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127 A-10s grounded, to be inspected for cracks

More than 100 A-10 Thunderbolts are temporarily grounded until their wings can be inspected for cracks near the main landing gear, the Air Force announced Friday afternoon.

Altogether, 127 A-10s with the “thin wing” design are staying parked until maintainers can check for cracks near the center panels of the landing gear trunnions, said Maj. Richard Johnson, an Air Force spokesman. The Air Force fly about 350 of the planes, also known as the Warthog.

The first 250 A-10s bought by the Air Force were built with what the service calls the “thin wing.” Later A-10s were built with thicker wings.

The order is to inspect 56 Air Combat Command, 42 Air National Guard, 18 Reserve and 11 Pacific Air Forces planes.

The inspection order was not prompted by an accident. Instead, inspectors at the Ogden Air Logistics Center in Utah noticed cracks in A-10s arriving at the center for depot-level repairs, Johnson said.

The most severe cracking will require A-10s to sit tight until the wings can be repaired or replaced at Ogden. Less worrisome cracks will be fixed at A-10 bases.

The long-term plan is to replace the thin wings with new wings allowing each plane to fly until it reaches 16,000 flying hours.

The first A-10 was delivered to the Air Force in 1975.

The aircraft was targeted for retirement when the Cold War ended in the late 1980s. Although Operation Desert Storm in 1991 proved the A-10 still had a role, some Air Force leaders weren't keen on the plane and considered trading the A-10 mission to the Army in exchange for taking over Patriot missile batteries.

Today, with Air Force leaders emphasizing the service's close air support role, the A-10 seems to have a secure future. Although the stealthy F-35 Lightning II is intended to replace the A-10, the new plane has yet to fly or prove itself and the A-10 needn't check its six yet.