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Gen. Scott Winter, deputy commander of United Nations Command, speaks during an interview at UNC headquarters on Camp Humphreys, a U.S. military base in Pyeongtaek, on July 7. File Photo by Thomas Maresca/UPI
PYEONGTAEK, South Korea, July 28 (UPI) — Seventy-six years after the United Nations Command was established to help repel North Korea’s invasion of the South, the multinational force remains an essential pillar of stability on the Korean Peninsula, its deputy commander said.
Speaking after a July 7 ceremony marking the command’s founding anniversary, Australian Army Lt. Gen. Scott A. Winter said the command’s responsibilities have evolved far beyond its wartime origins while remaining rooted in the Korean War armistice that halted fighting in 1953.
“The United Nations Command has two key missions,” Winter told UPI at UNC headquarters on Camp Humphreys in Pyeongtaek, about 35 miles south of Seoul. “One is to enforce the armistice, which is a sacred duty that we take every day. The other is to coordinate sending-state contributions in times of crisis or conflict.”
Created by a U.N. Security Council resolution on July 7, 1950, the command brought together forces from 22 nations under U.S. leadership after North Korea invaded South Korea. More than 1.9 million service members from UNC member states served in combat, medical and logistical roles during the Korean War.
Active fighting ended with the signing of the armistice on July 27, 1953 — the anniversary of which was commemorated Monday — rather than a peace treaty, meaning the two Koreas remain technically at war. The UNC continues to oversee implementation of the agreement and maintains a rare direct communication channel with North Korea’s military.
Winter said the command still conducts routine telephone communications twice daily with the Korean People’s Army through the military hotline, also known as the “pink phone.”
“It continues to enable us to de-conflict, avoid any sort of miscalculation,” he said, citing the example of recent firefighting operations inside the Demilitarized Zone.
The milestone comes as North Korea has abandoned its longstanding policy of peaceful reunification with South Korea, accelerated development of its nuclear and missile programs and deepened military cooperation with Russia, including sending troops to support Moscow’s war in Ukraine.
Winter said North Korea’s partnership with Russia has reinforced the need for the UNC to adapt to an increasingly complex security environment and strengthen its deterrence role on the peninsula.
“The growing nexus between North Korea and Russia is a reminder for all of us of the global nature of these security threats,” he said. “It’s clear that North Korea has gained both contemporary battlefield experience and exposure to technology.”
He argued that the UNC’s multinational composition strengthens deterrence by demonstrating that security on the Korean Peninsula remains an international concern.
“The more flags that we bring together, the more we can provide multinational legitimacy during periods of peace, the more we contribute to deterrence,” Winter said.
Despite renewed efforts by South Korean President Lee Jae Myung’s administration to reduce tensions with Pyongyang and eventually pursue a formal peace regime, Winter said the command would continue to have a role even if the armistice were someday replaced.
“Having a ready-made coalition prior to a crisis is much easier than trying to pull a coalition together in crisis or conflict,” Winter said. “I absolutely believe that the best way to prevent conflict is through that multilateral working together.”
He added that the armistice itself was designed to create conditions for a political settlement rather than become a permanent arrangement.
“The armistice was put in place to ultimately create the space for a political solution,” he said. “We welcome any moves in that direction.”
Reflecting on the anniversary, Winter said the command’s history offers lessons that remain relevant as conflicts continue in Europe and the Middle East.
“Seventy-six years ago, nations came together because they understood that’s what it would take to prevent further aggression,” he said. “The importance of multilateralism, the importance of building coalitions of the willing with like-minded countries, because the alternative is unthinkable.”
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The U.S. Navy is seeking a multi-mission maritime security vessel to “launch, recover, and support a mix of manned and unmanned air and surface platforms,” a Navy spokesperson told us on Tuesday. The ship will “support the U.S. Southern Command’s (SOUTHCOM) enduring mission to collaborate with partner nations on maritime security operations in the Eastern Pacific and Southern Caribbean.”
“The Special Mission Vessel is envisioned as a versatile ‘mothership’ designed to significantly enhance maritime domain awareness and response capabilities,” the spokesperson added. “These operations are crucial for conducting command and control, surveillance, and interdiction missions across vast stretches of the open ocean.”
The Navy was responding to our questions about a request for information (RFI) about the ship that was published Monday on the government’s contracting website. The request comes as a contract for the ship currently performing this mission expires in 2028, which we will discuss in more detail later in this story.
SAM.gov
The need for a vessel like this exists as U.S. forces continue a long battle with drug traffickers in the region, including ongoing strikes on boats claimed to be operated by smugglers. The strikes have generated a great deal of controversy, with claims they violate the rules of armed conflict and have been carried out without Congressional or judicial approval. The White House and Pentagon have pushed back on those claims.
You can see one of the most recent incidents in the following video.
On June 21, at the direction of #SOUTHCOM commander Gen. Francis L. Donovan, Joint Task Force Southern Spear conducted a lethal kinetic strike on a vessel operated by Designated Terrorist Organizations. Intelligence confirmed the vessel was transiting along known… pic.twitter.com/34cDvvcwxe
To obtain this special mission ship, the Navy is looking for “both the design and new construction of a vessel, as well as the acquisition and necessary modification of an existing vessel,” the RFI explained. Interested parties should “seek to use existing, non-developmental platforms to the maximum extent possible.”
While the Navy is open to how the ship is ultimately developed, there are a number of requirements it must meet.
The Navy wants a steel monohull or catamaran that’s between 300 and 400 feet long and can travel at a 10-knot minimum sustained speed with a range of 9,600 nautical miles.
The ship should be capable of “conducting primary operations and surviving in a Beaufort Wind Scale 6 or greater” and be capable of “performing boat launch and recovery operations in Beaufort Wind Scale 4,” the RFI added.
Under the Beaufort system, Scale 6 refers to conditions with wind speeds of 22 to 27 knots and maximum wave heights of 12 feet. Scale 4 is wind speeds of 11 to 16 knots with maximum wave heights of five feet.
In addition, the ship should be able to stay at sea for “at least 30 days without underway replenishment or resupply for maximum number of personnel,” the RFI noted.
The ship’s flight deck/helicopter pad needs to be able to launch and recover Sikorsky SH-60, MH-60 Seahawk, MH-60T Jayhawk and MH-65 Dolphin helicopters. It should also be capable of “launching and recovering vertical take-off Class 2/3 UAS platforms” and have a minimum of “20×20 ft dedicated clear deck space for UAS recovery and storage” as well as “sockets for minimum of two [20-foot-equivalent] containers for UAS control and maintenance.”
A U.S. Navy MH-60S Sea Hawk, assigned to Helicopter Sea Combat Squadron (HSC) 23. (U.S. Navy photo by Mass Communication Specialist 3rd Class Adam Barnett) Petty Officer 3rd Class Adam Barnett
When it comes to small boats, the ship is required to have a “non-deck-crane-based small boat launch and recovery system capable of supporting various boats between 24 ft and 44 ft in length and weighing up to 35,000 lbs,” according to the RFI. It also needs a “small crane (fixed/portable or ‘yellow gear’) for emergency recovery of UAS/USV or other watercraft.”
This ship has to serve as a floating gas station for a wide array of other craft.
“The vessel shall be capable of receiving and storing various grades of fuel for propulsion, ships auxiliaries and delivery to small boats and craft,” according to the RFI. “The vessel must be designated as a refueler vessel and meet U.S. Coast Guard requirements to ensure safe and effective refueling operations.”
When it comes to crew and passengers, the ship needs berthing for up to 69 people, with 20 to 25 civilian mariner staterooms, and open berthing for 29 to 44 embarked crew members. It also needs secure detainee space “with suitable AC/ventilation for 10 – 12 people.”
The mothership is not required to be heavily armed, but should support Anti-Terrorism/Force Protection .50 caliber machine gun mounts. It additionally must have a 160-square-foot armory for storing, maintaining and issuing military small arms and a 100-square-foot magazine for storing ammunition and ordnance.
Embarked Marines from Marine Corps Security Force Regiment Company Alpha 6 and Company Bravo 5 conduct a small arms gunshoot onboard Ship Special Mission Kellie Chouest, May 9, 2022. (U.S. Navy photo by Lieutenant Ian Blankenship/Released) U.S. Naval Forces Southern Comma
In a broad sense, many of the requirements the Navy is seeking match the Kellie Chouest, the vessel currently performing a similar mission for SOUTHCOM. It is a 310-foot ship that can travel at 13 knots, berths 53, has a helicopter pad, several 20-foot containers and cranes and winches for launching and recovering smaller ships. As we noted earlier in this story, the Kellie Chouest, which has been chartered for years by the Navy’s Military Sealift Command (MSC), is nearing the end of its latest four-year contract, set to expire on March 31, 2028, the command told us.
That timeline fits with the Navy’s plans for the ship described in the RFI.
“The Navy intends to issue a formal Request for Proposal upon receipt of FY27 appropriations,” the service’s spokesperson explained. “The RFI is a standard part of the federal acquisition process, allowing the U.S. Navy to conduct market research and understand the capabilities available in the industry. The proposed Special Mission Vessel is included in the President’s Fiscal Year 2027 budget. By issuing this RFI, the Navy is inviting industry partners to propose innovative concepts that meet the foundational requirements for a vessel designed for this critical mission set.”
It is possible that the Navy could decide to just renew a contract for the Kellie Chouest, or this new ship could be added alongside her if her contract is renewed. We’ve reached out to the Navy, MSC, and SOUTHCOM for more details. SOUTHCOM declined comment about the Kellie Chouest‘s current operations, or what kinds of drones it launches now, but in a previous interview after the command posted an image of the vessel, a SOUTHCOM official offered some insights into what the ship does.
“It provides support to get after cartels and illicit trafficking,” a SOUTHCOM official told us several months ago. “When we do an operation, it provides our partner nations a platform. They use the ship as a base of operations where they can get intelligence, get fuel, get life support.”
“The Ship Special Mission (SSM) Kellie Chouest is contributing to missions to disrupt cartel and narcotrafficking networks across the Eastern Pacific,” SOUTHCOM said in an April 28, 2026, post on X. “The ship…is serving as a forward operating base for partner nations across the Eastern Pacific — directly supporting counternarcotics operations alongside Panama, Costa Rica, Colombia, El Salvador, Guatemala, and Mexico.”
Advancing Western Hemisphere security and countering narcoterrorism: The Ship Special Mission (SSM) Kellie Chouest is contributing to missions to disrupt cartel and narcotrafficking networks across the Eastern Pacific. The ship, shown here in a file photo from 2021, is serving as… pic.twitter.com/HUwAl8jctr
Four days earlier, in a post about the Colombian Navy’s seizure of 3.2 tons of marijuana in the South Pacific, valued at $3.4 million, the command explained that the Kellie Chouest “provided direct assistance to Colombian forces, demonstrating our longstanding and highly effective partnership in dismantling drug cartels and narcotrafficking networks throughout the region.”
The U.S. military is proud to have supported this successful, Colombia-led counterdrug operation. The team at @jiatfs and the MV Kellie Chouest provided direct assistance to Colombian forces, demonstrating our longstanding and highly effective partnership in dismantling drug… https://t.co/PPG5k0hjro
The Kellie Chouest is one of several converted vessels used by the U.S. military as special mission ships. The Carolyn Chouest, another ship built by the Edison Chouest Offshore conglomerate, is another example. Operated by MSC, it was converted into a sea base platform specially configured to support U.S. special operations forces in the Pacific region and is currently located near Indonesia, according to MarineTraffic. You can read more about it in our story here.
Carolyn Chouest in the Philippines during Exercise Balikatan 22. A CCA special operations boat is also seen in the foreground. USMC
Another commercial ship that has been turned into a U.S. military sea base is the MV Ocean Trader – a roll-on/roll-off cargo vessel modified to carry special operators, their vehicles, and all their other gear. This ship is far larger and more advanced than the other vessels mentioned here, though. Given its ability to support special operations missions, including launching a variety of smaller boats, UAVs and multiple helicopters, Ocean Trader often appears in conflict zones around the globe. It was spotted in the Caribbean last year during the Trump administration’s pressure campaign on Venezuelan drug cartels that culminated with the capture of Nicolás Maduro. You can read more about Ocean Trader and its capabilities in our deep dive here.
The M/V Ocean Trader. (David Kozdron) (David Kozdron)
The Navy could get a new vessel purposely built for this maritime security role, or one — like the Kellie Chouest — converted to it, or sign a new contract for that vessel. The service could also keep the contract in place for Kellie Chouest and add this new vessel to operate in addition to it. Considering the focus the Trump administration has put on Central and South America, this wouldn’t be surprising.
An anti-U.S. billboard that hangs at Palestine Square in Tehran, Iran, features a sentence in Persian that reads “Blood for Blood,” on Thursday. Photo by Abedin Taherkenareh/EPA
July 17 (UPI) — Iran early Friday said it struck a U.S. special operations command center in southeastern Syria, escalating the war over the Strait of Hormuz, as the United States attacked bridges and other urban infrastructure in Iran.
The Islamic Revolutionary Guard Corps described the strike in a statement as a “surprise attack” conducted in retaliation for the seven soldiers killed early Wednesday in a U.S. attack on Bampur, near Iranshahr in southeastern Iran.
The elite military unit claimed to have destroyed a U.S. radar system and several special-operations helicopters. It claimed to have killed “a large number” of Americans.
State-run media reported Iran also attacked U.S. bases and assets in Kuwait and Bahrain in retaliation for the U.S. attacks hours earlier. Islamic Republic of Iran Broadcasting claimed the United States destroyed five bridges around Bandar Abbas near the Strait of Hormuz.
U.S. Central Command said it had completed a “major wave” of attacks on Iran at 9:40 p.m. EDT Thursday. It said it hit dozens of Iranian military targets, including coastal surveillance and air defense sites, military logistics infrastructure and maritime capabilities.
Though CENTCOM made no mention of civilian infrastructure, President Donald Trump on Tuesday warned that the U.S. military would be ramping up its attacks through the week and would include civilian targets, but explicitly stating, “Next week comes the bridges.”
While the war began in late February, with the Trump administration seeking to dismantle Iran’s nuclear weapons program and encourage regime change, this latest chapter is centered on the vital shipping lane of the Strait of Hormuz.
The Trump administration is seeking to restore freedom of navigation through the chokepoint, while Iran is fighting to maintain the leverage afforded by its ability to restrict passage.
Early Friday, the United Kingdom Maritime Trade Operations center said a tanker had been struck by an unknown projectile, causing minor damage to its port side.
“All crew are safe and accounted for,” it said.
The strike is at least the eighth attack on a commercial ship to attack in the Strait of Hormuz in a little over a week.
Defense Minister Ahn Gyu-back speaks during a ceremony at the Navy’s 2nd Fleet Command in Pyeongtaek, South Korea, 29 June 2026, to mark the 24th anniversary of an inter-Korean naval battle on the seas off South Korea’s northern Yeonpyeong Island. Six South Korean seamen were killed and 19 others injured in the 2002 skirmish, called the Second Battle of Yeonpyeong, which broke out as two North Korean patrol boats violated the inter-Korean maritime border in the Yellow Sea. Photo by YONHAP / EPA
July 1 (Asia Today) — South Korean Defense Minister Ahn Gyu-back urged senior commanders Wednesday to complete a key military capability review and work toward proposing a target year for the transfer of wartime operational control by the end of 2026.
“A military that cannot make its own decisions cannot become a strong military,” Ahn said while presiding over a meeting of senior commanders from across the armed forces at the Defense Ministry in Seoul.
Ahn called on the military to make every effort to present what officials have described as an “X-year” for the command transfer at this year’s South Korea-U.S. Security Consultative Meeting.
“Regaining wartime operational control is a path toward building a stronger Republic of Korea and advancing the South Korea-U.S. alliance to a new level,” Ahn said.
He said the transfer would allow the South Korean military to take the lead in wartime planning, operational preparations and the execution of military operations.
Ahn made similar remarks earlier Wednesday while chairing a quarterly meeting reviewing progress on the command transfer.
“This year, we face the critical task of completing the Full Operational Capability verification and determining the timing of the OPCON transition,” Ahn said. “Let us fulfill the historic mission of regaining wartime operational control.”
The Defense Ministry aims to complete verification of the future Combined Forces Command’s Full Operational Capability at the annual Security Consultative Meeting, or SCM, scheduled for November in Washington.
The ministry then plans to recommend a target year for the transfer to the presidents of South Korea and the United States.
South Korea regained peacetime operational control of its armed forces in 1994. During wartime, designated South Korean and U.S. forces remain under the operational control of the South Korea-U.S. Combined Forces Command, which is led by a U.S. general.
The allies have agreed that wartime command will be transferred after mutually established conditions are met rather than on a predetermined timetable.
The assessment of South Korea’s ability to lead the combined defense is divided into three stages: Initial Operational Capability, Full Operational Capability and Full Mission Capability.
The ministry said the Full Operational Capability assessment has been completed and that finishing its verification would allow the allies to begin specifying a transfer timetable.
U.S. and South Korean defense officials have repeatedly said the transition must be carried out in a stable and systematic manner under their jointly approved conditions-based plan.
Ahn also emphasized cooperation among the Army, Navy and Air Force.
He said each service must maintain its professional expertise but warned that service-specific interests should not create barriers to joint operations.
“Each service should ask itself how much time it allocates to joint training during the year,” Ahn said.
“Jointness must become part of military culture through the process of learning, training and thinking together beginning at the service academies and then be refined and developed in the field.”
The remarks came amid concern that the ministry’s plans to reform and potentially integrate elements of the military academy system could weaken the specialized education provided by each service.
Senior commanders also discussed developing a military based on artificial intelligence and advanced technology and restructuring South Korea’s armed forces by 2040.
They reviewed lessons from Russia’s war in Ukraine and recent fighting in the Middle East, including the growing battlefield use of artificial intelligence, drones and robots as relatively inexpensive and efficient weapons.
The ministry said it would begin pilot programs using newly developed artificial intelligence models during the second half of the year.
It also plans to provide private companies with a catalog of military data that could support defense technology development.
The military will expand the number of units assigned to test commercially developed drones from one to nine to support South Korea’s domestic drone industry, the ministry said.
SAN DIEGO — The home run that Roki Sasaki gave up to San Diego’s Ty France was more dramatic than the two walks he issued to open the inning. But it was the free passes that really hurt him.
In the Dodgers’ 7-1 loss to the Padres on Friday, Sasaki was out of the game before he could record an out in the fifth inning. He gave up only three hits but issued five walks, tying his season high, and hit a batter.
“I actually felt different than I ever felt before, mechanically,” Sasaki said through interpreter Kensuke Okubo, noting that his lower body felt a little off. “So I need to go over it and see what was really happening.”
Sasaki successfully pitched around traffic for much of his outing, other than the three-run homer to France in the second inning. But the inefficiency sent his pitch count past 80 before he exited with runners on first and second in the fifth.
“I’m not going to have it every time out, so that’s something I have to improve,” Sasaki said. “And also the game plan. I was able to execute some of the pitches, but some of the pitches I couldn’t, so that’s something I have to go through before next start.”
Earlier this month, when Sasaki held the Angels scoreless through seven two-hit innings, it seemed as if he’d had a breakthrough. But in three starts since, including a seven-run dud against the Chicago White Sox two weeks ago, he has yet to pitch through the sixth inning.
“I am a little surprised, because there was such good momentum going on,” manager Dave Roberts said. “Hopefully we can get him back to throwing the way he did in May.”
The Padres’ Walker Buehler walks off after holding his old team to one run for 5-1/3 innings Friday at Petco Park.
(Derrick Tuskan / Ap Photo/derrick Tuskan)
Sasaki’s command issues Friday showed up almost immediately. After striking out Padres leadoff hitter Fernando Tatis Jr., Sasaki walked Samad Taylor on 10 pitches. But Sasaki bounced back by inducing a double play.
The next inning, there would be no such escape. Sasaki walked both Manny Machado, whom he also battled for 10 pitches, and Gavin Sheets to open the frame. Then Xander Bogaerts’ sharp line drive to center field found leather.
France’s long fly ball to left field, however, found the seats.
Sasaki’s only clean inning, the third, was made possible by catcher Dalton Rushing’s successful challenge of a called ball four against Tatís, flipping a walk into a strikeout.
“I know that there’s confidence in there,” Roberts said. “But when you feel good and you don’t feel good mechanically and can’t execute pitches, then the results are walks, and 1-2 [count] homers, and things like that. But I do think that we can kind of tackle the mechanical things that he’s probably looking for right now.”
The Padres piled on in the eighth inning against reliever Jonathan Hernandez, as the sold-out crowd chanted “Beat L.A.!”
Mookie Betts hit a home run off former teammate Walker Buehler for his second homer in as many games. Betts seems to have come out of his offensive funk, entering Friday with a 1.061 on-base-plus-slugging percentage over the previous 11 games.
Buehler earned the win, delivering five strikeouts in 5⅓ innings.
“[Buehler] is reinventing himself,” Roberts said. “He’s throwing the kitchen sink at you. Cutter, slider, changeup, two-seamers. He doesn’t just try to bully you, and he’s finding ways to just get guys out. So yeah, he’s gonna still go up there and compete.”
The Dodgers went 0 for 4 with runners in scoring position and squandered a bases-loaded opportunity with one out in the sixth inning after chasing Buehler. Max Muncy popped out and Kyle Tucker, back in the lineup after exiting Monday’s game because of back spasms, flied out.
The Dodgers have built such a big lead in the division that the loss barely made a dent. The Padres, in second place, trail by eight games.
The Palantir logo is displayed on a mobile phone alongside a stock market graph displayed on a laptop screen in Liverpool, Britain, 09 June 2026. Photo by ADAM VAUGHAN / EPA
June 26 (Asia Today) — Japan’s Defense Ministry plans to expand the use of artificial intelligence in the Self-Defense Forces’ command-and-control operations, potentially bringing AI into the process through which commanders assess battlefield conditions and direct military units.
The move would mark a new stage in Japan’s defense transformation, shifting its focus beyond acquiring more weapons and equipment toward digitally supported battlefield decision-making.
The Asahi Shimbun reported Friday, citing multiple government officials, that Prime Minister Sanae Takaichi’s government plans to include the expanded use of command-and-control AI in three revised national security documents expected by the end of the year.
The documents are the National Security Strategy, National Defense Strategy and Defense Buildup Program.
The Defense Ministry is also considering including some related expenses in its fiscal 2027 budget request, according to the report.
Japan has used AI for some defense-related functions, but it has not placed the technology at the center of the Self-Defense Forces’ operational command structure.
A command-and-control system allows commanders to assess enemy threats, friendly forces, unit locations and intelligence assets before planning operations and issuing orders.
AI could rapidly organize and analyze large volumes of surveillance, reconnaissance, communications and sensor data before presenting commanders with possible courses of action.
One system reportedly under consideration is the Maven Smart System developed by U.S. data analytics company Palantir Technologies.
Maven analyzes information from satellites, drones, radar systems, battlefield sensors and intelligence reports. It can identify potential threats and targets and help commanders compare possible operational responses.
The U.S. Defense Department has expanded its use of the system and is moving to establish it as a formal long-term military program.
Adopting Maven could improve interoperability between the Self-Defense Forces and the U.S. military, allowing them to process and share operational information more quickly during joint missions.
The proposal, however, has also raised questions about data control, technological dependence and Japan’s authority over its own military command systems.
Command and control is not an ordinary administrative function. It is the highest-level structure through which a government decides how and when to use military force.
Reliance on software and algorithms supplied by a foreign private company could require Japan to establish clear rules covering military data management, access to source technology, system control, wartime operating authority and alternatives in the event of a malfunction or service disruption.
The introduction of foreign software would not formally transfer command authority to the company or the United States. Japanese commanders would retain responsibility for operational decisions.
The debate instead centers on how much of the information-processing infrastructure behind those decisions should depend on technology that Japan does not fully own or control.
Calls for domestically developed defense AI have consequently grown within Japan’s government and ruling-party circles.
One proposal would allow Japan to use a U.S. system initially while developing an independent platform through Japanese technology companies and the country’s defense industrial base.
Japan could eventually replace the foreign system or operate domestic and U.S. technologies together.
Developing a military-grade AI command system capable of immediate operational deployment would be difficult, however. A combined approach using both American and Japanese technology is therefore considered more likely in the near term.
The Defense Ministry identified seven priority areas for military AI in a policy issued in 2024: target detection and identification, intelligence collection and analysis, command and control, logistics, unmanned systems, cybersecurity and administrative efficiency.
The policy states that AI should assist rather than replace human judgment and that meaningful human involvement must be maintained.
The ministry has since established a team to accelerate AI adoption and has called for greater cooperation with Japanese defense companies and technology startups.
Japan’s consideration of command-and-control AI also carries implications for South Korea.
During a conflict or regional emergency, information sharing and operational coordination among the U.S. military, the Self-Defense Forces and South Korea’s military could become increasingly rapid and automated.
AI-assisted command systems could improve coordination in responding to North Korean missile launches, Chinese military activity or a crisis in the Taiwan Strait.
The same technology could also accelerate errors.
Incorrect intelligence, incomplete data or biased algorithms could cause an AI system to present commanders with misleading threat assessments or inappropriate operational choices.
Human commanders would remain responsible for final decisions, but the speed and complexity of AI-supported operations could make errors more difficult to identify before action is taken.
Japan’s plan therefore represents more than a military technology upgrade. It raises broader questions about who controls defense data, how allied systems should be connected and who bears responsibility when AI influences a military decision.
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With 18 examples of the OA-1K Skyraider II delivered to the U.S. Air Force’s Special Operations Command (AFSOC), the service is now looking forward to demonstrating the aircraft’s unique rapid-deployment capability later this year. AFSOC also says it plans to add laser-guided Advanced Precision Kill Weapon System (APKWS) rockets to the OA-1K’s armament options and is looking at boosting standoff capability in the form of Red Wolf mini cruise missiles. All of this comes at a time when the Pentagon is looking to cut back OA-1K numbers amid concerns surrounding its survivability and utility in a high-end fight, specifically with China, which stands today as the U.S. military’s pacing threat.
Lt. Col. Robert Wilson, chief of the AFSOC Armed Overwatch Requirements Branch, briefed journalists, including from TWZ, on the latest plans for the OA-1K ahead of the Special Operations Forces (SOF) Week, taking place from today in Tampa, Florida.
An OA-1K displayed outside of the Special Operations Forces (SOF) Week in Tampa, Florida. Air Tractor
Beginning with an overview of the program, Lt. Col. Wilson stressed that the OA-1K — a militarized derivative of the popular Air Tractor AT-802 crop duster — is not viewed as a replacement for legacy platforms like U-28 (which he previously flew) or the MC-12. Instead, it is “a new, purpose-built solution for today’s complex environments.”
An OA-1K Skyraider II and an MC-12W Liberty fly over the Gulf of America near Hurlburt Field, Florida, June 6, 2025. U.S. Air Force photo by Airman 1st Class Tori Haudenschild
The thinking behind the Skyraider II reflects the transition from the Air Force’s focus on counter-terrorism operations in the post-9/11 period to a more complex threat picture. Now, the service has to be more prepared to fight against a much wider range of adversaries across the spectrum of conflict.
As Wilson explained, “the OA-1K represents a new era for AFSOC, with the flexibility to support not only counter-terrorism-like missions, but also crisis and contingency response, competition with more advanced adversaries, and even aspects of full-on conflict. To meet this wide range of mission sets, OA-1K is a multi-role capability platform that is essentially a Swiss Army knife of airborne capability.”
OA-1K Skyraider II Walk-Around Tour With Its Test Pilot
The OA-1K multi-role mission remit therefore covers close air support (CAS), armed intelligence, surveillance, and reconnaissance (ISR), and precision strike.
At this point, Wilson explained, “we’re in the midst of production and delivery of aircraft, and we’re reaching a point where we are getting very close to demonstrating capabilities such as the weapons employment, the ability to provide ISR capability, so we’re kind of transitioning the program from what was previously developmental and conceptual to actually getting to the point where we’ll be looking to get into operational tests.”
To keep pace with changing threats, the Skyraider II has a modular design that provides flexibility for future upgrades, which could include expanded payloads, such as more advanced weapons, or more exquisite intelligence-collection capabilities.
An OA-1K Skyraider II sits ready for a mission at Eglin Air Force Base, Florida. U.S. Air Force photo by Samuel King Jr.
Reflecting on the potential for future enhancements in terms of external sensors and other payloads, Wilson continued: “We really think of this as levers that can be manipulated with a combination of fuel, weapons, and exquisite capabilities that can be increased or decreased based on the mission set to most effectively apply the capability to whatever mission it’s going out to accomplish that day.”
The OA-1K is also expected to enhance overall ground-force lethality and situational awareness through its provision of modern datalinks for joint integration.
All of this is expected to come with a much lower price tag than would be the case for traditional crewed aircraft.
According to Wilson, the cost-effectiveness of the OA-1K translates to a cost per flying hour of roughly $2,500. For comparison, an F-16C/D costs roughly ten times this amount per hour to operate.
“The OA-1K is one of the most affordable AFSOC platforms, which then frees up higher-end assets that are more costly, for other mission sets around the world, and that dollar amount makes it roughly 50 percent more cost-effective than even an MQ-1, which is an unmanned platform, and it’s more cost-effective than armed platforms like the U-28,” Wilson added.
NB: Wilson subsequently clarified that he had misspoken and that the cost comparison was between the OA-1K and other crewed platforms, like the U-28.
A U.S. Air Force U-28A Draco assigned to the 34th Special Operations Squadron prepares to take off during exercise Tropical Dagger at Kingston, Jamaica, February 22, 2024. U. S. Air Force photo by Senior Airman Ty Pilgrim
In terms of fielding, AFSOC has taken possession of its 18th OA-1K and is expecting a handful more throughout the end of the fiscal year. The initial cadre of crews is still training at Will Rogers Air National Guard Base in Oklahoma, with plans to station the aircraft in the future at both Cannon Air Force Base in New Mexico and Davis-Monthan Air Force Base in Arizona.
The next step in standing up this capability will involve demonstrating the rapid deployment abilities of the OA-1K. This is something that was part of the original requirement but which is also seen as increasingly vital for SOF missions, which already demand a high level of expeditionary agility. The ability to rapidly disassemble and reassemble the Skyraider II would become even more important in a potential confrontation with China in the Indo-Pacific theater.
“With rapid disassembly and reassembly, OA-1K can be loaded into a mobility aircraft like a C-5 or C-17 for rapid worldwide deployment, supporting missions around the world at a moment’s notice, and importantly, we’re talking a matter of hours instead of days or weeks that it would have otherwise required to fly around the world wherever it needs to go,” Wilson explained.
An AH-64 Apache is loaded into a U.S. Air Force C-17 Globemaster III transport aircraft at McEntire Joint National Guard Base, South Carolina, November 21, 2024. The Air Force expects the OA-1K to be deployed globally in a similar fashion. U.S. Air National Guard photo by Master Sgt. Megan Floyd
To start with, AFSOC is looking at testing this deployment capability using larger transport aircraft, primarily to maximize the number of OA-1Ks that can be moved at once, although Wilson said the exact number that will fit in a C-5 or C-17 will be determined as part of the operational test process later this calendar year.
Once deployed, the OA-1K is expected to operate “from nearly anywhere,” including short dirt surfaces, grass strips, and unimproved runways. As such, it will give the Air Force a combination of rapid deployment and austere environment capability that it otherwise doesn’t possess.
U.S. Air Force Col. Charles Redmond, 355th Wing deputy commander, and a pilot assigned to the 492nd Special Operations Wing, prepare to take off in an OA-1K Skyraider II aircraft at Davis-Monthan Air Force Base, Arizona, January 21, 2026. U.S. Air Force photo by Senior Airman Jasmyne Bridgers-Matos
As noted earlier, there have been repeated questions about the survivability and general utility of the OA-1K in more contested environments, something that TWZhas looked at in depth in the past. But Wilson is confident that its mix of capabilities means it can still be relevant, even when facing a high-end opponent.
“First, it complicates things for the adversary because you may not have the aircraft in predictable locations,” Wilson contended. “It ensures that armed overwatch is provided for the joint force to increase their own survivability, and finally, it also ensures the persistent presence of the capability at a low cost compared to other platforms, freeing up higher-end assets for other locations.”
All of this can be achieved with a relatively tiny logistics footprint, with only a handful of contract maintainers required, and the disassembly/reassembly process can be done safely even in austere environments. Each two-person aircrew is being trained in this process, which includes conducting functional check flights in these locations before the aircraft conducts its mission. The actual process of disassembly and reassembly takes just a matter of hours.
A U.S. Air Force C-130 Hercules operates from a newly renovated austere airstrip during training exercises in the Republic of Palau, in the western Pacific Ocean. U.S. Army Pacific Public Affairs Office
With traditional Air Force platforms, deployments can take days or weeks, not just in terms of physically having to fly the aircraft to wherever it needs to go around the world, but all the planning that’s necessary for the crews, ground support services, etc.
“We have demonstrated this capability by doing a timed disassembly and reassembly in a controlled environment in a hangar,” Wilson added. “We’ll next look to conduct the activity in an actual mobility aircraft during our operational test later this calendar year.” After that, AFSOC will look to conduct the rapid disassembly and reassembly of the Skyraider II as part of exercises, likely next year.
“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,” Wilson said.
While Wilson did not mention it by name, this mode of operating ties directly into broader Air Force plans for the Agile Combat Employment, or ACE, concept, which is designed to ensure that combat airpower can still be brought to bear in a timely way, even when conventional airbases are put out of action or otherwise held under threat — the kinds of conditions likely in a conflict with a near-peer competitor, like China or Russia. In fact, the OA-1K has a particular role to play in this sort of scenario, since it’s even questionable if more advanced platforms will be able to execute as envisioned in a major conflict under ‘ACE rules.’
Wilson is also confident that, even without recourse to these kinds of expeditionary basing tactics, the OA-1K offers a suitable degree of survivability for many different scenarios.
A 137th Special Operations Wing Air Commando, Oklahoma Air National Guard, inspects Air Force Special Operations Command OA-1K Skyraider IIs on the Will Rogers Air National Guard Base flightline, Oklahoma City, March 31, 2026. U.S. Air National Guard photo by Staff Sgt. Erika Chapa
“We have a certain built-in survivability capability for the platform,” Wilson explained. “The contractor has built in cockpit and engine armor, for example, to ensure that it’s survivable, and it does have defensive systems. So I would say it does have a baseline level of defensibility and survivability, and then we are certainly working on, with funding, ensuring that it is modernized and equipped, not only for survivability, but for really any other capability for the platform as well, to ensure that it remains relevant for the future.”
As for that first operational deployment, that could occur “in the coming years,” provided that the program continues to mature as anticipated.
There are potential pitfalls ahead, not least the question about how many OA-1Ks the Air Force will eventually receive.
Wilson reiterated that the program of record still calls for 75 aircraft, but admitted that this could be a challenge to achieve. As it stands, the U.S. Special Operations Command, as the procurement agency for the OA-1K, has cut its planned purchase down to 53 airframes, citing resource constraints.
Air Force Special Operations Command received two AT-802U trainer aircraft at Hurlburt Field, Florida, on June 28, 2024. These aircraft have been used to train test pilots and initial cadre in a representative tailwheel aircraft in preparation for the OA-1K variant. U.S. Air Force photo by Senior Airman Ty Pilgrim
“As the capability sponsor, I would say less than 75 is not desirable,” Wilson noted. “Any decrement below that is essentially a result of resource constraints and budget limitations. We will continue advocating to ensure that we get closer and ultimately achieve that program of record, but as you can imagine, budget constraints that impact various programs have decreased the final fleet size to less than that currently.”
The prospect of a potentially smaller OA-1K fleet means that having the aircraft working alongside other platforms, including drones, may become more important. Already, however, AFSOC sees the value of crewed/uncrewed missions for the Skyraider II.
“The integration of manned and unmanned assets is something that we’re certainly looking at in terms of capability,” said.
When it comes to weapons capabilities, Wilson confirmed that APKWS laser-guided rockets are compatible with the OA-1K and are something that AFSOC wants to have as part of the ordnance options for the platform.
An OA-1K pilot conducts a walkaround of an OA-1K armed with Hellfire missiles and an unguided rocket pod on the flightline at Hurlburt Field, Florida. U.S. Air Force photo by Staff Sgt. Natalie Fiorilli
APKWS is quickly becoming a weapon of choice for a wide range of platforms, offering a low-cost, high-volume, precision weapon that is equally effective for both ground attack and counter-drone missions. APKWS was proven incredibly effective on light attack aircraft experiments that tangentially led to the procurement of the Skyraider II, working as the primary weapon for those aircraft. So it should come as no surprise that it will be integrated onto the Skyraider II. It’s actually somewhat surprising it isn’t already.
As far as the Red Wolf cruise missiles, Wilson was a little more circumspect. “That is certainly an area that we are looking to explore to allow for inclusion of that weapon into the planned set,” he said.
As we have explained in the past, adding Red Wolf, or a similar standoff weapon, to the OA-1K armory is one way of ensuring the aircraft can be more relevant and survivable, providing it with a true long-range strike capability.
A Red Wolf miniature cruise missile is displayed in front of a U.S. Air Force OA-1K Skyraider II. L3Harris
Putting aside the Red Wolf, it is also somewhat surprising that so little weapons integration work appears to have been carried over from earlier iterations of the armed Air Tractor concept, since similar versions of this aircraft have been flying for years, including in combat.
The Air Force service sees the OA-1K as far more than a light attack aircraft and more as a modular platform that will be able to be configured for irregular warfare, armed overwatch, ISR, strike, and more. Clearly, by pushing its rapid-deployment capability, the service is seeking to underscore the relevance of the aircraft in the Pacific theater. Meanwhile, recent conflicts in the Middle East — where traditional airbases were pummelled by drone and missile attacks — have demonstrated that the Air Force still has a requirement to conduct combat operations in other, less-contested environments too.
Once the OA-1K starts demonstrating its rapid-deployment capability, AFSOC hopes that the aircraft will further demonstrate that it fills a niche that no other crewed Air Force platform currently can.
