GAO watchdogs question rationale for more special operations planes for Pentagon

Congressional watchdogs are raising new questions about the Defense Department’s plans to spend more than $2 billion on dozens of lightweight, fixed-wing aircraft to support counter-terrorism operations.

The U.S. Government Accountability Office this week said U.S. Special Operations Command is backing the Armed Overwatch program because it will provide them with an aircraft capable of conducting strike and close air support missions and carry out surveillance missions in airspace where the risk is limited.

But a new GAO report finds SOCOM officials, when pressed, were “limited in [their] ability to justify the acquisition of the Armed Overwatch aircraft.”

“SOCOM decided on the size of the fleet before conducting required analyses [and] did not assess how changes in the aircraft’s capabilities could affect the number needed for operations,” according to the GAO report, which was sent Thursday to Democratic and Republican leaders in the Senate and House Armed Services Committees.

Special Operations Command (SOCOM) chose the L3Harris OA-1K Sky Warden for its Armed Overwatch program. The aircraft is based on the civilian Air Tractor AT-802, often used in agriculture work and firefighting operations. The military initially asked for 75 planes but later trimmed the request to 62.

The GAO also found that the command has not reevaluated its need for Armed Overwatch despite changes to its missions. They told lawmakers that a second classified report highlights their concerns over risks associated with the capabilities of the Armed Overwatch aircraft; the type of missions they will carry out; deployment and operating challenges; and affordability.

SOCOM wants the Armed Overwatch aircraft to replace the Pilatus U-28A Draco turbo-prop for surveillance and intelligence-gathering missions. But the GAO investigators said they haven’t planned for how the new aircraft will accomplish the task.

“Also, SOCOM has not addressed risks associated with the loss of these capabilities if the new aircraft does not provide them,” according to the report.

The GAO said Special Operations Command concurred with its recommendation to reevaluate the number of aircraft needed for the missions. The military partially concurred with other GAO recommendations, including limiting aircraft procurement to the minimum required number until the fleet size is determined and assessing whether the acquisition program remains “an affordable priority.”