Mission

The A/OA-10 Thunderbolt II is the first US Air Force aircraft designed for close air support to ground forces. Design is simple, effective and survivable twin-engine jet aircraft that can be used against all ground targets, including tanks and other heavy armoured vehicles.

Features
The A-10 / OA-10 has excellent flight performance and maneuverability at low air speeds and altitude, and is highly accurate weapons-delivery platforms. They can loiter near battle areas for extended periods of time and operate under 1,000-foot ceilings (303.3 meters) with 1.5-mile (2.4 kilometers) visibility range. Their wide combat radius and short takeoff and landing capability permit operations near front lines. Using night vision goggles, A-10/ OA-10 pilots can conduct their missions during complete darkness.
The Thunderbolt II can be serviced and operated from bases near battle areas with very limited facilities. Due to maintenance reasons many of the aircraft's parts are interchangeable from side to side, including the engines, main landing gear and vertical stabilizers.
Avionics equipment includes communications, inertial navigation systems, fire control and weapons delivery systems, target penetration aids and night vision goggles. Their weapons delivery systems include headup display that shows real-time airspeed, altitude, dive angle, navigation information and weapons aiming references; a low altitude safety and targeting enhancement system (LASTE) which provides constantly computing impact point freefall ordnance delivery; and Pave Penny laser-tracking pods under the fuselage. The aircraft also have armament control panels, and infrared and electronic countermeasures to handle surface-to-air-missile threats. Installation of the Global Positioning System is currently undergoing for all aircraft.
The Thunderbolt II's 30mm GAU-8/A Gatling gun can fire 3,900 rounds per minute and can defeat an array of ground targets including tanks. Some of their other equipment includes inertial navigation system, electronic countermeasures, target penetration aids, self-protection systems, and AGM-65 Maverick and AIM-9 Sidewinder missiles.

Background
The first production A-10A was delivered to Davis-Monthan Air Force Base, Arizona, in October 1975. It was designed specially for the close air support mission and had the ability to combine large military loads, long loiter and wide combat radius, which proved to be vital assets to the United States and its allies during Operation Desert Storm and Operation Noble Anvil.

In the Gulf War, A-10s had a mission capable rate of 95.7 %, flew 8,100 sorties and launched 90 percent of the AGM-65 Maverick missiles.