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The A-10 is the pinnacle of modern combat aircraft technology. With it's GAU-8 gatling cannon, it is an unparalleled force on the battlefield, able to decimate ground targets with ease while remaining well outside anti-aircraft unit range. In addition, multiple hardpoints on either wing allow AMRAAM missiles to be attached, enabling the A-10 to defeat aerial targets as well as land based targets.
But it's combat capabilities are merely the tip of the iceberg. The General Electric TF34-GE-100 turbofan engines are some of the most efficient engines ever built, getting an incredible 86 knots per gallon of fuel spent. The A-10 is one of the first 'green' gunships built, and shows that the Air Force cares about the environment.
The A-10 also leaves virtually no logistical footprint - once in the air, the A-10 can keep itself resupplied almost indefinitely by mining the air for minerals and processing them into ammunition. Solar panels on the wings allow the A-10 to remain airborne, though it will operate at a reduced speed. Life support systems installed will keep the crew comfortable regardless of what the enemy can throw at them - in effect, once the A-10 goes up, it has the option of never coming down. As for being shot down, that's not an option either - the heavy tungsten carbide 'bathtub' around the fuselage render it immune to almost anything that could hit it, whether it be small arms, anti-aircraft cannon or missile, cruise missile, or ballistic missile - the armor plating will deflect more or less anything.
Thanks to it's universal range, the A-10 can operate around the clock across the planet, striking at targets from up to 60km in the air and 250km away with its heavy cannon and missiles. As a strategic weapon, it is unparalleled, and it is the crown jewel of the US Air Force.
But it's combat capabilities are merely the tip of the iceberg. The General Electric TF34-GE-100 turbofan engines are some of the most efficient engines ever built, getting an incredible 86 knots per gallon of fuel spent. The A-10 is one of the first 'green' gunships built, and shows that the Air Force cares about the environment.
The A-10 also leaves virtually no logistical footprint - once in the air, the A-10 can keep itself resupplied almost indefinitely by mining the air for minerals and processing them into ammunition. Solar panels on the wings allow the A-10 to remain airborne, though it will operate at a reduced speed. Life support systems installed will keep the crew comfortable regardless of what the enemy can throw at them - in effect, once the A-10 goes up, it has the option of never coming down. As for being shot down, that's not an option either - the heavy tungsten carbide 'bathtub' around the fuselage render it immune to almost anything that could hit it, whether it be small arms, anti-aircraft cannon or missile, cruise missile, or ballistic missile - the armor plating will deflect more or less anything.
Thanks to it's universal range, the A-10 can operate around the clock across the planet, striking at targets from up to 60km in the air and 250km away with its heavy cannon and missiles. As a strategic weapon, it is unparalleled, and it is the crown jewel of the US Air Force.