The Famous A-10 “Flying Tank” Lives On as “Bomb Truck”

by Kris Osborn, President, Center for Military Modernization

(Washington DC) A-10 is now being transformed into a bomb truck. Why? The A-10 Warthog – what some call a ‘flying tank‘ – has already emblazoned itself upon the historical record of warzone performance.

The much-revered aircraft continues to live to fight and fly another day despite ongoing Air Force efforts to retire, divest or phase out the plane.

What Makes the A-10 So Special

Over the course of many decades, the A-10 has proven itself as a beloved protector of maneuvering ground troops facing enemy fire, as it is built with a titanium hull sufficient to withstand large amounts of small arms fire.

The aircraft is engineered with built-in redundancy such that it can continue to operate, fly and attack in the event that much of its electronics or on-board systems are damaged or destroyed by enemy fire.

Most of all, the A-10 is perhaps best known for its weaponry, as it carries a massive arsenal of land and air attack weapons. At the same time, the A-10 is known for its ability to maneuver and fly slowly at lower altitudes firing its cannon at enemy ground troops. Its Close Air Support mission is what has made it famous, yet in more recent years the Air Force has thought of fixed-wing jets such as an F-35 as well suited for the CAS mission as well.

Nonetheless, there is considerable interest in ensuring that the A-10 remains a vital part of the force not only for its CAS capabilities but for its “bomb-truck” like ability to deliver a wide range of massive weapons attacks upon an enemy.

The A-10 carries a full complement of weapons to include Joint Direct Attack Munitions, or JDAM GPS-guided bombs; its arsenal includes GBU 38s, GBU 31s, GBU 54s, Mk 82s, Mk 84s, AGM-65s (Maverick missiles), AIM-9 Sidewinder missiles and rockets along with illumination flares, jammer pods and other protective countermeasures.