Because of the A-10’s ability to travel at slow speeds, pilots often fire rockets at targets just 50 meters away using their own eyes, and can even make out the loyalties of the people on the ground, whether they’re friend or foe, simply by looking out the window. Surprisingly, some of the navigating of an A-10 can be done with the naked eye. Without any armament, the A-10 weighs about 29,000 pounds, with an 11,000-pound fuel capacity, and is capable of lifting 51,000 pounds of weaponry on 11 different mounts.Ī-10s are equipped with GPS, inertial navigation, and multi-band communications and a data-link called LINK 16. Overall, the A-10 can deploy 16,000 pounds of rockets, flares, laser-guided bombs, cluster bombs, AGM-65 Maverick missiles, AIM-9 Sidewinder missiles, joint direct attack munitions (JDAM), and wind-corrected munitions dispensers (WCMD). This gun fires explosive incendiary rounds and depleted uranium rounds that can pierce most armor. The GAU-8 can fire 3900 rounds per minute-that’s 70 rounds a second-taking out targets as big and as durable as tanks. Perhaps the Warthog’s most famous feature is the mounted GAU-8 Avenger 30mm Gatling gun on its nose. Now, instead of swapping out the Warthog for the AT-6 Wolverine or the A-29 Super Tucano, newer and better versions of the Warthog are in the workshop, and any retirement plans have been pushed back to 2022 or later.Īnatomy and Systems of the A10 Thunderbolt Thunderbolt Firepower ![]() The government has considered retiring the Warthog several times, but given the aircraft’s successful campaigns against ISIS in recent years, plans are changing. ![]() In Kuwait, A-10s achieve their first air battle victory.ġ995: NATO launches operation Deliberate Force, in which A-10s serve as close air support and patrol units.ġ999: A-10s participate in Operation Allied Force in the Balkan regions, assisting in search-and-rescue missions and ground attacks.Ģ002: A-10s are deployed to Afghanistan and Pakistan to participate in Operation Anaconda.Ģ003: Starting this year, A-10s are set to participate in Operation Iraqi Freedom for the next several years.Ģ005: A-10s receive Precision Engagement upgrades, which include new cockpit and map displays, advanced targeting, GPS-guided missiles, new fire control systems, and digital storage.Ģ011: A-10s participate in Operation Odyssey Dawn in Libya.Ģ015: A-10s destroy ISIS oil tanker trucks in Syria. They decimate 900 Iraqi tanks, 2 helicopters, and nearly 4,000 other enemy vehicles. They are also equipped with autopilot, aiming equipment, and collision warnings.ġ991: During the Gulf War, the A-10s have their first experience in combat. This same year, the first combat-ready unit of A-10s emerges: the 354 th Tactical Fighter Wing from South Carolina’s Myrtle Beach Air Force Base.ġ980: The A-10s are upgraded with inertial navigational systems and Low-Altitude Safety and Targeting Enhancement (LASTE). History and Development of the A10 Thunderboltġ972: The United States Air Force commissions the first A10 Thunderbolt, looking for a new kind of durable, effective attack aircraft that could hold its own against anti-armor weapons.ġ976: The first A-10A is shipped to the 355 th Tactical Training Wing based at Arizona’s Davis-Monthan Air Force Base.ġ978: The A-10 receives the Pave Penny laser receiver pod upgrade sensitive to laser-radiation. In order to easily maneuver obstacles at low altitude and low air speeds, the Warthog’s weapon delivery systems can take a lot of heat, and despite its size, the plane is rather agile, able to bob and weave, enter and exit combat zones with ease, and even loiter. The Warthog’s job is to barrel down battlefields at low-altitude and deploy some of the deadliest weaponry that only it can carry. In technical terms, this is known as close air support. The purpose of such a big honking plane like this one is simple: to decimate as many enemy units as possible. Let’s take a look at its history and what makes it so special. But to the delight of many, we’ve yet to see the last of the a10 warthog in American warfare. ![]() Its size, durability, and design make it a prime war machine, beloved by service members, and yet constantly under threat of retirement especially with the new military drone technology. It’s been around for more than thirty years and has played a critical role in several military conflicts, including Desert Storm, Desert Fox, Noble Anvil, Allied Force, Provide Comfort, Enduring Freedom, Deny Flight, and Iraqi Freedom. Affectionately known as the a10 warthog or Tank Buster, the A-10 Thunderbolt is arguably the United States’ ugliest yet most tried-and-true military aircraft.
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