The A-10 has just recently been upgraded with more powerful engines. One technician told me “now it won’t get all those bird strikes from behind”.
Also, we are now upgrading A-10’s with digital cockpits and full color displays. I had one F-16 pilot mutter under his breath while at a viewing of the new upgrades, “what the hell? They get a cockpit and instruments better than us? That’s not fair.”
With the new digital cockpit they will be able to act as a central hub for relaying information and calling in air strikes on targets.
The ground-side combat controller will be able to relay their position and the position of the enemy with a PDA. The A-10 pilot can then designate a weapon off the information received or electronically order another aircraft in to attack if he is out of weapons, or outbound from the site to refuel, without even breaking radio silence. The pilots’ information can now be updated continuously like email and provides a full color rolling map so they don’t have to draw positions on a paper map with a grease pencil.
The plans is to have the A-10 upgraded in order to stick around till least 2025.
Thanks thats good news.. An A-10 in action is military poetry..