The A-10 was developed to meet a late 1960’s U.S. Air Force requirement for a dedicated close air support (CAS) aircraft, entering full service in 1977. Built around a Gatling-gun rotary 30mm cannon and has 11 weapons stations; it was built to survive and operate near the front lines. Designed initially as an anti-tank platform, but through numerous upgrades has greatly improved its accuracy and usefulness. It has proved highly survivable through redundant systems, extensive armor protection and can operate from short, rough airstrips with minimum maintenance. It has flown in numerous conflicts since 9/11 in the CAS, CSAR (Combat Search & Rescue) and FAC-A (Forward Air Control – Airborne) roles; and was used against aerial drones & speed boat in the Straits of Hormuz (2026).
Aircraft Specifications
Physical Description
All-metal, twin-engine aircraft with straight wings, a heavily armored cockpit, and a distinctive 30 mm rotary cannon mounted in the nose.
Crew: 1
Length: 53 ft 4 in
Wingspan: 57 ft 6 in
Height: 14 ft 8 in
Weight (empty/max takeoff): 25,600 lbs / 51,000 lbs
Powerplant: Two General Electric TF34-GE-100 turbofan engines, 9,065 lbs of thrust each
Maximum speed: 420 mph
Range: 2,580 miles
Service ceiling: 45,000 ft
Weapons
Armament: One 30 mm GAU-8/A rotary cannon.
AGM-65 “Maverick” missile – the primary anti-tank and vehicle “fire & forget” weapon using infra-red (IR) or color-contrast, or laser tracking.
Precision bombs - Laser-Guided Bomb (LGB – laser tracking) or JDAM (Joint Directed Attack Munition – GPS guided) – usually 500 or 2000 lb (226 / 907kg).
APKWS (Advanced Precision Kill Weapon System) rocket – AGR-20 – 2.75” laser guided, anti-drone, fast boat and vehicle weapon.
AIM-9M – air-to-air short-range missile - Infrared (IR) seeker. Self-protection Flares (anti-IR), Chaff (anti-radar) bundles; ECM-131 or 184 pod – an anti-radar system to jam or deceive ground or fighter radar systems.
Targeting Pod – AN-31 “Litening” or AN-33 “Sniper” – provided high resolution TV (optical) or IR (Infrared) images in the cockpit, a laser designator and laser-spot tracker which allows the pilot to find / lock / laser-designate targets from high altitude, then use precision weapons on it.
Ordnance – Up to 16,000 lbs of almost every variety of U.S. munitions including precision bombs / missiles / rockets (“smart”, guided weapons); unguided bombs, cluster munitions and rockets.
Key Accomplishments
Was the first U.S. Air Force aircraft designed specifically for the close air support mission, with its entire airframe built around its 30 mm cannon (GAU-8 “Avenger”).
The front landing gear is offset to the aircraft's right to allow placement of the 30 mm cannon with its firing barrel along the centerline of the aircraft.
The cockpit and parts of the flight-control systems are protected by titanium aircraft armor, referred to as a "bathtub.”
Destroyed over 980 tanks, thousands of vehicles / artillery pieces - including two helicopters and numerous SCUD ballistic missiles during the 1991 Gulf War and supported ground forces extensively in Iraq, Afghanistan and Syria after September 11, 2001.
Survived at least four retirement efforts (1990,2000,2014,2025) but was saved by its combat effectiveness in conflicts where its unique attributes were used in specialized roles that its pilots constantly trained in.
This aircraft (Bureau #76-0516) served as a weapons load trainer with the 111th Fighter Wing, Pennsylvania Air National Guard, helping train generations of maintenance technicians.
Build Date
1976
Manufacturer
Fairchild Republic
Dates of Service
1977 – 2026 (until at least 2030)
Country of Origin
United States
Inventory Number
Bureau #76-0516
Credit
On loan from the Pennsylvania Air National Guard 111th Fighter Wing; the aircraft is owned by the National Museum of the United States Air Force.
Display Status
This aircraft began its service with the 111th Fighter Wing, Pennsylvania Air National Guard, in 1992, where it was designated a weapons load trainer and used to train maintenance technicians in troubleshooting and weapons-loading procedures. The Museum acquired the aircraft in June 2011, and in April 2012 it was relocated from the Air National Guard’s display area to its current location at the Museum.
Status: On display.
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