On Monday, the Air Force will begin developmental testing of the final version of the Situational Awareness Data Link capability developed by a Lockheed Martin-led team for the A-10C precision engagement upgrade program. Roger Grande, A-10 program director for Lockheed in Owego, N.Y., said Wednesday that test pilots have responded very well to earlier software releases. Flight testers at Nellis AFB, Nev., and Eglin AFB, Fla., “will take that final release of software and complete the full regression testing” through the end of June, said Grande. (An earlier report said May.) That’s to be followed by a two-week software certification process in July. SADL enables “handshakes” among various functions, providing A-10 pilots information about friendly and enemy air and ground forces. USAF expects to field the SADL upgrade in September and deploy the first A-10Cs to combat operations shortly thereafter.
Air Force senior statesmen explained the reasons they jointly sent a letter to Congress urging restoration of the E-7 Wedgetail and more F-35s to the fiscal 2026 defense budget.