A-10 Thunderbolt

The A-10 resulted from a US Air Force requirement for a rugged attack plane to provide close-in support of ground troops using advanced guided munitions. Carrying one of the most powerful guns ever placed on an aircraft, the 30-mm cannon fires "milk-bottle-size rounds" at rates of 2,100 or 4,200 shots per minute. The A-10, also known as the Warthog, is extremely rugged and designed to fly with one engine, an entire tail fin, or even part of a wing shot completely off the plane. The A-10 also provides further protection against groundfire by encasing the cockpit and the ammunition drum for the cannon within a titanium "tub." Though able to operate guided missiles and bombs using a laser-designator pod under the nose, the avionics installed aboard the A-10 have remained simple for greater dependability.

Planners in the US Air Force had long felt that the A-10 was no longer useful in combat and would be unable to survive against modern air defenses. Plans had called for the A-10 fleet to be gradually retired and replaced by the F-16 during the 1990s. However, the A-10 soon proved its worth during Operation Desert Storm in 1991 when the Warthog was credited with destroying over 1,000 Iraqi tanks, 1,200 artillery pieces, and 2,000 other vehicles. Two A-10 pilots also shot down Iraqi helicopters over Kuwait during the conflict.

Though the A-10 fleet was again in jeopardy of being retired during the late 1990s, its subsequent service in the wars in Afghanistan and Iraq have again given the attack plane a new lease on life. Many of the surviving aircraft are being upgraded to the A-10C standard under the Precision Engagement program. This upgrade includes updating the software and cockpit displays of older A-10 aircraft so they can carry the latest generation of guided weapons.

Over 700 examples of the A-10 were originally built for the US Air Force. Many have since been transferred to the Air National Guard and Air Force Reserves or retired from service. As the A-10 fleet has been retired, many have been offered for sale to several foreign nations.