Fairchild Republic A-10 Thunderbolt II – Wikipediaīut all the plane’s unorthodox attributes were kept from being buried in the pages of history as the USAF plans to retire 42 of its 281 Warthogs were being opposed in the US Senate. The pilot sat around a titanium armor – rightfully called the ‘bathtub’ – 3.8 cm thick, that brought back pilots safe from even the most devastating ack-ack fire and shrapnel from air-burst rounds. Faster air superiority fighters can’t fly low and slow to pick their ground targets or take a really good look at what they are hitting – a need in air-land battle when even the best electro-optical targeting systems can’t differentiate between friend and foe.Įven if they did, enemy anti-aircraft guns can easily tear through their soft bodies.īut the Warthog could do that, had a greater ‘loiter time’, and could take significant punishment by combat jet standards. The A-10 also can launch a variety of air-to-ground missiles, bombs, and rockets. Made of depleted uranium-tipped rounds, it devastated tanks and bunkers alike, punching holes through the thickest armor. The warplane was known for its GAU 30 mm Avenger rotating Gatling gun, with the famous – and largely accurate – description being that it was a plane “built around a gun”. An A-10 appearing overhead after responding to close-air support (CAS) call meant a certain victory for ground troops. The completely unorthodox plane was a symbol of American aerospace capability and prowess, striking fear into the hearts of enemy ground troops and tanks alike. China One Step Closer To ‘Hunt Down’ US’ F-35, F-22 Stealth Fighter Jets With New Radar Technology
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So eventually, this turns into a numbers game.One of the most iconic aircraft of our time, the A-10 Warthog, just can’t seem to leave the US Air Force (USAF), not because its pilots or the service loves it too much to let it go, but political exigencies with domestic electoral concerns prevent it. USAF worries that funding the A-10 will necessitate cutting elsewhere - retiring hundreds of F-16s, forgoing F-35s, and perhaps killing the B-1B program entirely. With the Air Force on the hook for upward of $1 trillion to buy and fly its new fleet of F-35s, money's getting tight.
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The problem these days is more a question of cost. Used primarily on special ops missions, it's called variously the "Spectre," "Spooky," or "Ghostrider," and as recently argued on the pages of the Air Force Times, all three variants beat the smaller A-10 for "lethality." Each carries a 105mm howitzer, twin 40mm cannon, and a 25mm Gatling gun capable of unloading 2,500 rounds per minute - a trifecta of terror for any opposing force.įrom the sheer perspective of how much lead can we throw at the enemy, there's no denying - there are alternatives to the A-10. And rounding out the ensemble, Lockheed makes a gunship version of its C-130 Hercules transport.
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The plane it's replacing, Lockheed's venerable F-16 fighter, carries a similar payload, and has an M61 Vulcan Gatling gun with capacity for 511 20mm cannon rounds (which, firing at 6,000 rounds per minute, the F-16 can empty in 5.1 seconds flat).īoeing's ( BA 0.73%) high-altitude B-1B bomber isn't much good at strafing, but it can carry a payload of 144 "smart" GBU-39 Small Diameter Bombs in its bays, permitting precision strikes on ground targets.
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Lockheed Martin's ( LMT 0.97%) F-35 stealth fighter, for example, sports a 25mm GAU-22/A Gatling gun for ground attack, plus internal weapons bays and external hard points permitting a payload of eight bombs and missiles. But if you ask USAF brass today, they'll tell you it's time to retire the much-loved (but not for its looks) "Warthog." Its day is done, and there are other planes - more modern, capable planes - that can perform the A-10's mission just as well. Once upon a time, the Fairchild Republic A-10 Thunderbolt II was inarguably the best close air support fighter in the U.S. When it comes to warplanes, which is better: shiny and new, or tried and true?