Article Posted on : - Sep 30, 2010

The A-10 Thunderbolt II fighter. A Boeing photo

ST. LOUIS (BNS): Boeing has received a contract worth $5.7 million from the US Air Force (USAF) to supply airframe services and support for the A-10 Thunderbolt II ground attack aircraft fleet.

Under the two-year contract, Boeing will plan all details of the repairs, including processes, tooling, work instructions, quality assurance, and training materials.

The company will also repair prototype fuselages before training Air Force personnel and supporting the service's repairs on operational aircraft, it said.

This is the fourth competitive A-10 Thunderbolt Life-Cycle Program Support Task/Delivery Order contract awarded to Boeing by the USAF in addition to the $2 billion A-10 Wing Replacement Programme (WRP) in June 2007.

Under the WRP programme, Beoing will provide engineering services and manufacture up to 242 A-10 wing sets by 2018.

The A-10 Thunderbolt II is a twin-engine combat aircraft used to provide close-air support of ground forces and employs a wide variety of conventional munitions, including general-purpose bombs. The aircraft can carry up to six Maverick air-to-surface missiles, and up to four AIM-9 Sidewinder air-to-air missiles.

The fighter, with short takeoff and landing capability, is used to target tanks, armoured vehicles and installations.