, SOCOM has not addressed risks associated with the loss of these capabilities if the new aircraft does not provide them.
Operational challenges. Special operations commands identified logistical and operational challenges that could inhibit SOCOM’s ability to effectively deploy and operate the aircraft as intended. Users said that the Armed Overwatch aircraft may not meet their mission needs because of these challenges.
Based on these reports, GAO made seven recommendations to the Department of Defense to address challenges that face the Armed Overwatch program.
Of the seven recommendations, DoD has concurred on one and partially concurred on the other six.
Meanwhile, the Armed Overwatch program continues to slip to the right while we remain engaged with violent extremists around the world.
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