SOFIC 2021: SOCOM plans four demo flights for each Armed Overwatch candidate
19 May 2021
by Pat Host
US Special Operations Command (SOCOM) will have candidate platforms for its Armed Overwatch manned aircraft competition, where each fly four demonstration flights between 14 June and 23 July at Eglin Air Force Base in Florida.
During the annual Special Operations Forces Industry Conference (SOFIC) on 17 May, James Smith, SOCOM acquisition executive, said that the command will evaluate if the contenders can meet the runway requirements for austere take-off and landing. SOCOM will also judge offerors on whether their aircraft have the required range and endurance. Inert weapons will be deployed on a range.
As Afghanistan War Ends, General Sees New Opportunities for Special Operations
U.S. Army Lt. Gen. Richard D. Clarke (left) is promoted to general, ahead of taking command of U.S. Special Operations Command, Tampa, Florida, March 29, 2019. (DoD/Lisa Ferdinando)
18 May 2021
The end of the war in Afghanistan will spark a new era of opportunities for U.S. Special Operations Command, or SOCOM, to prepare for the future, Army Gen. Richard Clarke said Tuesday.
During his keynote address at the virtual 2021 Special Operations Forces Industry Conference, Clarke, the commanding general of SOCOM, said that the command must adjust to changing threats now that the nation s longest war is coming to a close.
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