A-10C extends A-10 lifespan

[F-111 C/C]

I know this is not exactly new news but I wanted to share my opinion on it.
I worked on the A-10A in Korea in 1987-1988. They were a dream to work on and they never broke. At that time the USAF were making plans to retire the aircraft and had converted many of them to OA-10s for Foward Air Control (FAC) and Seach and Rescue missions before phasing them out completely. Then the Gulf war broke out and it performed unbelievably in combat and Close Air Support (CAS), exactly what it was designed to do (friendly fire incident not withstanding). Since inception the airframe was originally intended for about 8000 hours and was to be retired by 1991. Now with the A-10C modernization upgrades it is receiving new wings, engine upgrades for more power, and a complete avionic and fire control system upgrade to make it state of the art for weapons delivery and communications. The aircraft is now expected to stay in service until 2028 and could log in excess of 15000 hours!!! Just goes to show you, "never say never". It also proves when something can perform it's mission so completely and perfectly, why get rid of it. It makes me wonder why so much money and time is spent on a "clean sheet of paper" design that usually is not that much better than what it replaced instead of modernizing an existing platform (the F-18 E/F "Super Hornet" is a perfect example of how this can be successful and viable).
Just wondering what opinions others have?

[Ramon]

Hey F-111 C/C,

And just to illustrate that the A-10 is my favourite aircraft, (still with the
F-14 Tomcat next to it) see attached links. This beast eats everything for
breakfast; tanks, buildings, bridges, German Tornado's, USAF F-16's.....

Playing with the German airforce.
Link: http://www.patricksaviation.com/videos/Contrail_25/3865/

Playing with USAF F-16's.
Link: http://www.patricksaviation.com/videos/Contrail_25/3863/

Regards, Ramon

[F-111 C/C]

Cool videos Ramon, thanks. I loved how the A-10 turned "inside" of the Tornado to get the shot. Like I said, I really enjoyed crewing them and was always impressed with their capabilities. Now with the modernization package they will have standoff capability, seek and shoot, etc. to improve their offensive and defensive capabilites even more. I've been to the range and watched them roll in on 'the rag' (big circular netting used in target practice) and fire that GAU/8 live and the sights and sounds of it are unbelievable!