공격기 A-10 퇴역 시작

[위종민]

조지아주 무디 공군기지의 74전투비행대 소속 A-10 1기가 4월 5일 애리조나주 데이비스-몬산 공군기지의 본야드에 도착했다고 합니다. 

9월 말까지 21기가 퇴역 예정이라고 하네요. 오산공군기지를 이륙하던 A-10 볼 날도 몇 년 안 남았네요. 

다른 기사에 따르면 43년 동안 비행했고, 비행시간은 14,125시간이라고 합니다. @.@

https://www.airandspaceforces.com/first-a-10-heads-to-boneyard/

An A-10C Thunderbolt II sits under a sun shade before takeoff at Moody Air Force Base, Georgia, April 5, 2023. After 43 years of service to the Air Force, this A-10 was flown to the 309th Aerospace Maintenance and Regeneration Group at Davis-Monthan AFB, Arizona, for retirement. U.S. Air Force photo by Airman 1st Class Whitney Gillespie

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After Years of Trying, Air Force Retires First A-10 to the Boneyard

April 14, 2023 | By Chris Gordon

It’s finally happening—the Air Force has begun to retire its A-10 Thunderbolt IIs. An A-10 from the 74th Fighter Squadron at Moody Air Force Base, Ga., arrived at the Boneyard at Davis-Monthan Air Force Base, Ariz. on April 5, the service said. The aircraft is the first of 21 A-10s that will be leaving service by the end of September.

“Air Combat Command is prioritizing the A-10s with the least combat effectiveness for retirement first to ensure the most combat capable airframes remain in service,” the Air Force said in a news release. The remaining 20 aircraft “will retire from various bases” by the end of the fiscal year.

The Air Force has sought to retire some of the close air support aircraft for years but was blocked by Congress. The service finally got its way in the 2023 National Defense Authorization Act and was OK’d to divest 21 A-10s this year. The service is seeking to retire another 42 A-10s as part of its fiscal 2024 budget. Air Force Chief of Staff Gen. Charles Q. Brown Jr. has said the service wants to rid itself of the A-10 entirely by the end of the decade.

While the aircraft that arrived at the Boneyard left the 74th Fighter Squadron after 43 years of service in the Air Force, the Active-Duty unit is not winding down its A-10 operations. Instead, the retired A-10 Boneyard is being replaced by an Indiana Air National Guard A-10. The Indiana ANG A-10 unit, the 122nd Fighter Wing, also known as the Blacksnakes, is transitioning to F-16s. The unit’s nickname has led their A-10s to sport unique nose art, even by A-10 standards.

Aircraft at the Boneyard are preserved in the dry desert of Arizona and often cannibalized for parts. The A-10 that landed Davis-Monthan on April 5, tail number 80-149, is now in the hands of 309th Aerospace Maintenance and Regeneration Squadron, which will “get to work preserving as much of it as possible while removing parts that can be used for replacements in other A-10s,” the Air Force said.

The Air Force’s planned divesture of 21 A-10s in the fiscal year 2023 will leave the service with around 260 aircraft by September. Brown said the service is ditching its 4+1 fighter model—with the A-10 as the outlier—and plans to sunset all A-10s by 2029.

“We’re retiring A-10s faster than we originally thought”, Brown said at the annual McAleese defense conference March 15. “I think that’s probably the right answer.”

But concerns over capacity persist, leading to high-profile A-10 deployments. While the Air Force argues that the four-decade-old A-10s—which have been upgraded over the years—are not survivable against an advanced adversary, U.S. Central Command is using them to fill out its fighter squadron requirements in the Middle East.

A planned deployment of A-10s to CENTCOM was accelerated in the wake of attacks from Iranian-backed militias on U.S. bases in Syria. The command produced a slick video noting their arrival at the end of March and has continued to publicize recent A-10 operations in the region.

“The A-10s remain the most effective close air support platform in the world today even after 45 years,” Capt. Kevin Domingue, the pilot from the 74th Fighter Squadron who flew the now-retired A-10 to the Boneyard, said in the news release. “As long as the Air Force allows the aircraft to fly and be properly maintained, this community is ready to provide that expertise anywhere in the world against any adversary.”

Air

Air Archives | Air & Space Forces Magazine

https://theaviationgeekclub.com/a-10c-warthog-retired-to-309-amarg-after-14125-flight-hours-and-after-43-years-of-service/

• Military Aviation

A-10C Warthog retired to 309 AMARG after 14,125 flight hours and after 43 Years of Service

By Dario Leone

Apr 13 2023

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This is the first of 21 A-10 Warthog CAS aircraft authorized to be retired under the FY23 National Defense Authorization Act.

Time flies when you’re having fun … An A-10C Warthog belonging to 74th Fighter Squadron (FS) made its final descent into Davis Monthan, Arizona from Moody Air Force Base (AFB), Georgia, April 5, 2023, after 14,125 flight hours.

After 43 years of dedicated service, the A-10 will make the sunny Arizona desert its new home, where the 309th Aerospace Maintenance and Regeneration (AMARG) squadron will receive it and get to work preserving as much of it as possible while removing parts that can be used for replacements in other A-10’s.

According to a USAF news release, this is the first of 21 A-10s authorized to be retired under the FY23 National Defense Authorization Act. Air Combat Command is prioritizing the A-10s with the least combat effectiveness for retirement first to ensure the most combat capable airframes remain in service. The remaining 20 aircraft will retire from various bases by the end of September.

An A-10C Thunderbolt II sits under a sun shade before takeoff at Moody Air Force Base, Georgia, Apr. 5, 2023. After 43 years of service to the Air Force, this A-10 was flown to the 309th Aerospace Maintenance and Regeneration Group at Davis-Monthan AFB, Arizona, for retirement.

“This is bittersweet, it’s an old aircraft and there comes a time when each of them needs to be retired,” said Staff Sgt. Austin Bryne, 74th FS dedicated crew chief. “They are still combat capable, but after all the hours put in, their time comes.”

The 74th FS is one of Moody’s two combat-ready A-10 squadrons keeping the airframe maintained and mission-ready. The squadron’s 35 pilots are dedicated to carrying out the close air support mission through the A-10, which is specifically designed for long loiter time, accurate weapons delivery, austere field capability and survivability.

Capt. Kevin Domingue, 74th FS A-10 pilot, commented on his overall experience on flying the simple yet effective and survivable twin-engine jet aircraft.

“It’s sad to see this aircraft reach the end of its service to the United States,” Domingue said. “Thousands of service members have flown or worked on this particular jet; this will be the last time it takes flight and carries their cumulative effort. I am honored to be a part of this aircraft’s history like so many before me.”

U.S. Air Force Capt. Kevin Domingue, 74th Fighter Squadron pilot, signs the inside of an A-10C Thunderbolt II at Moody Air Force Base, Georgia, Apr. 5, 2023, before flying it for the final time to the “Boneyard” at Davis-Monthan AFB, Arizona.

In a farewell, Domingue along with others signed the inside of the aircraft in great Air Force tradition.

“I am proud to be a part of it,” Byrne said. “It was nice to sign the pod and the inside of the aircraft to be a lasting part of its history. I think it’s time for it to go to bed – it’s a workhorse, it has been trucking since 1980.”

“The A-10’s remains the most effective close air support platform in the world today even after 45 years,” Domingue explained. “As long as the Air Force allows the aircraft to fly and be properly maintained, this community is ready to provide that expertise anywhere in the world against any adversary.”

Significant in its own right, this will be the first A-10 from Moody reaching retirement age since the 23rd Fighter Group along with their respective A-10’s arrived at Moody in 2007 from Pope Field, North Carolina. Simultaneous with the group’s move, all 23rd FG A-10s were upgraded to the precision engagement A-10C.

An A-10C Thunderbolt II sits under a sunshade before takeoff at Moody Air Force Base, Georgia, Apr. 5, 2023. Tail number 80-149 took its final flight to the 309th Aerospace Maintenance and Regeneration Group at Davis-Monthan AFB, Arizona, where it will be preserved as much as possible while also providing parts to other A-10s.

Although goodbyes were given to tail number 149, warm hellos are in order as the 74th Fighter Squadron welcomes a replacement A-10 from Fort Wayne Air National Guard Base, Fort Wayne, Indiana as the guard base begins their transition to the F-16 Fighting Falcon.

As already reported US Air Force (USAF) Chief of Staff Gen. CQ Brown Jr. said on Mar. 7, 2023 the service would likely retire all its A-10 Warthog attack aircraft over the next five or six years.

Until recently, the USAF and Congress have disagreed over what to do with the iconic CAS aircraft. While the A-10 was known and beloved for its CAS role in Iraq and Afghanistan over the last two decades, the USAF says the low-and-slow-flying plane would not be able to survive in a fight against a nation with modern air defenses, like China.

This print is available in multiple sizes from AircraftProfilePrints.com – CLICK HERE TO GET YOURS. A-10C Thunderbolt II 23d W, 74th FS Flying Tigers, FT/80-144. Moody AFB, GA – 2011

In fact, the A-10’s CAS mission can be carried out by a variety of other platforms, Brown said, and the Air Force must move on to cutting-edge capabilities that can survive in contested airspace and will keep the service ahead of China, the pacing threat.

In FY24, officials are asking Congress permission to accelerate retirements of the A-10: the proposed retirement of 42 A-10s in 2024 would follow this year’s retirement of 21 Warthogs, and would leave the service with 218 of the attack aircraft.

Photo credit: Airman 1st Class Whitney Gillespie / U.S. Air Force

This model is available from AirModels – CLICK HERE TO GET YOURS.

[백선호]

2019년 자료를 보면 A-10은 날개를 바꾸면서 싹 다 디지털 도면을 만들어 관리했다고 합니다.

[백선호]

그래서 디지털화시켜 잘 관리하는 것을 오른쪽의 오래되었지만 잘 관리된 80년대 생산 크라이슬러 K-car(Dodge Aries, Plymouth Reliant)에 비유하네요.