USAF releases request for proposal to re-wing 112 A-10 Thunderbolt IIs

USAF releases RFP to re-wing 112 A-10 Thunderbolt IIs

By Gabriele Barison
Jun 4 2018
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The USAF aims to maintain a fleet of 285 A-10 aircraft out into the 2030s

According Jane’s, the U.S. Air Force (USAF) has issued a request for proposals (RFP) to re-wing about 100 of its Fairchild-Republic A-10 Thunderbolt II close air support (CAS) aircraft.

The RFP for the A-10 Thunderbolt Advanced Wing Continuation Kitting (ATTACK) program, which was released on May 25, 2018, calls for the re-winging of 112 aircraft over five annual ordering periods, with the option for two more years after that.

This ATTACK effort adds to the 173 aircraft that were upgraded under the previous Wing Replacement Program (WRP) that ran from 2007 through to 2018, with Boeing as prime contractor. Despite the USAF’s announcement midway through the WRP that it was to prematurely retire the A-10, it was deemed cheaper to continue with contracts awarded under the A-10 Thunderbolt Lifecycle Program Support (TLPS) than to cancel them.

Noteworthy General James Holmes, Air Combat Command (ACC) chief, revealed earlier this year that the USAF aims to maintain a fleet of 285 aircraft (the sum of the WRP and ATTACK programmes) out into the 2030s. Approximately 350 A-10s are currently in the inventories of the active USAF, Air Force Reserve, and Air National Guard, although a number have already been sent for mothballing at Davis-Monthan Air Force Base (AFB) in Arizona.

Since the A-10 is a legacy platform, it is supported equally by Boeing, Lockheed Martin, and Northrop Grumman. Responses to the ATTACK RFP are due by Aug. 23, with a contract expected in fiscal year 2019 (FY 2019).

As we have previously explained, over the past several years the A-10 received little support from the USAF that instead pushed to retire the Warthog from FY15 onward. In FY18, the service decided to retain the aircraft but kept the procurement of new wings out of its budget, bumping it instead into the unfunded wish list given to Congress every year.

The USAF requested $79 million in its FY19 budget proposal — a sign that the service was ready to dedicate part of its funding to retaining the A-10 fleet.

The issuance of the ATTACK RFP is the surest indication of the USAF’s intention to reverse its decision to retire the A-10 so as to free up resources for the Lockheed Martin F-35A Lightning II.

USAF releases request for proposal to re-wing 112 A-10 Thunderbolt IIs
This print is available in multiple sizes from AircraftProfilePrints.com – CLICK HERE TO GET YOURS. A-10C Thunderbolt II 355th FW, 354th FS Bulldogs, FS/82-684. Davis-Monthan AFB, AZ – 2015

Photo credit: U.S. Air Force

Artwork courtesy of AircraftProfilePrints.com


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Gabriele Barison

Gabriele Barison

Gabriele Barison is an aviation, defense and military writer. He is the Co-Founder and Editor of “The Aviation Geek Club” one of the world’s most read military aviation blogs. He has flown Super Puma and Cougar helicopters with the Swiss Air Force.

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