Fairchild Republic A-10 Thunderbolt II: The 'Warthog' Ground Attack Aircraft

The Fairchild-Republic A-10A Close Support aircraft, known as the Warthog, was developed to provide close air support to ground troops. It has a long front-line life and is renowned for its accuracy and deadliness in the ground-attack role. The aircraft was designed to carry a heavy load of ordnance and survive heavy ground fire. It has also flown almost continuous missions over the Balkans, Afghanistan, and Iraq and Syria.

Format: Hardback
Length: 312 pages
Publication date: 08 December 2020
Publisher: Pen & Sword Books Ltd

The Fairchild-Republic A-10A Close Support aircraft has earned a legendary status throughout its extensive frontline service. Renowned as the Warthog due to its distinctive appearance, this diminutive aircraft has established an exceptional reputation in the specialized ground-attack role, where its accuracy and lethality are widely esteemed as the finest of their kind. The harsh lessons learned from the Second World War, further reinforced by the bitter experience of the Vietnam War two decades later, demonstrated the impracticality and inefficiency of employing supersonic fighter jets in the close air support mission. Consequently, a need arose for an aircraft capable of carrying a substantial and diverse payload of ordnance, possessing remarkable endurance and unprecedented maneuverability, and with the ability to withstand heavy ground fire. Thus, the A-10 was conceived. However, when it entered service, its role underwent a significant transformation. It became a tankbuster in the defense of Western Europe, tasked with countering the overwhelming numbers of Soviet battle armor. With its straight wing, twin tails, and turbine engines mounted high on its rear fuselage, this single-seat aircraft presented a distinctive appearance. Nevertheless, each of these features played a crucial role, as Peter C. Smith elucidates in this meticulously detailed study. While the Warthog's anticipated missions on the plains of Germany did not materialize, it nonetheless achieved remarkable success by destroying hundreds of Soviet-built tanks during the Gulf wars. The A-10 has also conducted nearly continuous missions over the Balkans, targeting the Taliban in Afghanistan, ISIS in Iraq and Syria. In this beautifully illustrated and comprehensive volume, Peter C. Smith brings the A-10's incredible story right up to date, ensuring that its legacy remains preserved for generations to come.

Weight: 1298g
Dimension: 182 x 253 x 31 (mm)
ISBN-13: 9781526759269