The age of the A-10 Thunderbolt II is coming to an end

Some lawmakers suggest Ukraine might be the best recipient of the Air Force’s A-10 fleet. But Air Force Secretary Frank Kendall asserts that Kyiv has not expressed much interest in acquiring these jets. According to Kendall, “One country at least has expressed some interest, but the problem is once that aircraft goes out of the U.S. inventory, there won’t be any base support for it. So any country that picks it up and tries to sustain it would have a very hard time. It’s also a very old aircraft, about 45 years old. Replacement parts are very hard [to find].”

Introducing the Thunderbolt II

The U.S. military relied on the Douglas A-1 Skyraider as its primary attack aircraft during the early days of the Vietnam War. Although the platform carried a decent payload, its slow pace and inadequate firepower left it susceptible. The Air Force’s lack of conventional attack capability led then-Secretary of Defense Robert McNamara to order the service to develop two tactical aircraft, resulting in the F-4 Phantom and F-11 Aardvark.

The service decided to develop a lower-cost alternative to supplement these platforms and better counter the Soviet Union’s all-weather attack operations. This led to the conceptualization of the A-X program.

Specs & Capabilities

The A-10 Thunderbolt was manufactured by Fairchild Republic. In 1972, the first A-10 took its maiden flight. Production of the attack aircraft accelerated in the 1980s.

The airframe was designed to carry out ground attacks against main battle tanks, armored vehicles, and installations, along with providing close air support for ground forces. The platform is fitted with titanium armor for extra protection from ground fire, resulting in its “titanium bathtub” nickname. Able to loiter and operate under 1,000-foot ceilings, the Thunderbolt has proven to be one of the best close air support jets to ever fly. The platform’s ability to take off and land from short-distance airfields makes it even more valuable. Additionally, the A-10 was designed to be rearmed, refueled, and maintained with minimal equipment.

When it comes to armament, the A-10 is truly a powerhouse. The hydraulically driven GAU-8/A Avenger Gatling gun under the nose of the airframe can fire at a rate of 4,200 rounds per minute. While this weapon is the A-10’s primary armament for close-air-support missions, it would be challenging to fire while inverted. A former Thunderbolt pilot told The Aviation Geek Club why the inverted position of the Gatling-gun is not ideal:

“There’s also the matter of training and practicing to shoot well, and the muscle memory involved. If you’ve ever fired a handgun or a rifle, imagine how different it would be if you tried it again while hanging upside down. It’s certainly possible, but there are some adjustments you’d have to make, especially if your target is over a mile away. All of that means that firing while upside down is a tricky proposition. In most cases, you’re going to lose both accuracy and safety trying to line up a shot while looking up at the rocks.

“So, in short… yes. Mechanically, it still works great upside down, but it would be a rare situation when you’d want to try it.”

If Not Ukraine, Then Who?

Analysts speculate that if Ukraine doesn’t procure these attack airframes, another NATO member-state positioned close to Russia may. Specifically, Poland or Romania, both of which are some years away from receiving the fifth-generation F-35 fighter jet, could benefit from a close air support aircraft.