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Fairchild Republic A-10 Thunderbolt II

August 23, 2023

"A-10" redirects here. For other uses, see A10.

The Fairchild Republic A-10 Thunderbolt II is a single-seat, twin-turbofan, straight-wing, subsonic attack aircraft developed by Fairchild Republic for the United States Air Force (USAF). In service since 1976, it is named for the Republic P-47 Thunderbolt, but is commonly referred to as the "Warthog" or simply "Hog".[4] The A-10 was designed to provide close air support (CAS) to friendly ground troops by attacking armored vehicles, tanks, and other enemy ground forces; it is the only production-built aircraft designed solely for CAS to have served with the U.S. Air Force.[5] Its secondary mission is to direct other aircraft in attacks on ground targets, a role called forward air controller-airborne; aircraft used primarily in this role are designated OA-10.

A-10 / OA-10 Thunderbolt II
An A-10 of the 74th Fighter Squadron after taking on fuel over Afghanistan (2011)
Role Close air support attack aircraft
National origin United States
Manufacturer Fairchild Republic
First flight 10 May 1972; 51 years ago (1972-05-10)
Introduction October 1977[1]
Status In service
Primary user United States Air Force
Produced 1972–1984[2]
Number built 716[3]

The A-10 was intended to improve on the performance and firepower of the Douglas A-1 Skyraider. The Thunderbolt II's airframe was designed around the high power 30 mm GAU-8 Avenger rotary autocannon. The airframe was designed for durability, with measures such as 1,200 pounds (540 kg) of titanium armor to protect the cockpit and aircraft systems, enabling it to absorb damage and continue flying. Its ability to take off and land from relatively short runways permits operation from airstrips close to the front lines, and its simple design enables maintenance with minimal facilities.

It served in the Gulf War (Operation Desert Storm), the American-led intervention against Iraq's invasion of Kuwait, where the aircraft distinguished itself. The A-10 also participated in other conflicts such as in Grenada, the Balkans, Afghanistan, the Iraq War, and against the Islamic State in the Middle East.

The A-10A single-seat variant was the only version produced, though one pre-production airframe was modified into the YA-10B twin-seat prototype to test an all-weather night-capable version. In 2005, a program was started to upgrade the remaining A-10A aircraft to the A-10C configuration, with modern avionics for use with precision weaponry. The U.S. Air Force had stated the Lockheed Martin F-35 Lightning II would replace the A-10 as it entered service, but this remains highly contentious within the USAF and in political circles. With a variety of upgrades and wing replacements, the A-10's service life can be extended to 2040; the service has no planned retirement date as of June 2017.[6]

Development

Background

 
By the time of the Vietnam War, the 1940s-vintage propeller-driven Skyraider was the USAF's only dedicated close air support aircraft. It was slow, vulnerable to ground fire, and relatively lightly armed.

The development of conventionally armed attack aircraft in the United States stagnated after World War II,[7] as design efforts for tactical aircraft focused on the delivery of nuclear weapons using high-speed designs like the McDonnell F-101 Voodoo and Republic F-105 Thunderchief.[8] As the U.S. military entered the Vietnam War, its main ground-attack aircraft was the Korean War-era Douglas A-1 Skyraider. A capable aircraft for its era, with a relatively large payload and long loiter time, the propeller-driven design was relatively slow and vulnerable to ground fire. The U.S. Air Force and Navy lost 266 A-1s in action in Vietnam, largely from small-arms fire.[9] The A-1 Skyraider also had inadequate firepower.[10]

The lack of modern conventional attack capability prompted calls for a specialized attack aircraft.[11][12] On 7 June 1961, the Secretary of Defense Robert McNamara ordered the USAF to develop two tactical aircraft, one for the long-range strike and interdictor role, and the other focusing on the fighter-bomber mission. The former was the Tactical Fighter Experimental (TFX) intended to be common design for the USAF and the US Navy,[13] which emerged as the General Dynamics F-111 Aardvark, while the second was filled by a version of the U.S. Navy's McDonnell Douglas F-4 Phantom II. While the Phantom went on to be one of the most successful fighter designs of the 1960s and proved to be a capable fighter-bomber, its short loiter time was a major problem, as was its poor low-speed performance, albeit to lesser extent. It was also expensive to buy and operate, with a flyaway cost of $2 million in FY1965 ($18.6 million today), and operational costs over $900 per hour ($8,000 per hour today).[14]

After a broad review of its tactical force structure, the USAF decided to adopt a low-cost aircraft to supplement the F-4 and F-111. It first focused on the Northrop F-5, which had air-to-air capability.[10] A 1965 cost-effectiveness study shifted the focus from the F-5 to the less expensive A-7D variant of the LTV A-7 Corsair II, and a contract was awarded. However, this aircraft doubled in cost with demands for an upgraded engine and new avionics.[10]

Army helicopter competition

 
The Lockheed AH-56 Cheyenne appeared to offer the possibility of handing much of the tactical air-to-ground role to the U.S. Army.
See also: Key West Agreement and Pace-Finletter MOU 1952

During this period, the United States Army had been introducing the Bell UH-1 Iroquois into service. First used in its intended role as a transport, it was soon modified in the field to carry more machine guns in what became known as the helicopter gunship role. This proved effective against the lightly armed enemy, and new gun and rocket pods were added. Soon the Bell AH-1 Cobra was introduced. This was an attack helicopter armed with long-range BGM-71 TOW missiles able to destroy tanks from outside the range of defensive fire. The helicopter was effective and prompted the U.S. military to change its defensive strategy in Europe into blunting any Warsaw Pact advance with anti-tank helicopters instead of the tactical nuclear weapons that had been the basis for NATO's battle plans since the 1950s.[15]

The Cobra was a quickly-made helicopter based on the UH-1 Iroquois and was introduced in the mid-1960s as an interim design until the U.S. Army "Advanced Aerial Fire Support System" program delivered. The Army selected the Lockheed AH-56 Cheyenne, a more capable attack aircraft with greater speed for initial production. The development of the anti-tank helicopter concerned the USAF; a 1966 USAF study of existing close air support (CAS) capabilities revealed gaps in the escort and fire suppression roles that the Cheyenne could fill. The study concluded that the service should acquire a simple, inexpensive, dedicated CAS aircraft at least as capable as the A-1, and that it should develop doctrine, tactics, and procedures for such aircraft to accomplish the missions for which the attack helicopters were provided.[16]

A-X program

On 8 September 1966, General John P. McConnell, Chief of Staff of the USAF, ordered that a specialized CAS aircraft be designed, developed, and obtained. On 22 December, a Requirements Action Directive was issued for the A-X CAS airplane,[16] and the Attack Experimental (A-X) program office was formed.[17] On 6 March 1967, the USAF released a request for information to 21 defense contractors for the A-X.[17]

In May 1970, the USAF issued a modified, more detailed request for proposals for the aircraft. The threat of Soviet armored forces and all-weather attack operations had become more serious. The requirements now included that the aircraft would be designed specifically for the 30 mm rotary cannon. The RFP also specified a maximum speed of 460 mph (400 kn; 740 km/h), takeoff distance of 4,000 feet (1,200 m), external load of 16,000 pounds (7,300 kg), 285-mile (460 km) mission radius, and a unit cost of US$1.4 million ($10.5 million today).[18] The A-X would be the first USAF aircraft designed exclusively for CAS.[19] During this time, a separate RFP was released for A-X's 30 mm cannon with requirements for a high rate of fire (4,000 round per minute) and a high muzzle velocity.[20] Six companies submitted aircraft proposals, with Northrop and Fairchild Republic selected to build prototypes: the YA-9A and YA-10A, respectively. General Electric and Philco-Ford were selected to build and test GAU-8 cannon prototypes.[21]

Two YA-10 prototypes were built in the Republic factory in Farmingdale, New York, and first flown on 10 May 1972 by pilot Howard "Sam" Nelson. Production A-10s were built by Fairchild in Hagerstown, Maryland. After trials and a fly-off against the YA-9, on 18 January 1973, the USAF announced the YA-10's selection for production.[22] General Electric was selected to build the GAU-8 cannon in June 1973.[23] The YA-10 had an additional fly-off in 1974 against the Ling-Temco-Vought A-7D Corsair II, the principal USAF attack aircraft at the time, to prove the need for a new attack aircraft. The first production A-10 flew in October 1975, and deliveries commenced in March 1976.[24]

One experimental two-seat A-10 Night Adverse Weather (N/AW) version was built by Fairchild by converting the first Demonstration Testing and Evaluation (DT&E) A-10A for consideration by the USAF.[25] It included a second seat for a weapon systems officer responsible for electronic countermeasures (ECM), navigation and target acquisition. The N/AW version did not interest the USAF or export customers. The two-seat trainer version was ordered by the USAF in 1981, but funding was canceled by U.S. Congress and was not produced.[26] The only two-seat A-10 resides at Edwards Air Force Base's Flight Test Center Museum.[27]

Production

On 10 February 1976, Deputy Secretary of Defense Bill Clements authorized full-rate production while the first A-10 was accepted by the USAF Tactical Air Command on 30 March 1976. Production continued and reached a peak rate of 13 aircraft per month. By 1984, 715 airplanes, including two prototypes and six development aircraft, had been delivered.[2]

When full-rate production was first authorized, the A-10's planned service life was 6,000 hours. A small design reinforcement was quickly adopted when initial fatigue testing failed at 80% of testing; the A-10 passed fatigue tests with the fix. 8,000-flight-hour service lives were becoming common at the time, so fatigue testing of the A-10 continued with a new 8,000-hour target. This new target quickly discovered serious cracks at Wing Station 23 (WS23) where the outboard portions of the wings are joined to the fuselage. The first production change was to address this problem by adding cold working at WS23. Soon after, the USAF found that the real-world A-10 fleet fatigue was harsher than estimated, forcing a change to fatigue testing and introduce "spectrum 3" equivalent flight-hour testing.[10]

Spectrum 3 fatigue testing started in 1979. This round of testing quickly determined that more drastic reinforcement would be needed. The second change in production, starting with aircraft No. 442, was to increase the thickness of the lower skin on the outer wing panels. A tech order was issued to retrofit the "thick skin" to the whole fleet, but the tech order was rescinded after roughly 242 planes, leaving about 200 planes with the original "thin skin". Starting with aircraft No. 530, cold working at WS0 was performed, and this retrofit was performed on earlier aircraft. A fourth, even more drastic change was initiated with aircraft No. 582, again to address the problems discovered with spectrum 3 testing. This change increased the thickness of the lower skin on the center wing panel, but it required modifications to the lower spar caps to accommodate the thicker skin. The USAF found it economically unfeasible to retrofit earlier planes with this modification.[10]

Upgrades

 
An A-10A of pre-glass cockpit design

The A-10 has received many upgrades since entering service. In 1978, it received the Pave Penny laser receiver pod, which receives reflected laser radiation from laser designators to allow the aircraft to deliver laser-guided munitions. The Pave Penny pod is carried on a pylon mounted below the right side of the cockpit and has a clear view of the ground.[28][29] In 1980, the A-10 began receiving an inertial navigation system.[30]

In the early 1990s, the A-10 began to receive the Low-Altitude Safety and Targeting Enhancement (LASTE) upgrade, which provided computerized weapon-aiming equipment, an autopilot, and a ground-collision warning system. In 1999, aircraft began receiving Global Positioning System navigation systems and a multi-function display.[31] The LASTE system was upgraded with an Integrated Flight & Fire Control Computer (IFFCC).[32]

Proposed further upgrades included integrated combat search and rescue locator systems and improved early warning and anti-jam self-protection systems, and the USAF recognized that the A-10's engine power was sub-optimal and had planned to replace them with more powerful engines since at least 2001 at an estimated cost of $2 billion.[33]

HOG UP and Wing Replacement Program

In 1987, Grumman Aerospace took over support for the A-10 program. In 1993, Grumman updated the damage tolerance assessment and Force Structural Maintenance Plan and Damage Threat Assessment. Over the next few years, problems with wing structure fatigue, first noticed in production years earlier, began to come to the fore. Implementation of the maintenance plan was greatly delayed by the base realignment and closure commission (BRAC), which led to 80% of the original workforce being let go.[34]

During inspections in 1995 and 1996, cracks at the WS23 location were found on many A-10; while many were in line with updated predictions from 1993, two of these were classified as "near-critical" size, well beyond predictions. In August 1998, Grumman produced a new plan to address these issues and increase life span to 16,000 hours. This led to the "HOG UP" program, which commenced in 1999. Additional aspects were added to HOG UP over time, including new fuel bladders, flight control system changes, and engine nacelle inspections. In 2001, the cracks were reclassified as "critical", which meant they were considered repairs and not upgrades, which allowed bypassing normal acquisition channels for more rapid implementation.[35] An independent review of the HOG UP program, presented in September 2003, concluded that the data on which the wing upgrade relied could no longer be trusted. Shortly thereafter, fatigue testing on a test wing failed prematurely and also mounting problems with wings failing in-service inspections at an increasing rate became apparent. The USAF estimated that they would run out of wings by 2011. Of the plans explored, replacing the wings with new ones was the least expensive, at an initial cost of $741 million and a total cost of $1.72 billion over the program's life.[10]

 
Two A-10s in formation

In 2005, a business case was produced with three options to extend the fleet's life. The first two options involved expanding the service life extension program (SLEP) at a cost of $4.6 billion and $3.16 billion, respectively. The third option, worth $1.72 billion, was to build 242 new wings and avoid the need to expand the SLEP. In 2006, option 3 was chosen and Boeing won the contract.[36] The base contract is for 117 wings with options for 125 additional wings.[37] In 2013, the USAF exercised a portion of the option to add 56 wings, putting 173 wings on order with options remaining for 69 additional wings.[38][39] In November 2011, two A-10s flew with the new wings fitted. The new wings improved mission readiness, decreased maintenance costs, and allowed the A-10 to be operated up to 2035 if necessary.[40] Re-winging work was organized under the Thick-skin Urgent Spares Kitting (TUSK) Program.[38]

In 2014, as part of plans to retire the A-10, the USAF considered halting the wing replacement program to save an additional $500 million;[41][42] however, by May 2015 the re-winging program was too advanced to be financially efficient to cancel.[43] Boeing stated in February 2016 that the A-10 could operate to 2040 with the new TUSK wings.[38]

Modernization (A-10C)

 
A-10C cockpit at the Smithsonian National Air and Space Museum, 2012

From 2005 to June 2011,[44] the entire fleet of 356 A-10s and OA-10s were modernized in the Precision Engagement program and redesignated A-10C.[45] Upgrades included all-weather combat capability,[32] an improved fire control system (FCS), electronic countermeasures (ECM), smart bomb targeting, a modern communications suite including a Link-16 radio and SATCOM,[32] and cockpit upgrades comprising two multifunction displays and HOTAS configuration mixing the F-16's flight stick with the F-15's throttle.[46][47] The Government Accountability Office in 2007 estimated the cost of upgrading, refurbishing, and service life extension plans to total $2.25 billion through 2013.[19][48] In July 2010, the USAF issued Raytheon a contract to integrate a Helmet Mounted Integrated Targeting (HMIT) system into the A-10C.[48][49] The LASTE system was replaced with the integrated flight and fire control computer (IFFCC) included in the PE upgrade.[32]

Throughout its life, multiple software upgrades have been made. While this work was to be stopped under plans to retire the A-10 in February 2014, Secretary of the Air Force Deborah Lee James ordered that the latest upgrade, designated Suite 8, continue in response to congressional pressure. Suite 8 software includes IFF Mode 5, which modernizes the ability to identify the A-10 to friendly units.[50] Additionally, the Pave Penny pods and pylons were removed as their receive-only capability has been replaced by the AN/AAQ-28(V)4 LITENING AT targeting pods or Sniper XR targeting pod, which both have laser designators and laser rangefinders.[51]

In 2012, Air Combat Command requested the testing of a 600-US-gallon (2,300 L; 500 imp gal) external fuel tank which would extend the A-10's loitering time by 45–60 minutes; flight testing of such a tank had been conducted in 1997 but did not involve combat evaluation. Over 30 flight tests were conducted by the 40th Flight Test Squadron to gather data on the aircraft's handling characteristics and performance across different load configurations. It was reported that the tank slightly reduced stability in the yaw axis, but there was no decrease in aircraft tracking performance.[52]

Design

Overview

 
A-10 inboard profile drawing

The A-10 has a cantilever low-wing monoplane wing with a wide chord.[33] It has superior maneuverability at low speeds and altitude due to its large wing area, high wing aspect ratio, and large ailerons. The wing also allows short takeoffs and landings, permitting operations from austere forward airfields near front lines. The A-10 can loiter for extended periods and operate under 1,000-foot (300 m) ceilings with 1.5-mile (2.4 km) visibility. It typically flies at a relatively low speed of 300 knots (350 mph; 560 km/h), which makes it a better platform for the ground-attack role than fast fighter-bombers, which often have difficulty targeting small, slow-moving targets.[53]

The leading edge of the wing has a honeycomb structure panel construction, providing strength with minimal weight; similar panels cover the flap shrouds, elevators, rudders and sections of the fins.[54] The skin panels are integral with the stringers and are fabricated using computer-controlled machining, reducing production time and cost. Combat experience has shown that this type of panel is more resistant to damage. The skin is not load-bearing, so damaged skin sections can be easily replaced in the field, with makeshift materials if necessary.[55] The ailerons are at the far ends of the wings for greater rolling moment and have two distinguishing features: The ailerons are larger than is typical, almost 50 percent of the wingspan, providing improved control even at slow speeds; the aileron is also split, making it a deceleron.[56][57]

 
Front view of an A-10. Note the 30 mm cannon and offset front landing gear

The A-10 is designed to be refueled, rearmed, and serviced with minimal equipment.[58] Its simple design enables maintenance at forward bases with limited facilities.[59][60] An unusual feature is that many of the aircraft's parts are interchangeable between the left and right sides, including the engines, main landing gear, and vertical stabilizers. The sturdy landing gear, low-pressure tires and large, straight wings allow operation from short rough strips even with a heavy aircraft ordnance load, allowing the aircraft to operate from damaged airbases, flying from taxiways, or even straight roadway sections.[61]

The front landing gear is offset to the aircraft's right to allow placement of the 30 mm cannon with its firing barrel along the centerline of the aircraft.[62] During ground taxi, the offset front landing gear causes the A-10 to have dissimilar turning radii; turning to the right on the ground takes less distance than turning left.[Note 1] The wheels of the main landing gear partially protrude from their nacelles when retracted, making gear-up belly landings easier to control and less damaging. All landing gears retract forward; if hydraulic power is lost, a combination of gravity and aerodynamic drag can lower and lock the gear in place.[57]

Survivability

The A-10 is battle-hardened to an exceptional degree, being able to survive direct hits from armor-piercing and high-explosive projectiles up to 23 mm. It has double-redundant hydraulic flight systems, and a mechanical system as a backup if hydraulics are lost. Flight without hydraulic power uses the manual reversion control system; pitch and yaw control engages automatically, roll control is pilot-selected. In manual reversion mode, the A-10 is sufficiently controllable under favorable conditions to return to base, though control forces are greater than normal. It is designed to be able to fly with one engine, half of the tail, one elevator, and half of a wing missing.[63] As the A-10 operates close to enemy positions, making it an easy target for man-portable air-defense system (MANPADS), surface-to-air missiles (SAMs), and enemy aircraft, it carries both flares and chaff cartridges.[64]

 
This A-10 took heavy damage during Operation Iraqi Freedom in 2003, including to the hydraulic system, yet pilot Captain Kim Campbell safely flew it back to base on manual reversion mode.

The cockpit and parts of the flight-control systems are protected by 1,200 lb (540 kg) of titanium aircraft armor, referred to as a "bathtub".[65][66] The armor has been tested to withstand strikes from 23 mm cannon fire and some indirect hits from 57 mm shell fragments.[60][65][67] It is made up of titanium plates with thicknesses varying from 0.5 to 1.5 inches (13 to 38 mm) determined by a study of likely trajectories and deflection angles. The armor makes up almost six percent of the A-10's empty weight. Any interior surface of the tub directly exposed to the pilot is covered by a multi-layer nylon spall shield to protect against shell fragmentation.[68][69] The front windscreen and canopy are resistant to small arms fire.[70] Its durability was demonstrated on 7 April 2003 when Captain Kim Campbell, while flying over Baghdad during the 2003 invasion of Iraq, suffered extensive flak damage that damaged one engine and crippled the hydraulic system, requiring the stabilizer and flight controls to be operated via manual reversion mode. Despite this, Campbell's A-10 flew for nearly an hour and landed safely.[71][72]

The A-10 was intended to fly from forward air bases and semi-prepared runways where foreign object damage to an aircraft's engines is normally a high risk. The unusual location of the General Electric TF34-GE-100 turbofan engines decreases ingestion risk and also allows the engines to run while the aircraft is serviced and rearmed by ground crews, reducing turn-around time. The wings are also mounted closer to the ground, simplifying servicing and rearming operations.[citation needed] The heavy engines require strong support: four bolts connect the engine pylons to the airframe.[73] The engines' high 6:1 bypass ratio contributes to a relatively small infrared signature, and their position directs exhaust over the tailplanes further shielding it from detection by infrared homing surface-to-air missiles.[citation needed]

To reduce the likelihood of damage to the fuel system, all four fuel tanks are located near the aircraft's center and are separated from the fuselage; projectiles would need to penetrate the aircraft's skin before reaching a fuel tank's outer skin.[68][69] Compromised fuel transfer lines self-seal; if damage exceeds a tank's self-sealing capabilities, check valves prevent fuel from flowing into a compromised tank. Most fuel system components are inside the tanks so that component failure will not lead to fuel loss. The refueling system is also purged after use.[74] Reticulated polyurethane foam lines both the inner and outer sides of the fuel tanks, retaining debris and restricting fuel spillage in the event of damage. The engines are shielded from the rest of the airframe by firewalls and fire extinguishing equipment. If all four main tanks were lost, two self-sealing sump tanks contain fuel for 230 miles (370 km) of flight.[68][69]

Weapons

A-10C combat exercise at Nevada Test & Training Ground against hard targets

Although the A-10 can carry numerous munitions, its primary built-in weapon is the 30×173 mm GAU-8/A Avenger autocannon. One of the most powerful aircraft cannons ever flown, it fires depleted uranium armor-piercing shells. The GAU-8 is a hydraulically driven seven-barrel rotary cannon designed specifically for the anti-tank role with a high rate of fire; the original design could be switched by the pilot to 2,100 or 4,200 rounds per minute,[75] this was later changed to a fixed rate of 3,900 rounds per minute.[76] The cannon takes approximately a half second to spin up to its maximum rate of fire. So 50 rounds are fired during the first second, 65 or 70 rounds per second thereafter. It is accurate enough to place 80 percent of its shots within a 40-foot (12.4 m) diameter circle from 4,000 feet (1,220 m) while in flight.[77] The GAU-8 is optimized for a slant range of 4,000 feet (1,220 m) with the A-10 in a 30-degree dive.[78]

 
Front view of the A-10's GAU-8 installation

The fuselage of the aircraft is built around the cannon. The GAU-8/A is mounted slightly to the port side; the barrel in the firing location is on the starboard side so it is aligned with the aircraft's centerline. The gun's 5-foot, 11.5-inch (1.816 m) ammunition drum can hold up to 1,350 rounds of 30 mm ammunition,[62] but generally holds 1,174 rounds.[78] To protect the GAU-8/A rounds from enemy fire, armor plates of differing thicknesses between the aircraft skin and the drum are designed to detonate incoming shells.[62][69]

The AGM-65 Maverick air-to-surface missile is a commonly used munition for the A-10, targeted via electro-optical (TV-guided) or infrared. The Maverick allows target engagement at much greater ranges than the cannon, and thus less risk from anti-aircraft systems. During Desert Storm, in the absence of dedicated forward-looking infrared (FLIR) cameras for night vision, the Maverick's infrared camera was used for night missions as a "poor man's FLIR".[79] Other weapons include cluster bombs and Hydra 70 rocket pods.[80] The A-10 is equipped to carry GPS- and laser-guided bombs, such as the GBU-39 Small Diameter Bomb, Paveway series bombs, Joint Direct Attack Munitions (JDAM), Wind Corrected Munitions Dispenser and AGM-154 Joint Standoff Weapon glide bombs.[81] A-10s usually fly with an ALQ-131 Electronic countermeasures (ECM) pod under one wing and two AIM-9 Sidewinder air-to-air missiles for self-defense under the other wing.[82]

Colors and markings

 
An A-10 from the 343rd Tactical Fighter Wing prepares to drop Mark 82 bombs at the Yukon Command Training Site in 1988.

Since the A-10 flies low to the ground and at subsonic speed, aircraft camouflage is important to make the aircraft more difficult to see. Many different types of paint schemes have been tried. These have included a "peanut scheme" of sand, yellow, and field drab; black and white colors for winter operations and a tan, green, and brown mixed pattern.[83] Many A-10s also featured a false canopy painted in dark gray on the underside of the aircraft, just behind the gun. This form of automimicry is an attempt to confuse the enemy as to aircraft attitude and maneuver direction.[84][85] Many A-10s feature nose art, such as shark mouth or warthog head features.

The two most common markings applied to the A-10 have been the European I woodland camouflage scheme and a two-tone gray scheme. The European woodland scheme was designed to minimize visibility from above, as the threat from hostile fighter aircraft was felt to outweigh that from ground fire. It uses dark green, medium green, and dark gray to blend in with the typical European forest terrain and was used from the 1980s to the early 1990s. Following the end of the Cold War, and based on experience during the 1991 Gulf War, the air-to-air threat was no longer seen to be as important as that from ground fire, and a new color scheme known as "Compass Ghost" was chosen to minimize visibility from below. This two-tone gray scheme has darker gray color on top, with a lighter gray on the underside of the aircraft, and started to be applied in the early 1990s.[86]

Operational history

Service entry

 
Arkansas Air National Guard A-10C firing an AGM-65 air-to-surface missile on a firing range at Davis-Monthan AFB

The first unit to receive the A-10 was the 355th Tactical Training Wing, based at Davis-Monthan Air Force Base, Arizona, in March 1976.[87] The first unit to achieve full combat readiness was the 354th Tactical Fighter Wing at Myrtle Beach Air Force Base, South Carolina, in October 1977.[1] A-10 deployments followed at bases both at home and abroad, including England AFB, Louisiana; Eielson AFB, Alaska; Osan Air Base, South Korea; and RAF Bentwaters/RAF Woodbridge, England. The 81st TFW of RAF Bentwaters/RAF Woodbridge operated rotating detachments of A-10s at four bases in Germany known as Forward Operating Locations (FOLs): Leipheim, Sembach Air Base, Nörvenich Air Base, and RAF Ahlhorn.[88] A-10s were initially an unwelcome addition to many in the USAF; most pilots did not want to switch to it as fighter pilots traditionally favored speed and appearance.[89] In 1987, many A-10s were shifted to the forward air control (FAC) role and redesignated OA-10.[90] In the FAC role, the OA-10 is typically equipped with up to six pods of 2.75 inch (70 mm) Hydra rockets, usually with smoke or white phosphorus warheads used for target marking. OA-10s are physically unchanged and remain fully combat capable despite the redesignation.[91]

The 23rd TFW's A-10s were deployed to Bridgetown, Barbados during Operation Urgent Fury, the 1983 American Invasion of Grenada. They provided air cover for the U.S. Marine Corps landings on the island of Carriacou in late October 1983, but did not fire weapons as no resistance was met.[92][93][94]

Gulf War and Balkans

 
A-10A after Operation Desert Storm, 1992

The A-10 was used in combat for the first time during the Gulf War in 1991, with 132 being deployed.[95] A-10s shot down two Iraqi helicopters with the GAU-8 cannon. The first of these was shot down by Captain Robert Swain over Kuwait on 6 February 1991 for the A-10's first air-to-air victory.[96][97] Four A-10s were shot down during the war by surface-to-air missiles and eleven A-10s were hit by anti-air artillery rounds.[98] Another two battle-damaged A-10s and OA-10As returned to base and were written off. Some sustained additional damage in crash landings.[99][100] At the beginning of the war, A-10s flew missions against the Iraqi Republican Guard, but due to heavy attrition, from 15 February they were restricted to within 20 nautical miles (37 km) of the southern border.[101][102] A-10s also flew missions hunting Iraqi Scud missiles. The A-10 had a mission capable rate of 95.7 percent, flew 8,100 sorties, and launched 90 percent of the AGM-65 Maverick missiles fired in the conflict.[103] Shortly after the Gulf War, the USAF abandoned the idea of replacing the A-10 with a CAS version of the F-16.[104]

 
An A-10A during Operation Allied Force

A-10s fired approximately 10,000 30 mm rounds in Bosnia and Herzegovina in 1994–95. Following the seizure of heavy weapons by Bosnian Serbs from a warehouse in Ilidža, multiple sorties were launched to locate and destroy the captured equipment. On 5 August 1994, two A-10s located and strafed an anti-tank vehicle. Afterward, the Serbs agreed to return the remaining heavy weapons.[105] In August 1995, NATO launched an offensive called Operation Deliberate Force. A-10s flew CAS missions, attacking Bosnian Serb artillery and positions. In late September, A-10s began flying patrols again.[106]

A-10s returned to the Balkan region as part of Operation Allied Force in Kosovo beginning in March 1999.[106] In March 1999, A-10s escorted and supported search and rescue helicopters in finding a downed F-117 pilot.[107] The A-10s were deployed to support search and rescue missions, but gradually received more ground attack missions. The A-10's first successful attack in Operation Allied Force happened on 6 April 1999; A-10s remained in action until the end of combat in June 1999.[108]

Afghanistan, Iraq, Libya, and recent deployments

 
A-10 over Afghanistan, 2011

During the 2001 invasion of Afghanistan, A-10s did not initially take part. Beginning in March 2002, A-10 squadrons were deployed to Pakistan and Bagram Air Base, Afghanistan for the campaign against Taliban and Al Qaeda, known as Operation Anaconda. Afterwards, they remained in-country, fighting Taliban and Al Qaeda remnants.[109]

Operation Iraqi Freedom began on 20 March 2003. Sixty OA-10/A-10s took part in early combat.[110] United States Air Forces Central Command issued Operation Iraqi Freedom: By the Numbers, a declassified report about the aerial campaign in the conflict on 30 April 2003. During the initial invasion of Iraq, A-10s had a mission capable rate of 85 percent and fired 311,597 rounds of 30 mm ammunition. The type also flew 32 missions to airdrop propaganda leaflets. A single A-10 was shot down near Baghdad International Airport by Iraqi fire late in the campaign.[citation needed]

In September 2007, the A-10C with the Precision Engagement Upgrade reached initial operating capability.[111] The A-10C first deployed to Iraq in 2007 with the 104th Fighter Squadron of the Maryland Air National Guard.[112] The A-10C's digital avionics and communications systems greatly reduced the time to acquire and attack CAS targets.[113]

A-10s flew 32 percent of combat sorties in Operation Iraqi Freedom and Operation Enduring Freedom. These sorties ranged from 27,800 to 34,500 annually between 2009 and 2012. In the first half of 2013, they flew 11,189 sorties in Afghanistan.[114] From the start of 2006 to October 2013, A-10s conducted 19 percent of CAS missions in Iraq and Afghanistan, more than the F-15E Strike Eagle and B-1B Lancer, but less than the 33 percent flown by F-16s.[115]

 
An A-10 peels away from a KC-135 tanker over Afghanistan, February 2011 with Pave Penny pod visible and featuring a false canopy painted in dark gray on the underside.

In March 2011, six A-10s were deployed as part of Operation Odyssey Dawn, the coalition intervention in Libya. They participated in attacks on Libyan ground forces there.[116][117]

The USAF 122nd Fighter Wing revealed it would deploy to the Middle East in October 2014 with 12 A-10s. Although the deployment had been planned a year in advance in a support role, the timing coincided with the ongoing Operation Inherent Resolve against ISIL militants.[118][119][120] From mid-November, U.S. commanders began sending A-10s to hit IS targets in central and northwestern Iraq on an almost daily basis.[121][122] In a two month period, A-10s flew 11 percent of all USAF sorties since the start of operations in August 2014.[123] On 15 November 2015, two days after the ISIL attacks in Paris, A-10s and AC-130s destroyed a convoy of over 100 ISIL-operated oil tanker trucks in Syria as part of an intensification of the U.S.-led intervention against ISIL called Operation Tidal Wave II (named after Operation Tidal Wave during World War II, a failed attempt to raid German oil fields) in an attempt to stop oil smuggling as a source of funds for the group.[124]

The A-10 was involved in the killing of 35 Afghan civilians from 2010 to 2015, more than any other U.S. military aircraft and also involved in killing ten U.S. troops in friendly-fire over four incidents between 2001 and 2015. These incidents have been assessed as "inconclusive and statistically insignificant" in terms of the plane's capability.[125]

On 19 January 2018, 12 A-10s from the 303d Expeditionary Fighter Squadron were deployed to Kandahar Airfield, Afghanistan, to provide CAS, marking the first time in more than three years A-10s had been deployed to Afghanistan.[126]

Future

 
23rd Fighter Group A-10s on alert

The A-10's future remains a subject of debate. In 2007, the USAF expected it to remain in service until 2028 and possibly later,[127] when it would likely be replaced by the Lockheed Martin F-35 Lightning II.[39] Director of the Straus Military Reform Project of the Project On Government Oversight Winslow Wheeler, a critic of this plan, said that replacing the A-10 with the F-35 would be a "giant leap backwards" given the A-10's performance and the F-35's high costs.[128] In 2012, the USAF considered the F-35B STOVL variant as a replacement CAS aircraft, but concluded that it could not generate sufficient sorties.[129] In August 2013, Congress and the USAF examined various proposals, including the F-35 and the MQ-9 Reaper unmanned aerial vehicle filling the A-10's role. Proponents state that the A-10's armor and cannon are superior to aircraft such as the F-35 for ground attack, that guided munitions could be jammed, and that ground commanders commonly request A-10 support.[114]

In the USAF's FY 2015 budget, the service considered retiring the A-10 and other single-mission aircraft, prioritizing multi-mission aircraft; cutting a whole fleet and its infrastructure was seen as the only method for major savings. The U.S. Army had expressed interest in obtaining some A-10s were the USAF to retire them,[130][131] but later stated there was "no chance" of that happening.[132] The USAF stated that retirement would save $3.7 billion from 2015 to 2019. Guided munitions allows more aircraft to perform CAS duties and reduces the need for specialized aircraft; since 2001, multirole aircraft and bombers have performed 80 percent of operational CAS missions. The USAF also said that the A-10 was more vulnerable to advanced anti-aircraft defenses, but the Army replied that it had proved invaluable due to its versatile weapons loads, psychological impact, and limited logistics needs.[133]

 
USAF crewmen perform maintenance on an A-10's nose in the Persian Gulf region in 2003

In January 2015, USAF officials told lawmakers that it would take 15 years to fully develop a new attack aircraft to replace the A-10;[134] that year General Herbert J. Carlisle, the head of Air Combat Command, stated that a follow-on weapon system for the A-10 may need development.[135] It planned for F-16s and F-15Es to initially take up CAS sorties, and later by the F-35A once sufficient numbers become operationally available over the next decade.[136] In July 2015, Boeing held initial discussions on the prospects of selling retired or stored A-10s in near-flyaway condition to international customers.[43] However, the USAF stated that it would not permit any to be sold.[137]

Plans to develop a replacement aircraft were announced by the US Air Combat Command in August 2015.[138][139] In 2016, the USAF began studying future CAS aircraft to succeed the A-10 in low-intensity "permissive conflicts" like counterterrorism and regional stability operations, noting the F-35 to be too expensive to operate in day-to-day roles. Various platforms were considered, including low-end AT-6 Wolverine and A-29 Super Tucano turboprops and the Textron AirLand Scorpion as more basic off-the-shelf options to more sophisticated clean-sheet attack aircraft or "AT-X" derivatives of the T-X next-generation trainer as wholly new attack platforms.[136][140][141]

In January 2016, the USAF was "indefinitely freezing" plans to retire the A-10. Beyond congressional opposition, its use in anti-ISIS operations, deployments to Eastern Europe as a response to Russia's military intervention in Ukraine, and reevaluation of F-35 numbers necessitated its retention.[142][143] In February 2016, the USAF deferred the final retirement date until 2022 after F-35s replace it on a squadron-by-squadron basis.[144][145] In October 2016, the USAF Materiel Command brought the depot maintenance line back to full capacity in preparation for re-winging the fleet.[146] In June 2017, it was announced that the A-10 retained indefinitely.[147][6]

The 2022 Russian invasion of Ukraine led to some observers pushing for A-10s to be loaned to Ukraine while critics noted the diplomatic and tactical complications involved.[148][149] In an interview in December 2022, Ukrainian Defence Minister Oleksii Reznikov said that in late March he asked the US Secretary of Defence Lloyd Austin for 100 surplus A-10s, noting their value against Russian tank columns. However, Austin reportedly told Minister Reznikov that the plan was "impossible", and that the "old-fashioned and slow" A-10 would be a "squeaky target" for Russian air defenses.[150]

Other uses

 
A-10 at RAF Fairford, 2005

On 25 March 2010, an A-10 conducted the first flight of an aircraft with all engines powered by a biofuel blend comprising a 1:1 blend of JP-8 and Camelina-based fuel.[151] On 28 June 2012, the A-10 became the first aircraft to fly using a new fuel blend derived from alcohol; known as ATJ (Alcohol-to-Jet), the fuel is cellulosic-based and can be produced using wood, paper, grass, or any cellulose-based material, which are fermented into alcohols before being hydro-processed into aviation fuel. ATJ is the third alternative fuel to be evaluated by the USAF as a replacement for the petroleum-derived JP-8 fuel. Previous types were synthetic paraffinic kerosene derived from coal and natural gas and a bio-mass fuel derived from plant oils and animal fats known as Hydroprocessed Renewable Jet.[152]

In 2011, the National Science Foundation granted $11 million to modify an A-10 for weather research for CIRPAS at the U.S. Naval Postgraduate School[153] and in collaboration with scientists from the South Dakota School of Mines & Technology (SDSM&T),[154] replacing SDSM&T's retired North American T-28 Trojan.[155] In 2018, this plan was found to be too risky due to the costly modifications required, thus the program was canceled.[156]

Variants

 
A updated A-10C arrives at Davis-Monthan AFB, 29 November 2006.
YA-10A
Pre-production variant. 12 were built.[157]
A-10A
Single-seat close air support, ground-attack production version.
OA-10A
A-10As used for airborne forward air control.
YA-10B Night/Adverse Weather (N/AW)
Two-seat experimental prototype, for work at night and in bad weather. The one YA-10B prototype was converted from an A-10A.[158][159]
A-10C
A-10As updated under the incremental Precision Engagement (PE) program.[45]
A-10PCAS
Proposed unmanned version developed by Raytheon and Aurora Flight Sciences as part of DARPA's Persistent Close Air Support program.[160] The PCAS program eventually dropped the idea of using an optionally manned A-10.[161]
SPA-10
Proposed by the South Dakota School of Mines and Technology to replace its North American T-28 Trojan thunderstorm penetration aircraft. The A-10 would have its military engines, avionics, and oxygen system replaced by civilian versions. The engines and airframe would receive protection from hail, and the GAU-8 Avenger would be replaced with ballast or scientific instruments.[162] Project canceled after partial modification of a single A-10C.[156][163]

Operators

 
An A-10 Thunderbolt II refueling
 
Four A-10s of the 103d Fighter Squadron, Pennsylvania Air National Guard, fly in formation during a refueling mission.
 
A-10C of the 163d Fighter Squadron, Fort Wayne Air National Guard
 
USAF A-10A showing kill markings from Operation Desert Storm, 1991
 
An A-10 firing its 30 mm GAU-8 Gatling gun during testing

The A-10 has been flown exclusively by the United States Air Force and its Air Reserve components, the Air Force Reserve Command (AFRC) and the Air National Guard (ANG). As of 2017, 282 A-10C aircraft are reported as operational, divided as follows: 141 USAF, 55 AFRC, 86 ANG.[164]

  United States

Former squadrons

Aircraft on display

Germany

A-10A

South Korea

A-10A

United Kingdom

A-10A

United States

YA-10A
YA-10B
A-10A
 
A-10 at Hill Aerospace Museum
 
A-10A at Museum of Aviation, Robins AFB
 
YA-10B 73-1664

Specifications (A-10C)

 
Schematics of A-10C
 
A-10's 30 mm GAU-8 Avenger cannon

Data from The Great Book of Modern Warplanes,[206] Fairchild-Republic A/OA-10,[207] USAF[111]

General characteristics

  • Crew: 1
  • Length: 53 ft 4 in (16.26 m)
  • Wingspan: 57 ft 6 in (17.53 m)
  • Height: 14 ft 8 in (4.47 m)
  • Wing area: 506 sq ft (47.0 m2)
  • Airfoil: NACA 6716 root, NACA 6713 tip
  • Empty weight: 24,959 lb (11,321 kg)
  • Gross weight: 30,384 lb (13,782 kg)
    • CAS mission: 47,094 lb (21,361 kg)
    • Anti-armor mission: 42,071 lb (19,083 kg)
  • Max takeoff weight: 46,000 lb (20,865 kg) [208]
  • Fuel capacity: 11,000 lb (4,990 kg) internal
  • Powerplant: 2 × General Electric TF34-GE-100A turbofans, 9,065 lbf (40.32 kN) thrust each

Performance

  • Maximum speed: 381 kn (439 mph, 706 km/h) at sea level, clean[207]
  • Cruise speed: 300 kn (340 mph, 560 km/h)
  • Stall speed: 120 kn (138 mph, 220 km/h) at 30,000 lb (14,000 kg)[209]
  • Never exceed speed: 450 kn (518 mph, 833 km/h) at 5,000 ft (1,500 m) with 18 Mark 82 bombs[210][207]
  • Combat range: 250 nmi (288 mi, 463 km)
    • CAS mission: 250 nmi (290 mi; 460 km) 1.88 hour loiter at 5,000 ft (1,500 m), 10 min combat
    • Anti-armor mission: 252 nmi (290 mi; 467 km) with sea-level penetration and exit, 30 min combat
  • Ferry range: 2,240 nmi (2,580 mi, 4,150 km) with 50 knots (58 mph; 26 m/s) headwinds, 20 minutes reserve
  • Service ceiling: 45,000 ft (13,700 m)
  • Rate of climb: 6,000 ft/min (30 m/s)
  • Wing loading: 99 lb/sq ft (482 kg/m2)
  • Thrust/weight: 0.36

Armament

Avionics

Notable appearances in media

Main article: Aircraft in fiction § A-10 Thunderbolt II

Nicknames

The A-10 Thunderbolt II received its popular nickname "Warthog" from the pilots and crews of the USAF attack squadrons who flew and maintained it. The A-10 is the last of Republic's jet attack aircraft to serve with the USAF. The Republic F-84 Thunderjet was nicknamed the "Hog", F-84F Thunderstreak nicknamed "Superhog", and the Republic F-105 Thunderchief tagged "Ultra Hog".[218] The saying Go Ugly Early has been associated with the aircraft in reference to calling in the A-10 early to support troops in ground combat.[219]

See also

Aircraft of comparable role, configuration, and era

Related lists

References

Notes

  1. ^ First unit to become operational with the A-10.
  1. ^ With the inner wheel on a turn stopped, the minimum radius of the turn is dictated by the distance between the inner wheel and the nose wheel. Since the distance is less between the right main wheel and the nose gear than the same measurement on the left, the aircraft can turn more tightly to the right.

Citations

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Bibliography

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  • Drendel, Lou. A-10 Warthog in Action. Carrollton, Texas: Squadron/Signal Publications, 1981. ISBN 0-89747-122-9.
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External links

 
Wikimedia Commons has media related to A-10 Thunderbolt II.

August 23, 2023
fairchild, republic, thunderbolt, redirects, here, other, uses, single, seat, twin, turbofan, straight, wing, subsonic, attack, aircraft, developed, fairchild, republic, united, states, force, usaf, service, since, 1976, named, republic, thunderbolt, commonly,. A 10 redirects here For other uses see A10 The Fairchild Republic A 10 Thunderbolt II is a single seat twin turbofan straight wing subsonic attack aircraft developed by Fairchild Republic for the United States Air Force USAF In service since 1976 it is named for the Republic P 47 Thunderbolt but is commonly referred to as the Warthog or simply Hog 4 The A 10 was designed to provide close air support CAS to friendly ground troops by attacking armored vehicles tanks and other enemy ground forces it is the only production built aircraft designed solely for CAS to have served with the U S Air Force 5 Its secondary mission is to direct other aircraft in attacks on ground targets a role called forward air controller airborne aircraft used primarily in this role are designated OA 10 A 10 OA 10 Thunderbolt IIAn A 10 of the 74th Fighter Squadron after taking on fuel over Afghanistan 2011 Role Close air support attack aircraftNational origin United StatesManufacturer Fairchild RepublicFirst flight 10 May 1972 51 years ago 1972 05 10 Introduction October 1977 1 Status In servicePrimary user United States Air ForceProduced 1972 1984 2 Number built 716 3 The A 10 was intended to improve on the performance and firepower of the Douglas A 1 Skyraider The Thunderbolt II s airframe was designed around the high power 30 mm GAU 8 Avenger rotary autocannon The airframe was designed for durability with measures such as 1 200 pounds 540 kg of titanium armor to protect the cockpit and aircraft systems enabling it to absorb damage and continue flying Its ability to take off and land from relatively short runways permits operation from airstrips close to the front lines and its simple design enables maintenance with minimal facilities It served in the Gulf War Operation Desert Storm the American led intervention against Iraq s invasion of Kuwait where the aircraft distinguished itself The A 10 also participated in other conflicts such as in Grenada the Balkans Afghanistan the Iraq War and against the Islamic State in the Middle East The A 10A single seat variant was the only version produced though one pre production airframe was modified into the YA 10B twin seat prototype to test an all weather night capable version In 2005 a program was started to upgrade the remaining A 10A aircraft to the A 10C configuration with modern avionics for use with precision weaponry The U S Air Force had stated the Lockheed Martin F 35 Lightning II would replace the A 10 as it entered service but this remains highly contentious within the USAF and in political circles With a variety of upgrades and wing replacements the A 10 s service life can be extended to 2040 the service has no planned retirement date as of June 2017 update 6 Contents 1 Development 1 1 Background 1 2 Army helicopter competition 1 3 A X program 1 4 Production 1 5 Upgrades 1 5 1 HOG UP and Wing Replacement Program 1 5 2 Modernization A 10C 2 Design 2 1 Overview 2 2 Survivability 2 3 Weapons 2 4 Colors and markings 3 Operational history 3 1 Service entry 3 2 Gulf War and Balkans 3 3 Afghanistan Iraq Libya and recent deployments 3 4 Future 3 5 Other uses 4 Variants 5 Operators 5 1 Former squadrons 6 Aircraft on display 6 1 Germany 6 2 South Korea 6 3 United Kingdom 6 4 United States 7 Specifications A 10C 8 Notable appearances in media 9 Nicknames 10 See also 11 References 11 1 Notes 11 2 Citations 11 3 Bibliography 12 External linksDevelopment EditBackground Edit By the time of the Vietnam War the 1940s vintage propeller driven Skyraider was the USAF s only dedicated close air support aircraft It was slow vulnerable to ground fire and relatively lightly armed The development of conventionally armed attack aircraft in the United States stagnated after World War II 7 as design efforts for tactical aircraft focused on the delivery of nuclear weapons using high speed designs like the McDonnell F 101 Voodoo and Republic F 105 Thunderchief 8 As the U S military entered the Vietnam War its main ground attack aircraft was the Korean War era Douglas A 1 Skyraider A capable aircraft for its era with a relatively large payload and long loiter time the propeller driven design was relatively slow and vulnerable to ground fire The U S Air Force and Navy lost 266 A 1s in action in Vietnam largely from small arms fire 9 The A 1 Skyraider also had inadequate firepower 10 The lack of modern conventional attack capability prompted calls for a specialized attack aircraft 11 12 On 7 June 1961 the Secretary of Defense Robert McNamara ordered the USAF to develop two tactical aircraft one for the long range strike and interdictor role and the other focusing on the fighter bomber mission The former was the Tactical Fighter Experimental TFX intended to be common design for the USAF and the US Navy 13 which emerged as the General Dynamics F 111 Aardvark while the second was filled by a version of the U S Navy s McDonnell Douglas F 4 Phantom II While the Phantom went on to be one of the most successful fighter designs of the 1960s and proved to be a capable fighter bomber its short loiter time was a major problem as was its poor low speed performance albeit to lesser extent It was also expensive to buy and operate with a flyaway cost of 2 million in FY1965 18 6 million today and operational costs over 900 per hour 8 000 per hour today 14 After a broad review of its tactical force structure the USAF decided to adopt a low cost aircraft to supplement the F 4 and F 111 It first focused on the Northrop F 5 which had air to air capability 10 A 1965 cost effectiveness study shifted the focus from the F 5 to the less expensive A 7D variant of the LTV A 7 Corsair II and a contract was awarded However this aircraft doubled in cost with demands for an upgraded engine and new avionics 10 Army helicopter competition Edit The Lockheed AH 56 Cheyenne appeared to offer the possibility of handing much of the tactical air to ground role to the U S Army See also Key West Agreement and Pace Finletter MOU 1952 During this period the United States Army had been introducing the Bell UH 1 Iroquois into service First used in its intended role as a transport it was soon modified in the field to carry more machine guns in what became known as the helicopter gunship role This proved effective against the lightly armed enemy and new gun and rocket pods were added Soon the Bell AH 1 Cobra was introduced This was an attack helicopter armed with long range BGM 71 TOW missiles able to destroy tanks from outside the range of defensive fire The helicopter was effective and prompted the U S military to change its defensive strategy in Europe into blunting any Warsaw Pact advance with anti tank helicopters instead of the tactical nuclear weapons that had been the basis for NATO s battle plans since the 1950s 15 The Cobra was a quickly made helicopter based on the UH 1 Iroquois and was introduced in the mid 1960s as an interim design until the U S Army Advanced Aerial Fire Support System program delivered The Army selected the Lockheed AH 56 Cheyenne a more capable attack aircraft with greater speed for initial production The development of the anti tank helicopter concerned the USAF a 1966 USAF study of existing close air support CAS capabilities revealed gaps in the escort and fire suppression roles that the Cheyenne could fill The study concluded that the service should acquire a simple inexpensive dedicated CAS aircraft at least as capable as the A 1 and that it should develop doctrine tactics and procedures for such aircraft to accomplish the missions for which the attack helicopters were provided 16 A X program Edit On 8 September 1966 General John P McConnell Chief of Staff of the USAF ordered that a specialized CAS aircraft be designed developed and obtained On 22 December a Requirements Action Directive was issued for the A X CAS airplane 16 and the Attack Experimental A X program office was formed 17 On 6 March 1967 the USAF released a request for information to 21 defense contractors for the A X 17 In May 1970 the USAF issued a modified more detailed request for proposals for the aircraft The threat of Soviet armored forces and all weather attack operations had become more serious The requirements now included that the aircraft would be designed specifically for the 30 mm rotary cannon The RFP also specified a maximum speed of 460 mph 400 kn 740 km h takeoff distance of 4 000 feet 1 200 m external load of 16 000 pounds 7 300 kg 285 mile 460 km mission radius and a unit cost of US 1 4 million 10 5 million today 18 The A X would be the first USAF aircraft designed exclusively for CAS 19 During this time a separate RFP was released for A X s 30 mm cannon with requirements for a high rate of fire 4 000 round per minute and a high muzzle velocity 20 Six companies submitted aircraft proposals with Northrop and Fairchild Republic selected to build prototypes the YA 9A and YA 10A respectively General Electric and Philco Ford were selected to build and test GAU 8 cannon prototypes 21 Two YA 10 prototypes were built in the Republic factory in Farmingdale New York and first flown on 10 May 1972 by pilot Howard Sam Nelson Production A 10s were built by Fairchild in Hagerstown Maryland After trials and a fly off against the YA 9 on 18 January 1973 the USAF announced the YA 10 s selection for production 22 General Electric was selected to build the GAU 8 cannon in June 1973 23 The YA 10 had an additional fly off in 1974 against the Ling Temco Vought A 7D Corsair II the principal USAF attack aircraft at the time to prove the need for a new attack aircraft The first production A 10 flew in October 1975 and deliveries commenced in March 1976 24 One experimental two seat A 10 Night Adverse Weather N AW version was built by Fairchild by converting the first Demonstration Testing and Evaluation DT amp E A 10A for consideration by the USAF 25 It included a second seat for a weapon systems officer responsible for electronic countermeasures ECM navigation and target acquisition The N AW version did not interest the USAF or export customers The two seat trainer version was ordered by the USAF in 1981 but funding was canceled by U S Congress and was not produced 26 The only two seat A 10 resides at Edwards Air Force Base s Flight Test Center Museum 27 Production Edit On 10 February 1976 Deputy Secretary of Defense Bill Clements authorized full rate production while the first A 10 was accepted by the USAF Tactical Air Command on 30 March 1976 Production continued and reached a peak rate of 13 aircraft per month By 1984 715 airplanes including two prototypes and six development aircraft had been delivered 2 When full rate production was first authorized the A 10 s planned service life was 6 000 hours A small design reinforcement was quickly adopted when initial fatigue testing failed at 80 of testing the A 10 passed fatigue tests with the fix 8 000 flight hour service lives were becoming common at the time so fatigue testing of the A 10 continued with a new 8 000 hour target This new target quickly discovered serious cracks at Wing Station 23 WS23 where the outboard portions of the wings are joined to the fuselage The first production change was to address this problem by adding cold working at WS23 Soon after the USAF found that the real world A 10 fleet fatigue was harsher than estimated forcing a change to fatigue testing and introduce spectrum 3 equivalent flight hour testing 10 Spectrum 3 fatigue testing started in 1979 This round of testing quickly determined that more drastic reinforcement would be needed The second change in production starting with aircraft No 442 was to increase the thickness of the lower skin on the outer wing panels A tech order was issued to retrofit the thick skin to the whole fleet but the tech order was rescinded after roughly 242 planes leaving about 200 planes with the original thin skin Starting with aircraft No 530 cold working at WS0 was performed and this retrofit was performed on earlier aircraft A fourth even more drastic change was initiated with aircraft No 582 again to address the problems discovered with spectrum 3 testing This change increased the thickness of the lower skin on the center wing panel but it required modifications to the lower spar caps to accommodate the thicker skin The USAF found it economically unfeasible to retrofit earlier planes with this modification 10 Upgrades Edit An A 10A of pre glass cockpit designThe A 10 has received many upgrades since entering service In 1978 it received the Pave Penny laser receiver pod which receives reflected laser radiation from laser designators to allow the aircraft to deliver laser guided munitions The Pave Penny pod is carried on a pylon mounted below the right side of the cockpit and has a clear view of the ground 28 29 In 1980 the A 10 began receiving an inertial navigation system 30 In the early 1990s the A 10 began to receive the Low Altitude Safety and Targeting Enhancement LASTE upgrade which provided computerized weapon aiming equipment an autopilot and a ground collision warning system In 1999 aircraft began receiving Global Positioning System navigation systems and a multi function display 31 The LASTE system was upgraded with an Integrated Flight amp Fire Control Computer IFFCC 32 Proposed further upgrades included integrated combat search and rescue locator systems and improved early warning and anti jam self protection systems and the USAF recognized that the A 10 s engine power was sub optimal and had planned to replace them with more powerful engines since at least 2001 at an estimated cost of 2 billion 33 HOG UP and Wing Replacement Program Edit In 1987 Grumman Aerospace took over support for the A 10 program In 1993 Grumman updated the damage tolerance assessment and Force Structural Maintenance Plan and Damage Threat Assessment Over the next few years problems with wing structure fatigue first noticed in production years earlier began to come to the fore Implementation of the maintenance plan was greatly delayed by the base realignment and closure commission BRAC which led to 80 of the original workforce being let go 34 During inspections in 1995 and 1996 cracks at the WS23 location were found on many A 10 while many were in line with updated predictions from 1993 two of these were classified as near critical size well beyond predictions In August 1998 Grumman produced a new plan to address these issues and increase life span to 16 000 hours This led to the HOG UP program which commenced in 1999 Additional aspects were added to HOG UP over time including new fuel bladders flight control system changes and engine nacelle inspections In 2001 the cracks were reclassified as critical which meant they were considered repairs and not upgrades which allowed bypassing normal acquisition channels for more rapid implementation 35 An independent review of the HOG UP program presented in September 2003 concluded that the data on which the wing upgrade relied could no longer be trusted Shortly thereafter fatigue testing on a test wing failed prematurely and also mounting problems with wings failing in service inspections at an increasing rate became apparent The USAF estimated that they would run out of wings by 2011 Of the plans explored replacing the wings with new ones was the least expensive at an initial cost of 741 million and a total cost of 1 72 billion over the program s life 10 Two A 10s in formationIn 2005 a business case was produced with three options to extend the fleet s life The first two options involved expanding the service life extension program SLEP at a cost of 4 6 billion and 3 16 billion respectively The third option worth 1 72 billion was to build 242 new wings and avoid the need to expand the SLEP In 2006 option 3 was chosen and Boeing won the contract 36 The base contract is for 117 wings with options for 125 additional wings 37 In 2013 the USAF exercised a portion of the option to add 56 wings putting 173 wings on order with options remaining for 69 additional wings 38 39 In November 2011 two A 10s flew with the new wings fitted The new wings improved mission readiness decreased maintenance costs and allowed the A 10 to be operated up to 2035 if necessary 40 Re winging work was organized under the Thick skin Urgent Spares Kitting TUSK Program 38 In 2014 as part of plans to retire the A 10 the USAF considered halting the wing replacement program to save an additional 500 million 41 42 however by May 2015 the re winging program was too advanced to be financially efficient to cancel 43 Boeing stated in February 2016 that the A 10 could operate to 2040 with the new TUSK wings 38 Modernization A 10C Edit A 10C cockpit at the Smithsonian National Air and Space Museum 2012From 2005 to June 2011 44 the entire fleet of 356 A 10s and OA 10s were modernized in the Precision Engagement program and redesignated A 10C 45 Upgrades included all weather combat capability 32 an improved fire control system FCS electronic countermeasures ECM smart bomb targeting a modern communications suite including a Link 16 radio and SATCOM 32 and cockpit upgrades comprising two multifunction displays and HOTAS configuration mixing the F 16 s flight stick with the F 15 s throttle 46 47 The Government Accountability Office in 2007 estimated the cost of upgrading refurbishing and service life extension plans to total 2 25 billion through 2013 19 48 In July 2010 the USAF issued Raytheon a contract to integrate a Helmet Mounted Integrated Targeting HMIT system into the A 10C 48 49 The LASTE system was replaced with the integrated flight and fire control computer IFFCC included in the PE upgrade 32 Throughout its life multiple software upgrades have been made While this work was to be stopped under plans to retire the A 10 in February 2014 Secretary of the Air Force Deborah Lee James ordered that the latest upgrade designated Suite 8 continue in response to congressional pressure Suite 8 software includes IFF Mode 5 which modernizes the ability to identify the A 10 to friendly units 50 Additionally the Pave Penny pods and pylons were removed as their receive only capability has been replaced by the AN AAQ 28 V 4 LITENING AT targeting pods or Sniper XR targeting pod which both have laser designators and laser rangefinders 51 In 2012 Air Combat Command requested the testing of a 600 US gallon 2 300 L 500 imp gal external fuel tank which would extend the A 10 s loitering time by 45 60 minutes flight testing of such a tank had been conducted in 1997 but did not involve combat evaluation Over 30 flight tests were conducted by the 40th Flight Test Squadron to gather data on the aircraft s handling characteristics and performance across different load configurations It was reported that the tank slightly reduced stability in the yaw axis but there was no decrease in aircraft tracking performance 52 Design EditOverview Edit A 10 inboard profile drawingThe A 10 has a cantilever low wing monoplane wing with a wide chord 33 It has superior maneuverability at low speeds and altitude due to its large wing area high wing aspect ratio and large ailerons The wing also allows short takeoffs and landings permitting operations from austere forward airfields near front lines The A 10 can loiter for extended periods and operate under 1 000 foot 300 m ceilings with 1 5 mile 2 4 km visibility It typically flies at a relatively low speed of 300 knots 350 mph 560 km h which makes it a better platform for the ground attack role than fast fighter bombers which often have difficulty targeting small slow moving targets 53 The leading edge of the wing has a honeycomb structure panel construction providing strength with minimal weight similar panels cover the flap shrouds elevators rudders and sections of the fins 54 The skin panels are integral with the stringers and are fabricated using computer controlled machining reducing production time and cost Combat experience has shown that this type of panel is more resistant to damage The skin is not load bearing so damaged skin sections can be easily replaced in the field with makeshift materials if necessary 55 The ailerons are at the far ends of the wings for greater rolling moment and have two distinguishing features The ailerons are larger than is typical almost 50 percent of the wingspan providing improved control even at slow speeds the aileron is also split making it a deceleron 56 57 Front view of an A 10 Note the 30 mm cannon and offset front landing gearThe A 10 is designed to be refueled rearmed and serviced with minimal equipment 58 Its simple design enables maintenance at forward bases with limited facilities 59 60 An unusual feature is that many of the aircraft s parts are interchangeable between the left and right sides including the engines main landing gear and vertical stabilizers The sturdy landing gear low pressure tires and large straight wings allow operation from short rough strips even with a heavy aircraft ordnance load allowing the aircraft to operate from damaged airbases flying from taxiways or even straight roadway sections 61 The front landing gear is offset to the aircraft s right to allow placement of the 30 mm cannon with its firing barrel along the centerline of the aircraft 62 During ground taxi the offset front landing gear causes the A 10 to have dissimilar turning radii turning to the right on the ground takes less distance than turning left Note 1 The wheels of the main landing gear partially protrude from their nacelles when retracted making gear up belly landings easier to control and less damaging All landing gears retract forward if hydraulic power is lost a combination of gravity and aerodynamic drag can lower and lock the gear in place 57 Survivability Edit The A 10 is battle hardened to an exceptional degree being able to survive direct hits from armor piercing and high explosive projectiles up to 23 mm It has double redundant hydraulic flight systems and a mechanical system as a backup if hydraulics are lost Flight without hydraulic power uses the manual reversion control system pitch and yaw control engages automatically roll control is pilot selected In manual reversion mode the A 10 is sufficiently controllable under favorable conditions to return to base though control forces are greater than normal It is designed to be able to fly with one engine half of the tail one elevator and half of a wing missing 63 As the A 10 operates close to enemy positions making it an easy target for man portable air defense system MANPADS surface to air missiles SAMs and enemy aircraft it carries both flares and chaff cartridges 64 This A 10 took heavy damage during Operation Iraqi Freedom in 2003 including to the hydraulic system yet pilot Captain Kim Campbell safely flew it back to base on manual reversion mode The cockpit and parts of the flight control systems are protected by 1 200 lb 540 kg of titanium aircraft armor referred to as a bathtub 65 66 The armor has been tested to withstand strikes from 23 mm cannon fire and some indirect hits from 57 mm shell fragments 60 65 67 It is made up of titanium plates with thicknesses varying from 0 5 to 1 5 inches 13 to 38 mm determined by a study of likely trajectories and deflection angles The armor makes up almost six percent of the A 10 s empty weight Any interior surface of the tub directly exposed to the pilot is covered by a multi layer nylon spall shield to protect against shell fragmentation 68 69 The front windscreen and canopy are resistant to small arms fire 70 Its durability was demonstrated on 7 April 2003 when Captain Kim Campbell while flying over Baghdad during the 2003 invasion of Iraq suffered extensive flak damage that damaged one engine and crippled the hydraulic system requiring the stabilizer and flight controls to be operated via manual reversion mode Despite this Campbell s A 10 flew for nearly an hour and landed safely 71 72 The A 10 was intended to fly from forward air bases and semi prepared runways where foreign object damage to an aircraft s engines is normally a high risk The unusual location of the General Electric TF34 GE 100 turbofan engines decreases ingestion risk and also allows the engines to run while the aircraft is serviced and rearmed by ground crews reducing turn around time The wings are also mounted closer to the ground simplifying servicing and rearming operations citation needed The heavy engines require strong support four bolts connect the engine pylons to the airframe 73 The engines high 6 1 bypass ratio contributes to a relatively small infrared signature and their position directs exhaust over the tailplanes further shielding it from detection by infrared homing surface to air missiles citation needed To reduce the likelihood of damage to the fuel system all four fuel tanks are located near the aircraft s center and are separated from the fuselage projectiles would need to penetrate the aircraft s skin before reaching a fuel tank s outer skin 68 69 Compromised fuel transfer lines self seal if damage exceeds a tank s self sealing capabilities check valves prevent fuel from flowing into a compromised tank Most fuel system components are inside the tanks so that component failure will not lead to fuel loss The refueling system is also purged after use 74 Reticulated polyurethane foam lines both the inner and outer sides of the fuel tanks retaining debris and restricting fuel spillage in the event of damage The engines are shielded from the rest of the airframe by firewalls and fire extinguishing equipment If all four main tanks were lost two self sealing sump tanks contain fuel for 230 miles 370 km of flight 68 69 Weapons Edit source source source source source source source source source source source source source source A 10C combat exercise at Nevada Test amp Training Ground against hard targetsAlthough the A 10 can carry numerous munitions its primary built in weapon is the 30 173 mm GAU 8 A Avenger autocannon One of the most powerful aircraft cannons ever flown it fires depleted uranium armor piercing shells The GAU 8 is a hydraulically driven seven barrel rotary cannon designed specifically for the anti tank role with a high rate of fire the original design could be switched by the pilot to 2 100 or 4 200 rounds per minute 75 this was later changed to a fixed rate of 3 900 rounds per minute 76 The cannon takes approximately a half second to spin up to its maximum rate of fire So 50 rounds are fired during the first second 65 or 70 rounds per second thereafter It is accurate enough to place 80 percent of its shots within a 40 foot 12 4 m diameter circle from 4 000 feet 1 220 m while in flight 77 The GAU 8 is optimized for a slant range of 4 000 feet 1 220 m with the A 10 in a 30 degree dive 78 Front view of the A 10 s GAU 8 installationThe fuselage of the aircraft is built around the cannon The GAU 8 A is mounted slightly to the port side the barrel in the firing location is on the starboard side so it is aligned with the aircraft s centerline The gun s 5 foot 11 5 inch 1 816 m ammunition drum can hold up to 1 350 rounds of 30 mm ammunition 62 but generally holds 1 174 rounds 78 To protect the GAU 8 A rounds from enemy fire armor plates of differing thicknesses between the aircraft skin and the drum are designed to detonate incoming shells 62 69 The AGM 65 Maverick air to surface missile is a commonly used munition for the A 10 targeted via electro optical TV guided or infrared The Maverick allows target engagement at much greater ranges than the cannon and thus less risk from anti aircraft systems During Desert Storm in the absence of dedicated forward looking infrared FLIR cameras for night vision the Maverick s infrared camera was used for night missions as a poor man s FLIR 79 Other weapons include cluster bombs and Hydra 70 rocket pods 80 The A 10 is equipped to carry GPS and laser guided bombs such as the GBU 39 Small Diameter Bomb Paveway series bombs Joint Direct Attack Munitions JDAM Wind Corrected Munitions Dispenser and AGM 154 Joint Standoff Weapon glide bombs 81 A 10s usually fly with an ALQ 131 Electronic countermeasures ECM pod under one wing and two AIM 9 Sidewinder air to air missiles for self defense under the other wing 82 Colors and markings Edit An A 10 from the 343rd Tactical Fighter Wing prepares to drop Mark 82 bombs at the Yukon Command Training Site in 1988 Since the A 10 flies low to the ground and at subsonic speed aircraft camouflage is important to make the aircraft more difficult to see Many different types of paint schemes have been tried These have included a peanut scheme of sand yellow and field drab black and white colors for winter operations and a tan green and brown mixed pattern 83 Many A 10s also featured a false canopy painted in dark gray on the underside of the aircraft just behind the gun This form of automimicry is an attempt to confuse the enemy as to aircraft attitude and maneuver direction 84 85 Many A 10s feature nose art such as shark mouth or warthog head features The two most common markings applied to the A 10 have been the European I woodland camouflage scheme and a two tone gray scheme The European woodland scheme was designed to minimize visibility from above as the threat from hostile fighter aircraft was felt to outweigh that from ground fire It uses dark green medium green and dark gray to blend in with the typical European forest terrain and was used from the 1980s to the early 1990s Following the end of the Cold War and based on experience during the 1991 Gulf War the air to air threat was no longer seen to be as important as that from ground fire and a new color scheme known as Compass Ghost was chosen to minimize visibility from below This two tone gray scheme has darker gray color on top with a lighter gray on the underside of the aircraft and started to be applied in the early 1990s 86 Operational history EditService entry Edit Arkansas Air National Guard A 10C firing an AGM 65 air to surface missile on a firing range at Davis Monthan AFBThe first unit to receive the A 10 was the 355th Tactical Training Wing based at Davis Monthan Air Force Base Arizona in March 1976 87 The first unit to achieve full combat readiness was the 354th Tactical Fighter Wing at Myrtle Beach Air Force Base South Carolina in October 1977 1 A 10 deployments followed at bases both at home and abroad including England AFB Louisiana Eielson AFB Alaska Osan Air Base South Korea and RAF Bentwaters RAF Woodbridge England The 81st TFW of RAF Bentwaters RAF Woodbridge operated rotating detachments of A 10s at four bases in Germany known as Forward Operating Locations FOLs Leipheim Sembach Air Base Norvenich Air Base and RAF Ahlhorn 88 A 10s were initially an unwelcome addition to many in the USAF most pilots did not want to switch to it as fighter pilots traditionally favored speed and appearance 89 In 1987 many A 10s were shifted to the forward air control FAC role and redesignated OA 10 90 In the FAC role the OA 10 is typically equipped with up to six pods of 2 75 inch 70 mm Hydra rockets usually with smoke or white phosphorus warheads used for target marking OA 10s are physically unchanged and remain fully combat capable despite the redesignation 91 The 23rd TFW s A 10s were deployed to Bridgetown Barbados during Operation Urgent Fury the 1983 American Invasion of Grenada They provided air cover for the U S Marine Corps landings on the island of Carriacou in late October 1983 but did not fire weapons as no resistance was met 92 93 94 Gulf War and Balkans Edit A 10A after Operation Desert Storm 1992The A 10 was used in combat for the first time during the Gulf War in 1991 with 132 being deployed 95 A 10s shot down two Iraqi helicopters with the GAU 8 cannon The first of these was shot down by Captain Robert Swain over Kuwait on 6 February 1991 for the A 10 s first air to air victory 96 97 Four A 10s were shot down during the war by surface to air missiles and eleven A 10s were hit by anti air artillery rounds 98 Another two battle damaged A 10s and OA 10As returned to base and were written off Some sustained additional damage in crash landings 99 100 At the beginning of the war A 10s flew missions against the Iraqi Republican Guard but due to heavy attrition from 15 February they were restricted to within 20 nautical miles 37 km of the southern border 101 102 A 10s also flew missions hunting Iraqi Scud missiles The A 10 had a mission capable rate of 95 7 percent flew 8 100 sorties and launched 90 percent of the AGM 65 Maverick missiles fired in the conflict 103 Shortly after the Gulf War the USAF abandoned the idea of replacing the A 10 with a CAS version of the F 16 104 An A 10A during Operation Allied ForceA 10s fired approximately 10 000 30 mm rounds in Bosnia and Herzegovina in 1994 95 Following the seizure of heavy weapons by Bosnian Serbs from a warehouse in Ilidza multiple sorties were launched to locate and destroy the captured equipment On 5 August 1994 two A 10s located and strafed an anti tank vehicle Afterward the Serbs agreed to return the remaining heavy weapons 105 In August 1995 NATO launched an offensive called Operation Deliberate Force A 10s flew CAS missions attacking Bosnian Serb artillery and positions In late September A 10s began flying patrols again 106 A 10s returned to the Balkan region as part of Operation Allied Force in Kosovo beginning in March 1999 106 In March 1999 A 10s escorted and supported search and rescue helicopters in finding a downed F 117 pilot 107 The A 10s were deployed to support search and rescue missions but gradually received more ground attack missions The A 10 s first successful attack in Operation Allied Force happened on 6 April 1999 A 10s remained in action until the end of combat in June 1999 108 Afghanistan Iraq Libya and recent deployments Edit A 10 over Afghanistan 2011During the 2001 invasion of Afghanistan A 10s did not initially take part Beginning in March 2002 A 10 squadrons were deployed to Pakistan and Bagram Air Base Afghanistan for the campaign against Taliban and Al Qaeda known as Operation Anaconda Afterwards they remained in country fighting Taliban and Al Qaeda remnants 109 Operation Iraqi Freedom began on 20 March 2003 Sixty OA 10 A 10s took part in early combat 110 United States Air Forces Central Command issued Operation Iraqi Freedom By the Numbers a declassified report about the aerial campaign in the conflict on 30 April 2003 During the initial invasion of Iraq A 10s had a mission capable rate of 85 percent and fired 311 597 rounds of 30 mm ammunition The type also flew 32 missions to airdrop propaganda leaflets A single A 10 was shot down near Baghdad International Airport by Iraqi fire late in the campaign citation needed In September 2007 the A 10C with the Precision Engagement Upgrade reached initial operating capability 111 The A 10C first deployed to Iraq in 2007 with the 104th Fighter Squadron of the Maryland Air National Guard 112 The A 10C s digital avionics and communications systems greatly reduced the time to acquire and attack CAS targets 113 A 10s flew 32 percent of combat sorties in Operation Iraqi Freedom and Operation Enduring Freedom These sorties ranged from 27 800 to 34 500 annually between 2009 and 2012 In the first half of 2013 they flew 11 189 sorties in Afghanistan 114 From the start of 2006 to October 2013 A 10s conducted 19 percent of CAS missions in Iraq and Afghanistan more than the F 15E Strike Eagle and B 1B Lancer but less than the 33 percent flown by F 16s 115 An A 10 peels away from a KC 135 tanker over Afghanistan February 2011 with Pave Penny pod visible and featuring a false canopy painted in dark gray on the underside In March 2011 six A 10s were deployed as part of Operation Odyssey Dawn the coalition intervention in Libya They participated in attacks on Libyan ground forces there 116 117 The USAF 122nd Fighter Wing revealed it would deploy to the Middle East in October 2014 with 12 A 10s Although the deployment had been planned a year in advance in a support role the timing coincided with the ongoing Operation Inherent Resolve against ISIL militants 118 119 120 From mid November U S commanders began sending A 10s to hit IS targets in central and northwestern Iraq on an almost daily basis 121 122 In a two month period A 10s flew 11 percent of all USAF sorties since the start of operations in August 2014 123 On 15 November 2015 two days after the ISIL attacks in Paris A 10s and AC 130s destroyed a convoy of over 100 ISIL operated oil tanker trucks in Syria as part of an intensification of the U S led intervention against ISIL called Operation Tidal Wave II named after Operation Tidal Wave during World War II a failed attempt to raid German oil fields in an attempt to stop oil smuggling as a source of funds for the group 124 The A 10 was involved in the killing of 35 Afghan civilians from 2010 to 2015 more than any other U S military aircraft and also involved in killing ten U S troops in friendly fire over four incidents between 2001 and 2015 These incidents have been assessed as inconclusive and statistically insignificant in terms of the plane s capability 125 On 19 January 2018 12 A 10s from the 303d Expeditionary Fighter Squadron were deployed to Kandahar Airfield Afghanistan to provide CAS marking the first time in more than three years A 10s had been deployed to Afghanistan 126 Future Edit 23rd Fighter Group A 10s on alertThe A 10 s future remains a subject of debate In 2007 the USAF expected it to remain in service until 2028 and possibly later 127 when it would likely be replaced by the Lockheed Martin F 35 Lightning II 39 Director of the Straus Military Reform Project of the Project On Government Oversight Winslow Wheeler a critic of this plan said that replacing the A 10 with the F 35 would be a giant leap backwards given the A 10 s performance and the F 35 s high costs 128 In 2012 the USAF considered the F 35B STOVL variant as a replacement CAS aircraft but concluded that it could not generate sufficient sorties 129 In August 2013 Congress and the USAF examined various proposals including the F 35 and the MQ 9 Reaper unmanned aerial vehicle filling the A 10 s role Proponents state that the A 10 s armor and cannon are superior to aircraft such as the F 35 for ground attack that guided munitions could be jammed and that ground commanders commonly request A 10 support 114 In the USAF s FY 2015 budget the service considered retiring the A 10 and other single mission aircraft prioritizing multi mission aircraft cutting a whole fleet and its infrastructure was seen as the only method for major savings The U S Army had expressed interest in obtaining some A 10s were the USAF to retire them 130 131 but later stated there was no chance of that happening 132 The USAF stated that retirement would save 3 7 billion from 2015 to 2019 Guided munitions allows more aircraft to perform CAS duties and reduces the need for specialized aircraft since 2001 multirole aircraft and bombers have performed 80 percent of operational CAS missions The USAF also said that the A 10 was more vulnerable to advanced anti aircraft defenses but the Army replied that it had proved invaluable due to its versatile weapons loads psychological impact and limited logistics needs 133 USAF crewmen perform maintenance on an A 10 s nose in the Persian Gulf region in 2003In January 2015 USAF officials told lawmakers that it would take 15 years to fully develop a new attack aircraft to replace the A 10 134 that year General Herbert J Carlisle the head of Air Combat Command stated that a follow on weapon system for the A 10 may need development 135 It planned for F 16s and F 15Es to initially take up CAS sorties and later by the F 35A once sufficient numbers become operationally available over the next decade 136 In July 2015 Boeing held initial discussions on the prospects of selling retired or stored A 10s in near flyaway condition to international customers 43 However the USAF stated that it would not permit any to be sold 137 Plans to develop a replacement aircraft were announced by the US Air Combat Command in August 2015 138 139 In 2016 the USAF began studying future CAS aircraft to succeed the A 10 in low intensity permissive conflicts like counterterrorism and regional stability operations noting the F 35 to be too expensive to operate in day to day roles Various platforms were considered including low end AT 6 Wolverine and A 29 Super Tucano turboprops and the Textron AirLand Scorpion as more basic off the shelf options to more sophisticated clean sheet attack aircraft or AT X derivatives of the T X next generation trainer as wholly new attack platforms 136 140 141 In January 2016 the USAF was indefinitely freezing plans to retire the A 10 Beyond congressional opposition its use in anti ISIS operations deployments to Eastern Europe as a response to Russia s military intervention in Ukraine and reevaluation of F 35 numbers necessitated its retention 142 143 In February 2016 the USAF deferred the final retirement date until 2022 after F 35s replace it on a squadron by squadron basis 144 145 In October 2016 the USAF Materiel Command brought the depot maintenance line back to full capacity in preparation for re winging the fleet 146 In June 2017 it was announced that the A 10 retained indefinitely 147 6 The 2022 Russian invasion of Ukraine led to some observers pushing for A 10s to be loaned to Ukraine while critics noted the diplomatic and tactical complications involved 148 149 In an interview in December 2022 Ukrainian Defence Minister Oleksii Reznikov said that in late March he asked the US Secretary of Defence Lloyd Austin for 100 surplus A 10s noting their value against Russian tank columns However Austin reportedly told Minister Reznikov that the plan was impossible and that the old fashioned and slow A 10 would be a squeaky target for Russian air defenses 150 Other uses Edit A 10 at RAF Fairford 2005On 25 March 2010 an A 10 conducted the first flight of an aircraft with all engines powered by a biofuel blend comprising a 1 1 blend of JP 8 and Camelina based fuel 151 On 28 June 2012 the A 10 became the first aircraft to fly using a new fuel blend derived from alcohol known as ATJ Alcohol to Jet the fuel is cellulosic based and can be produced using wood paper grass or any cellulose based material which are fermented into alcohols before being hydro processed into aviation fuel ATJ is the third alternative fuel to be evaluated by the USAF as a replacement for the petroleum derived JP 8 fuel Previous types were synthetic paraffinic kerosene derived from coal and natural gas and a bio mass fuel derived from plant oils and animal fats known as Hydroprocessed Renewable Jet 152 In 2011 the National Science Foundation granted 11 million to modify an A 10 for weather research for CIRPAS at the U S Naval Postgraduate School 153 and in collaboration with scientists from the South Dakota School of Mines amp Technology SDSM amp T 154 replacing SDSM amp T s retired North American T 28 Trojan 155 In 2018 this plan was found to be too risky due to the costly modifications required thus the program was canceled 156 Variants Edit A updated A 10C arrives at Davis Monthan AFB 29 November 2006 YA 10A Pre production variant 12 were built 157 A 10A Single seat close air support ground attack production version OA 10A A 10As used for airborne forward air control YA 10B Night Adverse Weather N AW Two seat experimental prototype for work at night and in bad weather The one YA 10B prototype was converted from an A 10A 158 159 A 10C A 10As updated under the incremental Precision Engagement PE program 45 A 10PCAS Proposed unmanned version developed by Raytheon and Aurora Flight Sciences as part of DARPA s Persistent Close Air Support program 160 The PCAS program eventually dropped the idea of using an optionally manned A 10 161 SPA 10 Proposed by the South Dakota School of Mines and Technology to replace its North American T 28 Trojan thunderstorm penetration aircraft The A 10 would have its military engines avionics and oxygen system replaced by civilian versions The engines and airframe would receive protection from hail and the GAU 8 Avenger would be replaced with ballast or scientific instruments 162 Project canceled after partial modification of a single A 10C 156 163 Operators Edit An A 10 Thunderbolt II refueling Four A 10s of the 103d Fighter Squadron Pennsylvania Air National Guard fly in formation during a refueling mission A 10C of the 163d Fighter Squadron Fort Wayne Air National Guard USAF A 10A showing kill markings from Operation Desert Storm 1991 An A 10 firing its 30 mm GAU 8 Gatling gun during testingThe A 10 has been flown exclusively by the United States Air Force and its Air Reserve components the Air Force Reserve Command AFRC and the Air National Guard ANG As of 2017 update 282 A 10C aircraft are reported as operational divided as follows 141 USAF 55 AFRC 86 ANG 164 United StatesUnited States Air Force Air Force Materiel Command 514th Flight Test Squadron Hill AFB Utah 1993 present 23rd Wing 74th Fighter Squadron Moody AFB Georgia 1980 1992 1996 present 75th Fighter Squadron Moody AFB Georgia 1980 1991 1992 present 51st Fighter Wing 25th Fighter Squadron Osan AFB South Korea 1982 1989 1993 present 53d Wing 422d Test and Evaluation Squadron Nellis AFB Nevada 1977 present 57th Wing 66th Weapons Squadron Nellis AFB Nevada 1977 1981 2003 present 96th Test Wing 40th Flight Test Squadron Eglin AFB Florida 1982 present 122nd Fighter Wing Indiana ANG 163d Fighter Squadron Fort Wayne ANGS Indiana 2010 present 124th Fighter Wing Idaho ANG 190th Fighter Squadron Gowen Field ANGB Idaho 1996 present 127th Wing Michigan ANG 107th Fighter Squadron Selfridge ANGB Michigan 2008 present 175th Wing Maryland ANG 104th Fighter Squadron Warfield ANGB Maryland 1979 present 355th Fighter Wing 354th Fighter Squadron Davis Monthan AFB Arizona 1979 1982 1991 present 357th Fighter Squadron Davis Monthan AFB Arizona 1979 present 442nd Fighter Wing AFRC 303d Fighter Squadron Whiteman AFB Missouri 1982 present 476th Fighter Group AFRC 76th Fighter Squadron Moody AFB Georgia 1981 1992 2009 present 495th Fighter Group 358th Fighter Squadron Whiteman AFB Missouri 1979 2014 2015 present 924th Fighter Group AFRC 45th Fighter Squadron Davis Monthan AFB Arizona 1981 1994 2009 present 47th Fighter Squadron Davis Monthan AFB Arizona 1980 present Former squadrons Edit 18th Tactical Fighter Squadron 1982 1991 23d Tactical Air Support Squadron 1987 1991 OA 10 unit 55th Tactical Fighter Squadron 1994 1996 70th Fighter Squadron 1995 2000 78th Tactical Fighter Squadron 1979 1992 81st Fighter Squadron 1994 2013 91st Tactical Fighter Squadron 1978 1992 92d Tactical Fighter Squadron 1978 1993 103d Fighter Squadron Pennsylvania ANG 1988 2011 OA 10 unit 118th Fighter Squadron Connecticut ANG 1979 2008 131st Fighter Squadron Massachusetts ANG 1979 2007 138th Fighter Squadron New York ANG 1979 1989 172d Fighter Squadron Michigan ANG 1991 2009 176th Tactical Fighter Squadron Wisconsin ANG 1981 1993 184th Fighter Squadron Arkansas ANG 2007 2014 353d Tactical Fighter Squadron 1978 1992 355th Tactical Fighter Squadron 1978 1992 1993 2007 356th Tactical Fighter Squadron 1977 1992 a 509th Tactical Fighter Squadron 1979 1992 510th Tactical Fighter Squadron 1979 1994 511th Tactical Fighter Squadron 1980 1992 706th Fighter Squadron 1982 1992 1997 2007 Aircraft on display EditGermany Edit A 10A77 0264 Spangdahlem AB Bitburg 165 South Korea Edit A 10A76 0515 Osan AB 166 United Kingdom Edit A 10A77 0259 American Air Museum at Imperial War Museum Duxford 167 80 0219 Bentwaters Cold War Museum 168 United States Edit YA 10A71 1370 Joint Base Langley Eustis Langley AFB Hampton Virginia 169 YA 10B73 1664 Air Force Flight Test Center Museum Edwards AFB California 170 A 10A73 1666 Hill Aerospace Museum Hill AFB Utah 171 A 10 at Hill Aerospace Museum73 1667 Flying Tiger Heritage Park at the former England AFB Louisiana 172 75 0263 Empire State Aerosciences Museum Glenville New York 173 75 0270 McChord Air Museum McChord AFB Washington 174 75 0293 Wings of Eagles Discovery Center Elmira New York 175 75 0288 Air Force Armament Museum Eglin AFB Florida 176 75 0289 Heritage Park Eielson AFB Alaska 177 75 0298 Pima Air amp Space Museum adjacent to Davis Monthan AFB Tucson Arizona 178 A 10A at Museum of Aviation Robins AFB YA 10B 73 166475 0305 Museum of Aviation Robins AFB Warner Robins Georgia 179 75 0308 Moody Heritage Park Moody AFB Valdosta Georgia 180 75 0309 Shaw AFB Sumter South Carolina Marked as AF Ser No 81 0964 assigned to the 55 FS from 1994 to 1996 The represented aircraft was credited with downing an Iraqi Mi 8 Hip helicopter on 15 February 1991 while assigned to the 511 TFS 181 182 76 0516 Wings of Freedom Aviation Museum at the former NAS Willow Grove Horsham Pennsylvania 183 76 0530 Whiteman AFB Missouri 184 76 0535 Cradle of Aviation Garden City New York 185 76 0540 Aerospace Museum of California McClellan Airport former McClellan AFB Sacramento California 186 77 0199 Stafford Air amp Space Museum Weatherford Oklahoma 77 0205 USAF Academy collection Colorado Springs Colorado 187 77 0228 Grissom Air Museum Grissom ARB former Grissom AFB Peru Indiana 188 77 0244 Wisconsin Air National Guard Museum Volk Field ANGB Wisconsin 189 77 0252 Cradle of Aviation Garden City New York nose section only 190 77 0667 England AFB Heritage Park Alexandria Louisiana 191 78 0681 National Museum of the United States Air Force Wright Patterson AFB Dayton Ohio 192 78 0687 Don F Pratt Memorial Museum Fort Campbell Kentucky 193 79 0097 Warbird Park former Myrtle Beach Air Force Base South Carolina 194 79 0100 Barnes Air National Guard Base Westfield Massachusetts 195 79 0103 Bradley Air National Guard Base Windsor Locks Connecticut 196 79 0116 Warrior Park Davis Monthan AFB Tucson Arizona 197 79 0173 New England Air Museum Windsor Locks Connecticut 198 79 0195 Russell Military Museum Zion Illinois 199 200 80 0168 Fort Wayne Air National Guard Base Fort Wayne Indiana 201 80 0247 American Airpower Museum Republic Airport Farmingdale New York 202 80 0708 Selfridge Military Air Museum Selfridge Air National Guard Base Harrison Township Michigan 203 81 0987 Seymour Johnson Air Force Base Goldsboro North Carolina 204 205 Specifications A 10C Edit Schematics of A 10C A 10 s 30 mm GAU 8 Avenger cannon Data from The Great Book of Modern Warplanes 206 Fairchild Republic A OA 10 207 USAF 111 General characteristicsCrew 1 Length 53 ft 4 in 16 26 m Wingspan 57 ft 6 in 17 53 m Height 14 ft 8 in 4 47 m Wing area 506 sq ft 47 0 m2 Airfoil NACA 6716 root NACA 6713 tip Empty weight 24 959 lb 11 321 kg Gross weight 30 384 lb 13 782 kg CAS mission 47 094 lb 21 361 kg Anti armor mission 42 071 lb 19 083 kg Max takeoff weight 46 000 lb 20 865 kg 208 Fuel capacity 11 000 lb 4 990 kg internal Powerplant 2 General Electric TF34 GE 100A turbofans 9 065 lbf 40 32 kN thrust eachPerformance Maximum speed 381 kn 439 mph 706 km h at sea level clean 207 Cruise speed 300 kn 340 mph 560 km h Stall speed 120 kn 138 mph 220 km h at 30 000 lb 14 000 kg 209 Never exceed speed 450 kn 518 mph 833 km h at 5 000 ft 1 500 m with 18 Mark 82 bombs 210 207 Combat range 250 nmi 288 mi 463 km CAS mission 250 nmi 290 mi 460 km 1 88 hour loiter at 5 000 ft 1 500 m 10 min combat Anti armor mission 252 nmi 290 mi 467 km with sea level penetration and exit 30 min combat Ferry range 2 240 nmi 2 580 mi 4 150 km with 50 knots 58 mph 26 m s headwinds 20 minutes reserve Service ceiling 45 000 ft 13 700 m Rate of climb 6 000 ft min 30 m s Wing loading 99 lb sq ft 482 kg m2 Thrust weight 0 36Armament Guns 1 30 mm 1 18 in GAU 8 A Avenger rotary cannon with 1 174 rounds Hardpoints 11 8 under wing and 3 under fuselage pylon stations with a capacity of 16 000 lb 7 260 kg with provisions to carry combinations of Rockets 4 LAU 61 LAU 68 rocket pods each with 19 7 Hydra 70 mm APKWS 212 rockets respectively 6 LAU 131 rocket pods each with 7 Hydra 70 rockets 213 214 Missiles 2 AIM 9 Sidewinder air to air missiles for self defense 6 AGM 65 Maverick air to surface missiles Bombs Mark 80 series of unguided iron bombs or Mk 77 incendiary bombs or BLU 1 BLU 27 B CBU 20 Rockeye II BL755 215 and CBU 52 58 71 87 89 97 cluster bombs or Paveway series of Laser guided bombs or Joint Direct Attack Munition JDAM A 10C 111 or Wind Corrected Munitions Dispenser Other SUU 42A A Flares infrared decoys and chaff dispenser pod or 2 600 US gal 2 300 L Sargent Fletcher drop tanks for increased range loiter time Avionics Targeting pods AN AAQ 28 V 4 LITENING or AN AAQ 33 V 1 2 Sniper Countermeasures AN ALQ 131 216 or AN ALQ 184 V 11 12 217 ECM podsNotable appearances in media EditMain article Aircraft in fiction A 10 Thunderbolt IINicknames EditThe A 10 Thunderbolt II received its popular nickname Warthog from the pilots and crews of the USAF attack squadrons who flew and maintained it The A 10 is the last of Republic s jet attack aircraft to serve with the USAF The Republic F 84 Thunderjet was nicknamed the Hog F 84F Thunderstreak nicknamed Superhog and the Republic F 105 Thunderchief tagged Ultra Hog 218 The saying Go Ugly Early has been associated with the aircraft in reference to calling in the A 10 early to support troops in ground combat 219 See also Edit Aviation portal United States portalCraig D Button USAF pilot who crashed mysteriously in an A 10 190th Fighter Squadron Blues and Royals friendly fire incident 1988 Remscheid A 10 crashAircraft of comparable role configuration and era Ilyushin Il 102 Northrop YA 9 Sukhoi Su 25Related lists List of attack aircraft List of active United States military aircraftReferences EditNotes Edit First unit to become operational with the A 10 With the inner wheel on a turn stopped the minimum radius of the turn is dictated by the distance between the inner wheel and the nose wheel Since the distance is less between the right main wheel and the nose gear than the same measurement on the left the aircraft can turn more tightly to the right Citations Edit a b Spick 2000 p 51 a b Spick 2000 pp 17 52 Jenkins 1998 p 42 Fairchild Republic A 10A Thunderbolt II National Museum of the US Air Force archived from the original on 15 December 2018 Nijboer Donald 2016 Fighting Cock pits Minneapolis Minnesota Zenith Press p 192 ISBN 978 0 7603 4956 4 This would be the first air force fighter designed exclusively for close air support a b Keller Jared 8 June 2017 Fighter Pilot Turned Congresswoman Throws Wrench in Quiet Plans To Cut A 10 Squadrons Task amp Purpose Archived from the original on 21 September 2017 Air Force R amp D Chief Lt General Arnold Bunch testified that the service is committed to maintaining a minimum of six A 10 combat squadrons flying and contributing to the fight through 2030 with additional A 10 force structure is contingent on future budget levels and force structure requirements Piehler G Kurt ed 2013 Encyclopedia of Military Science associate editor M Houston Johnson Thousand Oaks Calif Sage Publications ISBN 978 1412969338 Knaack 1978 p 151 Hobson Chris 2001 Vietnam Air Losses USAF USN USMC Fixed Wing Aircraft Losses in Southeast Asia 1961 1973 Specialty Press ISBN 978 1 85780 115 6 a b c d e f Jacques amp Strouble 2010 Burton James G The Pentagon Wars Reformers Challenge the Old Guard Annapolis Maryland Naval Institute Press 1993 ISBN 1 55750 081 9 Coram 2004 page needed Price Bem 18 September 1966 Capital still buzzing whether TFX a colossal blunder Eugene Register Guard Oregon Associated Press p 5A Knaack 1978 pp 265 76 NATO A Pledge for Peace and Progress Canadian War Museum Archived from the original on 3 October 2016 Retrieved 2 July 2016 a b Jacques amp Strouble 2010 p 24 a b Jenkins 1998 p 12 Jenkins 1998 pp 16 17 a b GAO 07 415 Tactical 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Donald David and Daniel J March eds A 10 Fighting Warthog Modern Battlefield Warplanes Norwalk Connecticut AIRtime 2004 ISBN 1 880588 76 5 Drendel Lou A 10 Warthog in Action Carrollton Texas Squadron Signal Publications 1981 ISBN 0 89747 122 9 The Fairchild A 10A More Thunder for the USAF Air International Vol 6 No 5 May 1974 pp 219 25 263 Bromley UK Pilot Press ISSN 0306 5634 The Fairchild Can Opener Shturmovik of the Eighties Air International Vol 16 No 6 June 1979 pp 267 72 287 Bromley UK Pilot Press ISSN 0306 5634 Fitzsimmons Bernard ed A 10 Thunderbolt II Modern Fighting Aircraft Series New York Arco Publishing Inc 1984 ISBN 0 668 06070 0 Jenkins Dennis R Fairchild Republic A OA 10 Warthog North Branch Minnesota Specialty Press 1998 ISBN 1 58007 013 2 Jacques David Strouble Dennis 2010 A 10 Thunderbolt II Warthog Systems Engineering Case Study PDF Technical report Air Force Institute of Technology Archived PDF from the original on 10 September 2015 Garland Charles Colombi John 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Volume 16 Spring 1994 pp 32 83 Aerospace Publishing London ISBN 1 874023 36 0 ISSN 0959 7050 Sweetman Bill The Great Book of Modern Warplanes New York Portland House 1987 ISBN 0 517 63367 1 Taylor John W R Jane s All the World s Aircraft 1982 83 London Jane s Yearbooks 1982 ISBN 0 7106 0748 2 Wilson Michael 20 March 1976 Fairchild A 10 Flight International pp 707 17 archived from the original on 28 April 2015 Winchester Jim ed Fairchild A 10 Thunderbolt II Military Aircraft of the Cold War The Aviation Factfile Rochester Kent UK The Grange plc 2006 ISBN 1 84013 929 3 External links Edit Wikimedia Commons has media related to A 10 Thunderbolt II Republic A 10A page A 10 Construction and Night Adverse Weather A 10 pages on National Museum of the United States Air Force site TO 1A 10A 1 Flight Manual USAF Series A 10A Aircraft Serno 75 00258 and Subsequent 1988 Retrieved from https en wikipedia org w index php title Fairchild Republic A 10 Thunderbolt II amp oldid 1166991699, wikipedia, 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