September 1, 2007: The new
A-10C is headed for Iraq and Afghanistan, as the first of the new models became
available last month. That's because the U.S. A-10 "Warhog" ground attack
aircraft is so popular with ground troops that even the air force brass took
note of it. So they speeded up the plan to upgrade the electronics of the
aircraft. The A-10 can fly low and slow, and is designed, and armored, to
survive lots of ground fire. The troops trust the A-10 more than the F-16, or
any other aircraft used for supporting the ground troops. The new goodies for
the A-10C equip the pilot with the same targeting and fire control gadgets the
latest fighters have. The new A-10C cockpit has all the spiffy color displays
and easy to use controls. The basic A-10 is a three decade old design, so the
new stuff is quite spectacular in comparison. New commo gear is installed as
well, allowing A-10 pilots to share pix and vids with troops on the ground. The
A-10 can now use smart bombs, making it a do-it-all aircraft for troops
support.
While newly equipped A-10s
are showing up this year, it will take
five years to upgrade all 350 aircraft in service. Beyond that, the air force
is upgrading the engines and structures of the 1970s era aircraft. All the
upgrades will cost about $13 million per aircraft. The air force has been
trying to retire the ugly, and elderly, aircraft for over a decade. But the
A-10s are just too damn effective, and popular, when there's actually a war on.
