This month in Combat Aircraft Magazine (UK)

Indiana (Air National Guard) ANG's 122nd Fighter Wing transitions to the A-10C Thunderbolt II ending of 19 year history with F16s: -

(can't find an online version of the story from the magazine but i found the following information here:- http://www.wane.com/dpp/news/Aircraft-changes-at-Air-National-Guard)

FORT WAYNE, Ind. - The sound of change is in the air for the Indiana Air National Guard.

The F-16 Fighting Falcons are reaching the end of their flying life and are being replaced by A-10 Warthogs.

Up close, it’s easy to see the difference. Air National Guard pilot, John Carroll described F-16’s as “sleek” and “fast”. The A-10 Warthogs, he affectionately called “Big Ugly.”

Big Ugly it might be, but without the aircraft, the 122nd Fighter Wing could have been looking at job cuts like other units are facing.

“Many F-16 units that lost F-16's converted to non-flying missions and generally that was about a 20-30% cut,” said Lt Col Chris Luithly. “That would be 200-300 jobs here in the area that we would have lost, had we gone to a non-flying mission.”

Because the A-10s are so different from the smaller F-16's, there's going to have to be some changes made on base.

“We'll modify hanger doors, take down fences to two airplanes to and from the hanger on fences so we will also need to modify our arming areas, they'll need to be bigger to accommodate the larger wings of the A-10,” said Luithly.

Military leaders told NewsChannel15, it will take about two years before all 20 A-10 Warthogs are at home in their hangers. Only then could they be assigned to missions overseas.

As for the replaced F-16's, Military officials said a few will be transferred to other units until they retire, but most will head to what they call “The Boneyard" in Tucson, Arizona.