December 25, 2019
Why Air Force Pilots Still Love The A-10 Warthog
And why it won't go retire.
by Kris Osborn
Key Point (This first appeared in 2017 and is being reposted due to reader interest): Although the continued existence of the A-10 is assured well into the next decade, the debate about what, if anything, might be able to replace it is quite likely to continue.
Known for an ability to keep flying after taking multiple rounds of enemy machine gun fire, land and operate in rugged terrain, destroy groups of enemy fighters with a 30mm cannon and unleash a wide arsenal of attack weapons, the A-10 is described by pilots as a “flying tank†in the sky -- able to hover over ground war and provide life-saving close air support in high-threat combat environments.
“It is built to withstand more damage than any other frame that I know of. It’s known for its ruggedness,†A-10 pilot Lt. Col. Ryan Haden, 23rd Fighter Group Deputy, Moody AFB, told Scout Warrior in an interview last year.
https://nationalinterest.org/blog/buzz/why-air-force-pilots-still-love-10-warthog-108231
