Small Piece Of A $1.6 Billion "Life Cycle" Contract For The
Warthog
The Boeing Company announced Thursday that it has received two
separate contracts from the U.S. Air Force to support modernization
of the service's fleet of 365 A-10 Thunderbolt II aircraft. The
contracts, which have a total value of $4.2 million, consist of
several tasks ranging in duration from three to 18 months.
The first contract, which will be performed by Boeing and
Southwest Research Institute (SwRI), provides engineering services
for the A-10 Aircraft Structural Integrity Program (ASIP). The
program centers on updating and aligning modern structural analysis
tools, processes and standards for the A-10 fleet.
The second contract, which will be performed by Boeing and
industry team partners Raytheon Technical Services and BAE Systems
Platform Solutions, is for a Trade Study Analysis and Operational
Assessment/Proof of Concept for the Upgraded Data Transfer Unit
(UDTU). The goal of this contract is to update the aircraft's
avionics architecture to improve memory and data capability.
The ASIP and the UDTU contracts are two of many that will be
awarded as part of the $1.6 billion A-10 Thunderbolt Life-Cycle
Program Support (TLPS) contract. A-10 TLPS is designed to support
the sustainment of the A-10 and integration of current and future
requirements. In June, Boeing was selected as one of three
contractors to fulfill several A-10 TLPS task and delivery orders
for the Air Force.
Other A-10 contracts Boeing has received include a services
contract that provides the Air Force with on-site engineering
support and 3-D models of the A-10 wing, and a contract for
fuselage lofting (transfer of a scaled-down plan to full size). The
$2 billion A-10 Wing Replacement Program, which Boeing received in
June 2007, plans to manufacture up to 242 enhanced wing assemblies.
Work remains on schedule as Boeing continues to develop the 3-D
models that provide the engineering foundation for production of
the new wings. The models allowed the Air Force to quickly resolve
wing-crack issues that temporarily grounded the A-10 fleet last
year.
"We are honored to continue supporting the Air Force and the
A-10 fleet," said Bill Moorefield, A-10 program manager for Boeing.
"We are committed to the standard of excellence we have exhibited
on the A-10 Wing Replacement Program, and we look forward to
delivering the same outstanding level of customer satisfaction and
performance on this contract."
The A-10, also known as the Warthog, was introduced into the Air
Force inventory in 1976. The twin-engine aircraft provides
close-air support of ground forces and employs a wide variety of
conventional munitions, including general-purpose bombs. The
simple, effective and survivable single-seat aircraft can be used
against all ground targets, including tanks and other armored
vehicles. The aircraft is supporting warfighters in Afghanistan and
Iraq today.
NTSB Final Report: Aviat A1
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