The Massachusetts Air National Guard’s 102nd Fighter Wing at Otis Air National Guard Base last week dispatched the first two of its F-15 fighters to their new home with the 104th FW, also of the Massachusetts ANG, at Barnes Airport. BRAC 2005 transfers the Otis F-15s to Barnes, which loses its A-10s. Last month, the folks around Barnes got a presentation on the mission switch from Warthog close air support to Eagle air defense. The Republican reports that Barnes will get two or three F-15s each month until it reaches its full complement of 18.
A-10 Thunderbolt II attack planes in the Middle East are flying with fresh modifications as the Air Force looks to make the plane more versatile amid America’s ongoing blockade of Iranian ports and a tenuous ceasefire in the U.S. air war against Iran.