Random Thoughts on the Mighty Hog - Part 2

[HKDan]

Upgraded A-10s prove worth in Iraq

Upgraded A-10s prove worth in Iraq

by Staff Sgt. Markus Maier
U.S. Central Command Air Forces Combat Correspondent Team

11/7/2007 - AL ASAD AIR BASE, IRAQ (AFPN) -- A new version of the A-10 Thunderbolt II has been flying over Iraq providing close-air support for the ground troops from Al Asad Air Base for nearly two months.

As part of the Precision Engagement Upgrade Program, the Maryland Air National Guard's 175th Wing has been converting it's A-10s from A to C models.

"We are the first A-10C model squadron to deploy to combat," said Lt. Col. Timothy Smith, the 104th Expeditionary Fighter Squadron commander. "We just transitioned to the aircraft six months prior to coming here, and the C-model was officially declared combat ready just two weeks before we deployed. I am very proud of our unit. We've put in a monumental effort, as individuals and as a group to get to this point."

The A-10C might look the same on the outside, but the recent upgrades have turned the aircraft, which was originally designed to battle Russian tanks during the Cold War, into an even more lethal and precise close-air-support weapons system.

A few of the key upgrades are a "first ever" for the aircraft, said Capt. Rich Hunt, a 104th EFS A-10C pilot. One of them is the situational awareness data link.

"Previously, for me to keep track of all the other airplanes that are around me or to help us perform the mission, I would literally have to write those down with a grease pencil inside my canopy or write them down on a white piece of paper on my knee board in order to keep track of all that," Captain Hunt said.

"Now I have a color display that has all of the other airplanes that are up supporting the same mission across all of Iraq right now," he said. And they are all digitally displayed through that data link on my map. So now, especially at night when awareness is a little bit lower, I can look at that beautiful map display and know exactly what other airplanes are around me."

The new system also provides the pilot with other critical information, such as what the other airplanes might be targeting, what munitions they have on board and fuel levels.

"That awareness provides us with a ton of valuable information in a very user-friendly manner," the captain said. "(It allows us) to do our mission with a lot clearer understanding of exactly what is going on around us in the battle space and what our wingmen may be targeting."

Another vital feature the data link offers is secure communication.

"All of the data that goes across that data link display is secure," he said. "Using that data link, I can also text message. We use that in more of a command and control situation. For example, if we are flying a mission hundreds of miles away and our operations desk here gets information through the classified computer network of a mission that we may have to support, they can text message right to my airplane -- and only to my airplane -- and tell me exactly what I need to know."

Something else the new C-model provides to the pilots is the integration of advanced targeting pods, which have also been upgraded. The new pods include long-range TV and infrared cameras with zoom capabilities and a laser target designator.

"Primarily, we still use the pods for weapons strikes," Captain Hunt said. "However, in Iraq we find ourselves supporting the troops on the ground by doing a lot of counter improvised explosive devices missions."

The pods infrared capability can be used to detect buried IEDs by picking up on their heat signature.

The new targeting pods have also been outfitted with the ROVER downlink capability, allowing the aircraft to transmit the live video feed to a joint terminal attack controller on the ground. This allows for more precise strikes with less chance of a chance for collateral damage.

"In Iraq that is especially important because it's a very difficult situation when we provide close-air support in such a densely urban environment," the captain said. "By the controller being able to look through my targeting pod real time, we can compare exactly what we are looking at and make sure we have an absolutely 100 percent positive identification of the target."

Another upgrade that increases the A-10's precision is that it can now employ the Global Positioning System-guided joint direct attack munitions.

"Sometimes we find ourselves where we have to destroy a terrorist stronghold location. But in the house across the street are friendly Iraqi civilians," Captain Hunt said. "We know we have to destroy the stronghold, but we don't want to cause any collateral damage whatsoever. So the JDAM has been outstanding for us. We've had unbelievable success where we've been able to strike the stronghold without causing any damage to the houses around it.

"Between the situational awareness data link, the targeting pod with the ROVER down link to the controller on the ground and the JDAM, the A-10C on this deployment has been an amazing success for us," the captain said.

The A-10 has been around the Air Force since the 1970s and with these new upgrades will remain well into the future.

"As technology moved further ahead, we stayed pretty far behind," Colonel Smith said. "And now, all over sudden, we have leapfrogged all the way pretty much to the front edge of all the technology for everybody."

But the colonel also said while they are the first unit to fly the C-model in combat, their main focus is not on the upgrades.

"In our minds we are just flying like we normally do," Colonel Smith said. "We don't see ourselves as the first A-10C model in combat, we see ourselves as A-10 pilots out helping the guy on the ground. I have great respect for the men and women on the ground. They are the ones who are really putting their lives on the line when they are out there. Our job is to ride shotgun for them -- to sit there in position, and ready for them when they need us. And now we have more tools available to do it faster and more precisely."

Comment on this story (comments may be published on Air Force Link)

[Skull6]

The A-10’s slow speed continues to provide advantages while working at low altitude and in bad weather, especially when visually identifying targets and friendlies, but this slower speed also prevents it from integrating with other aircraft in strike packages.

I'm left wondering if the good Major ever himself planned, coordinated & orchestrated a strike package. One of the MAJOR elements to developing such is taking into account the capabilities & limitations of the different aircraft involved. Sure, this process is made MUCH easier when all aircraft involved have the same characteristics. But such aircraft are usually considered to be more "jacks of all trades & specialists of none."

If I'm planning a strike package against an enemy's radar station, which is protected by armor & anti-air elements, I try to take the threats/ targets apart & choose aircraft that are the most capable of reducing those separate threats--considering what aircraft types I have available. Then I look at when this target (the radar station) needs to be hit--& plan backward (take out ADA assets first, then the lesser threat armored targets, & then the radar station.) Next I calculate speeds, launch locations, etc. to ensure that it plays out like a well-written symphony--everything arriving when expected in-order & capable of accomplishing their assigned tasks--regardless of other "inputs" (weather, etc.).

P.S. I personally feel that the A-10 is STILL one of the world's best designed aircraft for the missions it was developed for. & this lack of speed that the good Major is griping about is just one of those initial design criteria! Faster aircraft tend not to be able to loiter in a very localized spot for very long. While the A-10 can sometimes seem to just hang in place in the sky if necessary.

The A-10 is still a very useful tool in our toolbox, & I'd think someone very foolish to allow it to be mothballed for what is certain to be a lesser capable aircraft.

[Shipwreck]

North Discusses Gun Use at Air Chiefs Conference
By GAYLE S. PUTRICH, Defense News
Posted 11/10/07 09:42

In the 29,047 strike sorties flown in the last year by U.S. Air Force planes over Iraq and Afghanistan, the gun was the weapon of choice in more than 25 percent of engagements, said U.S. Air Force Lt. Gen. Gary North, who commands the 9th Air Force and U.S. Central Command Air Forces.

“Air is the 911” on the battlefield, he said, using the U.S. emergency phone number.

North also said his and other air forces have to tell the civilian populations of their nations about their successes and needs if they are to secure the funding to buy new planes and weapons.

“We have, in some regards, become the victims of our own success,” he said Nov. 10 at the 3rd Biennial Defense News Middle East Air Chiefs Conference, the Dubai air show. “People assume air forces will be there.”

North said the U.S. Air Force has its hands full getting that message across to its own government at a time when the fleet’s average age is nearing 24 years.

North acknowledged it’s not all flash-and-dash technology that brings battlefield success today, citing reliance on older weapons for close-air support and shows of force. But he said modernization is needed, especially as high operational tempo, as U.S. and coalition partners have been keeping in Iraq and Afghanistan, fatigues airframes, corrodes metal and wears down nonmetal parts. The U.S. Air Force is hoping to secure funding for more fifth-generation F-22 Raptor fighter jets.

“An air force that cannot recapitalize and modernize could face obsolescence on the battlefield and as a deterrent force,” North said.

Link

[Shipwreck]

Kicked Up Hogs: The A-10A+ Program
Defense Industry Daily
18-Nov-2007 16:25

The A-10C Thunderbolt (aka. Warthog, or Hog) close air support aircraft program has begun fielding aircraft for use in Iraq, where the new SADL data link and targeting pod + ROVER compatibility in particular have made a big difference in the air and on the ground. The A-10C is a deep refurbishing program that will take some time to perform all of the required conversions, however, and so the US Air National Guard & USAF Reserves are moving to field some of its key capabilities right now, via a quick A-10A+ upgrade that doesn't involve redoing the wiring and power layout, changing the data bus, et. al.

That program was the obliquely-discussed subject of an October 2007 release from BAE Systems; after working with them, we're able to explain the program and its benefits more fully…

The A-10A+ program leverages BAE's smart color displays, which were installed as upgrades in a number of ANG and Reserve aircraft during 2006 to provide moving map displays et. al. Under A-10A+, the same SADL radios used by the A-10Cs are inserted to receive information re: the position of friendly forces, and that information is routed through the smart color display into the pilot's Head Up Display (HUD) for viewing.

In contrast, the A-10C picks the higher-performance, higher-growth path of integrating the SADL radio into the A-10C's new central computing system, which passes the data to aircraft fire control and then to the HUD. The A-10A+ requires no additional modifications in order to get that information to the HUD, however; and it achieves the immediate goal of having the pilot look through just one display to target and aim weapons, making friendly fire incidents much easier to avoid.

The other critical A-10A+ capability involves integration of LITENING targeting pods so they transmit targeting coordinates directly to the plane's integrated fire/flight control systems. While this doesn't add the A-10C's highly-praised ROVER video feed capability for JTAC forward air controllers, it is a huge improvement over having the pilot see the coordinates on one screen, then key them into the fire control system using a pad near one's thigh, while flying an aircraft at low level. Not exactly insurer-recommended, that.

BAE Systems is developing the aircraft modification in its Johnson City, NY facility, which includes an on-site integration laboratory. SADL integration began in September 2007, and the modified planes are just going into flight test early November 2007 at Davis-Monthan AFB, AZ. The first A-10A+ squadron is expected to finish modifications in January 2008, and will deploy shortly thereafter in Q2 FY 2008. The program is expected to be complete by the middle of calendar year 2008, giving a run time of about 8 months from initial work, through testing, to final upgrade for about 100 aircraft. The A-10C program will proceed in parallel, fielding fully modified fighters to the front lines at a slower pace until it catches up with the A-10A+ fleet in its final stages.

Link

[Shipwreck]

Close-air-support exercise tests Atlantic Strike participants

by Capt. Nathan D. Broshear
Atlantic Strike Public Affairs

11/16/2007 - MACDILL AIR FORCE BASE, Fla. (AFPN) -- The cool evening was still as three camouflaged insurgents watched an Army patrol approach their village. Unbeknownst to the saboteurs, an Air Force targeting pod was closely watching their position and relaying information to the ground commander. Suddenly, a deafening explosion drowned out all sound and the overwatch position became engulfed in smoke, signaling a successful airstrike by an A-10 Thunderbolt II circling far overhead.

This isn't a combat patrol inside Iraq, rather it was a coordinated scenario from Atlantic Strike VI, the U.S. Central Command Air Forces-sponsored close-air-support exercise that ran Nov. 5 through 9 in the Florida woodlands southeast of MacDill Air Force Base involving more than 800 military members spread across several operating locations.

The "insurgents" were experienced tactical air control party members role-playing enemy forces and the weapons drop is simulated by ground burst pyrotechnics and colored smoke flares. No one was actually injured and the ground commander moved to his next training objective. For all of these components to become reality, a team of exercise planners and support members work behind the scenes to bring the training audiences together.

Capt. Dan Heely, the Atlantic Strike aircraft operations director, is temporarily working at the MacDill AFB deployed unit complex. He's a B-1B Lancer weapons systems officer, but his current assignment is to assist Army units in integrating airpower into their ground operations as an air liaison officer with the 25th Air Support Operations Squadron at Wheeler Army Airfield in Hawaii. During Atlantic Strike VI, he oversees every aspect of flying operations to ensure aircraft are overhead the Avon Park military training ranges ready to participate in scenarios.

"During our sortie periods, aircraft from locations around the southeastern U.S. participate from their homestations," Captain Heely said. "For example, (E-8C Joint Stars) from Robins AFB, Ga., have the ability to fly over the Avon Park ranges and return home, while close-air-support aircraft such as the A-10 operate from MacDill and F-16 Fighting Falcons fly from Homestead Air Reserve Base outside of Miami -- it's very similar to operations overseas in that aircraft arrive on station at different periods and can operate for varying lengths of time."

Time and asset management are key skills joint terminal attack controllers must master to be successful in urban close-air-support operations, Captain Heely said. JTACS are the Air Force members embedded in Army units who help aircraft to target enemy positions.

"Atlantic Strike challenges the full communications process from the aircrew in the aircraft to the Airmen and Soldiers on the battlefield, the Air Support Operations Center and the Air Operations Center at Shaw AFB, S.C. The entire 'kill-chain' is exercised to ensure all parties are receiving realistic and challenging training," he said. "Atlantic Strike scenarios are very realistic in that battles can vary in length. It's up to the ground commander to properly manage the air assets on hand to combat the many simulated threats they'll encounter during convoy operations or while entering a hostile village."

Aircrew debriefs indicate flyers appreciate the quality of training taking place in Avon Park.

"The A-10 pilots in particular have commented that they've enjoyed the varying levels of difficulty, activity, intensity and especially the instant feedback ground-based pyrotechnics provide during the training. Atlantic Strike is realistic training for the close air support team," Captain Heely said.

Aircrews and JTACs aren't the only military members learning from the Atlantic Strike battles. Capt. Jennifer Gurganus, the aircraft maintenance unit officer in charge with the 81st Expeditionary Fighter Squadron, and her unit are learning while on temporary duty at MacDill AFB while their A-10s participate in Atlantic Strike VI. These maintainers from Spangdahlem Air Base in Germany work out of a hangar next to the MacDill AFB deployed unit complex to ensure aircraft are ready for various training scenarios over the Avon Park Air Ground Training Complex, launching 16 sorties per day.

"Atlantic Strike is great preparation for deployment for both aircrews and maintainers," Captain Gurganus said . "Close-air support is our primary role and this specialized training is the perfect opportunity for our munitions experts, weapons loaders and maintainers to work together in a mock-combat situation prior to actual deployment."

Link

[Shipwreck]

A-10C revolutionizes close air support
by Staff Sgt. Thomas J. Doscher
Air Combat Command Public Affairs

2/21/2008 - LANGLEY AIR FORCE BASE, Va. (ACCNS) -- Historically, A-10 Thunderbolt II pilots have never needed high-tech solutions for problems that can be solved with a few hundred 30mm armor-piercing rounds, but recent deployments of the newly upgraded A-10C are giving Hog drivers a new appreciation for the digital age.

Boasting state-of-the-art avionics, fully integrated targeting pods and new smart weapons like the 500 and 2,000 lb. Joint Direct Attack Munitions, the A-10C gives its pilots increased situational awareness and the ability to strike targets from further away.

"The A-10C is the heaviest modernization program the A-10 has ever gone through," said Lt. Col. Donald Henry, Air Combat Command A-10 Air National Guard Program Element Monitor. "This is what the A-10 was meant to be 30 years ago."

Colonel Henry has helped oversee that modernization process, directing and documenting requirements for the upgrade since 2005. He said the upgrade isn't just adding weapons or new features. It's revolutionizing the entire airframe.

"It's an effects-based upgrade to bring full integration of the targeting pod and its associated avionics. It's enhanced all the human factors in the close air support mission," he said.

Enhancing those human factors, such as situational awareness, have dramatically reduced the time it takes for an A-10 pilot to put iron on target, said Maj. Jerry Cook, 357th Fighter Squadron chief of weapons and tactics at Davis-Monthan Air Force Base, Ariz. Being able to effortlessly integrate all the information an A-10 pilots needs to destroy targets without hitting friendly forces is the A-10C's greatest advantage.

"There are three major things I care about in any CAS [Close Air Support] situation," he explained. "Friendly locations, both ground and air forces; target information, description and location - particularly the relative location to the friendly ground forces; and threats. The integration of the avionics in the A-10C, particularly the integration of the Situation Awareness Data Link, results in a significant improvement in the time it takes to perform that detailed integration required for CAS."

In an A-10A, target information and the location of friendly troops had to be communicated by radio from joint terminal air controllers on the ground, Major Cook said. The pilot would then plot that information on paper maps to give them better awareness of what was happening on the ground.

Using SADL, the information is updated directly to the A-10C's new Tactical Awareness Display, giving the pilot a god's-eye view of the battle space instantly. The pilot can then slave all his sensors to the target and transmit that information to the other A-10Cs in the formation.

"The net result is a significant reduction in the time it takes to process the kill chain," Major Cook said. "Couple that with the A-10C's digital stores management system and new weapons, and you now have a more lethal, responsive and survivable Hog."

Colonel Henry got a chance to see the improved Warthog in action in October when he deployed to Afghanistan as an A-10C pilot with the 172nd Expeditionary Fighter Squadron from the Michigan Air National Guard.

During a normal overwatch mission, Colonel Henry's formation was contacted by a Joint Tactical Air Controller on the ground below them.

"It became apparent that he was being sniped at and asked us to evaluate the situation on the ground," Colonel Henry said. "We got the precise coordinates through the targeting pod and turned back around. I sent the coordinates to the JDAM via the HOTAS [Hands On Throttle And Stick] and dropped it right in the middle of the target."

Colonel Henry said it was almost too easy.

"I could see exactly where the friendlies were, where the enemies were," he said. "It would have taken much longer to verify their location, to roll in with dumb bombs (in the A model). The JDAM made it extremely easy and precise. The level of confidence in its precision was an order of magnitude more."

The JDAM's accuracy gives A-10 pilots more options when they move in for the kill.

"The JDAM allows us to drop from farther out," Major Cook said. "Additionally, the JDAM's improved accuracy allows a pilot to employ it closer to friendly positions than is possible with a similar type of unguided bomb."

With the targeting pod, A-10 pilots can hit targets even at night.

"With the targeting pod, an A-10C is night and all-weather," Colonel Henry said. "We can drop through weather without being eyes-on that target location. It complements what we can already do well with night vision goggles."

Major Cook said the large number of upgrades do not change what A-10 pilots do from day to day, but they are still very welcome improvements.

"Whether it's the A-10A or C, the fundamentals of CAS have not changed," he said. "Close air support remains the same. Things I did in the A model I can do easier and better in the C model. In this type of warfare, we are one of the power players. Durability, ruggedness and dependability; the C has all that plus digitally networked avionics that provide a leap in employment efficiency, and generally make it a more effective aircraft."

As one of the officers responsible for bringing the A-10C online, Colonel Henry said he was delighted that he was given the chance to fly it in combat himself.

"It was an incredible sense of satisfaction to see how well the design enhanced our job," he said. "I'm extremely proud to have been part of a team of professionals who were able to bring the upgrade to fruition. It's going to save a lot of lives."

The A-10C is already saving lives. The upgraded Warthog has flown nearly 1,000 combat sorties since it came online in August, providing combat air support to U.S. and NATO forces in Afghanistan.

Link

[Shipwreck]

The Hog You Have Is Pretty Good — But:

Former hog driver Gen. Ron Keys took time to thank the Air Force’s industry partners for their work in getting the upgraded C Model A-10 Warthog ready for combat operations, but he noted at the initial operational capability ceremony (see above) that the program has had to struggle to keep its dollars.

Keys, who retires as commander of Air Combat Command this fall, declared that some of the toughest battles over funding the Warthog modernization program were fought with Pentagon officials and lawmakers.

Keys believes the precision engagement upgrade was worthwhile, he thinks the C model is not the “’Super Hog’ we envisioned, but this is a better than average hog,” in a reference to the now-aborted 2005 plan to upgrade the aircraft’s engines.

Pilots flying combat today have said that the Hog’s engines could use more power to carry full weapons loads. That is one reason, said Lt. Col. Ralph Hansen, ACC’s director of A-10 requirements, that the Air Force has requested funds in its Fiscal 2008 supplemental to test upgraded engines on the A-10. If the tests prove out, USAF could begin an engine retrofit as soon as 2010 or 2011, he added.

Source : Air Force Magazine, Daily Report for Thursday August 23, 2007.

Link

[HKDan]

I really hope that the AF can find the money for engine upgrades. It would be money well spent.

[Shipwreck]

I really hope that the AF can find the money for engine upgrades. It would be money well spent.

The USAF requested $280M in the FY08 GWOT Pending Request for the Propulsion Upgrade Program (PUP) and Urban CAS Low Collateral Damage.

Here is what it says on the PUP in the FY08 GWOT amendment (October 2007) :

The PUP Program was initiated in response to theater commander concerns about the survivability of the A-10 aircraft. It increases the A-10 engine thrust to enable full fuel and weapons loads when operating from ‘high-hot’ airfields such as Bagram Air Base in Afghanistan and to decrease the time needed to climb beyond threats such as Man-Portable Air Defense Missiles (MANPADs).

[Shipwreck]

[dave lukins]

$280m must be a drop in the ocean so what is the holdup? There should be no question of the AAF "begging for $$$. Q. Is this a way of solving "fuel starvation" whilst operating at high altitudes??

[Shipwreck]

Oldest USAFE A-10 performing CAS
By Capt. Toni Tones, 455 Air Expeditionary Wing Public Affairs
Apr 10, 2008 - 11:41:10 AM
Blackanthem Military News

BAGRAM AIR BASE, Afghanistan - For 17 consecutive years the Air Force has been conducting combat operations, flying its aircraft about five times the peacetime rate while forgoing any significant recapitalization.

This includes an A-10A Warthog, deployed here from the 52nd Fighter Wing at Spangdahlem Air Base, Germany, which holds the honor of being the most enduring aircraft in the United States Air Forces in Europe's fleet.

Despite being more than 25 years old, Aircraft #V281 continues to perform its close air combat support mission in support of Operation ENDURING FREEDOM, keeping U.S. and coalition forces safe.

"The aircraft is holding up very well...it's built to take a beating," said Senior Airman Ryan Conversi, 81st Expeditionary Aircraft Maintenance Unit dedicated crew chief who's just a year older than the aircraft. "Age is an issue, but we learn something new all the time about how to keep them flying...matter of fact the aircraft's phase hours went from 400 to 500 hours...that's quite a bit of flying."

Aircraft V#281 rolled off the production line in July 1982 and was sent directly to RAF Bentwaters, England. The aircraft has been assigned to Europe since day one and is the flagship for the 81st Fighter Squadron at Spangdahlem.

"The A-10 is very maintenance friendly," added Airman Conversi, describing the aircraft's design. "Its easy access cuts time for maintenance and functional checks and contributes to our high mission capability rate."

The squadron is currently undergoing the Precision Engagement upgrade which will enhance the avionics and precision weapon delivery capability of the A-10. Squadron leadership expects delivery of the first precision-model aircraft in Germany during May-June 2008 timeframe. Project completion will take approximately two years.

"The A-10 was specifically designed for close air support for ground forces and is a force multiplier in combat operations," said Lt. Col Timothy Hogan, 81st Expeditionary Fighter Squadron commander. "In terms of technological advancement, the advantages the pilots will gain from this weapons upgrade will mean leaps and bounds.

"There will be no physical differences except for the digital control panel and a combined stick and throttle. But what's important to note is the upgraded aircraft will have JDAM compatibility."

The Joint Direct Attack Munition is a guidance tail kit that converts existing unguided free-fall bombs into accurate, adverse weather "smart" munitions. JDAM enables multiple weapons to be directed against single or multiple targets on a single pass.

While the upgrades will prolong the Warthog's life, keeping the aging aircraft flying rests on the backs of the young Airmen who maintain them.

"In my five years of service, this is the only aircraft that I've worked on," said Airman Conversi. "And I'd like to keep it that way."

Link

[Shipwreck]

New wings to secure A-10 longevity
by Tech. Sgt. Russell Wicke
Air Combat Command Public Affairs

5/9/2008 - LANGLEY AIR FORCE BASE, Va. (AFPN) -- New wings are the answer to Air Force concerns on the aging A-10 Thunderbolt II, an airframe flying since 1975.

Air Force officials awarded a contract to Boeing last year requiring 242 new A-10 wings constructed and delivered to depots for installment on the thin-skinned airframes by 2011.

Not all 356 of the Air Force's A-10s require new wings because more than 100 airframes were constructed in the 1980s with "thick skin," giving them a stronger structure, said Master Sgt. Steven Grimes, A-10 maintenance liaison for Air Combat Command.

Those aircraft are rated for 16,000 flying hours, which is estimated to keep them airworthy sometime into 2030, according to Sergeant Grimes. The original thin-skinned A-10s were designed for 8,000 hours and were extended beyond that in the 1990s with depot repairs.

Based on the rate flying hours accumulate, the extension is expected to expire in 2011, which is when the new wings are scheduled to be installed. The new wings will extend the thin-skinned A-10 fleet to 16,000 hours, keeping them flying until about 2030.

Replacing the wings saves the Air Force "a great deal of money over a long period of time," said Lt. Col. Ralph Hansen, ACC A-10 program element monitor and pilot. The value of the Boeing contract is more than $1 billion between 2007 and 2018. Colonel Hansen said that equates to about $4 million per aircraft, a price far below what it would cost to recapitalize the A-10.

"You can't buy a business jet for that price," he said.

Maintaining the old wings would require repeated removal, inspection and installation of beef-up straps at A-10 depots, said Tony Mizar, an A-10 depot mechanic and maintenance scheduler.

According to Sergeant Grimes, continually repairing old wings, as opposed to replacing them, would cost approximately $1.3 billion more than the Boeing contract.

The A-10 was designed and produced by Fairchild Republic, which discontinued aircraft production in 1984. This created complications in reproduction of the wings because there are limited extant engineer drawings, said Sergeant Grimes.

For this reason Boeing engineers have developed a three-phase process for the contract, said Jennifer Hogan, Boeing spokeswoman. The first phase is in progress now. It involves modeling the wing and scanning it to duplicate the 3-D model of existing wings. Colonel Hansen said the new wing will be no different from the current wings and will be transparent to pilots and maintainers. The one exception is "incorporation of reliability, maintainability and (production) improvements learned over the years," said Ms. Hogan.

The second phase is manufacture and assembly, and the third phase, set for 2011, is full-rate production and installation on the aircraft.

Wing installations will occur during regularly scheduled depot inductions which will preserve the mission capable rates, said 1st Lt. Nancy Dias, A-10 wing replacement program manager. The wings will fly 10,000 hours, or approximately 25 years, without inspection.

The A-10 is a valuable asset to the Air Force and Army because of its unique capabilities, said Colonel Hansen. It can deliver precision guided weapons at high altitudes, as well as surgical close air support at low altitudes. It's also the only fighter wielding the renowned 30mm cannon, capable of firing about 65 rounds a second. Colonel Hansen said the 30mm Gatling gun is the commanders' weapon of choice because it can be used much closer to friendly forces than bombs, and it is four times more powerful than the 20mm cannon (on other fighters).

A-10s also are undergoing modernization. The old airframe is midway through a major upgrade to a more capable A-10C by loading it with newer capabilities. It boasts the latest technology of smart weapons: GPS guided bombs, and all weather capability.

Furthermore, the sturdy airframe design enables the A-10 to operate from austere airfields and take battle damage without degrading capability.

Examples of its survivability include self-sealing fuel cells protected by foam, manual flight control systems that back up hydraulic controls, armor and a ballistic tub surrounding the cockpit.

"I've seen A-10s with very large holes in them that have survived just fine," said Colonel Hansen.

Link

[Shipwreck]

Right bomber for the mission...

B-1B performs as never envisioned after 20 years
by Tech. Sgt. Russell Wicke
Air Combat Command Public Affairs

4/28/2008 - LANGLEY AIR FORCE BASE, Va. (AFPN) -- May 2 marks 20 years since the last B-1B Lancer was delivered to the Air Force, and today commanders consider it one of the most valuable aircraft in Iraq.

Since 2003, the once-nuclear-weapon-carrying bomber has maintained a continuous presence in Southwest Asia after the Air Force modified it to carry numerous conventional bombs.

The Lancer's efficiency in urban ground combat is peculiar considering its designers never envisioned it for such a job, said Lt. Col. James Johnson, Air Combat Command B-1 weapons system chief. The bomber, he said, was designed to make flights around the globe from four garrison bases to deliver nuclear ordnance. Now it's an inter-theater aircraft trading long-range sorties for loiter time in Iraqi air space.

"Upgrades enabled it to use smaller bombs and more of them," said Senior Master Sgt. Chuck Klein, Air Combat Command B-1 aircraft manager. "[The B-1] uses precision smart bombs to support troops in contact."

Operating at approximately 20,000 feet, the B-1 waits patiently with up to 35 tons of precision-guided bombs. When ground troops encounter the enemy it can engage in minutes because of its readiness and speed.

In the first six months of Operation Iraqi Freedom, the bomber delivered almost 40 percent of the bomb tonnage in only five percent of the sorties. Nearly five years later, the B-1 sorties increased by 25 percent, and Air Force officials dubbed it the most valuable aircraft for OIF in March 2007.

Other Air Force bombers have their advantage: the B-2 Spirit boasts stealth and the B-52 Stratofortress is low cost to operate.

But the B-1 earned its popularity by trumping those bombers in speed, range and payload, said Sergeant Klein. Those attributes are what make it a perfect fit for the war in Iraq.

"The airplane can do the job continuously and has the right mix of weapons," he said, adding that its long loiter time and massive payload make it a fast lifesaver for ground troops.

In fact, the B-1 is so effective there are times when it doesn't even need to drop a bomb.

Army officials from the 82nd Airborne 2nd Battalion 505th Parachute Infantry Regiment, who returned from Iraq in November, said a B-1 show of force was more than enough to put the enemy's head down during gun battles. A show of force occurs when an aircraft flies by low and fast releasing flares to intimidate enemy combatants. Smaller fighter aircraft are usually used for this purpose; however, the 200,000 pound Lancer makes for an intense fly-by, Army officials said.

Despite the B-1's age, its effectiveness in Iraq prompts the Air Force to keep a sharp technological edge on the Lancer. Upgrades to the B-1 are ongoing initiatives that modify the airframe with the latest technology, according to Colonel Johnson. Currently B-1s are being equipped with the Sniper Advanced Targeting Pod, which allows pilots to identify tactical targets at greater ranges.

Other accomplishments of the B-1 include the breaking of 51 world records. Sergeant Klein said many of these records include carrying large amounts of weight at fast speeds from one point to another.

"It's been the bomber of choice for [Central Air Forces]," he said. "It's the right bomber for the mission in Iraq, which is close-air support."

Link

[HKDan]

Not Fade Away

Not Fade Away
By Marc V. Schanz
Associate Editor
As the Maryland Guard showed in Iraq, the A-10C is an oldie but goodie.
Last fall, a new breed of A-10 went into combat for the first time. The Warthog in question was the newly upgraded A-10C, a variant of the venerable attack aircraft that has proved itself many times over in Iraq and Afghanistan.

The new A-10s first delivered weapons on Sept. 19, a day that was otherwise like any other in the fight on the streets of Iraq. US ground troops called for air support after discovering a house rigged with explosives in an urban area not far from Balad Air Base. The insurgent safe house was wired to explode when ground troops came knocking.

Troops were tense. The countrywide "surge" had begun earlier in the year, and soldiers were working "outside the wire" much more frequently, mixing with the population, ferreting out insurgents and weapons caches the hard way—door to door. The previous day, a patrol had kicked in a door in the neighborhood and set off an explosion—killing three US soldiers.
On Sept. 19, the joint terminal attack controller with the ground troops that day was in a similar situation. The booby-trapped house was ahead, and intelligence from locals indicated insurgents were lying in wait. The JTAC wasn’t about to let the bad guys get the upper hand, but needed to be careful—he didn’t want collateral damage to turn an easy win into a setback. A mosque was nearby as well.

A call for close air support was placed. Soon, a pair of jet aircraft from the 104th Expeditionary Fighter Squadron out of Al Asad Air Base was approaching. They were moving slowly, and they were quiet—not the loud rumble of F-16s that often showed up. Moments later, the insurgent house was reduced to rubble—courtesy of two satellite-guided Joint Direct Attack Munitions. The mosque next door received only a light dusting. The first combat strike for the A-10C was complete, and it was a success.

First created to loiter over European plains and chew up Soviet-armored columns with its fearsome 30 mm rotary cannon, the Warthog has been spared from retirement numerous times to become a sort of CAS rock star.

From the 1991 Gulf War, when Warthogs were the bane of Iraqi tank columns, to Afghanistan where A-10 pilots could loiter around the high mountain passes and valleys to wreak havoc on Taliban elements, the aircraft has shown remarkable effectiveness and toughness.

Lt. Col. Dan Marino, 175th Operations Group commander, recalled an earlier deployment to Afghanistan, "riding on the back of a tailgate ... out to our jets at night [and] taking off from an old Russian air base to escort helicopters along the Pakistani border. We thought to ourselves, ‘If somebody had told us 17 years ago we would be doing this, we’d have thought they were out of their mind.’ "

The precision engagement upgrade to A-10C configuration only adds to the aircraft’s lethality. "This is the first major modification in 20 years," said CMSgt. Terry M. Allen, the squadron superintendent for the 175th Aircraft Maintenance Squadron at Martin State Airport, near Baltimore. The 104th FS—attached to the Air National Guard’s 175th Wing—now has 17 A-10Cs, with more to come as a result of base realignment actions.

A veteran of the Iraq deployment, Allen accompanied the Maryland ANG’s transition to the A-10C from the beginning, volunteering to be the NCO in charge for the upgrade program as the unit sent a detachment out to Nellis AFB, Nev., to begin modifications in November 2005. The Air Guard was first to get upgraded aircraft, and work on the airplanes continued until the summer of 2007, shortly before the A-10s headed out on an unexpectedly complex deployment. "We were modding airplanes ... in April that deployed in September," Allen recalled.

By the summer of 2007, with the deployment to the sandbox looming, the PE line had cranked out enough aircraft to equip two squadrons with 17 airframes each—one in Michigan and one in Maryland.


Marino said the 104th had "one foot on the boat and one foot on the dock." The As were leaving, the Cs were coming in, and even though the iron was back on the ramp, software upgrades and electrical issues were being worked out as the aircraft arrived.

The 104th was cleared to train with the JDAM in late summer; the data link was programmed in by the end of June, and the laser Maverick was integrated into the system architecture. "The main driver was getting the unit over to OIF in September," Marino added.
A Rainbow Unit

The Maryland ANG then deployed several of its newly modified Warthogs, as did the Michigan ANG’s 172nd FS from Battle Creek. They formed what is known as a "rainbowed unit"—a mix of airplanes from different units operating under the same expeditionary squadron.

When the aircraft and personnel arrived last September at Al Asad Air Base, they became the 104th Expeditionary Fighter Squadron. Despite the A-10’s near-constant presence in Afghanistan, this was the first time the fighters had deployed into Iraq since 2003.

The Thunderbolt IIs, in official parlance, were immediately put to work against one of the most persistent problems in theater—the proliferation of improvised explosive devices. We spent a lot of time searching for IEDs, said Lt. Col. Timothy Smith, commander of the 104th FS. Using the aircraft’s targeting pod to detect the bombs’ heat signatures, pilots would beam intelligence on IEDs down to ground troops. Many times, A-10s were called on to strike IED emplacements and caches of explosives uncovered during these sorties.

A-10s were also called upon to combat "trigger houses," such as the one on their first sortie, Smith said. Often rigged with explosives, and with insurgents waiting close by in ambush, these buildings were some of the most dangerous places for ground troops to encounter.

The A-10C’s new precision capabilities were invaluable against these tactics. With its ability to loiter low to the ground and pack the punch of precision weapons, the A-10 now could operate better in the dense and dangerous urbanized areas of Iraq.

"With this munition, we’re able to pinpoint a building," said Capt. Brian Curland, one of the 104th FS pilots who deployed to Iraq, referring to the JDAM. Collateral damage was minimized because the JDAM can be fused to bury itself into the building then detonate. "You’re looking at basically just taking the building out from the inside out instead of the outside in like before."

Curland was one of the two pilots on the sortie who dropped the squadron’s first JDAMs in Iraq.


The new, flexible weapons load brought what squadron members called the "candy store effect" to close air support. This stood in stark contrast to the "Russian candy store" of weapons the A-10 used to offer—"I got a bomb or a bomb, what do you want?" quipped Marino.

Smith said the ability to switch back and forth between JDAMs and laser guided bombs was invaluable in Iraq, as the nature of threats and targets shifted constantly during the deployment.

"We tended to use the LGB when we didn’t need exact coordinates," he recalled. During one sortie, coalition forces had been tailing insurgents who were cornered in a greenhouse-like building—long and rectangular. A Warthog lased the target and let loose a GBU-12.

More often than not, the Warthog’s weapon of choice—the seven-barrel GAU-8/A 30 mm gun—was called on for its high rate of fire and precise high-explosive incendiary rounds.

With friendly forces not far away, such as in convoy or patrol situations, the gun was a lifesaver, Marino said.

One of the last weapons equipped on the A-10Cs just prior to their deployment was the laser Maverick air-to-ground missile—the AGM-65E—which until last year was used primarily by the Navy and Marine Corps.

Today, the missile is being produced again for use on Air Force aircraft, but in late 2007 A-10s needed a quick fix for a problem in theater. Commanders needed a reliable weapon that could track and hit moving targets such as insurgent vehicles. While not employed many times during the OIF rotation—only two were fired—Lt. Col. Kevin Campbell, head of the 175th Maintenance Squadron, said the weapon proved successful and adaptable. The A-10 program office has decided to hold off on equipping the C model with the Hellfire missile because the laser Maverick showed so much promise.

Even the radios in the aircraft—there are three of them—work in a more consolidated manner now. Previously, a pilot had to do a lot of switching on his side panel between the three, which kept secure links with ground troops, other aircraft, and the air operations center. Similar to other aspects of the airplane, now a switch on the throttle toggles each one of them.

The ROVER in Demand

As important as the weapons on the wings, the Warthog’s guts—the new avionics and electronics—presented a leap ahead in the pilot’s ability to interact with other aircraft and troops on the ground. Some last-minute electronic patching work aided the A-10’s ability to interface with an in-demand tool—the remotely operated video enhanced receiver, or ROVER. This allowed ground forces to see what aircraft and UAVs were observing with sensors, greatly aiding in close air support.

Because of the original specifications of the A-10C upgrade, a quick patch was necessary to get the receiver to interface with the aircraft. There was no means to access the menu to turn on the broadcast capability of the targeting pod or change the frequency, Campbell said, so the final versions of the aircraft’s software included a "caveman fix" that turned the system on and off.

The result was an increase in the capability to target, track, and ferret out the enemy in Iraq, and an invaluable ISR tool for ground troops.

"There were times when there was no way to have done the mission without a ROVER," Campbell said.

With all the work put into bringing the newly revamped A-10 into the fight, maintainers weren’t completely sure what would happen the first time out.

TSgt. Kenneth Rogers, a maintainer with the 175th Aircraft Maintenance Squadron who helped certify crews on the new weapons loads, noted that when all was said and done, the Air Guardsmen came out of Iraq with a 100 percent weapons release rate.

"It’s pretty gratifying" to see some of the part-time Guardsmen whom "you only see some 20 days a year ... pull that off without a hitch," he said. It wasn’t until the final weeks prior to the deployment that the 104th FS was cleared to train with JDAMs, and many of the weapons wiring problems were caught before heading off to Iraq.

Instead of an analog aircraft with rocket pods and dumb bombs, now maintainers were dealing with a networked jet airplane. "Weapons [airmen] probably had the biggest change in mind-set," Allen recalled. "Avionics folks are used to working with integrated electronics and a lot of subsystems on the airplane, whereas the weapons folks are not."

MSgt. Michael Doyle, a shop supervisor with the 175th AMX, agreed that most of the problems he came across had to do with the aircraft’s new guts. "We believe [most problems] were software derived," he said. Last-minute software patches were still being worked, and maintainers found that certain tics hadn’t been tested with the mission cartridges that are loaded for each sortie—creating occasional system crashes.

"There was some bad wiring, splices, old splices, new splices," recalled SSgt. Justin Kaltz, a 175th Wing avionics specialist. "Stuff you don’t see until you get in and start using this new technology."

Despite the growing pains, the Air Guardsmen managed to keep their A-10s healthy in the desert—never dropping a single US Air Forces Central tasking order during their deployment.

Allen said the newer Cs actually held up better in the desert than many As. "That’s because these guys were chasing down gremlins before we even left," he added.

At the tail end of the deployment for many of the 104th airmen came a major surprise. When the Air Force’s F-15Es were temporarily grounded after an Eagle crash in Missouri, AFCENT was faced with a shortage of firepower in Afghanistan. The A-10Cs were ordered from Iraq to Afghanistan. Many of the Maryland crewmen then left Afghanistan within 24 hours, replaced with airmen from Michigan who took over manning the rainbowed unit.

What Works, What Doesn’t

The pilots of the 104th FS, their aircraft, and crews are now back at Warfield ANGB, Md., the Guard base attached to Martin State Airport, and are heading into a bit of a break with an inspection and depot cycle just on the horizon, squadron leaders said.

Lt. Col. Timothy F. Schuster, director of maintenance for the 175th Wing, said a structural inspection will tell the unit more about what’s working and what isn’t. The depot will be looking at the empennage, searching for wear cracks or fatigue in parts. Production A-10s have been flying since 1975, and even with the fleet’s upgrades and revamped capabilities the aircraft is still flying at a high operations tempo in demanding environments.

Wear is beginning to show on the fleet, wing officials said. "In the last year, we’ve seen a marked increase in the number of compressor stalls and ... engine anomalies," Campbell said. Soon, the landing gear will be replaced with a beefed up outer cylinder and—eventually—new assemblies.

Even the legendary 30 mm gun is getting to the end of its service life, Doyle said. The cannon had initially been designed for a 250,000-round service life, but "I’m sure they had no idea when they built them that they were going to rack up a quarter-million rounds on the gun," he added.

The Air Force is doing all it can to keep the Hogs viable. In addition to the A-10C upgrade, last summer, a $2 billion contract was awarded to Boeing to build 242 new wing sets for "thin skinned" A-10s. The A-10 requirements office at Air Combat Command has signed off on studies for a more powerful engine for the aircraft. Campbell pointed out that while the A-10 was never designed for speed, a thrust improvement will allow it to take off from shorter distances and get better climb rates.

Work has also begun on a helmet mounted cueing system for A-10 pilots—a device that projects information seen on a head-up display onto their visors, allowing them to cue weapons to targets in their line of vision. "It’s the last thing you need in this jet to complement all the integration," Campbell said. Assuming testing goes well in Arizona later this year, Campbell said A-10 pilots could be seeing an HMCS as soon as next year.

Warthog pilots are convinced the capabilities of the A-10 will be called upon for years to come, as its designated replacement is slated to come at the end of the F-35 production run. "Look at the Air Force in 2020," Marino said. "What’s your best counterinsurgency airplane?"

Thanks to the upgrades, the answer almost certainly will be: the A-10C.

Making an A-10 "C"

Set to run through 2011, the Warthog’s upgrade to A-10C configuration will transform the full inventory of 356 Air Force, Air National Guard, and Reserve fighters. It will, in the words of the pilots, be making an analog jet aircraft digital.

Collectively referred to as "Precision Engagement," the program revamps the aircraft’s cockpit with multifunction color displays, integrates a laser designator, new throttles, and stick grips, and incorporates targeting pods (the A-10 can now host both the Sniper and Litening targeting pods).

The aircraft also boasts a Situational Awareness Data Link which connects the pilot with troops on the ground. Similar to the more prolific Link 16 system, SADL shares mission information via gateways—computer portals that transfer information between different formats, helping to increase the efficiency of passing data from air to ground.

In short, a lot less fiddling and more flying. "It got us into the 21st century, where we really should have been a decade ago," said Lt. Col. Kevin Campbell, the head of the 175th Maintenance Squadron and a veteran A-10 pilot who aided testing efforts for the C.

"Before it became a C, the integration was a lot more manual," said Lt. Col. Dan Marino, the 175th Operations Group commander and a 22-year veteran A-10 driver. "You’d click through menus, and if you missed, you had to cycle back through."

Many of the old weapon systems, such as dumb bombs and rocket pods, were analog weapons systems. Tracking targets sometimes required a lot of fast switch changes. Now, most of those tasks have been integrated onto the stick and throttle—so a pilot can select a weapon and fire it and never have to take his hands off the stick.

The power and wiring system were also revamped, allowing more information to be stored in the aircraft’s computers and creating the open architecture necessary to mount newer and more precise weapons on the aircraft—including the GBU-38, the GBU-12, and Wind-Corrected Munitions Dispensers. This married the precision weapon capability often associated with "fast movers" with the low ceiling and persistence of the A-10’s close air support capabilities.