US Air Force to inspect, repair aged A-10 aircraft

The U.S. Air Force on Friday said it would immediately inspect and repair about 130 A-10 attack aircraft due to fatigue-related cracks in their wings, saying the move illustrated the advancing age of its fleet.

The aircraft in question were built with "thin-skin" wings in the 1970s by the now-defunct Fairchild Industries, and comprise just under a third of the Air Force's 400 remaining A-10s or Warthogs. Later models were built with thicker skins.

"The inspections are a necessary step in addressing the risk associated with A-10 wing cracking - specifically with thin-skin wings," the Air Force said in a statement.

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