A-10: A History

The A/OA-10 Thunderbolt II (known to pilots as the ‘Warthog’) is the first Air Force aircraft specially designed for close air support of ground forces. They are simple, effective and survivable twin-engine jet aircraft that can be used against all ground targets, including tanks and other armored vehicles.

Features
The A-10/OA-10 have excellent maneuverability at low air speeds and altitude, and are highly accurate weapons-delivery platforms. They can loiter near battle areas for extended periods of time and operate under 1,000-foot ceilings (303.3 meters) with 1.5-mile (2.4 kilometers) visibility. Their wide combat radius and short takeoff and landing capability permit operations in and out of locations near front lines. Using night vision goggles, A-10/ OA-10 pilots can conduct their missions during darkness.

Thunderbolt IIs have Night Vision Imaging Systems (NVIS), goggle compatible single-seat cockpits forward of their wings and a large bubble canopy which provides pilots all-around vision. The pilots are protected by titanium armor that also protects parts of the flight-control system. The redundant primary structural sections allow the aircraft to enjoy better survivability during close air support than did previous aircraft.

The aircraft can survive direct hits from armor-piercing and high explosive projectiles up to 23mm. Their self-sealing fuel cells are protected by internal and external foam. Manual systems back up their redundant hydraulic flight-control systems. This permits pilots to fly and land when hydraulic power is lost.

The Thunderbolt II can be serviced and operated from bases with limited facilities near battle areas. Many of the aircraft's parts are interchangeable left and right, including the engines, main landing gear and vertical stabilizers.

Avionics equipment includes communications, inertial navigation systems, fire control and weapons delivery systems, target penetration aids and night vision goggles. Their weapons delivery systems include heads-up displays that indicate airspeed, altitude, dive angle, navigation information and weapons aiming references; a low altitude safety and targeting enhancement system (LASTE) which provides constantly computing impact point freefall ordnance delivery; and Pave Penny laser-tracking pods under the fuselage. The aircraft also have armament control panels, and infrared and electronic countermeasures to handle surface-to-air-missile threats. Installation of the Global Positioning System is currently underway for all aircraft.

The Thunderbolt II's 30mm GAU-8/A Gatling gun can fire 3,900 rounds a minute and can defeat an array of ground targets to include tanks. Some of their other equipment includes an inertial navigation system, electronic countermeasures, target penetration aids, self-protection systems, and AGM-65 Maverick and AIM-9 Sidewinder missiles.
 

History & Background
The A-10 ‘Warthog’ was originally designed to provide effective Close Air Support in a low intensity conflict (such as Vietnam), in the tradition of the Douglas “AD” Skyraider. As a well protected, low-flying, heavily armed, and ruggedly survivable aircraft, the A-10 could fulfill a multitude of missions that faster jet aircraft were ill suited for. Although it was conceived of in the typical Vietnam CAS role, it soon evolved into a formidable and dedicated anti-armor platform early in its career. Preceding the selection by the US Air Force of the Fairchild Republic A-10, a design competition was carried out between the Northrop A-9 and Fairchild’s A-10 proposal (March 1971). This ‘fly-off’ resulted in the A-10 being selected and a subsequent production run of 707 A-10s was initiated. While the Northrop A-9 was of conventional design, the A-10 was more rugged, with a Titanium armored cockpit, and two well protected AVCO Lycoming ALF502 turbofan engines placed close to the fuselage’s center of gravity, making it easier to trim should one engine fail or be knocked out. Hydraulic and flight control systems were also well protected from ground fire, with manual back-up systems in place. The A-10 prototype weighed in at about 23,734 pounds and to keep cost down it used parts from a variety of other aircraft, as well as commercially available (but beefed-up) turbofan engines. Some of the well thought out features of the A-10 included excellent 360 degree pilot visibility, a heavily armored canopy & windscreen, a Titanium ‘bathtub’ to protect the cockpit’s occupant, with fuel tanks set well away from the engines, very strong wing stores loading points for carrying a very heavy and wide variety of weapons, greatly simplified engine access ease for maintenance, and advanced safety features such as fire suppressant foam in all 4 of its fuel tanks (two in the wings and two in the fuselage). Its safe (fully loaded) take off weight is twice its basic empty weight (50,000 pounds versus 25,000 pounds).

Regrettably, despite its perfect nature for superb close air support and anti-armor roles, the A-10 fell afoul of a politically contentious argument between traditional fast-jet proponents (who favored such aircraft as the F-16 for CAS) and more broad-minded air power advocates who well understood the need for such a ruggedly formidable, if slightly less glamorous aircraft design. The problem, it seemed, was that the traditional yank & bank jet jockies felt that something as glaringly practical and utilitarian as the A-10 didn’t quite fit the dashing image of the modern age’s Sierra Hotel fighter pilot; the official excuse offered for its fall into disfavor, however, was that USAF felt it would be too vulnerable to fast-flying top-cover defenders in a conventional aerial battle. As a result, A-10 production ceased and those already produced were withdrawn from active regular USAF duty and turned over to the reserves (a symbolic move that bespoke its fall from grace). It languished in this ‘hand-me-down’ status until the 1991 Gulf War suddenly prompted an urgent need for an aircraft of its type to go up against the formidable Iraqi armor threat. Suddenly, its superb capabilities as a tough and ferocious CAS weapon came back into the spotlight and it has been greatly valued from that time on as the perfect flying weapons platform for these dangerous, low flying ground support missions.
The A-10 made its first flight in May of 1972 at Edwards AFFTC. The first of an initial 52 production A-10A aircraft were delivered to Davis-Monthan Air Force Base, Ariz. in October 1975. It was designed specially for the close air support mission and had the ability to combine large military loads, long loiter and wide combat radius, which proved to be vital assets to the United States and its allies during Operation Desert Storm and Operation Noble Anvil. In the Gulf War, A-10s had a mission capable rate of 95.7 percent, flew 8,100 sorties and launched 90 percent of the AGM-65 Maverick missiles.

General Characteristics
Primary Function: A-10A - close air support, OA-10A - airborne forward air control
Contractor: Fairchild Republic Co.
Power Plant: Two General Electric TF34-GE-100 turbofans
(originally AVCO Lycoming ALF502 turbo fans)
Thrust: 9,065 pounds each engine
Length: 53 feet, 4 inches (16.16 meters)
Height: 14 feet, 8 inches (4.42 meters)
Wingspan: 57 feet, 6 inches (17.42 meters)
Speed: 420 miles per hour (Mach 0.56)
Ceiling: 45,000 feet (13,636 meters)
Maximum Takeoff Weight: 51,000 pounds (22,950 kilograms)
Range: 800 miles (695 nautical miles)
Armament: One 30 mm GAU-8/A seven-barrel Gatling gun; up to 16,000 pounds (7,200 kilograms) of mixed ordnance on eight under-wing and three under-fuselage pylon stations, including 500 pounds (225 kilograms) of Mk-82 and 2,000 pounds (900 kilograms) of Mk-84 series low/high drag bombs, incendiary cluster bombs, combined effects munitions, mine dispensing munitions, AGM-65 Maverick missiles and laser-guided/electro-optically guided bombs; infrared countermeasure flares; electronic countermeasure chaff; jammer pods; 2.75-inch (6.99 centimeters) rockets; illumination flares and AIM-9 Sidewinder missiles.
Crew: One
Date Deployed: March 1976
Unit Cost: $9.8 million (fiscal 98 constant dollars)
Inventory: Active force, A-10, 143 and OA-10, 70; Reserve, A-10, 46 and OA-10, 6; ANG, A-10, 84 and OA-10, 18