"SOCOM previously announced a decision to divest the U-28 platform in 2020," a spokesperson for the command told TWZ.
SOCOM's decision: no direct replacement for the U-28
The U.S. Special Operations Command (SOCOM) has confirmed it has no plans to procure a direct successor to the U-28A Draco, the militarized Pilatus PC-12 used for intelligence, surveillance, and reconnaissance (ISR). SOCOM had earlier explored requirements that might have led to a successor to the U-28A and the MC-12, but the command’s current position — reiterated to TWZ — is that there are no plans to replace the platform.
Pentagon timetable: eight retirements in FY2027, full divestment by 2029
The Pentagon’s annual force structure report states: “USSOCOM will retire 8 U-28A intelligence, surveillance, and reconnaissance aircraft in FY [Fiscal Year] 2027 as part of its phased plan to divest all manned ISR platforms by 2029.” The report frames those retirements as aligned with “evolving mission requirements” and the scheduled drawdown of aircraft that “have reached or exceeded their expected service life.” At least publicly, all remaining U-28s are assigned to units under Air Force Special Operations Command (AFSOC), which currently has around 30 U-28s in its inventory.
MC-12 divestment, OA-1K Skyraider II, and STAMP movement
SOCOM completed divestment of its last MC-12 aircraft in 2025; MC-12 designations have referred to ISR-configured variants of the Beechcraft King Air and have sometimes been called Javaman. The command has emphasized that its new OA-1K Skyraider II light attack aircraft are not being acquired as a direct replacement for the U-28 or other crewed ISR airplanes. Col. Justin Bronder, head of SOCOM’s Program Executive Office for Fixed Wing (PEO-FW), reiterated at SOF Week that OA-1K “can do some ISR functions, but again, [it] meets a close air support strike requirement,” and reminded audiences that “OA-1K is not a replacement for U-28.”
Separately, a representative of PEO-FW told TWZ at SOF Week that the Tactical Airborne Multi-Sensor Platform (STAMP) aircraft will be transferred somewhere within the Air Force. The STAMP fleet has included types based on the De Havilland Canada DHC-8 (Dash 8) and the Beechcraft King Air, though whether those assets will fall under AFSOC is not clear.
Adaptive Airborne Enterprise and the turn toward uncrewed systems
Special operations aviation is moving toward concepts that rely more heavily on uncrewed and launched effects. AFSOC’s Adaptive Airborne Enterprise (A2E) is an overarching concept that centers on increased deployability, reduced personnel and logistics footprints, and collaborative employment of capabilities. The A2E vision explicitly includes heavy use of air-launched drones, loitering munitions, and other “launched effects,” and it envisions collaboration between crewed and uncrewed assets across ground, maritime, and air domains.
SOCOM and AFSOC already operate uncrewed surveillance platforms that can perform ISR missions, including Air Force MQ-9 Reapers and U.S. Army MQ-1C Gray Eagles. The command’s divestments — including the MC-12 in 2025 and the planned U-28 retirements — signal a growing reliance on those uncrewed capabilities as part of the broader enterprise.
How AFSOC, SOCOM, and the GAO are responding
- AFSOC: Publicly holds the remaining U-28s (about 30) and is investing in the A2E concept, which emphasizes launched effects and tighter collaboration between crewed and uncrewed assets.
- SOCOM: Has stated it will not replace the U-28 directly, notes the U-28 divestment decision dates to 2020, and continues to allocate some divested resources toward standing up the OA-1K force while insisting OA-1K is not a like-for-like ISR replacement.
- Government Accountability Office (GAO): In a September 2024 report, GAO said “SOCOM has not taken steps to plan for, or add, critical ISR capabilities provided by soon-to-be divested aircraft” and added that SOCOM “has not addressed risks associated with the loss of these capabilities if the new aircraft does not provide them.” GAO also said it was conducting a classified assessment of SOCOM’s decision process for divesting ISR aircraft.
The record in the public reporting is clear on a few points: SOCOM will retire at least eight U-28As in FY2027 on a path to divest manned ISR by 2029; the command does not plan a direct replacement for the U-28; MC-12s were divested in 2025; OA-1K is being fielded for close air support and is not a one-for-one ISR substitute; and the command is leaning into A2E and uncrewed ISR solutions. How SOCOM expects to fully make up for ISR capacity gaps left by retiring crewed ISR aircraft remains to be seen.
