23 minutes ago, herkbier said:

Looks like one just crashed, cockpit looks ok. Hope the pilot made it out without serious injuries.

 

 

19 minutes ago, ClearedHot said:

 

War Tractor seems to say "when", even gave a sign!

Anyhow...glad they're safe....and...wonder how far they glid because thats twice now and spreading the glide ratio internally would be good practice seeing how it could be averaged now.

https://www.flyingsquadron.com/forums/topic/24109-afsoc-oa-1k-incident/

 

Edited October 23, 2025Oct 23 by Swizzle
+ link

Glad they are okay!

Speculation time: Prop looks feathered and the wing damage was reportedly after the fact and hit a pole during the ELP.

So...is this a "we fucked with the proven* PT-6 design" issue?

Edited October 24, 2025Oct 24 by StoleIt
* spelling

24 minutes ago, StoleIt said:

Glad they are okay!

Speculation time: Prop looks feathered and the wing damage was reportedly after the fact and hit a pole during the ELP.

Engine quit....again.

27 minutes ago, StoleIt said:

So...is this a "we fucked with the proben PT-6 design" issue?

Oddly, no....well sort of.  Has been flying with an Air Tractor STC that is now an issue.

On 10/23/2025 at 4:21 PM, ClearedHot said:

 

That sign better end up in a squadron bar

 

 

On 10/23/2025 at 2:16 PM, ClearedHot said:

Helicopter stuff. 

20 hours ago, FourFans said:

That sign better end up in a squadron bar

That's what she said.

(Just south of Kitchen Lake Park in OKC)

Edited October 26, 2025Oct 26 by fire4effect

Sorry, too subtle humor on my part about the stop sign. 

Also, location of mishap was south of Kitchen Lake Park in OKC

The Aviationist

L3Harris Pitches Red Wolf and OA-1K Skyraider II Integrat...

The integration of the Red Wolf missile opens up a host of possibilities for the Skyraider II, as the USAF figures out its future in a high-intensity

On 2/13/2026 at 9:21 AM, Clark Griswold said:

The Aviationist

L3Harris Pitches Red Wolf and OA-1K Skyraider II Integrat...

The integration of the Red Wolf missile opens up a host of possibilities for the Skyraider II, as the USAF figures out its future in a high-intensity

Sad there is not a single comment on this...probably why we are stuck in a do loop of our own dogma. If done properly this will change everything. Also under the radar is the fact that the Marines are integrating the same missile on their Cobras. Now small platforms can operate from austere forward dirt strips, grass fields, beaches...and have a strategic impact be striking targets at distance with very short notice and from non-traditional attack vectors. 200NM is just the start, follow-on cheap weapons have been tested out at 600NM. Add the ability to swarm and you can hold adversaries at risk at a MUCH lower exchange ratio.

7 hours ago, ClearedHot said:

Sad there is not a single comment on this...probably why we are stuck in a do loop of our own dogma. If done properly this will change everything. Also under the radar is the fact that the Marines are integrating the same missile on their Cobras. Now small platforms can operate from austere forward dirt strips, grass fields, beaches...and have a strategic impact be striking targets at distance with very short notice and from non-traditional attack vectors. 200NM is just the start, follow-on cheap weapons have been tested out at 600NM. Add the ability to swarm and you can hold adversaries at risk at a MUCH lower exchange ratio.

It’s cultural I think, for whatever reason I think the powers that be think these platforms are beneath the prestige of the AF. Following from that they’ll present an endless stream of arguments of why giving a nickel to small programs robs big programs, it’s a prejudice that they find reasons to justify.

With the long range fires being demonstrated by our foes with TBMs/cheap drones destroying HVAAs at MOBs on the ground, the justification for some amount of conventional capabilities being based in small footprint, ACE minded assets is self evident.

Tactical tanker, expeditionary capable light fighter, light attack and CCA / UCAV, etc…

Just my day dreaming two cents but this sounds like the bailiwicks of a new AFSOC to be relevant in GPCs.

13 hours ago, ClearedHot said:

Now small platforms can operate from austere forward dirt strips, grass fields, beaches...and have a strategic impact be striking targets at distance with very short notice and from non-traditional attack vectors.

CH, what's your take on AFSOC tasking outside the TSOC bubble? I remember the unleash the gunships article from years back, but it always seems to come back to funding and SOCOM's penny packet. Is there a realistic future where CFACC target taskings via ATO would actually flow to a TSOC asset?

I like the idea, I'm just a bit cynical I suppose.

That mechanism already exists in doctrine. Excess airpower is supposed to kick over to the JFACC and has in every conflict since Kosovo (there was HUGE fight over gunships in Kosovo that drove discussion and doctrine updates at the 4 star level. During OEF I routinely flew as a SOF asset one night and was chopped as excess to the CJFAC the next night. That construct does require the stars to act like adults which can be a challenge.

AFSOC wants to be part of the big fight and they know they can't given the threat so now more than ever they are open to new approaches. Things like small cruise missile let them play and make a valuable contribution. Interestingly the effort to being SCM to AFSOC was done on a CRADA with AFSOC (SOCOM) dollars...a level of commitment from the current commander who sees the value.

I've said it here many times, having the ability to put large numbers (100+), on an MC-130 enables AFSOC to send a large swarm with just a few planes, such a swarm would be a real threat to anything trying to cross the straight...especially if they have ATR and are on the link.

Putting SCM on A1K and operating from unimproved strips/fields/beaches allows new attack vectors that dramatically changes the calculus for the Chinese. Think about a couple of A1Ks operating out of dirt strips where they were able to infiltrate unobserved. They pop up, launch a volley of SCM and immediately move on to a new dirt strip to rearm and refuel.

19 hours ago, ClearedHot said:

That mechanism already exists in doctrine. Excess airpower is supposed to kick over to the JFACC and has in every conflict since Kosovo (there was HUGE fight over gunships in Kosovo that drove discussion and doctrine updates at the 4 star level. During OEF I routinely flew as a SOF asset one night and was chopped as excess to the CJFAC the next night. That construct does require the stars to act like adults which can be a challenge.

Your last sentence is what gives me pause. Chopping assets in a manner not much different than push CAS seems a different animal than planning stand off munition waves. Mainly requiring a release of assets much earlier.

Quibbles aside, I would think the other speed bump that would need to be sorted is who buys the munitions. SOCOM bought tends to be forbidden fruit for the CAF (laser SDB). I'd think the optimum Jiu Jitsu move would be to get Big Blue (probably through the Guard) to buy the desired munitions for NGB Vipers (or whatever) to free up the allocation process and money streams.

Assuming I'm remembering my staff time correctly and there haven't been changes.

Mover and Gonky discuss Red Wolf on OA-1

Posted as the skeptical views they share on the utility of it add (I think) to the broader point that I don’t believe the AF likes or believes in distributing fires capabilities to non traditional (not fighter/attack or bomber platforms)

This must be overcome IMHO at high level


Sent from my iPhone using Tapatalk

12 minutes ago, Clark Griswold said:

Mover and Gonky discuss Red Wolf on OA-1

Posted as the skeptical views they share on the utility of it add (I think) to the broader point that I don’t believe the AF likes or believes in distributing fires capabilities to non traditional (not fighters/attack or bomber platforms)
This must be overcome IMHO at high level


Sent from my iPhone using Tapatalk

Idiots....

"Two targeting pods?"
"The airplane has a 200NM combat radius?"

"This airplane is design for low-altitude fight"

Change name to Doorknob and Donkey.

2 hours ago, ClearedHot said:

Idiots....

"Two targeting pods?"
"The airplane has a 200NM combat radius?"
"This airplane is design for low-altitude fight"
Change name to Doorknob and Donkey.

Yeah I was surprised by it a bit, by their opinions.
This thread has gone thru many orbits, we brought up the idea of two light attack, one SOF oriented and one conventional ops oriented before.
I think the powers that be (fighter mafia) would probably get more comfortable with a non traditional light(er) platform that had a passing resemblance to what they know/love, namely a manned jet. In their defense, who doesn’t?
My druthers, based on what we’ve seen in Ukraine, Red Sea and now Iran, a light crewed expeditionary platform, designed for delivering relevant effects efficiently and in control of unmanned assets (directly controlled all the way to authorized autonomous ops, surface and air assets) to cover large areas, numerous attack vectors and saturation waves is needed and would be accepted by the AF.
That is important, they have to see themselves flying it and it as worthy of the AF. I remember a show on the -117 Nighthawk, an engineer was relaying a little funny anecdote about the jet being painted black vs a light pastel color that would have been more effective as a visual camouflage, he told the GOs this and they replied “Real men don’t fly funny looking pastel colored aircraft.” So it got the dark black paint job, looks cool and clandestine and the rest is history…
Cheap enough to buy in mass, cheap enough to fly a lot, cheap to maintain and designed from the get go to work with and against unmanned vehicles / drones.
Range, ACE and enough performance to defend itself.