However, there were no formal requirements or a list of desired capabilities to go along with the statement, but there was a promise that this information would go out to interested parties in a “closed call process.” The Air Force was also quick to stress that this notice did not reflect any formal plan for it or SOCOM to ultimately buy any aircraft or gear.

More importantly, “this effort is separate and distinct from the on-going Light Attack Experiment or any other Light Attack projects,” the notice explained. “This effort should not conflict with or be confused with any other Light Attack aircraft program or effort.”

But while any special operations light attack fleet would undoubtedly be smaller than one within the U.S. Air Force proper, it seems hard to imagine that LASSO won’t be a competitor to the nebulous OA-X experiment at least to some degree. As of yet, the Air Force has yet to articulate any real goals or objectives for the test project, which has become formally known as the Capability Assessment of Non-Developmental Light Attack Platforms.