Boeing received $212 million from the Air Force to supply 56 more sets of wings for A-10 ground-attack aircraft, announced the company on Wednesday. This is part of the company’s continuing work under a $2 billion contract awarded in June 2007 to provide up to 242 wing sets for A-10s in the fleet that have comparatively thin-skinned wings that have been susceptible to fatigue cracking. With this new tasking for 56 wing sets, the Air Force has now ordered 173 sets, states the company’s Sept. 4 release. Boeing manufactures the wings at its plant in Macon, Ga. The new wings are expected to improve the A-10’s mission availability by about 4 percent, which “will help save the Air Force an estimated $1.3 billion in maintenance costs during the next 30 years,” states the release. Boeing has already delivered 48 wing sets, a Boeing spokeswoman told the Daily Report on Wednesday.
Airmen basic rarely go on to become four-star generals, but one who did retired last week after a 42 year career that saw him rise from a lowly slick-sleeve to the head of one of the Air Force’s most important major commands.