The Air Force has awarded Boeing a contract valued at up to $2 billion to engineer and manufacture 242 wing sets for its fleet of A-10 attack aircraft. Boeing is to deliver the wing sets in easy-installation kits. The Air Force, which in late 2005 recognized it had a problem with cracks in its “thin-skinned” Warthogs, has been proceeding with a precision engagement upgrade, giving the 20-year-old aircraft a much needed avionics overhaul.
Air Force Gen. Charles Q. Brown Jr., chairman of the Joint Chiefs of Staff, held meetings with defense leaders from the Philippines, Japan, and South Korea during a trip to the Indo-Pacific this week.