OV-10 Broncos

The North American Rockwell OV-10 Bronco is a turboprop-driven light attack and cargo aircraft. It was developed in the 1960s as a special aircraft for COIN (counter insurgency) combat. Although it is a fixed-wing aircraft, its mission capabilities resemble a fast, long-range, inexpensive and reliable ultra-heavy attack helicopter. It flies at 350 mph (560 km/h), carries 3 tons of external munitions, and easily loiters for 3 or more hours. It is prized for its versatility, redundancy, load, wide field of view, short-field ability, low operational costs and ease of maintenance. In most cases, it flies acceptably on a single engine. In service, it was used primarily as a light attack and Forward Air Controller aircraft, and rarely if ever as a transport.

Although the United States military no longer flies the Bronco, other countries continue to operate it. It is in the active inventory of the Philippines, Colombia, Indonesia, Thailand and Venezuela, where it is used primarily for light attack counterinsurgent (COIN) missions, and utility missions such as border patrols, anti-piracy patrols, forward air control, surveillance, defense mapping and search-and-rescue.