The “Warthog” — or Thunderbolt II as it is officially called — sat in a Belgian factory in the process of being upgraded to the A-10C model.

There are new computer systems, including a multifunctional display with a color map, and the planes can now carry satellite-guided bombs and other smart weapons.

The new communication systems and satellite-guided weaponry will allow A-10 pilots to be more precise when targeting the enemy, according to Lt. Col. Ron Stuewe, commander of the 81st Fighter Squadron at Spangdahlem Air Base, Germany.

This has taken on new urgency since Gen. Stanley McChrystal, commander of U.S. and NATO forces in Afghanistan, issued a directive to avoid civilian casualties at all costs.

According to Warthog News, a Web site that compiles “Airpower Summaries” released on the Air Force’s Web site, the A-10 Thunderbolt IIs were used at least 26 days in Afghanistan during the month of July.

“The A-10s have always proved their merit, and nothing can fill that void,” Stuewe said. “If we’re going to stay around for another few decades, the planes needed to be upgraded to stay viable.”

All 24 A-10s in the 81st Fighter Squadron have been approved for the upgrade, which will cost an estimated $286 million and is part of an Air Force-wide program.

The last of the squadron’s seven planes are now at the factory, and all will be ready to fly before this spring, which is the earliest the squadron could deploy.

"None of the civilian officials or military officers interviewed in Afghanistan and elsewhere expected substantial progress in the short term. They talked in terms of years two, five and 10," the report noted.

The varying timelines, in part, may reflect politics.

Capitol Hill has grown wary of approving annual war chests after years of ever-increasing costs for Iraq. Obama has asked Congress for $68 billion next year to fund defense spending in Afghanistan. The U.S. ambassador to Afghanistan, Karl Eikenberry, recently asked for another $2.5 billion in nonmilitary spending, The Washington Post reported this week.

Military officials believe the Afghanistan mission can only succeed if troops are there far longer – anywhere from five years to 12 years.

Earlier this month, Gates said it would take "a few years" to defeat the Taliban and al Qaeda, the terror network behind the 9/11 attacks that was given haven under Taliban rule. Gates further said it was a "mystery" how long U.S. troops would remain in Afghanistan.
Officials have told U.S. Senate investigators that any progress in Afghanistan will be "incremental" and could take between two and 10 years.

Future of the B-52

Even while the Air Force works on new bombers scheduled for 2018 and 2037 it intends to keep the B-52H in service until at least 2040, nearly 80 years after production ended. This is an unprecedented length of service for a military aircraft.[4][73] B-52s are periodically refurbished at the USAF maintenance depots such as Tinker Air Force Base, Oklahoma.