A U.S. Air Force OA-1K Skyraider II is parked on the flightline at Hurlburt Field, Florida, Jan. 28, 2025. The OA-1K Skyraider II is a new, flexible, cost-effective crewed aircraft adaptable to deliver capabilities in support of defense priorities. (U.S. Air Force photo by Staff Sgt. Natalie Fiorilli)
TAMPA, Fla. — Air Force Special Operations Command (AFSOC) will begin testing its “rapid” breakdown disassembly and reassembly capability for the OA-1K Skyraider II aircraft in an operational environment later this year, according to the colonel in charge of the program.
“We have demonstrated this capability by doing a timed disassembly and reassembly in a controlled environment and a hangar. We will next look to conduct the activity in an actual mobility aircraft during our operational test later this calendar year,” Lt. Col. Robert Wilson, AFSOC’s Armed Overwatch Requirements Branch Chief, told a group of reporters ahead of the annual SOF Week exposition.
“Then we’ll also look to conduct a rapid disassembly and reassembly as part of exercises, likely next year, because just like anything else, the more reps and sets that we accomplish, the more ready we will be whenever we need to conduct it operationally,” he continued.
