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<!--BEGIN SPECIFICATIONS--> A-10 Thunderbolt II (Warthog) Specifications Primary Function: close air support (A-10), airborne forward air control (OA-10) Contractor: Fairchild Republic Co. Crew: One Unit Cost: $9.8 million (fiscal 98 constant dollars) Powerplant Two General Electric TF34-GE-100 turbofans (9,065 pounds each) Dimensions Length: 53 feet, 4 inches (16.16 meters) Wingspan: 57 feet, 6 inches (17.42 meters) Height: 14 feet, 8 inches (4.42 meters) Weights Empty: 25,600 lb Maximum Takeoff: 51,000 lb (22950 kg) Performance Speed: 420 mph (Mach 0.56) Ceiling: 45,000 feet (13636 meters) Range: 800 miles (695 nm) Armament One 30 mm GAU-8/A seven-barrel Gatling gun; up to 16,000 pounds (7,200 kilograms) of mixed ordnance on eight under-wing and three under-fuselage pylon stations, including 500 pounds (225 kilograms) of Mk-82 and 2,000 pounds (900 kilograms) of Mk-84 series low/high drag bombs, incendiary cluster bombs, combined effects munitions, mine dispensing munitions, AGM-65 Maverick missiles and laser-guided/electro-optically guided bombs; infrared countermeasure flares; electronic countermeasure chaff; jammer pods; 2.75-inch (6.99 centimeters) rockets; illumination flares and AIM-9 Sidewinder missiles. Service Life First Flight: May 10, 1972 (prototype) April 5, 1972 (A-10) End of Service: N/A Number Built: A-10A (721) + A-10B (30) [~751 total] <!--END SPECIFICATIONS--> <!--BEGIN ACHIEVEMENTS--> A-10 Thunderbolt II (Warthog) Achievements The A-10's survivability in close air support greatly exceeds that of previous air force aircraft. The A-10 was the first Air Force aircraft specially designed for close air support of ground forces. <!--END ACHIEVEMENTS--> <!--BEGIN FEATURES--> A-10 Thunderbolt II (Warthog) Features The Warthog is literally built around its 30-mm General Electric GAU-8 Avenger seven barrel cannon, the most powerful gun ever fitted to an aircraft of this class. The A-10 features eleven under-wing/under-fuselage hard-points and can carry 16,000lb or ordinance -- including AGM-65 Maverick anti-armor missiles, cluster bombs, LGBs, and AIM-9 AAMs. <!--END FEATURES--> <!--BEGIN BACKGROUND--> A-10 Thunderbolt II (Warthog) Background The A-10 was designed for close support in low intensity conflicts during the Vietnam War, yet it came to be seen as a dedicated anti-armor platform by the early 1970s. Early before the A-10 came into production, however, the USAF held a fly-off between the Northrop YA-9 and the Fairchild Republic A-10. The A-10 was chosen and 707 A-10A's went into production. The Warthog, as it came to be known, was designed for high-survivability with a large-area wing, rear-mounted engines, and redundant and armored flight controls. A titanium covering surrounds both the cockpit and ammunition tank. As A-10's entered service in the USAF around 1977, and as vulnerability of the A-10 was questioned it was slowly withdrawn in favor of the F-16. Although the A-10 was never exported, it was redesignated OA-10 for the Forward Air Control role. The only difference between the A-10 and OA-10 is that the OA-10 only carries smoke rockets and AIM-9 Sidewinder AAMs for self-defense. <!--END BACKGROUND-->
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