The Air Force has commissioned General Dynamics to assemble ammunition for the GAU-8A 30 millimeter cannons of the force’s A-10 Warthog fleet, which are exceling at providing close air support to troops in both Iraq and Afghanistan. According to an Illinois radio news station, the General Dynamics plant in Marion, Ill., will produce $4.3 million worth of ammunition for the aircraft in an agreement which will be approved this week.
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.