110 Warthogs will have to be put to pasture,
which is an issue due to F-35 delays.
SEAN GALLAGHER (US) - 11/6/2017, 14:01
The US Air Force's plans to operate
the A-10 attack aircraft beyond 2022 have run into some
turbulence. According to a
report by Defense News, a third of the currently operating
A-10 fleet will have to be retired soon because the Air Force has not included
orders for enough replacement wings in the service's budget request. The
aircraft are rapidly approaching the end of service life for their current
wings.
The Air Force's Air Combat Command chief,
General Mike Holmes, told Defense News that new wings have
been ordered for 173 of the 283 A-10s currently in service. That amounts to six
squadrons' worth of aircraft (out of the current nine squadrons). The remaining
aircraft could be retired over the next five years as they hit flight-hour
limits on their current wing sets.
Some aircraft could see extended lives;
"We have some flexibility in the depot, we have some old wings that can be
repaired or rejuvenated to go on," Holmes told Defense News.
"We can work through that, so there’s some flex in there."
The Air Force moved to retain the A-10
because of delays in the deployment of the F-35A, the Air Force's version of
the F-35 "Lightning II" Joint Strike Fighter. The A-10 has
played a critical role in close air support (CAS) for forces combating the
Islamic State in Syria and Iraq; the F-35A is supposed to take over the A-10's
CAS role as it is deployed. But the F-35 is not expected to enter
"full-rate" production until 2019, and there are still modifications
required to the existing fleet of F-35As before they can fully take on the CAS
role and other combat missions.
In addition, the Air Force last year reduced
its planned purchase of F-35s for 2017. The slow-down in procurement has
resulted in a slowing of pilot and crew training for the F-35 as well. In May,
the Air Force and Lockheed Martin announced that
the Air Force would not fly the F-35 at the Paris Air Show—Lockheed's own
pilots will perform a demonstration instead.
"Due to the Air Force's limited number
of aircraft, pilots, and maintenance professionals, we have decided not to
develop an F-35 demonstration profile for airshows this year," an Air
Force spokesperson wrote in an official statement. "While we look forward
to demonstrating the unparalleled maneuverability of the F-35 to the world, we
remain singularly focused on bringing the full combat capability of the F-35 to
our nation."
This post originated on Ars
Technica
Source: arstechnica.co.uk
Related post:
A-10 Thunderbolt: Details
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