Free Republic

TUCSON, AZ (Tucson News Now) - The Defense Secretary announced today that he is recommending the elimination of the A-10, the mainstay aircraft at Davis-Monthan Air Force Base, as part of a proposed military budget. Chuck Hagel made the announcement today in at the Pentagon. The Air Force has said it would save $3.5 billion over five years by cutting the entire fleet of 343 A-10s. Hagel said he consulted with the military service chiefs on how to balance defense and budget requirements.

Air Force says decision final; loss of squadron includes 600 workers U.S. Rep. Candice Miller on Thursday vowed to fight the cutbacks planned at Selfridge Air National Guard Base in Harrison Township, calling the Pentagon decision to eliminate the base's A-10 aircraft "unfounded, unfair and economically indefensible." Miller, a Harrison Township Republican, and fellow GOP Rep. Tim Walberg of Tipton met with Air Force Secretary Michael Donley on Tuesday and were told that the cutbacks at Selfridge and at the Battle Creek Air National Guard Base are final. Only a congressional decision to alter President Barack Obama's budget proposal could...

The Precision Engagement modification is the largest single upgrade effort ever undertaken for the USA's unique A-10 "Warthog" close air support aircraft fleet. when complete, it will give them precision strike capability sooner than planned, combining multiple upgrade requirements into one time and money-saving program rather than executing them as standalone projects. Indeed, the USAF has accelerated the PE program by 9 months as a result of its experiences in Operation Iraqi Freedom. The entire A-10 fleet will be modified over 4-5 years, at an estimated total cost of $420 million. While A/OA-10 aircraft continue to outperform technology-packed rivals on...

SPANGDAHLEM, Germany – Tracking and pursuing enemy forces on the ground should be easier for A-10 pilots with the 81st Fighter Squadron when they go downrange early next year. By the time they deploy, leaders hope the unit’s 18 aircraft will be outfitted with new targeting systems. Three already have been installed with six more on the way. The technology allows pilots to deploy laser-guided munitions, pursue moving targets at night with infrared imaging and stabilize points on the ground while maneuvering. The information is routed from a targeting pod attached under the wing to a monitor in the one-man...

The newly designated C-model A-10 Thunderbolt II, modified with precision engagement technology, was flown for the first time at Eglin AFB, Fla., last week, thanks in large part to the work of a small group of people at Hill AFB. The A-10 Program Office here has been managing the precision engagement program for the past four years. The office’s precision engagement program management team, made up of about 25 people, acts as a liaison between Air Combat Command and the project’s prime contractor, Lockheed Martin Systems Integration. Calling the A-10C the “best friend to the boots on the ground,” Lt....