by Kris Osborn, President, Center for Military Modernization
The US Military, ground solider and Congressional reverence for the A-10 Warthog seems to have no limits, as the merits of the live-saving Close Air Support aircraft have not only been well documented, but made famous by pilots and combat performance.
There is little question that the “flying tank” with a titanium hull can absorb ground fire and fly on despite being damaged. Warrior once spoke with a famous Gulf War pilot who flew home alive in an A-10 with only one wing. The plane functioned and got home in what could be called a small miracle. The pilot survived.
The lobby and support for the A-10 seems to have no bounds, yet the Air Force has for many years now wanted to “phase out” the A-10 in favor of high-speed fixed wing aircraft such as the F-35 for the CAS mission. Why? Can an F-35 absorb small arms fire and fly slow and low in close proximity to ground troops to attack the enemy? Perhaps it would not have to to exact a massively effective CAS mission.
One reason why the Air Force might have been embracing this idea is because the advent of newer anti-aircraft weapons may render the A-10 less effective?
Should the A-10 go to Ukraine or would it be unnecessarily vulnerable to advanced anti-aircraft weapons?
A-10 Vulnerable?
It is not clear how many “stinger-like” shoulder-fired anti-aircraft weapons Russian forces may have, and A-10 can fly slow and low in close proximity to specific ground fight areas.
This means an A-10 might have the ability to attack in areas that are difficult to reach by longer-range air defenses, such as those that are too far away, or over close-in fighting.
The A-10 can almost hover with its 30mm cannon and titanium hull, able to fly through ground fire. The A-10 is engineered with built-in redundancy such that it can continue to fly even if some systems are destroyed or disabled. For example, the A-10 has extra electronics, avionics, and cooling systems to ensure continued functionality in the event the aircraft sustains damage.
Russia is known to operate extremely advanced air defenses such as S-400s and S-500s capable of targeting fighter jets at long distances.
However, can they target an A-10 flying slowly at 300 feet providing close-air support to advancing ground forces? S-400s can destroy drones, helicopters, and fighter jets out to ranges of 30km, so they might be positioned to hit A-10s. Many of Russia’s S-400 and S-500s travel on mobile launchers and can be moved into high-risk areas to support advancing ground troops.
Given this, the A-10s would likely be extremely successful in areas where there were no concentrations of Russian air defenses, therefore the aircraft might indeed prove overly vulnerable to Russian air defenses.
Yet another complicating factor is that neither Ukrainian nor Russia has air superiority, which might leave A-10s vulnerable to Russian fighter jets should they be seen attacking ground troops in high-risk areas.
Despite its titanium hull and reputation as a “flying tank,” the A-10 may these days simply be much more vulnerable given advances in ground fire weapons and anti-aircraft weapons. For example, line-of-sight weapons such as MANPAD shoulder-fired anti-aircraft weapons and RPGs might be well positioned to threaten A-10s.
Essentially, there are many more weapons in today’s arsenal able to attack A-10s beyond small arms, a circumstance which simply leaves the aircraft much more vulnerable than they may have been 10 years or more ago.
These factors may be why the U.S. Air Force has for many years been advocating for the divestiture or retirement of the A-10 and instead using the high-speed, maneuverable F-35 for close air support missions.
Given all these variables, it seems it may be useful or somewhat worthwhile to send A-10s to Ukraine. However, many complicating factors might limit effectiveness to only circumstances without Russian air defenses or nearby fighter jets.
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.
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.
Does the Air Force Have a Point? F-35 for CAS?
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 are destroyed by enemy fire.
An A-10 pilot described this in great detail in a discussion with me, explaining that the A-10 can still fly and even attack in the event that its digital displays and targeting systems are destroyed by enemy attacks.
“So when I lose all the computers and the calculations, the targeting pod and the heads up display, you can still point the aircraft using a degraded system at the target and shoot. We are actually trained for that,” former A-10 pilot Lt. Col. Ryan Haden, 23rd Fighter Group Deputy, Moody AFB, told Warrior Maven in a previous interview several years ago
However, redundancy and survivability matters to the extent that the aircraft can maintain its operational lethality, something which Haden explained centers around its 30mm cannon.
“The 30mm cannon has 7 barrels. They are centered the way the aircraft fires. The firing barrel goes right down the center line. You can point the aircraft and shoot at the ground. It is designed for air-to-ground attack,” Haden explained.
Armed with 1,150 rounds, the 30mm cannon is able to fire 70-rounds a second.
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 coun
termeasures.
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 Military Affairs Editor of 19FortyFive and President of Warrior Maven – Center for Military Modernization. Osborn previously served at the Pentagon as a Highly Qualified Expert with 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 Master’s Degree in Comparative Literature from Columbia University. This was originally posted on 19FortyFive.com as part of a syndication agreement to publish their content. You can find more of their content at 19FortyFive.com.
https://www.19fortyfive.com/2023/07/time-to-send-the-a-10-warthog-to-ukraine/
