In another positive sign for the beloved A-10, Air Force maintainers at Davis-Monthan Air Force Base in Arizona have outfitted the Warthog with an upgrade for combat search and rescue missions (CSAR).
Dubbed the lightweight airborne recovery system, the upgrade helps A-10 pilots "communicate more effectively with individuals on the ground such as downed pilots, pararescuemen and joint terminal attack controllers," according to an Air Force statement.
Of all the fixed-wing aircraft in the US Air Force's inventory, no plane carries out CSAR missions like the A-10.
CSAR missions jump off with little warning and often involve going deep into enemy territory, so becoming certified to perform CSAR missions takes tons of training, which only A-10 pilots undergo.
Russell Boyce/Reuters
A US ground crew member walks past a line of American A10 aircraft on an airbase in Kuwait March 16, 2003.
The A-10's rugged survivability, massive forward firing power, newly acquired communication capabilities, and long loiter times at low altitudes make it ideal for flying low and slow and finding the lost person.
According to the Air Force, an "urgent operational need arose" for increased CSAR capabilities in August 2016. Within a few short months, the "massive logistical challenge" that required the Air Force to "build a production machine, find facilities, manpower, equipment, tools, and make material kits (to) execute the requirement," came together, and now 19 A-10s sport the upgrade, according to the Air Force.
"A-10 pilots take the Combat Search and Rescue role very seriously," said Lt. Col. Ryan Hayde, 354th Fighter Squadron commander and A-10 pilot. "While this is just one tool, it can assist us in bringing them back to US soil safely."
While the A-10 still faces the chopping block in 2018, new investment in the Warthog and the October reopening of the production lines bode well for the planes future protecting American interests and infantrymen.