Once at risk of extinction, iconic Warthog plane lives on

The A-10 is off of the chopping block, once again.

Once on the brink of forced retirement, the A-10 attack plane with the ungainly shape and odd nickname has been given new life, spared by Air Force leaders who have reversed the Obama administration's view of the plane as an unaffordable extra in what had been a time of tight budgets.

The A-10 is ugly and slow... but probably the best CAS (Close Air Support) aircraft EVER built. It is a pain in the ass (as a maintainer... old airframe, old systems, and many late nights keeping the old girls flying) but, the guys in the trenches... they love the old girls... for good reason.

Specially designed for the Cold War mission of attacking armor on the front lines of a potential European war with the Soviet Union, the A-10's air crews considered it so ugly they called it the Warthog. Its official nickname is Thunderbolt II. The plane has been out of production since 1984 but has received many upgrades over the years, most recently with new electronics.

I spent a lot of flightline years on A-10s. I have the cranial scars (Warthog bites), and the permanent taste of hydraulic fluid in my mouth... I loved turning wrenches on that airframe. Glad we are gonna keep them around...

Once at risk of extinction, iconic Warthog plane lives on

a reply to: madmac5150

How many A-10's do they have?

Being out of production since 1984, parts must be getting scarce?

originally posted by: D8Tee
a reply to: madmac5150

How many A-10's do they have?

Being out of production since 1984, parts must be getting scarce?

The DOD, officially says we have 283 of them, between active USAF, Guard and Reserves. A good friend of mine works at AMARC (The Boneyard- Davis-Monthan AFB); he pulls parts from retired aircraft to keep the fleet flying. Structural parts are relatively easy, and in good supply.

We just did a huge upgrade as I was retiring (A-10C upgrades); they are quite capable airframes...

a reply to: madmac5150

Well some one woke up.
We should build thousands more
of those bad boys,
and NATO should pay their fair share
for them.

www.youtube.com...

S&F

originally posted by: Wildmanimal
a reply to: madmac5150

Well some one woke up.
We should build thousands more
of those bad boys,
and NATO should pay their fair share
for them.

www.youtube.com...

S&F

I have to admit, pumping ammo into the GAU-8... kind of a rush... especially after seeing her on the range....

Changing barrels... not so much fun...

Pulling the whole system... it was gonna be a long night...

Working the A-10 was like working on an old muscle car. Every tail number had its own personality and quirks.

Damn right A10. Never stop, never stopping you beautiful ugly duckling.

The A10 is the most humblest badass aircraft there is today. Maybe in all of history.
Bar none A10 is the humbelest. Number one at the top of the humble list.

a reply to: madmac5150

USA the only country that operates them, or do other nations have them as well?

I love the Hog. They were always easy to deal with transiting through, and were fun to watch getting thrown around. I have many shell casings from them somewhere.

But....

The A-10 mission is gone. It's that simple. The waves of Russian tanks through the Fulda Gap aren't going to happen, and even if they did, mobile air defenses traveling with them would hammer the A-10s that got near them.

In a near peer conflict, the A-10s would have to sit out the first four days, at least, or work soft targets around the periphery. And what they're doing now, as with every other platform being used, is cracking eggs with a sledgehammer.

But the grunts and Congress love them. So they're not going anywhere.

originally posted by: D8Tee
a reply to: madmac5150

USA the only country that operates them, or do other nations have them as well?

As far as I know, they are USAF only. I know of no allied air forces that fly them. They are not a cross service platform, and are only flown by USAF pilots (again, as far as I know... I have been retired since 2011).

I worked them first at McChord AFB from 92-94, then at Davis-Monthan AFB from 2003 until I retired eight years later.

originally posted by: BASSPLYR
Damn right A10. Never stop, never stopping you beautiful ugly duckling.

The A10 is the most humblest badass aircraft there is today. Maybe in all of history.
Bar none A10 is the humbelest. Number one at the top of the humble list.

Why did I read that in Peter Griffith's voice?

Who knew a Warthog was a kind of cat? They have to be on their 9th life by now, surely?

They are cool, and strong and beloved. But their mission is behind us.

originally posted by: Zaphod58
I love the Hog. They were always easy to deal with transiting through, and were fun to watch getting thrown around. I have many shell casings from them somewhere.

But....

The A-10 mission is gone. It's that simple. The waves of Russian tanks through the Fulda Gap aren't going to happen, and even if they did, mobile air defenses traveling with them would hammer the A-10s that got near them.

In a near peer conflict, the A-10s would have to sit out the first four days, at least, or work soft targets around the periphery. And what they're doing now, as with every other platform being used, is cracking eggs with a sledgehammer.

But the grunts and Congress love them. So they're not going anywhere.

The grunts that love them, probably had their asses saved by them.

I do agree that they are at the very end of their service life; but the psychological value of keeping them around... very few on the receiving end of that 30mm have survived, and the few that have survived... they warn their friends to run like hell...

originally posted by: Leonidas
Who knew a Warthog was a kind of cat? They have to be on their 9th life by now, surely?

They are cool, and strong and beloved. But their mission is behind us.

Until we develop deflector shields you mean.

a reply to: Zaphod58

The A-10 mission is gone. It's that simple.

Still be good to keep them around in case the USA decides to annex Canada or Mexico.

a reply to: Zaphod58

The A10s current battlespace mission is as much about morale as it is anything else. As you say, the brass love them because the morale of ground forces is hard to put a price on.

originally posted by: CulturalResilience
a reply to: Zaphod58

The A10s current battlespace mission is as much about morale as it is anything else. As you say, the brass love them because the morale of ground forces is hard to put a price on.

I have talked to many a groundpounder... Army, Marine Corps...

When they call in CAS, and they see A-10s inbound... they know they are gonna be ok.

It may just be reputation, but the effect on the ground can be tremendous.

a reply to: madmac5150

There is no doubting that at all. Any replacement would be a long time establishing the kind of combat kudos that these old girls have acrued.

Can't stay on the guns too long.....drops airspeed, that's how badazz

Dallas Cowboy running back.....was a pilot.....who was that?

a reply to: madmac5150

It's not their service life, it's just that, like many others, air defenses have out paced them. And yeah, no one hit by a 30mm survives, but we're using a $19M (in 1972 dollars) aircraft, that costs $6,000+ per flight hour, to hunt guys in pickup trucks. That's not as bad as other aircraft, but it's still insane.

a reply to: Zaphod58

Cant they just use her to straif buildings n structures combatants are holed up in. Or sniping from.