A-10 Thunderbolt

Nobody calls the A-10 the Thunderbolt. Even its most ardent proponents call it the Warthog. Ugly and misshapen though it may be, it is nonetheless the deadliest ground-attack aircraft in any nation's air force. The A-10 Warthog is admired by its pilots and feared by enemies on the ground. It proved unexpectedly versatile when used against heavily defended ground targets.
Originally conceived as a counter-insurgency aircraft for the Vietnam War, the A-10 Thunderbolt II emerged in 1972 as a dedicated close air support aircraft, with primary anti-armour role. The single -seat A-10 is especially effective as a "tank-busting" aircraft. Its principal weapon is the AGM-65 Maverick anti-armour missile, supplemented by a formidable GAU-8 Avenger 30-mm seven barrelled rotary cannon with 1,200 rounds. The 30-mm cannon is lethal against armour as it fires high-velocity slugs with depleted uranium tips. Depleted uranium, which is not radioactive, is heavier than lead or steel and thus has penetrating power against heavy tank armour.
In addition to the Avenger, the A-10 can carry eight tons of air-to-ground munitions, including "iron" bombs, "smart" bombs, cluster bombs, AGM-65 air-to-ground Maverick missiles, and AIM-9 Sidewinder air-to-air missiles. Electronic counter-measures equipment can also be carried on the A-10's eight underwing pylons. External ECM pod includes AN/ALQ-119(V), AN/ALQ131, or AN-ALQ-184(V). The initial A-10 layout provided for 480 chaff cartridges/ flares to be carried.
The Warthog is one of the "hardest" aircraft flying. The pilot sits in a titanium-armour "bathtub" that protects both the pilot and the ammunition tank. Control lines are duplicated and stretched through widely separate parts of the aircraft. The heavily armoured engines are located high and to the rear of the fuselage for maximum shielding from ground-launched heat-seeking missiles.
The A-10 entered USAF service in 1977. Some A-10s were later sent to replace the OV-10s in the forward air control (FAC) role for which they are armed with rocket pods for marking targets and AIM-9 Sidewinder AAMs for self-defence. These A-10s were redesignated as OA-10A Thunderbolt II. In the twilight of its career, the A-10 proved its worth during the 1991 Desert Storm operations, destroying huge numbers of tanks, artillery pieces and vehicles.

OA-10A Thunderbolt II Specifications

Length:

16.26 m

Height:

4.47 m

Wing span:

17.53 m

Wing area:

47.01 sq m

Performance

Maximum speed:

(at sea level) 390 kts

Combat speed:

(at sea level) 330 kts

Combat radius:

1,000 km on deep strike mission,
463 km on close air support mission
with a 1.7-hour loiter

Weight: (empty):

9,771 kg

Typical combat weight:

13,850 kg

Maximum TO Weight:

22,680 kg

Service ceiling:

10,600 m

Rate of climb:

1,828 m per min

Propulsion

Powerplant:

Two General Electric
TF34-GE-100 turbofans
each rated at 40.32 kN.

Armament

One internal GAU-8 Avenger 30-mm rotary cannon with 1,200 rounds,

and up to 7,258 kg payload of weapons including:-

- AGM-65G Maverick laser-guided missile.
- AGM-65B Maverick television-guided missile.
- AGM-65D Maverick Imaging infra-red missile.
- AIM-9L/M Sidewinder self-defence missiles.
- up to 12 LAU-68 rocket pods for marking targets.

A-10 Thunderbolt II Variants
A -10	Single-seater first variant.
A-10A	Designed for anti armour/close air support of ground forces.
OA-10A	Forward air control role.
YA-10B	Two-seater, failed to go into production as the USAF had other higher priorities .