Air National Guard Lt. Col. Kevin Campbell, who flew the Warthog in Afghanistan, told reporters Monday at AFA’s Washington conference that the upgraded A-10C should start carrying Joint Direct Attack Munitions this fall and get the Wind-Corrected Munition Dispenser sometime next year. And, USAF plans to test fire a Hellfire missile from an A-10C in Fiscal 2007, to address a capability gap between the A-10s’ guns and its 500-pound munitions arsenal. Campbell, who is leading the ANG conversion to the A-10C, said that by next spring the Guard should have its first one to two A-10C squadrons operational. He believes the A-10C-equipped units could deploy in fall 2007.
The use of a military counter-drone laser on the southwest border this week—which prompted the Federal Aviation Administration to abruptly close the airspace over El Paso, Texas—will be a “case study” on the complex web of authorities needed to employ such weapons near civilian areas and the consequences of agencies…
