The legendary Warthog, built for brutal close combat, now hunts Iranian boats in the Strait of Hormuz, proving its enduring battle-readiness.
By Kris Osborn, Warrior
The A-10 Warthog has been revered, cherished, and celebrated for generations by grateful ground forces who credit the famous “flying tank” for saving them from enemy fire. Although the combat-tested aircraft has been the subject of decades of debate regarding what exactly its future should be, there is little question about its combat performance. Despite the many efforts to “sunset” the famous aircraft, the U.S. Air Force is once again surging the aircraft into aerial attacks on Iranian small boats in the Strait of Hormuz.
It makes sense that the A-10 would be hunting Iranian small boats in the Strait of Hormuz, as it can operate beyond the range of lethal anti-aircraft fire such as MANPADs, grenades, small arms fire or other kinds of shoulder-mounted ground-to-air weapons. While the A-10 is reinforced with a large titanium hull built to withstand small arms fire, it's conceivable that the aircraft could be vulnerable to some ground-fire weapons should they attack in large numbers or from concentrated positions. Operating over the ocean, however, allows the aircraft to “hover” and fly slowly in lower-altitude positions to attack Iranian small boats, vessels or coastal targets .
Built to Take Fire
Nonetheless, the A-10 is built for the close-in fight and operates with specifically engineered built-in redundancy to enable the aircraft to continue combat attacks in the event it sustains some damage. During the Gulf War decades ago, for example, an A-10 was able to complete its combat mission and successfully land after losing an entire “wing” of the aircraft to enemy fire.
Therefore, the current A-10 missions could be described as “high-risk, high-reward” because, while the aircraft could be vulnerable to some shore-fired anti-aircraft fire, it is uniquely positioned to provide Close Air Support to military and commercial ships transiting the Strait of Hormuz. As part of this, the A-10 is well positioned to use its weapons to deter or destroy Iranian small boats seeking to "harass" or “attack” ships passing through. The mission to target and kill Iranian small boat swarms has so far yielded results, according to the Chairman of the Joint Chiefs of Staff Gen. Dan “Raizin” Cane, who recently told reporters that at least 120 vessels have been hunted and destroyed.
The Warthog is known for being able to fly low and slow in almost a “hover-like” status in order to maneuver in support of ground forces facing enemy fire. Its lethality is greatly enhanced by a 30mm cannon directly aligned beneath the nose of aircraft and able to attack straight on from the very front of the aircraft. This is the kind of weapon and approach which enables linear rapid-fire air attacks down onto maneuvering small boats seeking to swarm or surround large commercial or military ships.
30mm Cannon fire
Using its 30mm cannon, and potentially even some airburst kinds of rounds or air-to-air weapons, the A-10 could potentially attack and destroy drone swarms in the air as well. For example, the A-10 fires the AIM-9X Sidewinder, a weapon that can fire precisely from the aircraft to track and destroy aerial targets.
70-Rounds per Second
Armed with 1,150 rounds, the 30mm cannon is able to fire 70-rounds a second, a rate of fire which could prove effective against both small boats and aerial drones. The cannon could essentially “blanket” small boat swarms with suppressive and lethal fire simultaneously. The cannon is effective for several reasons, in large measure because of the survivability of the aircraft. With a strongly reinforced titanium hull, the A-10 is built to absorb small arms fire and sustain operational effectiveness. Its effectiveness against enemy fire is also greatly helped by a built-in redundancy, with duplicate systems such as electronics, engines, or weapons to ensure the plane can keep flying in the event that certain vital systems were destroyed by enemy fire.
The A-10 carries a full complement of weapons, including GPS-guided Joint Direct Attack Munitions. Its arsenal includes GBU 38s, GBU 31s, GBU 54s, Mk 82s, Mk 84s, AGM-65s, AIM-9 Sidewinder missiles and rockets along with illumination flares, jammer pods, and other protective countermeasures.
A-10 Fires Maverick Missile
The A-10 also fires the Maverick, an air-to-ground missile, in service since the Vietnam era. The weapon has in recent years received an upgraded laser-seeker along with new software configurations to better enable it to hit targets on the run. This could prove extremely effective targeting small maneuvering boats.The Maverick uses Semi-Active Laser, or SAL, guidance to follow a laser “spot” or designation from an aircraft itself, a nearby aircraft or ground asset to paint the target. The weapon can also use infrared and electro-optical or EO guidance to attack targets. It can use a point detonation fuse designed to explode upon impact or a delayed fuse allowing the missile to penetrate a structure before detonating as a way to maximize its lethal impact. It uses a 300-pound “blast-frag” warhead engineered to explode shrapnel and metal fragments in all directions near or on a designated target. This kind of munition, supported by laser targeting or even a proximity fuse, could prove effective against small boats on the move should on-the-move targets be designated or “painted” properly.
Bomb Truck Mode
The aircraft can carry 16,000 pounds of mixed ordnance—eight can fly under the wings and three under the fuselage. When it comes to targeting, navigation, and precision, enhancements in mission computing could prove crucial to upgrading combat performance for the A-10 by enabling new weapons systems for the platform.
Kris Osborn is the President of Warrior Maven – Center for Military Modernization. Osborn previously served at the Pentagon as a highly qualified expert in the Office of the Assistant Secretary of the Army—Acquisition, Logistics & Technology. Osborn has also worked as an anchor and on-air military specialist at national TV networks. He has appeared as a guest military expert on Fox News, MSNBC, The Military Channel, and The History Channel. He also has a Masters Degree in Comparative Literature from Columbia University