A10

[TT-1 Pinto]

Un pilota italiano vola sugli A-10C dell' USAF ...

Il Capitano Roberto M., soprannominato "Pinna", è oggi a capo di una formazione di A-10 Thunderbolt II della United States Air Force (USAF) del 74th Fighter Squadron.

"Pinna" nel 2015 è entrato nel "Military Personnel Exchange Program", programma che consente l'interazione delle forze aeree di tutto il mondo attraverso lo scambio di alcuni tra i più esperti piloti di nazionalità diverse.

Fonte: aeronautica.difesa.it ... "PINNA", IL PILOTA ITALIANO "EXCHANGE" A COMANDO DI UNA FORMAZIONE DI A-10C DELL'USAF ...

[TT-1 Pinto]

Un pilota italiano vola sugli A-10C dell' USAF ...

Il Capitano Roberto M., soprannominato "Pinna", è oggi a capo di una formazione di A-10 Thunderbolt II della United States Air Force (USAF) del 74th Fighter Squadron.

"Pinna" nel 2015 è entrato nel "Military Personnel Exchange Program", programma che consente l'interazione delle forze aeree di tutto il mondo attraverso lo scambio di alcuni tra i più esperti piloti di nazionalità diverse.

Fonte: aeronautica.difesa.it ... "PINNA", IL PILOTA ITALIANO "EXCHANGE" A COMANDO DI UNA FORMAZIONE DI A-10C DELL'USAF ...

[TT-1 Pinto]

Nuove ali ... fondi approvati ...

The U.S. Air Force can continue installing new wings on the venerable A-10 Warthog thanks to $103 million in the omnibus spending bill that will restart the production line.

Congress on Thursday passed a $1.3 trillion spending measure for fiscal 2018, which was signed by President Donald Trump on Friday afternoon.

Now that the bill is law, the service will get the money it needs to stand up a new production line for A-10 wings and buy the first four wing sets.

The Air Force has already rewinged 173 A-10s (including one aircraft that has since crashed), but 109 Warthogs are still flying with their original wings.

Fonte: defensenews.com ... FY18 budget deal yields life-sustaining new wings for the A-10 Warthog ...

[TT-1 Pinto]

Nuove ali ... ci risiamo ... l'USAF traccheggia ... e la Rappresentante McSally incalza un generale a tre stelle ...

The Air Force expects it will have to ground a portion of the A-10 fleet in the years running up to fiscal year 2025, as the life of their wings runs out, but the service believes it will not effect operations, a three-star general said Thursday.

“We are not confident that we’re flying all of the A-10s that we currently possess through 2025 with our plan,” said Lt. Gen. Jerry Harris, deputy chief of staff for strategic plans and requirements, during a House Armed Services Committee panel.

“So as we are looking at a CAF [combat air force] roadmap and with our modernization program, our intent is not to have groundings that impact the fleet.”

Fonte: defensenews.com ... Portion of A-10 fleet to move into backup status in lead up to FY25 ...

[TT-1 Pinto]

Nuove ali ... rilasciata la RfP ...

The US Air Force released on 25 May its official request for proposals (*) to replace 112 wing sets on its Fairchild Republic A-10 fleet.

The indefinite delivery/indefinite quantity contract will have a basic five-year ordering period beginning at contract award, two one-year optional ordering periods thereafter, and a four-year delivery period following the end of the ordering periods, according to the RFP notice.

Fonte: flightglobal.com ... US Air Force releases official A-10 wing replacement RFP ...

(*) ... https://www.fbo.gov/index?s=opportunity&mode=list&tab=list ...

[TT-1 Pinto]

Ritorno in Normandia ...

The Michigan Air National Guard's 107th Fighter Squadron flew a specially painted A-10C Warthog over the beaches of Normandy on Tuesday to commemorate the 74th anniversary of the D-Day invasion.

D-Day is one of the largest amphibious military assaults in history, with 156,000 allied troops landing on five beaches and about 13,000 paratroopers dropping behind German lines.

And the 107th, which took part in the invasion, flew a pair of A-10s, multiple C-130 Hercules and even dropped paratroopers over the beaches of Normandy to commemorate the historical event.

Fonte: businessinsider.com ... The US Air Force flew a specially painted A-10 over Normandy to mark 74 years since D-Day ...

[TT-1 Pinto]

Il mese scorso è stato effettuato un 'testa a testa' (che, a suo tempo, aveva ricevuto il sostegno anche da parte della Rappresentante McSally ... Why we need an A-10 / F-35 fly-off ...) fra Lightning II e Warthog per stabilire se il primo sia effettivamente in grado di sostituire in modo adeguato il secondo ... ma c'è chi esprime seri dubbi circa la sua reale obiettività ...

... pogo.org ... Close Air Support Fly-off Farce - F-35 Versus A-10 Fly-off Tests Designed to Mislead ...

Modificato 2 Agosto 2018 da TT-1 Pinto
url errata

[Flaggy]

Si, è lecito dubitare dell’obiettività, ma della fonte (Pogo)…

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Both aircraft are given an equal one hour to attack targets, when in fact the A-10 has more than twice the F-35’s endurance over the battlefield, a key capability when friendly troops urgently need support in battles that last many hours, or even days.

 

Perché? Vedere cosa I due velivoli siano in grado di fare in un determinato tempo non è una misura dell’efficienza nella missione? Si potrebbe rispondere che se l’A-10 dovesse stare in zona di operazioni per un maggior tempo per far le stesse cose,  si sottoporrebbe per un maggior tempo al rischio di essere abbattuto (e il rischio di fare il tiro al piccione con lui è una delle principali critiche rivolte al Facocero).

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Both aircraft are assigned an equal number of attack sorties—even though the A-10 has demonstrated in combat an ability to generate sorties at a rate three times greater than the maintenance-intensive F-35 has been able to demonstrate under far less demanding peacetime conditions.

 

Bisogna però calare nel giusto contesto le cose. A parte che comunque l’A-10 non è regalato perché costa 18000$ per ora di volo, prima di tutto gli F-35 è vero che richiedano tanta manutenzione, ma la situazione è viziata dal fatto che il velivolo sia appena entrato in servizio.  Le ore di manutenzione sono a macchia di leopardo da reparto a reparto  e comunque sono in calo. Secondariamente sarebbe da chiedere quanta manutenzione richiedano i velivoli di scorta che l’A-10 si deve portare dietro e quante uscite debba fare l’A-10 per ottenere gli stessi risultati. Visto che è un velivolo così grezzo e così poco dotato di sensoristica, quanti colpi è in grado di mettere a segno e quanti vanno a vuoto, anto che qualcun altro debba tornare a finire il lavoro? Aspetterei che a rispondere fosse chi fa la valutazione e non Pogo...

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Testing both planes’ critical ability to support troops under low cloud cover by imposing a 10,000-foot ceiling is irresponsibly unrealistic and clearly intended to mask the unmaneuverable and thin-skinned F-35’s inability to operate under the far lower 1,000-foot ceilings so common in Europe, Southeast Asia, Korea, Africa, and South America. The armored A-10 was specifically designed to be able to maneuver and survive the kind of ground fire expected during attacks under 1,000-foot ceilings. A-10s have demonstrated this on numerous occasions in Afghanistan, even in dangerous mountainous terrain

 

Non puoi imporre all’F-35 di scendere sotto i mille metri. L’A-10 lo potrà anche fare, ma si espone a rischi inaccettabili in contesti che siano anche solo un po’ più impegnativi dell’Afghanistan, mentre un velivolo sta lontano dal primo imbecille con un fucile se può farlo: un caccia veloce per avere visione del campo di battaglia deve necessariamente volare alto, ma se un pilota ha i sensori, la sensor fusion e la consapevolezza della situazione per farlo, perché impedirgli di farlo?

Non altrettanto può dirsi dell’A-10 che più che “poter scendere”, probabilmente “deve scendere” per identificare e colpire. Poi, visto che parliamo di nuvole, con una nuvola in mezzo e non sopra, cosa può fare un A-10 e cosa può fare un F-35?

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The weapons load assigned to the F-35—a single 500-pound guided bomb instead of the (still inadequate) two it can carry—unrealistically lightens the F-35 in an attempt to give it a maneuverability advantage during these tests. At the same time, the 30 mm cannon, which is the A-10’s most effective weapon and the one most demanded by troops in close contact with the enemy, has been arbitrarily limited to 400 rounds instead of the 1,174 it actually carries in combat. Equally artificially, the testers loaded the A-10 with two unguided 500-pound bombs, weapons it never carries in combat because they are too inaccurate and too dangerous to friendly troops. In Iraq, Afghanistan, and Syria, the A-10 always carries a full complement of guided bombs instead of unguided ones.

 

Vorrei capire il perchè di tali configurazioni nei due aerei, ma...a parte che poco sopra c’era scritto “Each A-10 carried two laser-guided 500-pound bombs” (decidiamoci se erano stupide o smart queste due bombe), comunque non credo che caricarne un’altra da 250 kg crei problemi di manovrabilità all’F-35…Scherziamo? Direi però che l’F-35 può portare 8 SDB internamente senza nessuna penalizzazione aerodinamica. Si può dire lo stesso dell’A-10?

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Using only uncamouflaged targets—usually painted dark military green and placed in flat, open, light-colored desert terrain and thus easily seen from 15,000 feet above—completely contradicts the stark realities of actual combat, in which the enemy always has a life-and-death motivation to do whatever it takes to remain unseen as long as possible. Anyone with access to Google Earth can quickly find dozens of these targets in satellite imagery.
By testing only against highly visible targets, the test completely masks the much more restricted view out of the F-35 cockpit as compared to the A-10—along with masking the surprisingly poor video and infrared image resolution of the F-35 helmet’s display compared to the high definition of the A-10’s instrument panel display when it’s coupled to the plane’s sniper and lightening pods.

 

Questo a me pare demenziale. Il campo visivo del pilota dell’A-10 non mi pare migliore (con tutti quei montanti davanti poi…) e tra i due aerei quello avvantaggiato dall’avere i bersagli otticamente ben visibili è l’A-10, non un velivolo imbottito di telecamere che consentono al pilota di vedere attraverso il pavimento nel campo dell’infrarosso...

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The medium-range missile defenses in this test do not incorporate the currently deployed Russian and Chinese stealth-defeating long-wavelength search radars now being used to cue their shorter-wavelength medium-missile radars. That means the F-35’s stealth will be much more effective against China Lake’s simulated medium missiles than against real-world missiles, thus severely skewing the test’s survival assessments in favor of the F-35 over the A-10.

 

Fammi capire... E con tutto questo ambaradan di radar chi sarebbe stato il favorito? Uno che i radar cerca di evitarli o uno che in ambiente con pesanti difese antiaeree può solo prenderle? Capisco una sventagliata da 23mm o un missile spalleggiabile, ma non è che se una batteria di S-500 ti ha punato puoi sperare sulla robustezza dell’aereo…

 

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The relevance of medium-range missile defenses to close-support scenarios is at best questionable, as previously discussed. Their significant logistical requirements and lengthy setup times make them an impediment to maneuvering units heavily engaged in combat and trying to move quickly. Medium-range missiles are far more suitable for protecting rear-area interdiction targets or the static targets seen in trench warfare. Attacking either of these target systems with close-support planes would be a waste of lives and resources.

 

Ok, una difesa aerea decente per contrastare l’F-35  non c’era, ma a scanso di equivoci per l’A-10 non ci sarebbe mai… Allora a scanso di equivoci diciamo anche che per arrivare a far fare il CAS all’A-10 è necessario che qualcun altro la spiani, mentre il facocero resta parcheggiato in hangar…

Modificato 3 Agosto 2018 da Flaggy

[TT-1 Pinto]

Ritorno in Afghanistan (dal 'Daily Report' dell'AFA) ...

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Moody A-10s Deploy to Afghanistan ...

The 75th Fighter Squadron from Moody AFB, Ga., has taken over the main close air support role in Afghanistan. 
The Tiger Sharks deployed to Kandahar Airfield in mid-July, replacing A-10s from the Indiana Air National Guard’s 163rd Fighter Squadron, according to Air Forces Central Command. 
“Our primary mission here is to provide close-air support and combat search and rescue,” 75th Expeditionary Fighter Squadron commander Lt. Col. Sean Hall said in a release (*). 
“The majority of our missions will be supporting the [Afghan National Security Forces], whether it be a show of presence or freedom of movement patrol. We’re out here providing over watch to ensure if need be, lethal deterrence against the enemy.” 
It is the second deployment for the 75th within a few weeks. 
On July 9, A-10s and airmen with the squadron deployed to an undisclosed location in support of Operation Spartan Shield - a US Central Command mission based in Kuwait aimed at deterring “regional aggression” and stabilizing countries in the region. 

- Brian Everstine

 

(*) ... afcent.af.mil ... Tiger Sharks keep watch over Afghan skies ...

[TT-1 Pinto]

Il loro futuro rimane tuttora alquanto incerto ... però l'Air Force continua ad aggiornarli ...

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The future of the U.S. Air Force’s A-10 Warthog ground attack aircraft is as uncertain as ever, but the service continues to upgrade portions of the fleet. 
Now, between 150 and 200 A-10s look set to receive a major cockpit audio update that will help manage radio communications and, similar to surround sound in a movie theater, issue directional auditory warnings that immediately draw the pilot’s attention in a specific direction toward a threat or other area of interest.
On Nov. 5, 2018, Air Force Materiel Command announced plans to award a sole-source contract to Danish defense contractor Terma for the purchase of that company’s Aircraft Audio Management System (AAMS). 
The Air Force had first indicated that it was looking for a three-dimensional audio update for a portion of its A-10s in December 2017.

Fonte: thedrive.com ... New 3D Audio Will Allow A-10 Pilots To Hear Alerts Come From The Direction Of The Threat ... 

Anche qui ... flightglobal.com ... US Air Force considers equipping A-10s with 3-D audio warning devices ...

[TT-1 Pinto]

Martha McSally non è riuscita a farsi eleggere al Senato USA ...   
A questo punto ... quale impatto potrà avere la sua sconfitta sul futuro dello A-10 ?

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When Rep. Martha McSally conceded defeat to Kyrsten Sinema for the Arizona Senate seat on Monday, fans of the A-10 Warthog let out a BRRT of disappointment … and fear about the platform’s future.
McSally, a former A-10 pilot and retired Air Force colonel, was the strongest advocate for the platform in Congress, and perhaps the plane’s last remaining protector after New Hampshire Sen. Kelly Ayotte was ousted in 2016 and Sen. John McCain’s death in August.
With McSally on her way out, the big question is whether the Air Force quietly restarts its campaign to retire the A-10. 
And if so, does any one step up to defend the Warthog ?

Fonte: defensenews.com ... The A-10 Warthog’s biggest advocate lost her bid for the Senate, but does it actually matter ? ...

[TT-1 Pinto]

A-10 vs F-35 ... 
... i test comparativi sono terminati ... il relativo rapporto verrà presentato al Congresso entro l'anno ...

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Comparative testing of the Air Force’s F-35 and A-10 to measure their performance in combat search-and-rescue, close air support, and airborne forward air control missions wrapped up earlier this spring, and should spur conversations about how best to partner fourth- and fifth-generation aircraft in combat, the Pentagon’s top weapons tester said Thursday.
The 2016 and 2017 National Defense Authorization Acts ban the Air Force from retiring or divesting A-10s until the F-35 is vetted to see how well it can perform the Warthog’s missions.
About two-thirds of the testing was done last year, and the aircraft returned in March for a final look, according to Robert Behler, the Defense Department’s director of operational test and evaluation. 
While the flights were intensive and instructive, he noted the tests were not a fly-off.

... airforcemag.com ... Pentagon Finishes F-35, A-10 Comparison Testing ...

[TT-1 Pinto]

173 su 173 ...

... af.mil ... https://www.af.mil/News/Article-Display/Article/1931575/173-to-173-a-10-enhanced-wing-assembly-replacement-program-comes-to-an-end/ ...

[TT-1 Pinto]

Il 12/8/2019 in 23:38 , TT-1 Pinto ha scritto:

173 su 173 ...

... af.mil ... https://www.af.mil/News/Article-Display/Article/1931575/173-to-173-a-10-enhanced-wing-assembly-replacement-program-comes-to-an-end/ ...

A difesa del "Corridoio di Fulda" ...

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The A-10 was designed to fly close to the ground in support of ground troops, dropping heavy loads of weapons and attacking armored vehicles, tanks and enemy personnel. 
During the Cold War, the Warthog was meant to help turn the tide in a hypothetical NATO-Warsaw Pact tank battle on the East-West German border in the Fulda Gap, a low-lying area for which military planners expected Soviet tanks might pour through toward Frankfurt, Germany.

... flightglobal.com ... Last set of A-10 ‘Warthog’ replacement wings installed ...

 

[TT-1 Pinto]

Dalla pagina dei contratti del DoD del 21 Agosto 2019 ...

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AIR FORCE ... The Boeing Co., St. Louis, Missouri, has been awarded a $999,000,000 (ceiling) indefinite-delivery/indefinite-quantity contract for A-10 wing replacements. 
This contract provides for up to 112 new A-10 wing assemblies and up to 15 wing kits. 
Work will be performed at multiple subcontractor locations in the U.S. and one subcontractor location in South Korea and is expected to be complete by Aug. 23, 2030. 
This award is the result of a competitive acquisition and two offers were received. 
Fiscal 2017, 2018 and 2019 procurement funds in the amount of $239,578,025 and are being obligated at the time of award. 
The Air Force Life Cycle Management Center, Hill Air Force Base, Utah, is the contracting activity (FA8202-19-D-0004).

Il commento di FlightGlobal ... Boeing awarded nearly $1bn for more A-10 wing replacements ...

Diversamente da quanto scritto nel titolo ... l'articolo di FlightGlobal contiene, nel testo, un grosso errore riguardo l'importo del contratto ... parlando infatti di miliardi e non di milioni di Dollari ...

[Flaggy]

Non è chiarissimo ma sembra che a un miliardo di spesa si arrivi se si ordineranno oltre alle 27 riconversioni confermate, anche le 85 in opzione e i 15 kit alari di ricambi.

Spalmati su più di 100 aerei non è tantissimo ma la cifra totale è bella grossa...Sarà contenta la Mc Sally, ma da qualche parte questi soldi li hanno presi togliendoli ad altri capitoli di spesa...

[TT-1 Pinto]

1 ora fa, Flaggy ha scritto:

Non è chiarissimo ma sembra che a un miliardo di spesa si arrivi se si ordineranno oltre alle 27 riconversioni confermate, anche le 85 in opzione e i 15 kit alari di ricambi.

Spalmati su più di 100 aerei non è tantissimo ma la cifra totale è bella grossa ...

Sarà contenta la Mc Sally, ma da qualche parte questi soldi li hanno presi togliendoli ad altri capitoli di spesa ...

Va da sé che è contenta ... 

 

[TT-1 Pinto]

Buone notizie per il 'Facocero' ...

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The A-10 Warthog will not be one of the planes the U.S. Air Force requests to retire in its upcoming fiscal 2021 budget request, a senior service official confirmed.
During a speech at the Defense News Conference on Wednesday morning, acting Air Force Secretary Matt Donovan stoked speculation that the service will retire the A-10 after announcing that its FY21 budget request will include “controversial changes” such as the divestment of legacy aircraft.
But speaking at the conference later that day, Lt. Gen. Timothy Fay, deputy chief of staff for strategy, integration and requirements, confirmed that the A-10 is not one of the aircraft under consideration for divestment and will stay in service until the 2030s.

... defensenews.com ... US Air Force to keep A-10 off the chopping block in next budget request ...

[fabio-22raptor]

https://www.aresdifesa.it/2019/09/09/la-10-diventa-sempre-piu-letale/

 

Ecco in cosa verrà aggiornato. 

[TT-1 Pinto]

Tu chiamale, se vuoi, ammaccature ...

... theaviationist.com ... Take A Look At The Damage Caused To The A-10 Warthog’s Nose By The Refueling Tanker’s “Flying Boom” ...

[Flaggy]

Meno male che quando si parlava di KC-47 si diceva che:

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Boeing is also in the preliminary design phase of changing the boom actuator system on the KC-46A, which is doesn’t connect properly to the Fairchild Republic A-10 Thunderbolt II. The A-10 doesn’t have enough engine power to push into the boom and compress the actuator, especially at high altitudes or when it is weighed down with weapons, says Burgess.

https://www.flightglobal.com/defence/boeings-plan-to-get-the-kc-46a-tanker-back-on-schedule/135063.article

Direi che se ce l'avesse la spinta adatta a un boom duro da comprimere si ritroverebbe con ancor più danni di quelli fatti dai vecchi rifornitori....

Modificato 5 Febbraio 2020 da Flaggy

[Robby]

Mah, non so... Direi che se il Facocero avesse qualche "cavallo" in più passerebbe meno tempo a beccheggiare inseguendo il biberon, e magari qualche botta sul naso se la risparmierebbe.

[Flaggy]

Un incremento di potenza, già coi motori disponibili, rischia di essere controproducente perchè i danni possono esserci anche in fase di sgancio.

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GAO also said the Pegasus’ telescoping boom is stiffer than expected, which means lighter aircraft — such as the A-10 and F-16 — must use more power to move the boom forward while in contact to compress it and stay in refueling position.

The need for additional force can create a problem when the receiving planes disconnect from the boom. When they disconnect, their additional power can cause them to lunge forward back into the boom, which could damage the plane and the boom itself.

For the A-10, because the receptacle is located on its nose, a collision with the boom could damage the windshield and put the pilot at a greater risk.

 

https://www.airforcetimes.com/news/your-air-force/2019/06/13/kc-46-refueling-system-flaws-will-take-years-to-fix-and-cost-hundreds-of-millions-of-dollars-gao-says/?utm_expid=.jFR93cgdTFyMrWXdYEtvgA.1&utm_referrer=https%3A%2F%2Fwww.google.it%2F#jwvideo

Quanto agli sballottamenti, un velivolo privo di fly by wire parte svantaggiato in queste manovre in cui può incappare in un lifting al naso.

[TT-1 Pinto]

A-10 in servizio sino al 2040 ... ma con ovvie limitazioni ... 

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The Air Force’s future close air support portfolio will include seven squadrons of A-10s into the 2040s, along with light attack aircraft in partnership with some countries, but these efforts will be distinct from Special Operations Command’s pursuit of an Armed Overwatch aircraft, USAF’s top planner said April 16.
The A-10 remains “a very cost-effective way to get at close air support,” and USAF figures into the service’s “long-term” plans, said Lt. Gen. David Nahom, deputy chief of staff for plans and programs, during an AFA Mitchell Institute telecon.
“There is no more efficient platform in the low-end fight” than the A-10, “and that includes propeller-driven light-attack type platforms,” Nahom said. 
However, the A-10 is not equipped to survive in highly defended airspace, where the F-35 and other aircraft will handle the CAS mission, he noted.
USAF’s 2021 budget request looks to cut 44 A-10s from the fleet, along with dozens of other legacy aircraft. 
Nahom said the remaining seven combat squadrons of Warthogs is the “right number” to operate in permissive or lightly contested airspace.

... airforcemag.com ... A-10 Will Remain in Fleet Through 2040s Despite Planned Cuts ...

[TT-1 Pinto]

Gli A-10 della Idaho Air National Guard si rischierano in Medio Oriente ...

... airforcemag.com ... Idaho Guard A-10s Deploy for Operations in Middle East, Africa ...