A-10 Thunderbolt II

[Shrayev]

Hey,

Just to start off, I've been playing PR for a while, but this is my first forum post. I was looking at some information about the A-10 on Wikipedia (I know, not a great source for information, but it's entertaining), and I found some statistics that I found pretty interesting.
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Operational history


The first unit to receive the A-10 Thunderbolt II was the 355th Tactical Training Wing, based at Davis-Monthan Air Force Base, Arizona in March 1976.

The A-10 saw combat for the first time during the Gulf War in 1991, destroying more than 1,000 Iraqi tanks, 2,000 military vehicles, and 1,200 artillery pieces. A-10s shot down two Iraqi helicopters with the GAU-8 gun.[2] Seven A-10s were shot down during the war,[9] far fewer than military planners expected.[citation needed] A-10s had a mission capable rate of 95.7%, flew 8,100 sorties, and launched 90% of the AGM-65 Maverick missiles fired in the conflict.[10] Part of the reason for this success were the burning oil wells that provided Iraqi tanks some cover from advanced electronics and high-flying fighters like the F-15 and F-16, where the trained eye, longer gun range and stable gun platform of the A-10 proved its worth.[citation needed]

In the 1990s many A-10s were shifted to the forward air control (FAC) role and redesignated OA-10. In the FAC role the A-10 is typically equipped with up to six pods of 5 inch (127 mm) Zuni rockets, usually with smoke or white phosphorus warheads used for target marking. They remain fully combat capable despite the redesignation.
USAF A-10A during Desert Storm
USAF A-10A during Desert Storm

A-10s again saw service in the 1999 Kosovo War, in the later stages of the 2001 invasion of Afghanistan, in Operation Anaconda in Afghanistan in March 2002 and in the 2003 Iraq war. In Afghanistan the A-10 is based at Bagram.

On 30 April 2003, USCENTAF issued Operation Iraqi Freedom: By the Numbers, a declassified report about the aerial campaign in the conflict. Sixty A-10s were deployed in Iraq; one was shot down near Baghdad International Airport by Iraqi fire late in the campaign. Of the A-10s deployed, 47 were Air National Guard Aircraft, and 12 were from the Air Force Reserve. The A-10 had a mission capable rate of 85% in the war, and fired 311,597 rounds of 30 mm ammunition. The A-10 also flew 32 missions in which the aircraft dropped propaganda leaflets over Iraq.[2]

The A-10 is scheduled to stay in service with the USAF until 2028 , when it may be replaced by the F-35 Lightning II. The entire A-10 fleet is currently undergoing upgrades. The A-10 could stay in service longer due to its low cost and its unique capabilities which the F-35 simply cannot incorporate — such as its cannon, ruggedness and slow flying capabilities.

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And, no, I'm not an A-10 pilot in PR. Half the time, I'm being strafed by that bloody beast of a cannon-- I just found these statistics interesting.

I don't really know much about modern militaries, or modern military technology, but I find information like this compelling, and I'm fascinated by military history. As a result, this particular section of the forum is a really great place for me to try to stay up to date with information that I wouldn't otherwise be getting.

Thanks for reading,


-Shrayev

[OiSkout]

Yea, I heard(saw on tv haha) that they were supposed to be decommissioned a bunch of times but the A-10 proved to be too badass.

[[R-MOD]Eddiereyes909]

The A10 strikes fear into the hearts of tankers every where.

plus the gattling guns fire depleted uranium

[Mouse]

Yes, the A 10 also strikes fear into any friendly forces, cos they know there about to get shot at by it.

[WNxLT7]

once again mouse you ruin the post.

[$kelet0r]

Originally Posted by WNxLT7

once again mouse you ruin the post.

Well he has a point, it's still an analogue based technology which limits it's accuracy and lethality to a large degree and by extension makes friendly fire more likely. It needs to be rebuilt from the wheels up - its purpose and general design is good but it shows its age ... low survivability against AAMs, limited electronics based technology and poor stealth. But that's unlikely considering the arrival of the likes of the A10 sized MQ-9 Reaper UAV

[WNxLT7]

But how close are you going to be to a target when an A10 unloads its 30mm gatling cannon? There is a higher possibility of being killed by a bomb then being sprayed by this. Just about any jet/bomber that takes a hit from an AAM is bound to go down. The A-10 however is armored rather well and has been known to take serveral hits and still make it back to base. And because of it's "limited" aeronotical technology it does such a good job at what it does. It isnt scheduled to retire untill some time in 2028 where it might be replaced by the F-35 Lightning II. Hopefully it wont because it doesn't have near the armament or air-to-ground capabilites as the A-10. Not to mention it costs around $800 mil compared to the A-10's $10 mil.

[Mouse]

Originally Posted by WNxLT7

once again mouse you ruin the post.

Ahem no, just stating a fact, that machine should also have a perecntage for friendly fire, because i know it'll be alot higher then most things.

[swiftdraw]

Originally Posted by OiSkout

Yea, I heard(saw on tv haha) that they were supposed to be decommissioned a bunch of times but the A-10 proved to be too badass.

That and un-official reports stat that the US Army was going to try to pick up the A-10 for the Army aviation branch if the Air Force dropped it. The Air Force evidently dis-liked the idea and may of played a part in the A-10 not getting decommissioned.

[NikovK]

Mouse, if you want to start an argument about friendly fire, do so in your own topic so we can lock it without ruining innocent threads.