Free Republic

The iconic A-10 Thunderbolt II will be flying into the late 2030s thanks to a re-winging project completed by the U.S. Air Force. Air Force Materiel Command said in a press release on Monday that 162 A-10s received new wings thanks to a $1.1 billion project that began in 2011. The contract, awarded to Boeing in 2007, required the creation of new parts for the plane’s fuselage. “At the end of the program, making sure we had all the pieces and parts that we needed to make that happen required a really significant team effort,” said Stephen Zaiser, director of...

The A-10 will continue to fly in support of America’s ground forces, thanks to the quick passing of the 2020 National Defense Authorization Act. The aircraft, which has not been manufactured since the early 1980s, is useful to the U.S. but is showing its age. Just two years ago, nearly half of the A-10 fleet was grounded. The spending plan will include money for new wings, as well as other upgrades. “The A-10 Warthog has immeasurable value to our U.S. troops on the ground and plays a critical role in our military strategy in the Middle East and around the...

More than a third of the service’s Warthogs risked retirement without new wings. It's official: The U.S. Air Force will buy new wings for aging A-10 Warthogs that risked a one way trip to the boneyard. The Air Force has made clear its intention to keep the A-10 flying after concerns surfaced that the service was taking advantage of the issue to get rid of the iconic close air support plane. Earlier this month, a Pentagon official in charge of the A-10 program announced an effort to re-wing 110 of the jets “was not going to happen.” Of the 280...

A U.S. Air Force A-10 Thunderbolt II pilot flies over Afghanistan after completing aerial refueling operations with a KC-135 Stratotanker on March 12, 2018.DVIDS I recently had the chance to speak on the phone with a US Air Force A-10 pilot serving in Afghanistan, and he told me about how the Warthog's "presence alone scares the enemy into submission." "Lot of times [when] we're overhead, they'll just put their guns down and go away because they know the A-10 is overhead," the pilot, who asked to be called "McGraw," said. "We've heard that for years." "Do you mean that literally...

The Air Force is indefinitely doing away with its plan to retire the A-10 jet, a move that seems both inevitable and shocking, given the aggressive steps leadership has taken to get rid of the aircraft and the fierce push back they received in response. The remarkably high demand for A-10s from commanders is almost universally cited among critics of the A-10 decommissioning process. More details will be available when the Pentagon’s 2017 budget plan to keep the bird is sent over to Congress for consideration.

Martin Matishak, The Fiscal Times August 14, 2015 The Air Force didn’t help its long-standing argument that the A-10 Thunderbolt II attack jet should be retired when the service announced this week it would deploy more of the aircraft to Europe this fall. The 23rd Wing at Moody Air Force Base in Georgia announced it will send 12 attack planes and crews to Central and Eastern European to bolster NATO’s “Operation Atlantic Resolve,” an ongoing show of military might meant to deter Russian aggression in the region. In March, the Air Force deployed a dozen A-10s from Davis-Monthan Air Force...

SPANGDAHLEM AIR BASE, Germany — Fighting rages in Ukraine, Leaders in Europe on Wednesday welcomed back a Cold War Hammer. Twelve of the previous one hundred forty, Close-air support A-10 “Warthogs” — designed in the 1970s to knock out Soviet tanks — are back in Germany.

European Command said this week that 12 A-10 Thunderbolts would be deployed to Spangdahlem Air Base, Germany, as part of Operation Atlantic Resolve, which was formed after Russia's intervention in Ukraine over the past year. ... The Air Force said besides operating in Germany, the A-10s will be forward deployed to other partner nations in Eastern Europe. U.S. forces have operated out of bases in Lithuania, Estonia, Latvia and Poland, among others, in the past year. The A-10, also known as the "Warthog," was designed in the 1970s to support ground troops in Europe against the tanks and armored vehicles...

Renowned for its lethal striking power and rugged airframe, the Air Force’s A-10 Thunderbolt has proven its mettle on thousands of combat missions in more than three decades in service. But now it's future may be in question due to budget cuts and shifting missions. Here’s a look.

As two pilots geared up to fly from Kandahar to neighboring Helmand to support a British unit, Michael Yon takes an up-close look at the fantastically agile and advanced A-10 Warthog.

Venezuelan President Hugo Chavez has announced plans for the deployment of new Russian-made tanks and combat helicopters on the border with Colombia, RIA Novosti reported. Ties between Venezuela and Colombia deteriorated last August after Washington signed a deal with Bogota allowing U.S. forces to run anti-drug operations from Colombian bases. Chavez has criticized the deal and called for the Venezuelan people and army to prepare for a war.

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...

July 3, 2007: The U.S. Air Force is spending about $8 million per aircraft to repair and reinforce the wings on 252 A-10 ground attack aircraft. This will keep the A-10s flying for another twenty years. The A-10 may be the last manned American ground attack aircraft, and the entire fleet is being upgraded with new electronics, to make the aircraft as effective as possible. The U.S. A10 "Warthog" has flown more combat missions in Iraq than any other American warplane. Despite this, the U.S. Air Force has never really wanted the A-10, and has been forced to keep it...

1/22/2007 - AL ASAD AIR BASE, Iraq (AFNEWS) -- A-10 Thunderbolt IIs assigned to the 438th Air Expeditionary Group landed one by one at their new home Jan. 17 here. A formation of more than 200 Airmen assembled for the 438th AEG activation and assumption of command ceremony Jan. 15 as the unit is in the Al Anbar province to provide close-air support to coalition forces in the region. "We feel extremely honored to support the Combined Forces Air Component commander's mission in Iraq and to be joining the proud heritage of the 332nd Air Expeditionary Wing -- the Tuskegee...

8/22/2006 - BAGRAM AIR BASE, Afghanistan (AFPN) -- Six U.S. and coalition troops peer out from a remote position on a ridge top in Afghanistan. At sunset on the third day of their vigil, a large force of Taliban extremists carrying heavy machine guns and rocket-propelled grenades surround and pin down the team. By design, an Air Force joint tactical air controller is with the team. His job is to direct strike aircraft to targets on the ground. The situation on the ridge line is desperate until an Air Force pilot flying an A-10 Thunderbolt II in the vicinity contacts...

BAGRAM AIRFIELD, Afghanistan, May 16, 2005 — The U.S. Air Force A-10s currently deployed at Bagram Airfield are part of the 23rd Fighter Group, the Flying Tigers, out of Pope Air Force Base, N.C., and are a unique group of aircraft - evident by just one look at their nose art. The noses of these A-10s are emblazoned with an image of a shark's teeth and eyes. The Flying Tigers are the only Air Force unit authorized to display nose art on their aircraft, due to the history it symbolizes. The Flying Tigers were first activated at Langley Field, Va.,...