The Fairchild-Republic A-10 Thunderbolt II is a single-seat, twin-engine jet aircraft designed to provide close air support (CAS) of ground forces by attacking tanks, armored vehicles, and other ground targets.
As a secondary mission, it provides airborne forward air control, guiding other aircraft against ground targets.
It is the first US Air Force aircraft designed exclusively for close air support (CAS) of ground forces. The official nickname comes from the P-47 Thunderbolt of World War II, a plane that was particularly effective at the CAS mission. However, the A-10 is more commonly known as Warthog or simply Hog.
Wild Thing’s comment…….
Lovin that A-10 Firepower!
That plane is Awesome, when I come back I want to be an A-10 pilot. The warthoag, how appropriate.
The Air Force was all set to get rid of he A-10 until Desert Storm. The A-10 doesn’t fit the Air Force image of the suave sophisticated Fighter Jock; ugly, slow, and subsonic. The AF was going to replace the A-10 with a modified version of the F-16. But, during Desert Storm the A-10’s kicked some serious ass and took a heck of a beating while bringing their pilots home safe and sound, something the F-16 could never do.
Now, the F-15 and F-16 jocks always envisioned themselves as the saviors of the sky but when the pilots walked into a room of Marines or Soldiers, it was the A-10 pilots getting the free drinks and respect. To the grunts on the ground, a pilot zipping along at Mach 1+, releasing some bombs and flying back home is nothing but a certain part of a females anatomy. But, the pilot flying slow above the battlefield, taking all kinds of small arms and RPG fire, while releasing and firing his weapons in support of ground troops is a pilot with huge kahonas.
When I was assigned to an Air Refueling Group, we used to have to ferry A-10’s across the ocean. We hated it because they flew soooo slow, making the journey seem to take forever. Our tanker always had to be available to provide in-flight refueling, so basically we made the journey flying at just above stall speeds.
Think I will run down to the Army-Navy surplus store and get one of these.
For fun, Google Dos gringos-Fighter pilots Songs or go to You Tube and search Jerimiah Weed-Dos Gringos.
If all that fails type in;
dosgringosrocks.com/music
Obviously I don’t know how to do HTML stuff.
I sincerely hope we are building lots and lots of these planes.
Maybe do a flyover the next anti-war protest…
I hope we are building lots and lots of these.
I personally do not care if they are slow and ugly ~ I’m glad we have them!
Maybe they could do a flyover at the next anti-war protest…
(I apologize if I commented twice here – a bit foggy still)
My first duty station was the A-10 Thunderbolt ‘Go ugly early’ Warthog mission at lovely Myrtle Beach AFB in Grand Strand red state South Carolina in the mid-70’s! She has a .30 calibre gattling gun in the nose that can knockout armored vehicles from a mile away! In the Gul War we watched her destroy the Iraqis in the open like a pac-man video game. That’s why the Iraqis are not facing US in the open anymore!
The USAF C-130 Spectre gunship is more devestating too. – Dip the rounds in pork gravy!
Ugly? Yeah. But packs a wallop. Like a Timex. Takes a beating and keeps on ticking.
Mark, giggle, when I come back I want to fly a Blackhawk. I loved the Huey the most, so either one would be a dream come true.
Bob, wow thank you for the information and for sharing about your experiences.
Tom, I love it, thank you soooooo much. I went to the site and the music is playing right now as I type this. giggle Love it!!!
Yankeemom, I would love your idea to happen.
“flyover the next anti-war protest”
That would terrify those hate filled military haters and traitors to our country.
Darth, that is so neat!! Thank you so much for sharing about this.
razOr, great saying for this A-10, thanks razOr.