The U.S. Air Force May Soon Have a Deadly Light Attack Aircraft

The United States Air Force has decided not conduct another OA-X Light Attack Aircraft demonstration during actual combat operations in the Middle East.

Instead, the service will continue to experiment with various sensors and data networks onboard the Textron Aviation AT-6 Wolverine and the Sierra Nevada/Embraer A-29 Super Tucano—which are the two leading contenders for a new OA-X aircraft—at bases in the United States. The idea would be to gather data for a future rapid procurement of one of the aircraft for service with the U.S. Air Force.

“Rather than do a combat demonstration, we have decided to work closely with industry to experiment with maintenance, data networking and sensors with the two most promising light attack aircraft — the AT-6 Wolverine and the A-29 Super Tucano,” Heather Wilson, secretary of the Air Force, said in a statement. “This will let us gather the data needed for a rapid procurement.”

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