Five A-10s that, until earlier this year, were assigned to the 81st Fighter Squadron at Spangdahlem, AB, Germany, have found a new home at Davis-Monthan AFB, Ariz., according to a base release. The A-10s arrived on Oct. 25 at the Arizona base, where they will fly henceforth with the 354th Fighter Squadron, states the Oct. 29 release. Spang’s 81st FS flew its last A-10 sorties in May, and then the Air Force inactivated the squadron in June as part of its Fiscal 2013 force structure changes. For the interim, these five A-10s went to Moody AFB, Ga. Davis-Monthan pilots traveled to Moody to fly the A-10s to Arizona. The five A-10s are replacing five older A-10s that are destined for the Air Force’s aircraft boneyard at Davis-Monthan, states the release. (ACC release A1C Saphfire Cook)
A-10 Thunderbolt II attack planes in the Middle East are flying with fresh modifications as the Air Force looks to make the plane more versatile amid America’s ongoing blockade of Iranian ports and a tenuous ceasefire in the U.S. air war against Iran.