America’s A-10 Warthog Is Still at War Against the Islamic State
According to U.S. Central Command, these jets were tasked with supporting ground forces in eliminating ISIS fighters within a cave.
Although the American-made A-10 Thunderbolt II is nearing its fifth decade in service, the Cold War-era aircraft remains a fan favorite of aviation buffs and military experts alike. The Air Force’s fleet of “Warthogs” recently participated in airstrikes targeting the Islamic State in January. According to U.S. Central Command, these jets were tasked with supporting ground forces in eliminating ISIS fighters within a cave. One month prior, A-10s were deployed by CENTCOM to carry out an airstrike in Syria. Clearly, this aging platform has proven to be effective in terms of combating some modern threats. However, U.S. officials do not believe the A-10 would be capable of countering the modern air defense systems employed by Russia or China.
Introducing the A-10 Warthog
The A-10 Warthog was designed as a World War II-era fighter bomber. U.S. officials desired a successor to the Douglas A-1 Skyraider, equipped with enhanced firepower and performance abilities. During the Vietnam War, the Air Force lost over 350 Skyraiders, highlighting the service’s need for more advanced aircraft. The A-10 was developed to fill this gap and was largely designed around the high-power 30mm GAU-8 Avenger rotary autocannon. The Air Force ultimately selected the A-10 due to its lethality, extremely low-altitude maneuverability, and survivability. Notably, the Warthog has been nicknamed the “titanium bathtub” due to its armored cocoon which shields the pilot and cockpit from ground fire. This coat enables the crew to withstand 23mm armor-piercing rounds, an impressive feat for an aircraft of its time. Due to its coating, the A-10 is highly capable of conducting close air support missions, which has come in handy many times during its service history.
A-10 Warthog specs and capabilities
As mentioned previously, the Warthog is infamous for its armament prowess. The A-10 has an impressive rate of fire due to its hydraulically-driven GAU-8/A Avenger Gatling gun which is able to fire at a rate of 4,200 rounds per minute under the nose of the airframe. As explained by Military.com, “The Avenger fires a mix of 30mm electrically primed PGU-13/B High Explosive Incendiary (HEI) rounds and PGU-14/B Armor Piercing Incendiary (API) rounds. While the HEI rounds provide the Avenger the ability to destroy light skinned vehicles, the weapon’s real punch is delivered by the API rounds, each of which incorporates over half a pound of super-dense Depleted Uranium. At 1,200 meters (4,000 feet) a 2-second burst from the AN/GAU-8 will deliver 100 rounds containing 65 pounds of DU and place 80 percent of these projectiles within 20 feet of the target.”
In addition to its firepower, the Warthog has been enhanced over the years in order to retain an edge in modernizing threat climates. The aircraft received the Pave Penny laser receiver pod in the late 1970s, the Global Positioning System navigation systems in the 1990s, and more recently, upgraded precision-guided munitions and targeting pods. While these upgrades are important, the jet is still scheduled to be phased out by the end of the decade to make room monetarily for the Air Force’s Next-Generation Air Dominance (NGAD) program.
About the Author: Maya Carlin
Maya Carlin, National Security Writer with The National Interest, is an analyst with the Center for Security Policy and a former Anna Sobol Levy Fellow at IDC Herzliya in Israel. She has by-lines in many publications, including The National Interest, Jerusalem Post, and Times of Israel. You can follow her on Twitter: @MayaCarlin. Carlin has over 1,000 articles published over the last several years on various defense issues.
Image: DVIDS.