The US Air Force's (USAF's) plans to field a light attack aircraft for counter-insurgency (COIN) operations have now shifted to the US Special Operations Command (USSOCOM) instead. According to the Department of Defense's (DoD) fiscal year (FY) 2021 budget documents released on 10 February, USSOCOM is requesting deployable and sustainable "Armed Over-watch" aircraft to provide its special operations forces (SOF) with close air support (CAS); precision strike; and ISR capabilities. A recently issued request for information (RFI) noted that 75 fixed-wing aircraft are being sought for this requirement.
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