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A10

How A-10 Warthog’s 30 mike-mike GAU-8/A Avenger cannon maintenance is performed

by Till Daisd March 9, 2023

Functionality inspections are painstaking procedures; even a minor mistake can result in weapon failure or worse.

The USAF’s A-10 Thunderbolt II is the first aircraft specifically designed for providing close air support (CAS) for ground forces.

The US and its allies have found its combination of large and diversified ordnance load, lengthy loiter time, precise weapons delivery, austere field capability, and survivability to be vital.

As a result, when CAS is called to fight, the A-10C Thunderbolt II armament systems have no margin for error.

U.S. Air Force Senior Airman Clay Thomas, 355th Aircraft Maintenance Squadron load crew member, loosens paneling screws from an A-10C Thunderbolt II at Davis-Monthan Air Force Base, Ariz. The panels are removed to perform maintenance on the A-10’s GAU-8/A Gatling gun.

To ensure that the mission of the A-10 is successful, the armament flight of the 355th Equipment Maintenance Squadrons (EMS), which is in charge of loading ammunition and disassembling weapon systems for inspection and cleaning, must guarantee that all systems are fully operational and prepared for use.

“Our jobs as weapons personnel means we cover everything weapon-related including working on the gun system, bomb systems and loading the jet with live ammunition,” Staff Sgt. Justin Fuller, 355th EMS gun section supervisor said.

The Hog’s main weapon, the 30 mm GAU-8/A Avenger Gatling gun, has periodic maintenance depending on usage and time. Weapons crew members start by removing panels from the A-10’s nose to its underbelly, completely exposing the gun and all of its parts.

“The 30 mm gun system consists of three components, the Gatling gun itself, the hydraulic drive motor, and the drum which holds up to 1,500 rounds of ammunition,” Fuller commented.

Then the cannon is taken off and given to the armament flight for inspection and cleaning, as described by Master Sgt. Jerrime Williams, 355th EMS armament flight NCOIC: “We inspect it after every 25,000 rounds fired or 36 months. The system comes in, we do a clean, lube it, and change out certain parts.”

The armament flight dismantles the system down to its bare essentials, removes the grease and lubrication, and then leaves a silver gun’s skeleton behind. Before assembling it back, give gears and other moving parts fresh oiling to ensure minimum friction. A final inspection is then conducted.

“We go over every part to ensure there [are] no cracks, rust, or wear and tear,” Williams said.

GAU-8/A Avenger — U.S. Airmen from the 355th Aircraft Maintenance Squadron’s armament flight, remove the forward rotator from a GAU-8/A Gatling gun for cleaning and inspection.

Functionality assessments are painstaking operations, and even the tiniest mistake might result in weapon failure or worse, “If an inspection isn’t performed correctly, it could put not only our pilots, but our sister services and ground troops in danger,” Williams said.

The cannon is returned to its proper location when the final checks are completed, and the A-10 is ready for its next mission, whether it is in training or war.

The Hog’s large combat radius and quick takeoff and landing capability make it possible to operate in and out of places close to the front lines. The A-10 can loiter near conflict locations for extended periods of time thanks to these unique qualities.

“The A-10 is mainly [used for] ground support which means it is used when our troops are getting shot at,” Fuller said. “When I fully load a jet with bombs and ammo and it comes back with nothing, I feel proud, because I know that what I did was directly involved with saving lives.”

GAU-8/A maintenance — U.S. Air Force Airman 1st Class Joel Balmforth, 355th Aircraft Maintenance Squadron armament member, removes the mid-barrel support assembly from a GAU-8/A Gatling gun for cleaning and inspection.

Source: Gunning for Success, Airman 1st Class Ashley Steffen, 355th Fighter Wing, and U.S. Air Force; Photo by Airman 1st Class Ashley N. Steffen and Master Sgt. Scott Thompson / U.S. Air Force

March 9, 2023 0 comment

History

When A-10 Tank Busters shot down 2 Iraqi helicopters during Operation Desert Storm

by Till Daisd March 9, 2023

written by Till Daisd

“I put another 100 rounds down, and the helicopter jinked right into the last burst; the helicopter looked like it had been hit by a bomb,” Capt. Robert “Swaino” Swain, A-10 pilot

The Fairchild Republic A-10 Thunderbolt II was built for quick-response support against enemy ground forces, close air support (CAS) of friendly ground forces, and attacking tanks and armored vehicles. It was the only production-built aircraft used by the U.S. Air Force (USAF) that was created specifically for CAS, and it entered service in 1976. By guiding other aircraft in strikes on ground targets, it supports forward air controllers airborne (FAC-A). OA-10 is the designation for aircraft used primarily in this role.

During Operation Desert Storm in 1991, the A-10 saw its first employment in actual combat, resulting in the destruction of more than 900 Iraqi tanks, 2,000 other military vehicles, and 1,200 pieces of artillery. With their powerful GAU-8/A Avenger cannon, the A-10s also brought down two Iraqi helicopters during the campaign.

Capt. Robert “Swaino” Swain of the 706th Tactical Fighter Squadron (TFS) shot down an Iraqi Bo-105 helicopter while flying the A-10A No. 77-0205 on February 6. This was the first A-10 air-to-air victory. As explained by Donald J. McCarthy, Jr. in his book “The Raptors All F-15 and F-16 aerial combat victories,” Swain (call-sign SAVAGE 01) had just attacked two Iraqi tanks with Maverick missiles in central Kuwait when he observed strange movement some distance from his position. He recalls: “They weren’t putting up any dust and were moving fast over the desert.”

BRRRRRRTTTTTT!!!! How USAF A-10 tank busters shot down two Iraqi helicopters during Operation Desert Storm — Munitions specialists from the 23rd Tactical Fighter Wing, England Air Force Base, La., load 30mm rounds of ammunition into an A-10A Thunderbolt II attack aircraft for its GAU-8/A Avenger cannon prior to a sortie in support of Operation Desert Storm.

White phosphorus (WP) rocket was used by one of the coalition’s FAC-As to mark the ground, which assisted everyone else to focus on the targets.

In Craig Brown’s book Debrief: a complete history of U.S. aerial engagements 1981 to the present, Swain describes how the air engagement occurred: “I decided to get a close look, and tried to get a visual identification by over-flying the two helicopters at 5-6,000 feet. They must have seen me because then they split up and started taking evasive maneuvers. The one helicopter to the north broke away and headed to a known Iraqi police station/camp, while the other continued southwest. Once it was determined that there were no known friendlies in the area and that one of the helicopters flew to a known enemy site, I determined that the remaining flying helicopter was also a bandit, and decided to destroy it. I gave the first shot to my wingman, Lt White, but his slant range was beyond two miles, and he misjudged his shot and missed. I then decided that, since I was overhead the target, I would take a shot. I armed my gun but also un-caged my AIM-9 heat-seeking missile. I was fairly steep (65-70 degrees), and tried to lock up the helicopter twice, but the missile kept breaking the lock because of the size of the target, distance away, and the surrounding terrain. Prior to pulling off the target I decided to also shoot the gun and put about 75 rounds out, but thought I had missed. I then extended away from the target and tried a second pass. I noticed that the helicopter was flying erratically, but I still managed to miss to the left with my first burst of 100 rounds, retook aim, fired another 100 rounds, and missed right. Knowing I was pressing the minimum altitude for the kill box, I put another 100 rounds down, and the helicopter jinked right into the last burst; the helicopter looked like it had been hit by a bomb.”

A-10A No. 81-0964 pilot Capt. Todd “Shanghai” Sheehy of the 511th TFS repeated this on February 15 when he used his Avenger to bring down a Mi-8. McCarthy claims that Sheehy (call-sign SPRINGFIELD 27) discovered the “Hip” in his operational area while flying his twenty-seventh combat sortie close to the highly protected city of Karbala. Shanghai responded swiftly and used his 30 mike-mikes to engage the Iraqi aircraft.

Sheehy describes to Brown the way he handled the engagement: “Things were happening fast; the helicopter moving quickly across my canopy, the altimeter unwinding and approaching 8,000 feet, and the potential threat all distracting me as I settled the gun cross out in front of the target.

No friendly helos would be in this area, I thought.

What about the AIM-9? No, the desert sand is probably hotter than the target-it’s good gunshot.

I can see it pretty clearly now… Man, that IS an enemy helicopter-looks like a Mi-8 “Hip” with rocket pods… Pull the trigger!

As my heart pounded in my chest and all these thoughts surged through my mind I was pulling the trigger. The gun was firing, but it seemed distant. Suddenly the distortion of time and space stopped, and I fully realized what was happening; the altitude in the HUD was rapidly passing five thousand feet as I came off the trigger and pulled and jinked to the right, away from the big guns [Sheehy had been shot in the same area two days before by 23, 37, and 57mm AAA].

‘Looks like the second half of the burst got it,” Jay [First Lieutenant Jay Keller of the 76th TFS, who was Sheehy wingman for that mission] reported excitedly, as I jinked for all I was worthwhile aware of all the small white ‘clouds’ of exploding AAA around my canopy.

[…] I quickly asked COUGAR [the AWACS call sign) if he had any further contacts, to which he answered me negative. I then told him I had found the contact, as I got my first look at the target since rolling in and pulling the trigger. Through the smoke and dust, it appeared to still be intact and flying, although more slowly than before, and trailing thin white smoke.

‘Was that a helicopter?” Jay asked. ‘Ya,’ I answered curtly, realizing I needed to attack again quickly before I got behind a battery of 23mm guns whose revetments and muzzle flashes I could see clearly from my relatively low altitude. ‘One’s back in,’ I transmitted, rolling in from 8,000 feet. ‘Last pass,’ I added […].

As I rolled in again, I was keenly aware of my low altitude and my proximity to the threat. I rolled out quickly and took aim, leading the helicopter more than during the last pass. I squeezed the trigger again, and as I watched the helicopter fly through the bullets I realized the ground was coming up fast. As I took in the altitude readout on the HUD, the gun suddenly stopped.

Did I let off the trigger? I briefly wondered. Er!! 4,000 feet… Climb now!!

Again, I pulled hard and rolled to the right. Jinking. I climbed. My lungs were straining to pull in enough air as I labored to breathe under the G forces, which pulled at every part of me. I climbed away to the west, twisting and slipping my jet through the sky with the 23mm AAA airbursts trailing behind. Somewhere in the distance, I heard Jay proclaim ‘Great hits!!’ 8,000 feet, I eased off the G and looked over my shoulder at the target. It was gone. In its place a ball of flame and thick, black smoke. Many emotions went through me that instant: excitement, pain, fear, relief, and pride all at once.

[…] I had just become only the second A-10 pilot in history to score an air-to-air kill, and one of the very few pilots in modern history to do so with a gun rather than missiles.”

This marks not just the final A-10 air-to-air kill, but also the final gun kill by US forces.

Debrief: a complete history of U.S. aerial engagements 1981 to the present is published by Osprey Publishing and is available to order here.

Photo by U.S. Air Force

March 9, 2023 0 comment

Military

The A-10A+ program

by Till Daisd February 21, 2023

written by Till Daisd

It was decided to leave the A-10A Thunderbolt II behind. The “Hog” was never renowned for having cutting-edge technology, and in its post-Operation Desert Storm design, it was only expected to operate until 2018. The Low Altitude Safety and Targeting Enhancement (LASTE) system was installed after the aircraft returned from Saudi Arabia in 1991, and it was intended to be the last significant improvement for the fighter. After then, the A-10 wasn’t going to receive any significant upgrades. The A-10 was not to be one of the main beneficiaries of those advancements as the USAF sought the additional technological advancements that had been displayed in Desert Storm.

According to Lt Col James Marks, before LASTE, an A-10’s ability to locate a target only hinged on the pilot’s competence; ‘When I flew the A-10A in Europe back in the 1980s, you were lucky if the old inertial navigation system [INS] fitted in the jet got you to within a couple of miles of the target due to its propensity for drifting. That was where you made your money as an A-10 pilot, employing effective clock-to-map-to-ground skills. You knew the terrain, which meant that the INS was just a reference point that might get you close to the target. It would get you to the ballpark but it wouldn’t get you to home plate. You had to become very adept at knowing the roads, hills, and valleys. INS gave you some corrections for weapons delivery but not a computed bombsight. LASTE gave us computed bombing, a radar altimeter, and autopilot. The A-10 became quite precise as the “death dot” in the HUD [head-up display] made things a lot easier.’

Even though LASTE had been a success, the A-10 would still require an update if it were to serve for another ten years. A modernization was first suggested in 1997, six years after Desert Storm, and Lockheed Martin was given a contract to serve as the prime contractor and systems integrator. Another contract for engineering and manufacturing development of the Precision Engagement (PE) upgrade program, which would eventually result in the A-10C, was given to the business in 2001.

The A-10 would undergo a number of changes as a result of the PE program. The infrared AGM-65D Maverick missile’s single television monitor in the cockpit would be replaced with two 5×5-inch color multifunction screens. New weapons like the GPS-guided Joint Direct Attack Munition (JDAM) could now be used by the jet thanks to the addition of a HOTAS (hand-on-throttle-and-stick), new computers, upgraded power systems, and a Mil-Std 1760 databus. Even if the USAF had never requested it, the post-PE A-10 would rank among the most technologically advanced aircraft in its arsenal with the addition of a current-generation targeting pod and a data link.

The 1995 Base Realignment and Closure (BRAC) committee’s decision to shut down McClellan AFB and its Sacramento Air Logistics Center, however, almost put an end to the PE program. Since the jet’s first entry into service in 1976, the System Program Office (SPO) has called McClellan AFB home. Throughout the following 25 years, the engineering competence (mainly civilian) needed to work on modifications and maintain the jet operating has grown here. The A-10 SPO relocated to Hill AFB in Utah after McClellan’s closure in 2001, but the knowledge remained there. This instantly led to a knowledge gap when it comes to advancing the PE program.

The Air Force Reserve (AFRes) and Air National Guard (ANG) started working on the A-10A+ project, which would fill the gap between the A- and C-models, out of frustration with the circumstances at Hill AFB and the delayed development of the PE program. It thought that such an update would accommodate its requirements and budget range. To incorporate the A-10 in the preliminary planning for combat operations in Iraq, a proof of concept was started in 2002.

Making the jet work with a targeting pod was the main objective of this effort. Even with the aid of binoculars, the pilot would be able to hunt for targets beyond the range of his visual field. In order to integrate a targeting pod with their A-10As, two squadrons—the 118th Fighter Squadron (FS)/103rd Fighter Wing (FW) of the Connecticut ANG and the 131st FS/104th FW of the Massachusetts ANG—pushed the limits.

The A-10’s adaptable interface module was essential for integrating the targeting pod, in this case, the AN/AAQ-28 Litening II (AIM). Maj Thomas McNurlin, who would eventually run the A-10A+ program, described how it worked; ‘The ANG was in a hurry to get a pod on the A-10 as the immediate goal was to use the A-10 in western Iraq. By attaching a pod to the AIM, and after running a few cables, the jet thought it was still talking to a Maverick missile and the pod thought it was talking to a Block 30 F-16.’

The pod could detect its location in space thanks to the cables’ ability to transmit navigational solutions, which made it possible for it to produce coordinates.

‘At this point, Lockheed Martin was saying there was no way to install a pod without building the A-10C, but the Reserve Guard Test Center basically said, “Oh, really?” The latter entered into a relationship with Northrop Grumman, and engineers from both the test center and the company put it all together. When all of this started to prove worthwhile, Air Combat Command [ACC] decided to forgo the standard fielding process, put the capability on the jets, and deploy them with it. It was a temporary modification to the aeroplane that was ultimately unsustainable. Basically, it was a technology demonstrator that ended up going to war. What the ANG and AFRes needed was a long-term solution to securing a targeting pod capability outside of the AIM without having to wait for the A-10C.’

Requests for Lockheed Martin to help the A-10A+ program as the ANG and AFRes program advanced met with resistance. Under pressure from Lockheed Martin, an effort to collaborate with TRW Aeronautical Systems was also given up. The following candidate for the A+ program was Raytheon Indianapolis, and its engineers closely collaborated with ANG and AFRes staff to fully integrate the targeting pod with the A-10.

The Maverick television monitor was changed for a better display so that passengers could examine the photographs the pod had taken, and a moving map display was added to the cockpit. As many as four software upgrades per week may be made without interfering with the Operational Flight Program (OFP) of the A-10 thanks to the software for the system changes living outside of it.

From its initial flight to operational deployment, the A-10A+ took slightly over a year, with the majority of the flight testing taking place at the ANG/AFRes Command Test Center (AATC) in Tucson, Arizona. The 47th FS, a reserve unit stationed at Barksdale AFB, provided the A-10s that the AATC was testing.

Even though the majority of the testing was carried out by just two jets, there were occasionally three “Hogs” operating out of AATC. Because of the ongoing alterations made to the AATC A-10s, they were known as “Frankenhogs.”
The ANG and AFRes continued the push to enhance the combat capabilities of their jets as quickly as possible, despite the A-10C PE program running concurrently with the development of the A-10A+ and its scope shortly to be expanded to cover the entire “Hog” community;

‘The first units to get the A-10A+ would be the Idaho ANG at Boise, the Pennsylvania ANG at Willow Grove, and the AFRes A-10 units at Barksdale AFB. Half the A-10s in the Guard and Reserves were slated for the initial cadre of jets to be upgraded as part of the C-model conversion. The other half was at the very end of the modification line, so what we did was target those jets that would be last for the C-model upgrade and push them to the front of the line to become A-10A+s. That way, the Guard and Reserve had most of the important flying and fighting capabilities in their upgraded aeroplanes, although not the full mission integration of the C-model. However, all of their A-10s had improved baseline capabilities.

‘In the summer of 2007, the Pennsylvania and Idaho ANG units were sent to Iraq, which marked the first time either A+ or C-model jets had undertaken a combat deployment. The following year, three A-10A+ units combined to deploy to Afghanistan, including aircraft from Whiteman AFB that featured the final upgrades for this version of the jet. The latter included a mission software tape that gave the jet full HUD integration of the information collected by the new systems. By then the A-10A+ featured most of the upgrades installed in the C-model, although it lacked the digital store’s management system that allowed the A-10C to carry JDAM. That was a sacrifice we were willing to live with. When you’re working on the cheap you can’t afford to start adding weapons, as that is when things start to get very expensive very fast.

‘We added three computers and a ton of capability that produced a lot of situational awareness [SA] for the pilots. We put out three full mission software tapes and upgraded 102 A-10s for just $18 million. This figure included development, installation, and all of the contract logistics support.’

The book A-10 Thunderbolt II Units of Operation Enduring Freedom 2008-14 is available to purchase here.

February 21, 2023 0 comment

History

The A-10 aircraft: from the Cold War to the War on Terror

by Till Daisd May 17, 2022

written by Till Daisd

The A-10’s design philosophy was to support ground troops and make it difficult for enemy anti-aircraft fire to shoot down the aircraft. Specifically, this included operating at low altitudes and being able to fly below small arms, artillery, and rocket fire of enemy forces. Close air support (CAS) is an important part of modern warfare because it allows the combatant on the ground to call for immediate assistance from the air in order to take out targets that threaten them or their mission.

It’s worth noting that during the Cold War, CAS missions were not always successful due in part to a lack of speed or maneuverability when compared with faster fighter jets used by NATO forces during this time period; however, there were instances where CAS was used effectively against North Vietnamese targets during combat operations like Linebacker II (1972) and Linebacker III (1973).

The A-10 is a twin-engine, single-seat aircraft. It cruises at a slow enough speed so pilots can visually identify their targets. The plane’s armor plating protects the pilot from ground fire and allows it to fly in most weather conditions.

The A-10 was designed to have an extra-wide wingspan and large flaps on its wings so it could take off and land on short runways with little room for error, an advantage when flying out of rough terrains like Afghanistan or Iraq.

It took its first flight in 1972 and the first model was deployed in 1977. It was built by Fairchild Republic and is still used by the USAF today, but it has also been used extensively in a multitude of conflicts since then. The A-10 was used during Operation Desert Storm, Operation Allied Force, Operation Iraqi Freedom, and Operation Enduring Freedom (Afghanistan).

The A-10, nicknamed “Warthog,” is named for its aggressive look and questionable aesthetics. One pilot said it was because “it’s ugly as hell.” The A-10 was designed to have a low flight speed and large wingspan in order to give it greater survivability in combat. This means that the aircraft has an extremely blunt nose, large engines, and landing gear at the rear of the plane.

As you might know, the A-10 is named after its official name comes from the P-47 Thunderbolt, a propeller-driven fighter used by the U.S. Army Air Corps during World War II. This is because it has two engines and was originally designed to be an attack aircraft—specifically for close air support of ground troops.

With the A-10C model, an upgrade from 2005, pilots have more digital interfaces and night vision capabilities that make flying and fighting easier. This model has been used extensively in Afghanistan and Iraq.

The A-10C model, which saw its first deployment in 2005, is the most advanced version of the aircraft to date. As a result of upgrades over time and the demands of modern combat missions, pilots have more digital interfaces and night vision capabilities that make flying and fighting easier.

This model has been used extensively in Afghanistan and Iraq by both American troops as well as allies like Israel and Poland.
It was one of the first planes outfitted with laser-guided bombs and Maverick air-to-ground missiles, making it one of the most successful close air support aircraft ever created for combat situations.

The A-10 has a GAU-8 Avenger rotary cannon mounted on the aircraft’s nose and is known as one of the most successful close air support aircraft ever created for combat situations. The A-10 can carry up to 16,000 pounds (7,200 kilograms) of ordnance, including laser-guided bombs and Maverick air-to-ground missiles. It can fly at speeds between 0.8 Mach and 0.9 Mach or 515 mph to 580 mph (840 km/h to 935 km/h).

The A-10 aircraft is an appropriate symbol for the Army and the Air Force, which have fought together in defense of the United States since their founding. Together, they protect American ideals and interests by sharing resources and taking advantage of synergies that increase combat power. They have been fighting for America since before there was the United States when aircraft flew under the banners of fledgling nation-states. Their success as an interoperable team stems from trust forged in fire; durability built on experience; wisdom derived from having seen it all before. The A-10 aircraft will leave behind a legacy as one of the toughest “tigershark” jets to ever hit the skies.

Even though the A-10 is not a stealthy or supersonic aircraft, it is still an important and vital piece of military defense. Let’s hope that when this next batch of A-10 Warthogs reaches the end of their long and storied career, their replacements will be just as good at keeping the country safe from the enemies that seek to destroy it.

May 17, 2022 0 comment

History

The death of the legendary A-10 Warthog’s father

by Till Daisd October 28, 2021

written by Till Daisd

“There was a major in the Air Force… He saw the first couple of ones. He said, ‘Geez, that thing is as ugly as a warthog.’ And it stuck,” Elliot Kazan manager for the development of the A-10 Thunderbolt II

The person popularly recognized as the Fairchild Republic A-10’s founder passed away. In the 1970s, Elliot Kazan oversaw a group of roughly 500 employees as they created the renowned Warthog. He was 90.

According to Newsday, sepsis-related complications caused Kazan’s death on August 9.

According to his family, Kazan was raised in Queens and attended Polytechnic University to study aeronautical engineering, graduating with a bachelor’s degree in 1949 and a master’s degree in 1950. After a brief stint at Boeing, Kazan accepted a position in Farmingdale with the Republic Aviation Company, which ultimately changed its name to Fairchild-Republic.

While employed there, Kazan was appointed project manager for the creation of the A-10 Thunderbolt II, also known as the “Warthog” due to its bulky and ungainly appearance.

“There was a major in the Air Force… He saw the first couple of ones,” Kazan told Newsday in 2003. “He said, ‘Geez, that thing is as ugly as a warthog.’ And it stuck.”

In October 1975, the first A-10A produced was delivered to Davis-Monthan Air Force Base in Arizona. In the 1970s and 1980s, more than 700 A-10 Thunderbolt II airplanes were produced. In September 2007, the upgraded A-10C achieved initial operational capability. The U.S. and its allies have found great value in the combination of its vast and diversified ordnance load, lengthy loiter time, precise weapons delivery, austere field capability, and survivability. The aircraft is equipped with a seven-barrel GAU-8/A 30mm Gatling gun, with a maximum rate of fire of 3,900 rounds per minute, which can be used to take out tanks among other targets.

“He heard one guy after another say to him, ‘That plane saved my life. It was full of holes and it still flew me back safely,” Kazan’s wife of 55 years, Dorothy, said. “It was the love of his life, that airplane.”

Kazan was even more devoted to his family, which included his two daughters, according to relatives.

“He would work 16 hours and he would come home and there was no running and hiding or anything like that… He would have the girls out sleigh riding,” said his son-in-law, Stephen Kazan, who took his family’s name. “He was a dad first and an engineer second… He was one of those guys who got it right.”

Photo by U.S. Air Force

October 28, 2021 0 comment

History

A-10 was able to RTB after her right engine had been struck by an Iraqi SAM

by Till Daisd September 9, 2021

written by Till Daisd

“This is a true testament to the combat survivability of the A-10,” Maj. Gary “Wolfman” Wolf (retired), former A-10 pilot

The then-110th Fighter Wing (FW) was operating A-10A Thunderbolt II aircraft in direct support of Coalition ground forces during the early phases of Operation Iraqi Freedom (OIF). The A-10, affectionately referred to as “Warthog,” has a well-deserved reputation for toughness, which was strengthened by the 110th’s involvement with the 332nd Air Expeditionary Wing.

As stated in the article A-10A 80-0258, History of Excellence by Tech. Sgt. Alec Lloyd of the 217th Air Operations Group, on April 8, 2003, tail number 80-0258, flown by then-Maj. Gary “Wolfman” Wolf, took off from Ahmed Al Jaber Air Base in Kuwait to support Coalition forces as they approached Baghdad. An enemy surface-to-air (SAM) missile destroyed the aircraft’s right engine as it was doing low-altitude overhead reconnaissance for a coalition convoy commander.

“Although the initial impact was substantial, the aircraft never departed controlled flight. This is a true testament to the combat survivability of the A-10.” said Major Wolf (retired), “I was fortunate to be flying the mighty Warthog on that fateful day.”

How this A-10 was able to RTB after her right engine had been struck by an Iraqi SAM [today the aircraft's damaged cowling is on display at the National Guard Museum] — A-10 maintenance members from the 392 Air Expeditionary Wing inspect their aircraft for any additional damages after it was hit by an Iraqi missile in the right engine. The A-10 made it back to the base safely.

Major Wolf was able to maintain control of his aircraft, put in place defenses, and make a turn for friendly territory. He kept the severely damaged aircraft in the air despite the considerable damage for 45 minutes until he traveled 120 kilometers to Tallil Air Base in southern Iraq, where he could find shelter. Pilots, ground personnel, and even media photographers were in awe by the magnitude of the damage the Warthog had sustained while still being able to fly after he landed it safely.

The story might have ended there, but in 2011, Colonel Ronald Wilson—the 110th’s vice commander at the time—mentioned that the damaged engine had been transported back to Battle Creek Air National Guard Base after the unit had been renamed the 110th Airlift Wing by that point. In 2014, the unit underwent a second name change to the 110th Attack Wing. The second stage of the process—the restoration and reassembly of the cowling for display—began after the parts of the cowling were discovered at the base scrap yard after some searching.

“The cowling was destined for the scrap pile,” said Colonel Wilson, “we had been out of the A-10 business for some time. When I approached our maintenance folks to see if there was any possibility to save this historical piece of our heritage, they jumped right in.”

This task was unusual. The 110th Maintenance Squadron staff was accustomed to removing and replacing broken parts, but recovering war damage rather than simply repairing was new.

Tech. Sgt. David Harris from the 110th Airlift Wing Maintenance Squadron was one of many to have these very thoughts, “The first thought from everyone in the shop was, where do we start?” he said. “It was like a jigsaw puzzle. The structural repair shop got together and devised a plan of attack to manufacture parts and panels to reconstruct damage the missile had caused.”

To meet the task, Tech. Sgt. Robert Robinson, Tech. Sgt. Steven Roman, Staff Sgt. Brian Nelson and Senior Airman Douglas Powers created a thorough restoration plan.

The cowling was repaired to its “original” damaged state after more than 150 man-hours of labor. It was now prepared for both shipping and display.

The service members who put in a lot of effort to make sure that the wing as a whole and not just the A-10 were recognized as exceptional warfighters were thanked by Colonel Wilson and Major Wolf.

“This is a testament to all the great men and women of the 110th Fighter Wing who went to war in 2003, who through machine and sweat and perseverance prevailed and made a difference in the world as the 110th Fighter Wing made a mark in history forever.” Said Colonel Wilson.

“I will always think of the A-10 when I remember Battle Creek. We did some amazing things around the world in the Warthog.” Said Major Wolf (retired). “I hope you can find a good home for the cowling – well deserved after all the hard work performed by your maintenance folks. I will always cherish 258 for bringing me home… -Wolfman (callsign).”

At the National Guard Museum in Washington, DC, the A-10 cowling is currently on exhibit.

Photo by Staff Sgt. Shane A. Cuomo / U.S. Air Force and Master Sgt. Sonia Pawloski / U.S. Air National Guard

September 9, 2021 0 comment

History

This is why the A-10 Warthog can’t be replaced by F-16 CAS variants

by Till Daisd August 31, 2021

written by Till Daisd

Due to the F-16’s severe vulnerability to ground fire down low during Desert Storm, the A-10 performed better in the CAS role

The U.S. Air Force (USAF) began work on the A-16, close air support (CAS) derivative of the basic F-16 armed with a 30 mm cannon and 7.62 mm Minigun pods, in the 1980s in an effort to replace the A-10 Thunderbolt II. A number of F-16A Block 15 aircraft were upgraded to this configuration and painted in the “European One” camouflage pattern. The A-16 was never produced because of a Congressional directive issued to the USAF on November 26, 1990, requiring it to keep two wings of A-10s. The type was to have been given the name “Block 60.”

The USAF decided to upgrade 400 Block 30/32 F-16s with new equipment to execute CAS and battlefield air interdiction (BAI) operations rather than upgrading the A-10 as the second result of that instruction. The F/A-16 project included innovative technology such as a digital terrain-mapping system, a GPS for better navigational and weapon delivery precision, and an Automatic Target Handoff System (ATHS) to enable direct digital target/mission data interchange between the pilot and ground forces. But in January 1992, this strategy was abandoned in favor of installing Low Altitude Navigation and Targeting Infrared for Night (LANTIRN) pods on Block 40/42 F-16C/D aircraft.

Here's why F-16's CAS variants failed to replace the A-10 Warthog

The 174th Tactical Fighter Wing (TFW), a New York Air National Guard unit that switched from the A-10 in 1988, had 24 F-16A/B Block 10 aircraft that were equipped with the 30 mm GAU-13/A four-barrel variant of the seven-barrel GAU-8/A cannon in 1991. On the centerline station, this weapon was kept in a General Electric GPU-5/A Pave Claw gun pod and had 353 rounds of ammo. There were also plans to equip A-10s with the AN/AAS-35V Pave Penny laser spot tracker and convert F-16C aircraft to this configuration. Trials were put on hold after two days due to the gun’s considerable vibration, which made flying and targeting the aircraft challenging.

During Operation Desert Storm, when both aircraft were heavily employed in the conflict and significant data on their success rates in various types of missions was available, the A-10 vs F-16 argument was reignited. The Block 10 F-16 possessed the benefit of speed and full night capability, whereas the A-10 required the employment of flares to light up the battlefield or a second A-10, as recounted by Ken Neubeck in his book A-10 Warthog Mini In Action.

Nevertheless, despite these benefits, the F-16 performed worse than the A-10 in Desert Storm in the CAS role, largely because it was more open to ground fire down low. The F-16 was compelled to fly at higher altitudes because it lacked the A-10’s tough survival features. The Maverick missile and gun strafing capabilities of the A-10 were more precise than the F-16’s weaponry at higher altitudes. The F-16’s 30 mm gun pod attachment turned out to be unstable and inaccurate.

As Neubeck says “the war had proved conclusively that the modified F-16 cannot replace the A-10 Warthog and perform all aspects of the CAS mission. The A-10 was truly the only aircraft that was built solely for the CAS mission. Many experts feel that the results of the war show that the U.S. would do well to continue to have a mix of aircraft including the ‘air-to-mud’ types.”

The idea of replacing the A-10 with the F-16 was described by former Pentagon engineer Pierre Sprey, who worked on the F-16 and A-10 programs as “one of the most monumentally fraudulent ideas the Air Force has ever perpetrated.” As told by Neubeck, Mr. Sprey would later summarize the A-10’s war accomplishments in the September 1991 issue of the IEEE Spectrum (the magazine edited by the Institute of Electrical and Electronics Engineers). Sprey stated that “among the aircraft, the ‘low tech’ A-10 – much despised by the U.S. Air Force brass – was the real hero of the air war. Even though it represents only one-twelfth of the fighter force, it flew one-third of the sorties and accounted for two-thirds of the tank kills claimed during the air campaign and better than nine/tenths of the artillery kills. It dominated the interdiction campaigns against the roads. The aircraft proved tough enough to survive the anti-aircraft exposure and fire anti-tank Maverick missiles, while the F-16s, F-111s, and F-18s were just too vulnerable to ground guns to be usable in this role.”

Block 10 F/A-16s were eventually phased out as a result.

Photo by U.S. Air Force

August 31, 2021 0 comment

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