The Light Attack/Armed Reconnaissance (LAAR) or Light Air Support (LAS) program was a United States Air Force program for a new light counter-insurgency, ground attack and reconnaissance aircraft.[1] The aircraft should be capable of finding, tracking, and attacking targets either on its own or in support of ground forces. The program formally began in July 2009 with a request for information. No request for proposal has yet been issued. Approximately 100 aircraft were expected to be ordered, but USAF has reduced the number of aircraft sought to 15 aircraft.[2][3] The 15 aircraft program was focused at training pilots, not a combat mission.[4] This program has also been called the OA-X program or the AT-X program, although the reduced scope of the LAAR program has forced the USAF to push an "OA-X" program indefinitely into the future.[4][5] In late 2019, the program received renewed attention by lawmakers, who expressed their frustrations with the program's pace.[6] A group of legislators introduced amendments to the House and Senate versions of the FY 2020 National Defense Authorization Act that would transfer control of the program to the commander of U.S. Special Operations Command.[7][8]
In February 2020, following the release of the Pentagon's FY 2021 budget request, it was announced that the Air Force "will not move forward with a Program of Record for light attack planes," effectively killing the project.[9][10] U.S. Special Operations Command, meanwhile, announced an industry day for their Armed Overwatch program, a new and independent effort to secure around 75 crewed, fixed-wing aircraft for "CAS, Armed Reconnaissance, Strike Coordination & Reconnaissance, and Airborne Forward Air Control."[11]
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