The Air Force will keep all its A-10 Warthogs and almost completely rebuild them, according to Gen. Michael Moseley, Chief of Staff. At the July 7 inauguration ceremonies for the F-35 strike fighter, Moseley told Air Force Magazine that the 2008 program objective memoranda—the five-year spending plan—calls for thoroughly rewinging the A-10 fleet and funds the entire suite of precision engagement and structural modifications, known as the “Hog Up” program. Moseley noted that while the service originally had planned to take 95 A-10s out of service and use the maintenance savings to pay for the mods, the Air Force has decided not to reduce the fleet after all.
U.S. Air Force F-35s and F-22s regularly deploy deep into the Pacific region from Alaska, Utah, and Hawaii. In the future, though, the head of U.S. Indo-Pacific Command would like to see the Air Force permanently station fifth-generation aircraft west of the international date line—closer to China.