The Air Force has awarded Boeing a contract valued at up to $2 billion to engineer and manufacture 242 wing sets for its fleet of A-10 attack aircraft. Boeing is to deliver the wing sets in easy-installation kits. The Air Force, which in late 2005 recognized it had a problem with cracks in its “thin-skinned” Warthogs, has been proceeding with a precision engagement upgrade, giving the 20-year-old aircraft a much needed avionics overhaul.
The Air Force has spent more than two years studying cancer risks to Airmen who work with the service's intercontinental ballistic missiles. Now lawmakers in Congress are placing fresh scrutiny on the issue and have prepared legislation that would direct the service to clean silos and launch facilities.