An A-10 Warthog’s practice bombing run hit a snag and caused planes to be delayed by about 20 minutes at Bradley Airport in Connecticut earlier this week, reports Larry Smith of The Hartford Courant. The A-10 from the Air National Guard’s 103rd Fighter Wing was equipped with a 25-pound practice round that subs for a 500-pound bomb during training, but the dummy bomb would not release during the flight, despite attempts to shake it off. Instead, it fell off as the fighter was landing at Bradley. Air National Guardsmen carefully removed the bomb debris; the bomb contained an unexploded shotgun charge.
As Air Force leaders consider concepts of operations for Collaborative Combat Aircraft, sustainment in the field—and easing that support by using standard parts and limiting variants—should be a key consideration, according to a new study from AFA's Mitchell Institute of Aerospace Studies.