In the opening days of Desert Storm things were chaotic.
Coalition forces were moving so quickly that there were no real front lines.
His aircraft was tasked to punch into Iraqi territory and retrieve a high value asset who had been wounded.
A Fairchild Republic A-10 Thunderbolt II over the skies of Afghanistan in support of Operation Enduring Freedom in 2011. Image: Master Sgt. William Greer/U.S. Air Force
They located the asset and dismounted the SF retrieval team to make the pickup.
However, the asset was badly hurt and they were having difficulty getting him prepped for movement.
Thats when one of the operators noticed a dust plume approaching in the distance.
An A-10 Warthog takes off from Al Asad Air Base to provide close air support to United States troops in Iraq. Image: U.S. Air Force
At the time, U.S. Army helicopters were painted a dark OD green that could pass for black.
Against the light brown powdery Iraqi desert sand, they stuck out like a wart on a supermodel.
In desperation, my buddy got on the radio.
Maj. Lindsay “MAD” Johnson, an A-10C Thunderbolt II Demonstration Team pilot, flies over Davis-Monthan Air Force Base, Ariz., June 10, 2024. Image: Senior Airman Devlin Bishop/U.S. Air Force
That airspace is a busy, dangerous place, and these eyes in the sky help prevent blue-on-blue accidents.
In this case, the AWACS controller came back moments later with the solution to my buddys problem.
They would be onsite in under two minutes.
An A-10 Thunderbolt II fires weapons over the Nevada Test and Training Range Nevada, Dec. 7, 2022. Image: Airman 1st Class Trevor Bell/U.S. Air Force
It would still be close.
Republic called the A-10 the Thunderbolt II.
However, everyone I ever knew called the big ugly jet the Warthog.
Capt. Danny Stout, an air liaison officer deployed with the 82nd Airborne Division, guides A-10 Thunderbolts onto his location in Afghanistan. Image: 2nd Lt. Rebecca Garland/U.S. Air Force
There was a sound like ripping canvas, and the two gun jeeps were instantly and most thoroughly pulverized.
The two A-10s then waggled their wings and headed north to sow more chaos.
Ground support crews purge the spent cases as part of the reloading process.
An A10 Thunderbolt II flies over U.S. troops during a live fire exercise in the Grafenwoehr Training Area, Germany. Image: U.S. Army
Theres a big machine on wheels that undertakes this process quickly and efficiently.
He gave one of them to me.
It is a tangible reminder of the fearsome power of the mighty A-10 Warthog.
U.S. Air Force A-10 Thunderbolt II aircraft fly over aSoviet T-62A tankin 1990. Image: NARA
Everybody, and I do mean everybody, who actually mattered loved that big ugly thing.
However, the Air Force brass have nonetheless been trying unsuccessfully to retire the plane for decades.
The big, slow Warthog offends the traditional Wing Nuts sensibilities.
A right side view of a 57th Fighter Weapons Wing A-10 Thunderbolt II aircraft dropping parachute-retarded bombs during a tactical capabilities exercise, date unknown. Image: NARA
In addition to being quite objectively homely, the A-10 also seems to be unkillable.
The A-10 was actually developed to meet ground attack requirements identified during the Vietnam War.
Our standard CAS (Close Air Support) platform back then wasDouglas A-1 Skyraider.
An A-10 Thunderbolt and an A-1 Skyraider perform at Airventure 2019 as part of a U.S.A.F. Heritage Flight. This Douglas A-1H 52 is one of only two A-1Hs that still fly in the world. Image: U.S. Air Force
Given the technology of the burgeoning jet age, we could obviously do better.
Development of the Cold War-era A-10 actually began in 1961.
The trajectory of the resulting A-X program was influenced by interservice rivalries and the evolution of attack helicopter technology.
A-10 Thunderbolt II attack planes go in with U.S. Marines aboard MV-22B Osprey aircraft during a training scenario in Hawaii. Image: Sgt. Alex Kouns/U.S. Marine Corps
The final version fired rounds the size of a water bottle and cycled at 3,900 rounds per minute.
The end result became an aviation legend.
Rather theatrically, the Air Force called the gun the Avenger.
Shown here is an inboard profile drawing Fairchild Republic A-10 Thunderbolt II. Image: U.S. Air Force
The field was winnowed down over time.
After a flyoff between the Northrop YA-9A and the Fairchild Republic YA-10A, the Republic airplane took the day.
The first production A-10 flew in 1975.
Shown is the business end of the General Electric GAU-8 Avenger 30mm autocannon on the A-10 Thunderbolt II. Image: Ty Greenlees/U.S. Air Force
The Hog saw squadron service the following year.
Curiously, there was only one experimental two-seat A-10 ever produced.
The engines were oriented high on the airframe to prevent damage from debris while taxiing.
Airmen load 30 mm rounds into an A-10 Thunderbolt II during Romanian-American Training Exercise 2005. Image: 2nd Lt. Shannon Collins/U.S. Air Force
The cockpit was surrounded by 1,200 pounds of titanium armor.
Hog drivers referred to this armored capsule as, The Bathtub.
The landing gear all fold forward.
During NATO military exercises in West Germany, this A-10 Thunderbolt II lands on the autobahn where ground teams trained to refuel and rearm the attack aircraft in the field, circa 1985. Image: NARA
The main wheels remain partially exposed when stowed.
This was done intentionally to make belly landings more survivable.
The nose gear is offset to the side to accommodate the big cannon.
A pair of A-10 Thunderbolt II aircraft fly in formation during Exercise Thunderhog II in October 1980. Image: NARA
As a result, turning right on the ground in the A-10 requires less space than turning left.
Low-pressure tires allow the plane to operate from unimproved surfaces.
This geometry prevents significant changes to the airplanes yaw or pitch during firing.
A ground crew chief marshals an A-10 Thunderbolt II aircraft into a parking position during Exercise Brim Frost in 1981. Image: NARA
Firing the gun does actually slow the plane down a bit.
Ruminations
Maximum takeoff weight is 46,000 pounds, and the plane includes 18 underwing hardpoints for ordnance.
The standard ammo load for the GAU-8 is 1,174 rounds.
A ground crewman runs for cover during a simulated air raid, delaying maintenance on an A-10 Thunderbolt II aircraft, during Exercise UREX ’82. Image: NARA
716 copies have been built.
Over the decades, the USAF has aggressively upgraded the wings, cockpit and targeting systems.
Nowadays, the mighty A-10 Warthog has fallen prey to battlefield technological advancements.
U.S.A.F. and Spanish Joint Terminal Attack Controllers (JTAC) pose for a team photo with an A-10 Thunderbolt II flying by in San Gregorio training area, Spain. Image: U.S. Air Force
Brrrrrrttttt……
Go to forum thread
Maintenance crews on the A-10 Warthog end their 12 hour duty day at the Al Asad Air Base in Iraq. The 438th Air Expeditionary Group A-10 jets performed 10 sorties daily. Image: U.S. Air Force
