Keeping the A-10 Warthog in Service
Karl Westermeyer
Ms. King
English
04 January 2021
The A-10
The U.S. Air Force has an impressive fleet of many aircraft types suited to accomplish every role that should be needed in peace or wartime. They have cutting-edge equipment, with attack and defense systems that can destroy targets beyond the range of the naked eye, with lightning fast speed to eliminate threats before they even have a chance to become a problem. However, one aircraft type has become a topic of debate lately: an old, 40 year old attacker design that requires a great deal of maintenance, money, gasoline to keep in service: the A-10 Thunderbolt II. This airplane has been in service with the U.S. Air Force since 1977, with many upgrades to the airframe to improve its seemingly lackluster performance compared to modern jet fighters. However, the A-10, commonly known as the Warthog, provides invaluable close air support to the troops it protects. With the design built with sturdiness in mind, it is a durable and proven airframe. While the A-10 is a dated and worn aircraft, it still proves to be an asset that is currently irreplaceable by other types.
I’ve always been interested in airplanes and their designs, and the A-10 is no exception. The entire airplane is a brute, built around the impressive GAU-8 30mm autocannon, meant to destroy tanks and armor from the sky (Military.com). It also incorporates a protective titanium “bathtub” design for the pilot to sit in, which increases the pilot of the aircraft’s survivability. This, combined with the redundancy of two engines, two rudders, two elevators, and a very sturdy wing, makes the aircraft extremely durable, which is necessary for the close air support role it fulfills. Also, an extra benefit of the sturdy and powerful design is an amazing payload carrying capacity: the A-10 can carry a staggering amount of armament, ranging from regular “dumb” bombs and rockets, to new, state of the art anti-tank Maverick missiles and lazer-guided bombs. This makes the aircraft astoundingly versatile in it’s role, and able to take on a wide profile of specific missions for whatever the Air Force needs to support the ground troops.
While the airplane itself is impressive, what really makes the A-10 stand out in its role is its performance against ground targets. Unlike most other jets that would be used in the Close Air Support role, the A-10’s design is specifically made to allow it to loiter around the battlefield for hours before returning to base to refuel and rearm. This ability lengthens the time spent over the battlefield, and increases its effectiveness, as the pilot doesn’t need to worry about running out of fuel, and the aircraft spends less time sitting on the ground, being useless. Another advantage compared to other, more modern, jets is how low and slow the A-10 can fly; the pilot can actually see the targets they’re shooting at, meaning the attacks they make are more accurate and precise. How accurate the weapon is affects how close you can use it to allies on the ground. A-10 pilots can shoot at enemies only 50 meters away from friendly troops without risk of friendly fire (Business Insider), a feat that few other airplanes in service can achieve.
All of this impressive performance and optimization for its role is impressive in an airplane, and the A-10’s combat record certainly lives up to its expectations. The airplane’s first use was in the Gulf War during Operation Desert Storm, where it quickly accumulated an impressive combat kill record: over 900 Iraqi tanks, 2000 assorted military vehicles, and 1200 artillery pieces (National Interest). Perhaps one of the best examples of the A-10’s performance in this time was on Feb. 25, 1991, when pilots Eric Solomonson and John Marks destroyed a total of 23 enemy tanks in a single day. This feat remains extremely impressive by any standards, and stands as an example of the effectiveness of the Warthog. With such an impressive tally in such a short time, it’s impossible to deny the effectiveness of the aircraft.
While many higher-ups in the Air Force deem the A-10 as too expensive to keep in service, there are still ways to keep the Warthog flying until other types can replace it. Over the years of service, the Warthog has been given many upgrades to continue to make the airplane competitive against potential enemies. One of the most recent upgrades to the system was in 2005, with the installation of the Precision Engagement upgrade, with aircraft that were upgraded being designated as the A-10C standard. Even more recently, a large number of the airframes that are still in service have received new wings, built by Lockheed, to keep them flying well into the 2030s (AirForceTimes). Also, parts and components are constantly being pulled from retired airframes in boneyards to service the still-flying planes. These processes keep the airframes safe to fly, while also being much cheaper than manufacturing new aircraft. This way, should the Air Force need to go into action soon, they can have a reliable and trusted design in their fleet to provide close air support to troops on the ground.
The A-10 is a wonderful attack aircraft, being specifically designed for the role and constantly being improved and updated with new systems and technology to supplement it’s old, yet proven, design. With its outstanding firepower and combat load flexibility, the Warthog still proves to be a competent and worthwhile airplane to keep in the ever-improving fleet of aircraft that the U.S. Air Force fields. The uniqueness of the design sets it apart from contemporaries, with many notable attributes that benefit it in a combat scenario. While the airframe is dated, new ways to modernize the design are being used and improved to keep it flying. the A-10’s performance and combat records alone can certainly justify its continuation of service with the U.S. Air Force. Until a more suitable aircraft is found or designed, keeping the A-10 in USAF service is the best course of action to reinforce ground troops in hostile areas.
Works Cited
“A-10 ‘Warthog’ Thunderbolt II.” Military.com, www.military.com/equipment/a-10-thunderbolt-ii.
“Here’s What It’s like to Fly the A-10 Thunderbolt in Combat, According to a Pilot Who’s Done It.” Business Insider, Business Insider, 27 Nov. 2017, www.businessinsider.com/pilot-describes-flying-a-10-thunderbolt-in-combat-2017-11.
Losey, Stephen. “A-10 Re-Winging Completed, Will Keep Warthog in the Air until Late 2030s.” Air Force Times, Air Force Times, 14 Aug. 2019, www.airforcetimes.com/news/your-air-force/2019/08/13/a-10-re-winging-completed-will-keep-warthog-in-the-air-until-late-2030s/.
Leone, Dario. “Record: How 2 A-10`Warthog’ Pilots Destroyed 23 Tanks in One Day.” The National Interest, The Center for the National Interest, 7 July 2019, nationalinterest.org/blog/buzz/record-how-2–10warthog%E2%80%99-pilots-destroyed-23-tanks-one-day-65921.
