Air Force awards Boeing follow-on contract for A-10 wing replacement effort

The Air Force this week issued a follow-on contract to Boeing that, if fully exercised, could be worth nearly $1 billion and would complete the effort to re-wing the A-10 Warthog fleet.

The Defense Department announced the contract award Wednesday, obligating an initial $239.5 million to Boeing, which has teamed with Korea Aerospace Industries for the work. The contract would fund up to 112 new wing assemblies and 15 wing kits, but the service has not yet determined whether it will complete the upgrades for the rest of the A-10 fleet.

The announcement comes after the service said Boeing had completed its first wave of A-10 wing upgrades -- replacing the wings on 173 of the Air Force's 281 A-10s. In an Aug. 12 press release, the service said the first phase of the effort, which began in 2011, had come to an end. The new wings are expected to last for up to 10,000 flight hours and keep the aircraft flying through 2030.