August 23, 2018
Air Force OA-X Light Attack Aircraft Program
On August 6, 2018, the U.S. Air Force issued a
countries; and the developmental Textron Scorpion jet.
presolicitation notice declaring its intent to acquire a new
First-phase operations continued through August 2017.
type of aircraft. The OA-X light attack aircraft is a small,
two-seat turboprop airplane designed for operation in
Figure 1. Sierra Nevada/Embraer A-29
relatively permissive environments. The announcement of a
formal program follows a series of Air Force “experiments”
to determine the utility of such an aircraft.
Why Light Attack?
In a number of venues during 2018, Air Force Secretary
Heather Wilson expressed the purpose of a new light attack
aircraft as giving the Air Force an ability to free up more
sophisticated and expensive assets for other tasks, citing the
example of using high-end F-22 jets to destroy a drug
laboratory in Afghanistan as an inefficient use of resources.
Per-hour operating costs for light attack aircraft are
typically about 2%-4% those of advanced fighters.
Source: U.S. Department of Defense.
She and other officials have also noted that the 2018
Note: Shown in Afghan service.
National Defense Strategy put a greater emphasis on
potential conflicts against capably armed nation-states,
Figure 2. Textron/Beechcraft AT-6
further stressing a need to minimize the use of high-end
assets in other types of conflict. (For more on that
document, see CRS Insight IN10855, The 2018 National
Defense Strategy, by Kathleen J. McInnis.)
Conversely, Former Secretary of Defense Robert Gates had
criticized the Air Force as focusing excessively on the kind
of high-end, near-peer conflicts in that strategy; the light
attack aircraft can be seen as making the Air Force more
relevant to low-end and counterinsurgency warfare.
History
In January, 2016, LtGen James Holmes (then Air Force
Deputy Chief of Staff for Strategic Plans and
Requirements) indicated to CRS that the Air Force was
considering starting two programs related to ground-attack
Source: U.S. Air Force photo by Ethan D. Wagner.
operations. One, called OA-X, would examine existing,
“off-the-shelf” light attack aircraft to add a low-end
Figure 3. Air Tractor/L3 OA-802
capability for use in relatively permissive air environments
such as Iraq and Afghanistan. The other, dubbed AX-2,
would develop an eventual replacement for the existing A-
10 Thunderbolt II. The Air Force subsequently publicized
these concepts, although they were not included in the fiscal
2017 budget submission.
On July 31, 2017, the Air Force began what it called the
Capability Assessment of Non-Developmental Light Attack
Platforms, an “experiment” to determine the utility of an
OA-X, its ability to operate with coalition partners, and to
Source: L-3.
initially evaluate candidate aircraft. The first phase included
four aircraft: the Sierra Nevada/Embraer A-29;
Textron/Beechcraft AT-6B; Air Tractor/L3 OA-802
turboprops, variants of which are in service with other
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Air Force OA-X Light Attack Aircraft Program
Figure 4. Textron Scorpion
Fiscal Year 2019 as enacted (P.L. 115-232) included $300
million for procurement of a fleet of OA-X aircraft and long
lead materials. Neither the act nor its accompanying report
specified a quantity of aircraft.
Potential Issues for Congress
Questions to consider in evaluating the OA-X program
might include the following:
What is the value of adding this capability to the Air
Force?
Is the Air Force the appropriate service to operate these
aircraft?
How large a fleet is appropriate?
Source: Darin LaCrone/Textron Airland.
Might this mission be better accomplished through other
The experiment’s second phase began May 7, 2018, with
means, such as remotely piloted aircraft (“drones”)?
the A-29 and AT-6B continuing in the program. The flying
portion of the program concluded in June 2018; release of
Does the presence of such aircraft in U.S. service assist
the presolicitation notice can be seen as the formal end of
in training and operating with partner nations? If so,
the OA-X experimental phase.
what is the value of that to the United States?
The presolicitation notice
Should the U.S. government be involved in promoting
sales of similar aircraft to other nations, and if so, how?
limited participation in the proposed contract to Sierra
Nevada and Textron;
Is a procurement restricted to two specified competitors
fair and appropriate?
did not specify a number of aircraft to be acquired (Air
Force estimates have varied from 20 to “a couple of
Is the use of “experiments” rather than a formal
squadrons” to 300) or a target unit price;
downselect process a useful innovation in streamlining
acquisition, a circumvention of rules, or might it be
predicted a formal solicitation in December 2018, with
described some other way? Does that judgment change
contract award in the fourth quarter of 2019; and
when (as in this case) the procurement is intended for an
off-the-shelf, rather than developmental, acquisition?
is available at https://go.usa.gov/xUMEZ.
The Air Force has publicly stated it is experiencing a
The A-29 would be built and assembled in Jacksonville,
shortage of trained pilots. Would creation of a light
FL; the AT-6 in Wichita, KS.
attack fleet exacerbate that shortage or assist in the
training and absorption of new pilots?
Although the Administration did not request any funding
specific to the OA-X experiment or subsequent
procurement in the FY2017-FY2019 budget submissions,
Jeremiah Gertler, Specialist in Military Aviation
the John S. McCain National Defense Authorization Act for
IF10954
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Air Force OA-X Light Attack Aircraft Program
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