Lt. Col. Ryan Richardson, 514th Flight Test Squadron commander and A-10 test pilot, rolls out after landing following a functional check flight on an A-10 Thunderbolt II, tail no. 80-0252, at Hill Air Force Base, Utah, July 25, 2019. The aircraft is from the Moody Air Force Base, Georgia, home of the 23d Wing Flying Tigers, a unit that traces its heritage back to the Flying Tigers of WWII that painted sharks teeth on the nose of the P-40 Warhawk fighter planes they flew. The aircraft was the last of 173 A-10s to receive new wings under the Enhanced Wing Assembly program to extend the flying service life of the fleet. (U.S. Air Force photo by Alex R. Lloyd)
By Vivienne Machi |
@VivienneMachi
5 years ago |
08/21/2019

The Air Force has awarded Boeing [BA] a contract worth up to $999 million to re-wing over 100 A-10 ground attack aircraft, per an Aug. 21 announcement.

The indefinite-delivery/indefinite-quantity contract provides for up to 112 new A-10 wing assemblies and up to 15 wing kits, allowing for the service’s entire fleet to have new wings by the end of the work period.

Lt. Col. Ryan Richardson, 514th Flight Test Squadron commander and A-10 test pilot, rolls out after landing following a functional check flight on an A-10 Thunderbolt II, tail no. 80-0252, at Hill Air Force Base, Utah, July 25, 2019. (U.S. Air Force photo by Alex R. Lloyd)

“Our established supply base, experience with the A-10 structures, and our in-depth knowledge of the U.S. Air Force’s requirements will help us deliver high-quality wings to meet the customer’s critical need,” said Pam Valdez, Vice President of Air Force Services for Boeing Global Services in a Wednesday statement.

Boeing built new wings for 173 out of the service’s 283 total aging A-10 “Warthogs,” under the 2007 A-10 Enhanced Wing Assembly Replacement program worth $1.1 billion. The company delivered the first wing set under that contract in 2011 and the final set in 2018. The Air Force announced Aug. 12 that it had completed that effort.

The Air Force ordered an initial 27 wing sets under the contract, per Boeing. The company will manage the production of up to 112 sets and spare kits, and teamed with Korean Aerospace Industries and other key suppliers on its proposal. The wing sets will be delivered to Hill Air Force Base in Ogden, Utah.

Two offers were received, the Air Force said in the award announcement. Israel Aerospace Industries (IAI) announced in 2018 it planned to compete for the lucrative contract.

Work will be performed at multiple subcontractor locations in the United States and one subcontractor location in South Korea and is expected to be complete by Aug. 23, 2030, the announcement said. Fiscal 2017, 2018 and 2019 procurement funds in the amount of $239.5 million were obligated at the time of award.