Air Force may retire a third of active A-10 “Warthogs” for want of replacement wings
110 Warthogs will have to be put to pasture
A US Air Force A-10 Thunderbolt II assigned to the 354th Expeditionary Fighter Squadron flies during
a "theater security package" deployment at Campia Turzii, Romania, April 1, 2015.
The Air Force needs to fly the A-10 through 2022 because of F-35 delays,
but it hasn't got enough orders for wing replacements to sustain all of them.
US Air Force
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."
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There are links in the Original article , by Sean Gallagher , Ars Technica
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Ripples from the disaster that is the F-35 continue to weaken our national defense, while emptying our wallet...
If I remember correctly the Air Force was going to retire the A10 before the Gulf War...What they found out was that although the Warhog isn't a shiny F35 it was perfect for what it was being used for.
The billion and billions of dollars spent on the F35 and the billion and billions wasted by the DOD are forming the perfect storm.
They keep trying and never can manage it. It's just too good at what it does.
My brother used to work in the department of the Air Force that attempted to find replacement materials for the A-10. A lot of the materials used are no longer milled. For instance the metal the landing gear is made from is no longer milled. They have to find another metal that has suitable characteristics to replace it. It' has to wear the same, be at least as strong, have the same thermal expansion and contraction characteristics, etc. A lot of effort goes into keeping these old birds flying. But damn, I hate to see them go.
You're right Kavika. The Air Force has tried to retire the Warthog several times, only to have a war come up where they prove themselves to be perfect for close in air support for ground forces, something the supposed brains at the Pentagon seem to think war is going to change where they don't need these types of aircraft.
During Vietnam the military realized (again) the importance of close air support and they used the Douglas A-1 Skyraider, also called "Sandy's", which were propeller driven aircraft that could carry much more weapons and loiter for a longer time then any jet of the time. Many, many times they saved the lives of those on the ground, especially flying helicopter cover for Para-Rescue rescue of downed pilots.
And how many times did they consider retiring the B52, known affectionately as the BUFF, only to realize that once in a great while you hit upon an aircraft design that is a weapons platform for many uses in many wars and they have now extended the B52 use well into the 2030's. The Warthog is one of those exceptional aircraft. It would be sad and wrong to retire it, because it is worth the effort and money to create the new parts. Just when you think aerial warfare or close air support has moved on to where you think you don't need them, the situation always pops up where they are exactly what you need.
Give it up. Let China take over.
I wouldn't go that far... But if I were Chinese, I'd be laughing my ass off.
Really, can anyone explain how the F-35 could possibly match the A-10 CAS capabilities? The A-10 is a flying cannon.
I can't compare the two...The Warthog is a flying tank, the perfect plane for it's mission.
I agree. I can't compare the 2 either. I don't see how the F-35 can lay down the firepower the A-10 can on the ground. The A-10 is a cannon with wings.