Although the Bronco is no longer operational with any U.S. military service, there are several U.S. governmental organizations that still operate OV-10s in a variety of interesting roles:
- National Aeronautics and Space Administration (NASA)
NASA uses both A- and D-model Broncos for aeronautical research, taking advantage of the large cargo area and the ability to switch engines from side to side to facilitate aero-acoustical and voice-recognition research.
- Bureau of Land Management (BLM)
The BLM flies OV-10As as firefighting lead aircraft, using the built-in smoke system to mark the proper path for tanker aircraft to fly over the fire. The BLM also experimented with using Broncos for aerial surveying work.
- California Department of Forestry and Fire Protection (CDF)
The CDF flies OV-10As in a firefighting role similar to the BLM.
- U.S. Department of State (DOS)
The State Department inherited a large number of OV-10Ds formerly owned by the Bureau of Alcohol, Tobacco, and Firearms (BATF) and actively flies them on illegal drug crop spraying missions in Central and south America, as well as in the Caribbean. This agency is currently involved in an ongoing program to refurbish ex-military Broncos for this role.
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