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| A-10 Thunderbolt II Fighter Jet /simpleplanes.com |
International Military - Boeing and Korean Aerospace Industries and other major suppliers have delivered the first new wing for the A-10 Thunderbolt II fighter jet fleet to the US Air Force. The wing set arrived earlier this month to Hill Air Force Base in Ogden, Utah. It is known, the US Air Force has already begun the integration of the aircraft.
According to Military Leak, Boeing was awarded the contract in August 2019 and is currently working to provide the Air Force with 50 sets of wings. Each wing set consists of an outer wing assembly, center wing assembly, control surface and fuselage integration kit.
The upgraded wings are more durable, efficient and easier to maintain, extending the A-10's flight life to 10,000 hours. “The A-10 plays an important role in the Air Force and Boeing is proud to extend our legacy in support of the Thunderbolt and its mission.
In partnership with the Air Force and our well-established supply base, we have commenced full-rate production and are actively supporting customer deployment schedules," said Dan Gillian, vice president of US Government Services for Boeing Global Services. "Boeing is working diligently to deliver the much-needed new wing to the A-10 fleet," said Lt. Col. Jaclyn Melton, materials lead for the A-10 Program at the A-10 Systems Program Office at Hill Air Force Base.
The Fairchild Republic A-10 Thunderbolt II is a single-seat, twin-turbofan, straight-wing subsonic attack aircraft developed by Fairchild Republic for the United States Air Force (USAF).
In service since 1976 it has been named for the Republican P-47 Thunderbolt. World War II era fighter-bombers that were effective at hitting ground targets, but were commonly referred to as "Pig pigs" or "Pigs".
The A-10 fighter jet is designed to provide close air support (CAS) to friendly ground forces by striking enemy armor, tanks and other ground forces. It is the only production aircraft designed solely for CAS to have served in the US Air Force.
Reporting from 19fortyfive.com, the A-10 was chosen for this task, not because of its speed. However, this is due to its survivability, maneuverability at slower speeds, ability to roam, and, of course, lethality. In every conflict he has fought in, the Warthog has been lauded not only for his impressive cannon. However, this is also due to its many failed vaults and redundancy.
The A-10 fighter jet is structurally designed to continue flying even after inflicting major damage. It is said the Warthog could fly with half its tail, half its wings, and even a single engine and lift. The plane's cockpit is affectionately referred to as a "titanium bath", protecting the pilot from anti-aircraft guns up to 23 millimeters.