Many of the 102 A-10s assigned to Air National Guard and Air Force Reserve units are getting an interim upgrade—the Smart Multi-Function Color Display—before they get the full precision engagement makeover, Col. James Ratti, A-10 system program manager at the Ogden Air Logistics Center, told reporters last week. The Smart MFCD incorporates a processor that communicates with the weapons stations programs, improving the interface with the targeting pod. It also connects to the Situational Awareness Data Link, which brings a significant increase in capability, Ratti said. Overall the Smart MFCD “brings a subset of precision engagement capabilities, but it’s not by any means the full measure of capability,” he said. The Smart MFCD-modified A-10s—dubbed the A-10A+—will have the interim upgrade removed—a simple matter, says Ratti—before they undergo the PE modification and become A-10Cs.
As the Air Force readied for its June 21-22 strikes on Iran’s nuclear facilities, the service was also putting its Agile Combat Employment strategy into action, dispersing combat aircraft and Airmen from Al Udeid Air Base in Qatar in preparation for a possible Iranian retaliatory attack. Some defense experts say…
