The A-10 fleet currently averages 8,400 flight hours, but Col. James Ratti, A-10 system program manager at the Ogden Air Logistics Center, Hill AFB, Utah, told reporters Wednesday that the precise engagement upgraded C model Warthog should retire with 16,000 flight hours. It will be in the service’s inventory until at least 2028 and will begin to “ramp down” with the F-35 Joint Strike Fighter’s presence. At this point, Ratti said, the A-10 is about halfway through its service life. The PE program “ushers in a whole second lifetime for the A-10 in terms of capability and relevancy on today’s battlefield,” he added.
Air Force Changes Rules for Pregnant Aircrew—Again
April 3, 2025
The Air Force is changing its policy for pregnant aircrew, generally reverting to rules set in 2019 that barred female aviators from flying during the first trimester—or from flying in aircraft with ejection seats at all—due to potential risks to the pilot and her unborn fetus.