{"id":64271,"date":"2019-02-20T15:17:11","date_gmt":"2019-02-20T15:17:11","guid":{"rendered":"https:\/\/one.sightlinemg.com\/militarytimes\/uncategorized\/2019\/02\/20\/pentagons-special-operations-leaders-disappointed-over-handling-of-light-attack-program\/"},"modified":"2026-08-07T21:09:51","modified_gmt":"2026-08-07T21:09:51","slug":"pentagons-special-operations-leaders-disappointed-over-handling-of-light-attack-program","status":"publish","type":"post","link":"https:\/\/one.sightlinemg.com\/militarytimes\/news\/2019\/02\/20\/pentagons-special-operations-leaders-disappointed-over-handling-of-light-attack-program\/","title":{"rendered":"Pentagon\u2019s special operations leader \u2018disappointed\u2019 over handling of light-attack program"},"content":{"rendered":"\n<p class=\"wp-block-paragraph\">The Pentagon\u2019s lead on <a href=\"https:\/\/www.militarytimes.com\/news\/your-army\/2018\/12\/13\/the-head-of-us-special-operations-is-putting-out-new-guidance-following-ethics-concerns-high-profile-scandals-in-his-force\/\" target=\"_blank\">special operations and low intensity conflict<\/a> was looking forward to the Air Force selecting a light-attack aircraft this December, but like many, he was disappointed after the service got cold feet.<\/p>\n\n\n\n<p class=\"wp-block-paragraph\">\u201cIf you are asking if we are disappointed the Air Force cut or delayed the light-attack program, the answer is yes,&#8221; Assistant Secretary Owen West said at a recent defense industry symposium, adding that he wouldn\u2019t elaborate on the subject in an open forum.<\/p>\n\n\n\n<p class=\"wp-block-paragraph\">He did, however, say earlier in the conference that his office is exploring ways in which the U.S. military\u2019s counter-insurgency mission could be better resourced as the Pentagon implements the 2018 National Defense Strategy.<\/p>\n\n\n\n<p class=\"wp-block-paragraph\">Some of the new resourcing initiatives could include a greater reliance on <a href=\"https:\/\/www.militarytimes.com\/news\/your-army\/2019\/02\/08\/fighting-terrorism-may-rely-on-secret-surrogate-forces-going-forward\/\" target=\"_blank\">U.S. special operations troops commanding partner forces<\/a>, while others could involve selling <a href=\"https:\/\/www.militarytimes.com\/news\/your-army\/2019\/02\/06\/dod-officials-irregular-warfare-will-no-longer-suffer-a-boom-bust-cycle-in-eras-of-great-power-competition\/\" target=\"_blank\">cost-effective equipment to foreign militaries<\/a> so they can replicate some of the capabilities U.S. personnel once brought to their fight.<\/p>\n\n\n\n<p class=\"wp-block-paragraph\">\u201cIt will be a cheaper, more effective way to take on many of our enemies than we do with, say, the high-generation platforms that we do today,\u201d West said. \u201cIt\u2019s amazing to probably hear from me that in 2020 a propeller airplane could be effectively employed on the modern battlefield in the hyper connected age, but it\u2019s really cheap and in some areas it\u2019s highly effective.&#8221;<\/p>\n\n\n\n<p class=\"wp-block-paragraph\">\u201cMost important, many of our local forces can maintain these aircraft,\u201d he added.<\/p>\n\n\n\n<p class=\"wp-block-paragraph\">West\u2019s comments aren\u2019t necessarily new, and they\u2019re shared by some pilots who have flown light-attack aircraft in testing.<\/p>\n\n\n\n<p class=\"wp-block-paragraph\">Lt. Col. Arthur Dixon, a former Marine F\/A-18 Hornet pilot and weapons officer who conducted test flights in the AT-6 Texan II in 2011, told Air Force Times that while he doesn\u2019t receive updates on testing, he remains a fan of the light-attack concept.<\/p>\n\n\n\n<p class=\"wp-block-paragraph\">The derivative of the plane Dixon tested, the AT-6 Wolverine, was up against the A-29 Super Tucano in the competition before the Air Force shut it down, at least temporarily.<\/p>\n\n\n\n<p class=\"wp-block-paragraph\">\u201cI believe it would benefit the United States to have an aircraft like that in the inventory because air warfare is always changing,\u201d Dixon said. \u201cAnd cost does mean something, because we\u2019re in a cost-conscience culture.&#8221;<\/p>\n\n\n\n<p class=\"wp-block-paragraph\">Many pundits have noted that rather than using a $90 million F-35 stealth fighter to bomb insurgents with no air defense capability, it would be wiser to use a cheap light-attack plane.<\/p>\n\n\n\n<p class=\"wp-block-paragraph\">But U.S. officials may have encountered resistance to the two selected aircraft in their discussions with possible partners. They are now talking about widening the competition to rotary-wing aircraft and drones.<\/p>\n\n\n\n<p class=\"wp-block-paragraph\">Aircraft like the AT-6 already have a large presence in the U.S.<\/p>\n\n\n\n<p class=\"wp-block-paragraph\">\u201cWe used it as a trainer and have the parts, and you have people who know how to operate it all around the U.S., and it\u2019s already proliferated around the world,\u201d Dixon said. \u201cIt just makes a lot of sense. I would love to see the AT-6 continue to fly off against the A-29.\u201d<\/p>\n\n\n\n<figure class=\"wp-block-image size-large\"><img loading=\"lazy\" decoding=\"async\" width=\"1200\" height=\"628\" src=\"\/wp-content\/uploads\/2026\/08\/20180716_FLP_DN_11.JPG.jpg\" alt=\"\" class=\"wp-image-4189\" srcset=\"https:\/\/one.sightlinemg.com\/wp-content\/uploads\/2026\/08\/20180716_FLP_DN_11.JPG.jpg 1200w, https:\/\/one.sightlinemg.com\/wp-content\/uploads\/2026\/08\/20180716_FLP_DN_11.JPG.jpg?resize=300,157 300w, https:\/\/one.sightlinemg.com\/wp-content\/uploads\/2026\/08\/20180716_FLP_DN_11.JPG.jpg?resize=768,402 768w, https:\/\/one.sightlinemg.com\/wp-content\/uploads\/2026\/08\/20180716_FLP_DN_11.JPG.jpg?resize=1024,536 1024w\" sizes=\"auto, (max-width: 1200px) 100vw, 1200px\" \/><figcaption class=\"wp-element-caption\">A newly arrived turboprop light attack aircraft &#8220;Super Tucano&#8221; lands after an air show during the presentation ceremony at the military air base in Bamako on July 11, 2018. (MICHELE CATTANI\/AFP\/Getty Images)<\/figcaption><\/figure>\n\n\n\n<p class=\"wp-block-paragraph\">In September, Air Force Chief of Staff Gen. Dave Goldfein said he envisioned the light-attack aircraft as a platform that could be sold to partner nations unable to afford or maintain high-end jet aircraft like the F-35 Joint Strike Fighter but that still needed to be able to send and receive intelligence in the skies.<\/p>\n\n\n\n<p class=\"wp-block-paragraph\">\u201cIf I hear one thing from my international air chiefs, it\u2019s \u2018we need to figure out how to share information both ways,\u2019\u201d Goldfein told Military Times. \u201cSo, for me, with the light-attack experiment, I\u2019m just as interested in the information sharing and intelligence gathering.&#8221;<\/p>\n\n\n\n<p class=\"wp-block-paragraph\">To address Goldfein\u2019s vision of integrating U.S. allies across domains, the light-attack experiment was testing the integration of a network that allows the U.S. to share unclassified data with partners using off-the-shelf products like <a href=\"https:\/\/www.defensenews.com\/air\/2018\/05\/17\/light-attack-experiment-pits-at-6-against-a-29-in-high-stakes-matchup\/\" target=_blank>Aeronet<\/a>.<\/p>\n\n\n\n<p class=\"wp-block-paragraph\">But after the Air Force pumped the brakes on the light-attack experiment in January, it doesn\u2019t seem likely the U.S. will have an aircraft to offer up anytime soon.<\/p>\n\n\n\n<p class=\"wp-block-paragraph\">Goldfein said in a <a href=\"https:\/\/www.defensenews.com\/newsletters\/2019\/01\/30\/the-air-forces-light-attack-experiment-could-be-expanded-to-feature-drones-helicopters-and-more-aircraft\/\" target=_blank>Jan. 26 interview<\/a> that the service is still finalizing its strategy on how to proceed with the light-attack program. He also hinted that a lack of interest by partner nations may have shaped the <a href=\"https:\/\/www.defensenews.com\/air\/2019\/01\/18\/the-air-forces-plans-to-begin-a-light-attack-aircraft-competition-are-now-deferred-indefinitely\/\" target=_blank>decision not to press ahead<\/a> with a program of record late last year.<\/p>\n\n\n\n<p class=\"wp-block-paragraph\">\u201cWhat is the right mix of fixed wing, rotary wing, manned and unmanned that can do the business of <a href=\"https:\/\/www.defensenews.com\/air\/2018\/05\/08\/air-force-targets-weapons-integration-logistics-in-second-round-of-light-attack-demo\/\" target=_blank>light attack<\/a>?\u201d he said. \u201cWhat is the right mix and how do we bring <a href=\"https:\/\/www.defensenews.com\/digital-show-dailies\/singapore-airshow\/2018\/02\/06\/top-us-air-force-general-hopes-to-increase-asias-interest-in-light-attack-aircraft\/\" target=_blank>allies and partners<\/a> in right now with us \u2014 not just periodically parachute in \u2014 but how do we expand this experiment to bring them into the tent with us?\u201d<\/p>\n\n\n\n<p class=\"wp-block-paragraph\">It\u2019s unclear what an unmanned option would look like. But given the capabilities of open-source hunter-killer drones, like the MQ-9 Reaper, Dixon said a manned light attack like the AT-6 still makes sense, at least in conjunction with something else.<\/p>\n\n\n\n<p class=\"wp-block-paragraph\">\u201cYou have more options with the AT-6 on the ordnance you can carry and then you also have that human factor of being able to look out of the aircraft, and see with eyeballs beyond the wing-line,&#8221; Dixon said. &#8220;That\u2019s something you don\u2019t get with an unmanned aircraft like an MQ-9.\u201d<\/p>\n","protected":false},"excerpt":{"rendered":"<p>The Pentagon\u2019s lead on special operations and low-intensity conflict was looking forward to the Air Force selecting a light-attack aircraft this December, but like many, he was disappointed after the service got cold feet.<\/p>\n","protected":false},"author":7,"featured_media":35395,"comment_status":"open","ping_status":"open","sticky":false,"template":"","format":"standard","meta":{"_acf_changed":false,"_yoast_wpseo_meta-robots-noindex":"","_yoast_wpseo_meta-robots-nofollow":"","_yoast_wpseo_canonical":"","_acf":"","_yoast_wpseo_primary_category":15,"_jetpack_feature_clip_id":0,"_jetpack_memberships_contains_paid_content":false,"footnotes":"","_smg_distribution_targets":[]},"categories":[29,117,15,88],"tags":[],"coauthors":[3406],"class_list":["post-64271","post","type-post","status-publish","format-standard","has-post-thumbnail","hentry","category-home","category-middle-column","category-news","category-your-military"],"acf":{"subheadline":"","legacy_arc_id":"BLVVKESN2FBGRHQ3PO5CDMG65U","arc_canonical_url":"\/news\/2019\/02\/20\/pentagons-special-operations-leaders-disappointed-over-handling-of-light-attack-program\/","remove_feature_photo":false,"is_sponsored":false,"subtype":"","redirect_url":"","disable_inline_ads":false,"native_logo_pretext":"Presented By:"},"yoast_head":"<!-- This site is optimized with the Yoast SEO Premium plugin v26.0 (Yoast SEO v28.1) - https:\/\/yoast.com\/product\/yoast-seo-premium-wordpress\/ -->\n<title>Pentagon\u2019s special operations leader \u2018disappointed\u2019 over handling of light-attack program - Military Times<\/title>\n<meta name=\"description\" content=\"The Pentagon\u2019s lead on special operations and low-intensity conflict was looking forward to the Air Force selecting a light-attack aircraft this December, but like many, he was disappointed after the service got cold feet.\" \/>\n<meta name=\"robots\" content=\"noindex, follow, max-snippet:-1, max-image-preview:large, max-video-preview:-1\" \/>\n<meta property=\"og:locale\" content=\"en_US\" \/>\n<meta property=\"og:type\" content=\"article\" \/>\n<meta property=\"og:title\" content=\"Pentagon\u2019s special operations leader \u2018disappointed\u2019 over handling of light-attack program\" \/>\n<meta property=\"og:description\" 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