Air Force Now Has 18 of Its New Skyraider II ‘Swiss Army Knife’ Aircraft, Official Says
19th May 2026
The Air Force now has 18 new light attack aircraft that are designed to support special operations forces on the ground, and it expects to receive “a handful more” by October, said Lt. Col. Robert Wilson, of Air Force Special Operations Command, or AFSOC.
The single-engine turboprop OA-1K Skyraider II is “essentially a Swiss Army Knife of airborne capability,” that can fly armed reconnaissance, close air support, and precision strike missions, said Wilson, AFSOC’s armed overwatch requirements branch chief.
The Skyraider is designed to support operations that range from counter-terrorism to “aspects of full-on conflict,” Wilson told reporters on Friday. It is capable of carrying weapons, including Advanced Precision Kill Weapon System, or APKWS, laser-guided rockets, and the plane also has rails and pylons on its wings so it can be equipped with more advanced weapons and sensors in the future.
One weapon that AFSOC officials are looking to possibly arm the Skyraider II with is the Red Wolf cruise missile, Wilson said.