The Warthog stays alive...for now.

[Trigger]

Having just one fighter plane in production from one company - certainly not a WWII model of production for the upcoming WWIII.

I put the blame for that firmly on our broken and dysfunctional DOD acquisition process. I could go for days on how bad the JCIDS process is, and that we developed DARPA, AFTENCAP and AFRCO to specifically go around the JCIDS process and procure stuff faster.

[Andy in NH]

Just to add some insult to the injury:

Air Force's Elite Close-Air Support Jobs May Be Cut by 44%

As Congress moves toward retiring more A-10 Warthogs from service, the Air Force also aims to cut over the next three years the number of elite airmen responsible for calling in close-air support on the battlefield.

Rose Riley, a Department of the Air Force spokeswoman, confirmed to Military.com that the service plans to shrink the Tactical Air Control Party, or TACP, job field to about 2,130 positions -- a decrease of 44%, according to the service. The Air Force said the manning is now "roughly" 3,700 airmen.

"Currently, there are no plans to retrain TACPs to other career fields in light of the manning reduction, but the Air Force is opening opportunities for those who would prefer to pursue other careers," Riley said.

https://www.military.com/daily-news/...-cuts-too.html

[Tapatio]

Air and Spaces Forces Magazine reports the A-10 will be fully retired by 2029.

https://www.airandspaceforces.com/ai...n-a-10s-afsoc/

Davis-Monthan AFB in Tucson, which currently hosts A-10's will get a new lease on life with a "Power Projection Wing."

I've always loved seeing the A-10's flying around the Arizona desert, sometimes right over my head at low level. But military technology advances, and even iconic planes like the A-10 have to be replaced by something else eventually.

I hope to keep looking at them when driving by the Boneyard/AMARC facility in Tucson.

[Andy in NH]

Sadly, an end of an era for the A-10 Demo Team...

https://theaviationist.com/2024/03/2...irshow-season/

[Andy in NH]

Maryland National Guard to retire jets despite objections from leaders.

https://www.wbaltv.com/article/maryl...lanes/60126399

Beef up the landing gear, mod the wings to fold, and add a tail hook, then give them to the Marines.

(Yeah I know it isn't as easy as that, but I can dream.)