Fairchild Republic A-10 Thunderbolt II

The Fairchild Republic A-10 Thunderbolt II, also infamously known under the nickname A-10 Warthog, is a single-seat, <a href="/facts/Twinjet/eahpYVVr">twin</a>-<a href="/facts/Turbofan/x8XWVw19">turbofan</a>, <a href="/facts/Straight_wing/oB03eltD">straight-wing</a>, <a href="/facts/Subsonic_aircraft/j1bXtdCG">subsonic</a> <a href="/facts/Attack_aircraft/Rkc7Ft5I">attack aircraft</a> developed by <a href="/facts/Fairchild_Aircraft/RlknYpYm">Fairchild Republic</a> for the <a href="/facts/United_States_Air_Force/7MxWBYlc">United States Air Force</a> (USAF). <a href="/facts/Initial_operating_capability/F0dUJeWs">In service</a> since 1977, it is named after the <a href="/facts/Republic_P-47_Thunderbolt/LkmsR6l1">Republic P-47 Thunderbolt</a> strike-fighter of World War II, but is instead commonly referred to as the "<a href="/facts/Warthog/PPjGB5gh">Warthog</a>" (sometimes simply "<a href="/facts/Pig/b5wxwdDY">Hog</a>"). The A-10 was designed to provide <a href="/facts/Close_air_support/buqaXGIp">close air support</a> (CAS) to ground troops by attacking enemy armored vehicles, tanks, and other ground forces; it is the only production-built aircraft designed solely for CAS to have served with the U.S. Air Force. Its secondary mission is to direct other aircraft in attacks on ground targets, a role called <a href="/facts/Forward_air_control/eYq2xFwE">forward air controller</a> (FAC)-airborne; aircraft used primarily in this role are designated OA-10.
The A-10 was intended to improve on the performance and firepower of the <a href="/facts/Douglas_A-1_Skyraider/vF511YT9">Douglas A-1 Skyraider</a>. The Thunderbolt II's <a href="/facts/Airframe/q9E1GoA7">airframe</a> was designed around the high-power <a href="/facts/30_mm_caliber/NR9KYI9x">30 mm</a> <a href="/facts/GAU-8_Avenger/ahBB5jtC">GAU-8 Avenger</a> rotary <a href="/facts/Autocannon/5QLv3cUj">autocannon</a>. The airframe was designed for durability, with measures such as 1,200 pounds (540 kg) of titanium <a href="/facts/Aircraft_armor/vz5Js71F">armor</a> to protect the cockpit and aircraft systems, enabling it to absorb damage and continue flying. Its ability to take off and land from relatively short and/or unpaved runways permits operation from airstrips close to the front lines, and its simple design enables maintenance with minimal facilities.
It served in the <a href="/facts/Gulf_War/6LdLnGdo">Gulf War</a> (Operation Desert Storm), the American-led intervention against <a href="/facts/Ba%2527athist_Iraq/lbHnSQBz">Iraq</a>'s invasion of <a href="/facts/Kuwait/HJLFQ59s">Kuwait</a>, where the aircraft distinguished itself. The A-10 also participated in other conflicts such as the <a href="/facts/Yugoslav_Wars/CUoVQ6Y9">Balkans</a>, <a href="/facts/War_in_Afghanistan_(2001%25E2%2580%259314)/vKbbttLN">Afghanistan</a>, the <a href="/facts/Iraq_War/dlAgf8at">Iraq War</a>, and against the <a href="/facts/Islamic_State_of_Iraq_and_the_Levant/agpVzR4K">Islamic State</a> in the Middle East.
The A-10A single-seat variant was the only version produced, though one pre-production airframe was modified into the YA-10B twin-seat prototype to test an all-weather night-capable version. In 2005, a program was started to upgrade the remaining A-10A aircraft to the A-10C configuration, with modern avionics for use with precision weaponry. The U.S. Air Force had stated the <a href="/facts/Lockheed_Martin_F-35_Lightning_II/x0NWsvfC">Lockheed Martin F-35 Lightning II</a> would replace the A-10 as it entered service, but this remains highly contentious within the USAF and in political circles. The USAF gained congressional permission to start retiring A-10s in 2023, but further retirements were paused until the USAF can demonstrate that the A-10's close-air-support capabilities can be replaced.

Fairchild Republic A-10 Thunderbolt II open-in-new

Fairchild Republic A-10 Thunderbolt II