Technicians at Davis-Monthan AFB, Ariz., are refurbishing an A-10A aircraft that they will soon convert to a remotely piloted weather research platform for the Navy, according to base officials. Until recently, the retired airframe served as a weapons loading trainer at the Arizona base. Specialists with the 309th Aerospace Maintenance and Regeneration Group have been working to remove the A-10s weapons, military-specific equipment, and return it to flying condition. The airplane will carry sensors in place of its 30-millimeter cannon to collect data on severe thunderstorms by flying directly through the storm cells, according to a Jan. 31 Davis-Monthan release. The conversion is expected to take about a year to complete.
The Air Force is requesting about $141 million for initial enlistment bonuses in its fiscal 2026 budget, while Space Force wants $13 million.
