Built tough, the A-10 Thunderbolt II, or Warthog, is one of the most recognizable aircraft ever designed and built.
United States Air Force's own words,
The A-10 can also operate above, below, and in adverse weather conditions thanks to its capacity to carry precision-guided and unguided missiles. Operations in and out of positions close to front lines are made possible by their extensive combat radius and quick takeoff and landing capability.A-10C pilots can still perform their duties for nighttime missions by donning night vision goggles through integration with its Night Vision Imaging Systems .
A-10s are also typically armed with electronic countermeasures, target penetration aids, self-protection systems, and a variety of air-to-surface weapons such as the AGM-65 Maverick and AIM-9 Sidewinder missiles, as well as laser and GPS-guided munitions.The 30mm GAU-8/A Gatling gun on the Thunderbolt II can fire 3,900 rounds per minute and destroy various ground targets, including tanks.For the most part, the A-10 will likely continue its current role as a close-ground support aircraft.
A longer-range decoy-laden aircraft, such as a cargo plane or a larger drone, may be more effective, especially across the huge distances of the Pacific. The A-10 has a reasonable range of around 700 miles , which can be increased by aerial refueling, but is still inherently limited in range compared to a larger aircraft.
The A-10's resilience was also tested on April 7, 2003, when Captain Kim Campbell sustained significant flak damage while flying over Baghdad during the 2003 invasion of Iraq. Fire from Iraq destroyed the hydraulic system and one of her engines, again necessitating the use of the "manual reversion mode" to manage the aircraft's stabilizer and flight controls.
All four of the A-10's fuel tanks are positioned close to the center of the aircraft and are isolated from the fuselage toto the fuel system; projectiles would need to pass through the aircraft's skin before reaching a tank's outer skin. The Air Force has "resourced the A-10 to divest yet flew it like an enduring fleet, rapidly accelerating [the] decline toward today's hollowing fleet," said Pamela Lee, the A-10 systems manager at Hill Air Force Base in Utah, in a briefing on March 31, 2022.Over the past 20 years, the A-10 has been used frequently to provide close-air support in the Middle East and Afghanistan.
According to Lee, the A-10's deteriorating engine nacelles pose a greater threat to the aircraft's readiness than its wings. She further claimed that the A-10's efforts to re-wing are failing, with only 173 of the service's 281 Warthogs receiving new wings. According to Lee, this prevents 145 A-10s from flying a six-month deployment.
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