The United States Air Force is once again being accused on taking steps to mothball the A-10 by attrition. The latest effort involves failing to refit the wings on the A-10 fleet.
According to former A-10 pilot, Lt. Colonel Tom Norris, “The plan for the Air Force is to not get refitted wings on the entire fleet so here is what you have. The Air Force strategy is to merely run out the clock. So on the basis of flying each aircraft about 300 hours a year eventually those aircraft without the wings being refurbished or replaced they will be grounded. So they can comply with Congressional mandate to not divest airplanes and yet the airplanes are going to be sitting on the ramp grounded and unable to fly.
Norris made the claim during an appearance on the James T. Harris radio show in Tucson, Arizona. It was on Harris’ show that Sen. Jeff Flake inadvertently revealed the USAF’s plans for the A-10 in 2013. At the time, the news was shocking, since then, almost monthly news of the USAF’s attack on the venerable Warthog makes headlines.
Norris called on the public to call on officials to save the plane that is currently keeping boots on the ground alive and sending ISIS scrambling. “I would ask your listeners to do is to call Representative McSally and Senator McCain’s D.C. office, not their local offices. That is a waste of time. I’d call the D.C. office and ask them to please mandate that the Air Force put new wings on the A-10 and at the very minimum.”
Norris explained that the USAF has an open contract with Boeing to replace the wings, which expires on September 30 2016, but Boeing has offered to extend the contract at no cost to taxpayers. Despite this, said Norris, “The Air Force has even refused to extend the contract.”
According to Norris, the USAF will have to start grounding A-10s in 2018 if the wings are not refitted. “We start grounding planes in 2018, if we don’t get the wings going. So we have a little time, but we must get this contract extended because if we don’t it is going to cost a lot of money to issue a new contract,” stated Norris.
Norris addressed the efforts by Arizona Rep. Martha McSally and Sen. John McCain to take on USAF General Mark Welsh in their effort to save the A-10. “It would be a real shame to go through this process,” said Norris, “and watch General Welsh get beat up in hearing after hearing after hearing which is awesome to watch, and then at the same time the Air Force at the end of the meeting goes back to their office and put their feet on their desk and goes ‘that guy can yell at me all day long but I am looking at my watch and those airplanes are going to be grounded right under his nose.’”
In Arizona call:
| Senator John McCain (R) | 202-224-2235 | 602-952-2410 | john.mccain@senate.gov |
| Senator Jeff Flake (R) | 202-224-4521 | 602-840-1891 | jeff.flake@senate.gov |
| Rep Ann Kirkpatrick (D1) | 202-225-3361 | 520-316-0839 | ann.kirkpatrick@house.gov |
| Rep Marth McSally (R2) | 202-225-2542 | 520-881-3588 | martha.mcsally@house.gov |
| Rep Raul M. Grijalva (D3) | 202-225-2435 | 520-622-6788 | raul.grijalva@house.gov |
| Rep Paul A. Gosar (R4) | 202-225-2315 | 480-882-2697 | paul.gosar@house.gov |
| Rep Matt Salmon (R5) | 202-225-2635 | 480-699-8239 | matt.salmon@house.gov |
| Rep David Schweikert (R6) | 202-225-2190 | 480-946-2411 | david.schweikert@house.gov |
| Rep Ruben Gallego (D7) | 202-225-4065 | 602 256-0551 | ruben.gallego@house.gov |
| Rep Trent Franks (R8) | 202-225-4576 | 202-225-4576 | trent.franks@house.gov |
| Rep Kyrsten Sinema (D9) | 202-225-9888 | 602-956-2285 | krysten.sinema@house.gov |