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L3Harris has shifted production of its OA-1K Skyraider II surveillance aircraft from Oklahoma to Waco, a move company officials say will bring jobs and long-term growth to Central Texas.
Inside the company’s new hangar at Texas State Technical College, teams will take basic crop-dusting planes, refit them with advanced surveillance and strike capabilities, and deliver them to the U.S. Air Force.
“There’s no better home for the OA-1K than right here in Waco," said Jason Lambert, president of L3Harris’ Intelligence, Surveillance and Reconnaissance sector.
The shift brought new equipment and about 70 jobs to the TSTC hangar, which was previously used for storage. Those positions include engineers and aircraft technicians.
This growth allows L3Harris to strengthen partnerships with local colleges like Baylor University and Texas State Technical College.
“These partnerships help us build the skills pipeline needed to support this program and future programs," Lambert said.
Ten of the 50 new technicians are recent TSTC graduates — part of what Lambert called a workforce pipeline to sustain future projects.
The OA-1K program calls for 75 aircraft, with additional interest from international partners. Each plane takes roughly 100 days to build and test.
“Waco is the home for delivery for the product, not just for the U.S. but also for allied forces,” Lambert said.
At the ribbon-cutting ceremony, U.S. Rep. Pete Sessions (R–Waco) praised the project’s impact on both national defense and the local economy.
“This stands as a proud testament not just to America’s prowess, but really to the employees of L3Harris that we have here today,” he said.
Waco site General Manager Sean Ling said the program represents long-term stability for Central Texas’ aviation industry.
“These are programs that are going to be multi-aircraft over multi-years — long, sustained, growing programs that bring additional workforce here to the Waco site,” he said.
The Waco facility is also equipped to handle future aircraft orders beyond the Skyraider II design.
Got a tip? Email Molly-Jo Tilton at Molly-jo_tilton@baylor.edu.
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