Some of the Air Force’s A-10 Warthogs are developing cracks that will be expensive to repair, leading USAF to scale back its plans to upgrade the fleet, said ACC chief Keys. The problem Hogs were made with “thin skins,” explained Keys. He was not prepared to say how many aircraft are affected or what repairs will cost. ACC had been upgrading the A-10 fleet with a package of precision engagement upgrades. It will have to reduce the number that get that upgrade and possibly forego a desired re-engining just to pay to fix some of the “thin skin” airframes. Keys admitted he’s frustrated but not surprised about the problem. “Old airplanes will always find a way to break in new ways,” he said.
The Pentagon has concluded a new agreement to buy laser-guidance kits that turn rockets into drone-killing weapons. BAE Systems and the Defense Department announced a framework deal of up to seven years for 25,000 Advanced Precision Kill Weapon System guidance kits annually for the U.S. military.