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The Air Force is moving ahead with awarding a contract to replace the wings on another 120 A-10 Thunderbolt II attack aircraft to keep the airplanes in the skies until at least 2025. That's because of a gap in delays in the delivery of the F-35A, the Air Force's version of the Joint Strike Fighter, and the ongoing need for the A-10 in combat operations over Afghanistan and Syria--as well as in a supporting role in NATO's forward-deployed forces in Estonia and elsewhere in Eastern Europe.\
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While the Air Force is keeping some A-10s in the sky, the service is also looking at other aircraft that could take over the close-air support role that it fills in Afghanistan and the Middle East and free up F-35s and other more advanced aircraft for other missions. That search resulted in the Air Forces Light Attack Experiment, or OA-X--a series of tests of turboprop-powered aircraft that could fill the bill inexpensively. \
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In May, the Air Force began the second phase of OA-X, narrowing the field of planes being considered to two: the Beechcraft AT-6B Wolverine, and the Embraer A-29 Super Tucano. Both are two-seat aircraft, capable of being used for pilot training as well as missions such as armed reconnaissance, counter-insurgency operations, night interdiction, and of course close air support. \
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In this phase of the test, the Air Force is collecting data over three months of flight operations. A plan for combat testing of the aircraft was dropped. Instead, the tests will look at the capabilities of the two 
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aircraft, as well as their ability to connect to the Air Force's communications and data networks and how well they could integrate with the operations of allies. \
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Critics say that the aircraft would put US pilots at risk for missions that could largely be flown by drones. But there's another reason why the Air Force may want these aircraft\'97to help ease the Air Force's pilot shortage by providing an aircraft that pilots could get more flight time. This is an especially urgent problem for Air Guard and Air Force Reserve units, which currently fly most of the US's A-10s. Right now the Air Force and reserves don't have enough aircraft to keep joint tactical air controllers trained on combat operations, and some Air Guard squadrons have lost their aircraft completely.\
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The Super Tucano is already being flown by the Afghan air force, where it has already been used in combat operations, It is also flown by a number of other Air Forces, including the Columbian Air Force--where it saw significant use in operations against the FARC insurgency. \
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The AT-6 is an armed version of the T-6 Texan, a trainer aircraft already used by Air Forces around the world, including the US Air Force and Navy. An armed version is already flown by  Greece's Hellenic Air Force, but the AT-6 has significant networking, sensor, and weapons upgrades that make it capable of carrying laser-guided rockets, Hellfire missiles, and laser-guided bombs.\
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The Air Force hasn't committed to buying either of these aircraft after the tests, though it has $2 billion set aside to make purchases if the tests are successful. }