An unnamed foreign government expressed interest in purchasing old A-10 attack jets, but the Pentagon is instead directing them toward L3Harris’ new Skyraider II armed crop duster.
The US government is suggesting the new L3Harris OA-1K Skyraider II close air support turboprop as a possible alternative to the retiring Fairchild Republic A-10 ground attack fighter.
Although the US Air Force is committed to operating the iconic “Warthog” fighter until at least 2030, the service continues to move ahead with its A-10 retirement plans. The air force graduated its last class of new A-10 pilots in April and has cut the Warthog fleet roughly in half since 2022, now to fewer than 150 jets.
At least one foreign government has apparently expressed interest in acquiring mothballed A-10s. However, L3Harris tells FlightGlobal that that request was denied by officials within the Pentagon’s Foreign Military Sales apparatus, who instead suggested the OA-1K.
“The US said, ‘[It’s] not an option to be able to do that, but go look at the OA-1K’,” says Jason Lambert, president of intelligence, surveillance and reconnaissance at L3Harris.
Lambert spoke to FlightGlobal on 20 May at the SOF Week special operations conference in Tampa, Florida. L3Harris declines to reveal which country made the A-10 request.
One likely candidate is Jordan. In April 2024, then-secretary of the US Air Force Frank Kendall confirmed to Congress that the country had expressed an interest in acquiring second-hand Warthogs.
Several months later, the lawmakers passed defence legislation directing the Pentagon to explore options for transferring retired A-10s to Jordan, including an assessment of Amman’s ability to operate and maintain a fleet of attack jets.
The transfer ultimately went nowhere. Jordan’s King Abdullah II is notably a regular attendee of SOF Week and addressed the 2026 conference in a session that was closed to reporters.
With the exception of the A-10’s famous nose-mounted 30mm cannon, Lambert says the OA-1K can replicate many of the Wathog’s capabilities.
“It actually sits in roughly the same footprint as an A-10, so from a size perspective, it’s very close,” he notes. “In terms of the… munitions package, it can do much of what an A-10 does.”
The turboprop is currently certified to carry three weapons options: 70mm Advanced Precision Kill Weapon System rockets, Hellfire air-to-ground guided missiles and GBU-12 227kg (500lb) bombs.
L3Harris is also in the process of integrating additional munitions, including the company’s Red and Green Wolf family of long-range “air launched effects”, which offer a 200nm (370km) strike range.
“With the munitions package, it can do much of what an A-10 does,” Lambert says.
Work to integrate the GAU-19 .50 calibre gun pod is also underway, prompted by interest from a number of prospective but undisclosed international customers.
L3Harris has previously said it is in talks with potential buyers and operators in Africa, the Middle East and the Pacific Islands. The company had an OA-1K on static display at SOF Week 2026.
That aircraft flew under its own power to Tampa International airport, where the wings were removed to allow for trucking into the downtown Tampa conference site. The OA-1K was then reassembled into a flightworthy state – a process Lambert says can be completed in under 12h.
On 19 May, US Air Force Special Operations Command (AFSOC) touted the rapid deployment capability of the Skyraider II, noting that multiple aircraft can be disassembled and transported in a Boeing C-17 for speedy global response.
L3Harris has thus far delivered 18 aircraft to AFSOC, out of 45 examples currently under contract. Those aircraft are currently being used to train the first cohort of Skyraider II pilots, with an entry into combat service expected in the fourth quarter of 2027.
The operational fleet will be based at Will Rogers Air National Guard Base, Davis-Monthan AFB and Hurlburt Field in Florida.
The total AFSOC acquisition programme covers up to 75 OA-1Ks, although the latest fiscal year 2027 US defence budget request from the Pentagon only outlines a buy of 53 aircraft.
While it works on those existing US orders, Lambert says L3Harris is still actively pursuing its first official export sale. The company is currently delivering one aircraft per month but could double that if additional orders materialise.
The OA-1K was developed as a low-cost platform for providing close air support to commando units operating from austere locations without the robust ground infrastructure required by tactical jet fighters.
Despite indicators that Washington is moving to cut its acquisition, the current AFSOC commander, Lieutenant General Michael Conley, remains a strong supporter of the armed crop duster.
Conley has recently reiterated his preference for fielding the full contingent of 75 OA-1Ks.
L3Harris is also positioning the turboprop as a counter-UAS solution. Lambert says the OA-1K has an operating cost of less than $1,000 per flight hour, making it a cost-competitive option for defending against swarms of cheap one-way attack drones like the Iranian Shahed-136 and Russian Geran-2.
The OA-1K is available both through the Pentagon’s FMS system and for direct commercial sale.
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